Skip to main content

Review: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom



Blurb from Goodreads:
The Rules: 

Don't deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public.

Don't help me unless I ask. Otherwise you're just getting in my way or bothering me.

Don't be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I'm just like you only smarter. 

Parker Grant doesn't need 20/20 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. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart.

When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there's only one way to react-shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that's right, her eyes don't work but her legs still do), doling 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 three months ago. 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. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.

My Review:
The first thing I have to say about this book is that it is very well written -- it did a really good job of helping to understand and imagining being blind.  So many things that you would never think about were explained incredibly well.  Unfortunately, however, for me there was just too much tragedy and the MC was a bit hard to like.  I can understand Parker's anger after all of the loss that she experienced (which I still think seemed a bit over the top) but I still had a hard time connecting with her.  This could be me projecting but something always seems a bit off to me when reading a male author writing a female MC.  The one thing was amazing in this book were the friendships -- Parker is so lucky to have the friendships she has and it was almost unbelievable how amazing her friends were.  I also liked the ending -- nothing too grandiose.

I would recommend this to fans of contemporary YA.  I was reminded a bit of The Summer of Chasing Mermaids (tough as nails female MC) while reading this one, although not as lyrical. Not If I See You First comes out tomorrow, December 1, 2015, and you can purchase HERE!  
"See you tomorrow," Scott says.  "Unless you see me first."   
The room is quiet enough now that I hear him walk away and out the door.   
See you tomorrow . . . . unless you see me first.   
That's what Scott used to say to me instead of goodbye, for years.  For four whole years.  A part of me remembers the warmth I used to feel when he said it, a warmth like no other.   
My heart pounds in my chest and in my ears.   

Comments

  1. I have this one but haven't gotten to it yet. I feel like it has been mixed things I have seen but a lot have said the MC is harder to like. Sometimes that can be really hard for me. Otherwise sounds pretty good. Great review!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is the first I am hearing of this one, it sounds interesting but its always tough when you cant connect to the MC. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Okay, you totally got me with the "The Summer of Chasing Mermaids" comparison. LOL I loved that book!! I'm really excited to read this one too. I'm so happy to hear it's well written and that you can really feel what the characters are feeling through the writing - that has to be difficult with a blind character. I've actually never read a book with a blind MC, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Yay for fantastic friendships too!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. This sounds really good, I love the synopsis. It sounds like the protagonist is a little rough around the edges.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I see what you mean. I haven't read this book yet, but it seems like it would be a hard one to get through, just because of the subject matter. Good review!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I see what you mean. I haven't read this book yet, but it seems like it would be a hard one to get through, just because of the subject matter. Good review!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I haven't read this one yet, but I think I would like to. A lot of times I end up liking some of the MCs that others found too negative- I think because I relate to them (which doesn't say a lot about me, but it's true hahha). I also LOVE that there are great friendships, that is so important. AND I like that it tackles such hard subject matter, that is diverse and fabulous. Great review!
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

    ReplyDelete
  8. OMG I loved this review... so so much. Yes I understand you didn't enjoy it as much as I did but still you've brought up points that I absolutely thought were true. That line where he says unless you see me first, and I was freaking blushing. I don't know if the ending surprised you but it did for me and omg omg omg you could see me literally crying.

    Alex @ The Book's Buzz

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I love this trope, sub-genre, setting: My Best Friend's Brother/My Brother's Best Friend

I Love This Trope, Sub-Genre, Setting is a new feature on my blog in which I discuss a trope, sub-genre or setting that I love and tell you about books that are shining examples of said trope, sub-genre or setting.  Feel free to play along and please let me know about your favorite books in this realm and whether you like this trope, sub-genre and/or setting as much as I do! Today I am spotlighting the trope of:  My Best Friend's Brother/My Brother's Best Friend , which I would define as any book where the heroine either has a crush on or falls for her brother's best friend or her best friend's brother. I have to confess that I love this trope in nearly all of its iterations!  I have a younger brother so I never got to crush on any of his friends but it's fun reading about that and it's equally as fun as reading about falling for your best friend's brother -- instant sisters!  I know there are a ton

Conversations With Myself (& Hopefully You): ARC Greed

This discussion is inspired by my feelings lately when reading and reviewing ARCs versus the feelings I had when I requested those same ARCs: ARC GREED ARC greed -- have we all experienced this?  What I even mean by this term is that I sometimes feel overwhelmed when looking at Netgalley and Edelweiss and  I sometimes over-request, if only because I can!  I get greedy when I see all the new and shiny ARCs available and I will sometimes request things that have even a hint of interest for me, not necessarily focusing only on those books that I really, really want.  The problem with this over-requesting and with getting greedy with requesting (and receiving) ARCs is when it comes time to read and review these ARCs.  Last month and this month, I have looked at my ARCs with a release date in each respective month and I just haven't wanted to read any of them.  I need to start asking myself -- If I was immediately approved for this ARC, would I read it right thi

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015

Top Ten Tuesday  is hosted by the fab ladies at  The Broke and the Bookish ! What books are you anticipating for the rest of this year?