Shawn
True Biz was a powerful and eye-opening read. I went into it expecting a coming-of-age story, but what I got was a much deeper look at Deaf culture, identity, and the tension between “fixing” deafness and embracing it as a language and community.
The novel follows several students at a Deaf boarding school, especially Charlie, who is struggling with her cochlear implant and what it means for who she is. As the school faces closure and the characters wrestle with family expectations, medical technology, and their own identities, the story builds toward some intense and emotional moments.
What stood out most to me was how much I learned. The book weaves in real history (like the Deaf President Now movement) and details about ASL and Deaf culture that I honestly didn’t know before. It made me rethink how society defines disability and what inclusion really means.
The pacing slows at times and the ending gets a little chaotic, which kept it from being a perfect five stars for me. But overall, it’s a thoughtful, unique novel that teaches as much as it entertains—and it definitely gave me a new perspective.
True Biz was a powerful and eye-opening read. I went into it expecting a coming-of-age story, but what I got was a much deeper look at Deaf culture, identity, and the tension between “fixing” deafness and embracing it as a language and community.
The novel follows several students at a Deaf boarding school, especially Charlie, who is struggling with her cochlear implant and what it means for who she is. As the school faces closure and the characters wrestle with family expectations, medical technology, and their own identities, the story builds toward some intense and emotional moments.
What stood out most to me was how much I learned. The book weaves in real history (like the Deaf President Now movement) and details about ASL and Deaf culture that I honestly didn’t know before. It made me rethink how society defines disability and what inclusion really means.
The pacing slows at times and the ending gets a little chaotic, which kept it from being a perfect five stars for me. But overall, it’s a thoughtful, unique novel that teaches as much as it entertains—and it definitely gave me a new perspective.