Publisher: Blue Crown Press
Publish Date: October 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-0983930808
Pages: 224
I was intrigued by FARSIGHTED, as the main character (Alex), is blind and I wondered how the author would do with that perspective. I was pleased to find that she does a lovely job with it - all of Alex's other senses are brought into play and the descriptions are wonderful.
Alex is a blind teenage boy, a sophomore in high school. He discovers that he has second sight and is really freaked out by it. He works with a psychic from New Orleans who has recently moved to the area with her daughter, Shapri. Shapri also has a talent, but she's fighting it tooth and nail. He also befriends a girl from India, Simmi, that recently moved to his town and who also has a gift. The two girls and Alex must learn to work together and accept their gifts.
Overall, I do like the story. It's different and that's always a welcome change in the YA world. The only thing that bothered me is that on occasion the language seemed rather stilted, mostly the conversation. I checked to make sure that the author's first language is English (it is) and so I wondered if it is because some of the main characters are from places with strong accents (India and New Orleans). Perhaps she was attempting to capture that tone? I do know that conversation is one of the hardest things to write.
THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).
THE CASH PRIZES: Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That’s right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.
THE GIVEAWAYS: Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.
THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
Thank you so much for reviewing Farsighted; I'm glad you liked it. Yes, I did give Simmi a bit of ESL although I toned it down from what a fresh Indian immigrant might usually speak. I'll keep in mind that you think dialogue needs to be improved for Open Heart. I love constructive feedback like this!
ReplyDeleteIf you find yourself on Amazon or GoodReads over the next few days, would you mind cross-posting your review there? I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you!