Love and First Sight
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In his debut novel, YouTube personality and author of We Should Hang Out Sometime Josh Sundquist explores the nature of love, trust, and romantic attraction.
On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right?
As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a charming, quiet girl named Cecily. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn't meet traditional definitions of beauty--in fact, everything he'd heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed?
Told with humor and breathtaking poignancy, Love and First Sight is a story about how we relate to each other and the world around us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of this engaging novel from motivational speaker and memoir writer Sundquist (We Should Hang Out Sometime), 16-year-old Will Porter enrolls at Toano High School. Blind since birth, Will knows that if he is going to become a journalist, he must prove that he can live independently in the sighted world. His first day is a fiasco, but Will acclimates quickly and befriends a girl named Cecily. Romance seems destined until Will undergoes a cornea transplant and discovers that Cecily hasn't been entirely forthcoming about her appearance. Will's trust in Cecily is shattered, and he's left wondering whether their relationship is worth salvaging. The plot's beats are predictable, and the interpersonal conflicts can ring false, but Sundquist writes eloquently about what it might be like for someone who was born blind to be given sight. He explores the physical, emotional, and psychological ramifications of Will's change in a thoughtful and evocative manner, providing readers with a fresh perspective on how humans interact with each other and the world around them. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Great, quick read with a John Green feel
I have followed Josh on YouTube for many years and have read his previous memoirs. I have to say I was rather impressed by his first novel as well. You can tell he put a lot of effort into researching for his characters, which I personally really appreciate because I love when a book can entertain me while teaching me scientifically correct facts.
I knew before I started reading that Will's friends were keeping a secret from him and knew pretty early on who it was about. The only criticism I have about the book is regarding that secret, I was expecting something a bit more... shocking I suppose.
All around good book, it kept my attention for hours at a time, which is something I've been craving in a book for a while now. Thanks Josh for sharing this story with us!