Thursday 11 February 2016

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Synopsis (from Goodreads

Pages: 416
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books 
Released: 31st of December 2015 

Parker Grant doesn't need perfect vision to see right through you. That's why she created the Rules: Don't treat her any differently just because she's blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances.

When Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart, suddenly reappears at school, Parker knows there's only one way to react – shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough to deal with already, like trying out for the track team, handing out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn't cried since her dad's death. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened – both with Scott, and her dad – the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem.

What I Have to Say 

This is a book that really hits you with how hard it can be to be blind, not just the obvious lack of sight, but the way that even good intentioned people treat the blind. Her list of rules and entire attitude towards people show how hard it's been for her without much need to say it outright. It's really easy to see how her defenses have grown around her over the years.

Despite how pessimistic Parker's attitude is, I really liked her. Her voice was interesting and sassy, making it really enjoyable to read, even if her humour was dark. She felt real in a way that opened your eyes, rather than making you especially sympathetic. It made you see her as a real person that you might want to be friends with. It would have been easy for the writer to have tried to make the reader feel sorry for her and leave her as just the "blind girl", which is precisely what Parker spends the book trying not to be.

This is more than just a book about a blind girl. This is a book about grief and suppressing emotions, about making mistakes and having to own up to them. It's a great step for diversity and so much more.


My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for providing me with a copy to review. 

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