TITLE & AUTHOR: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom
I got this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. WHAT'S IT'S ABOUT The debut YA novel of 2016 that everyone will be talking about. PUBLISHER: HarperCollins Children's Books
OPENING EDITION: KindleWHAT I THOUGHT
RELEASE DATE: 31 December 2015PAGES: 321
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.
Combining a fiercely engaging voice with true heart, Not If I See You First illuminates those blind spots that we all have in life, whether visually impaired or not.
My alarm buzzes and I slap it off and tap the speech button at the same time. Stephen Hawking says "Five-fifty-five AM'. Just double-checking, like always.
Not If I See You First is a fantastic novel. I loved it. Parker is a fantastic character. I loved her. She's tough and feisty but vulnerable and gentle as well. I felt real empathy towards her. Not If I See You First is very emotional. I laughed and cried a lot. This YA novel deals with some very adult themes. There is a lot of teen drama but there are many deep, emotional eye opening moments. Parker is very complicated. Her behaviour is very selfish at times but completely understandable given the tragedy she's experienced in her short life. She is very defensive and I just wanted to hug her and tell her to calm down and not be so desperate to push everyone away. Hats off to the author for brilliant handling of Parker's disability. She refuses to let being blind rule her life. She scorns, rightly so, people who pity her and dismiss her as the blind girl. Not If I See You First is an example of how brilliant YA fiction can be. Not If I See You First is a cracker.
