True Biz

Students of the River Valley school for the deaf want to live an ordinary teenage life: make friends, fall in love, study, and take exams. They also want politicians, doctors, and parents to stop explaining what to do with their bodies. Among the book’s heroes is Charlie, a girl who has never before communicated with other deaf people; Austin, a boy raised in a family where deafness is passed down from generation to generation; and February, the school director, the daughter of deaf parents, who does everything possible so that River Valley won’t be shut down. But both in the country and in each hero’s life, dramatic events unfold—and you have to either accept the changes or defend the right to decide for yourselves how you will live next.