Title: Love and First Sight
Genre: YA Contemporary + Medical Issues
Author: Josh Sundquist
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication: January 3rd 2017
Cover Rating: 4/5
Have you ever asked yourself questions before starting a book? Will I really enjoy this? Is this something I would love? Well, I asked myself... John Green clone or not a John Green clone, we shall find out. Sadly, a lot of these books where there is a guy narrator who falls for a girl that seems very unlike and involves some form of medical issue turn out to be TFIOS clones. I try not to clump books into that category but sometimes it just cannot be helped. So John Green, or not John Green, that is the question. Answer? Not John Green. More like Jennifer Niven.
I think I am really starting to be okay with reading books from a guys perspective. I used to never be able to do it but now I don't even really think about it. But it was really fun to see the world through Will's "eyes". He was smart, funny and the way he viewed the world was very beautiful. Not being able to see can have some pretty sensory consequences.
So Will ends up going to a normal school instead of his school for the blind. I thought that was the bravest shit in the world. Being surrounded by hundreds of kids and teachers who aren't like you or haven't been around others like you sounds completely horrific. Then, on top of the whole new scary school thing, he made a huge choice that could impair the rest of his life. It just shows that people really do want what others have.
Will's parents were a little big frustrating. They were an excellent support system but they we hardly ever on the same page when it came to what was best for Will. I do admit that in the end his mother turned out to be pretty damn awesome and just wanted to give her son all of the experiences the world has to off.
Then we have the friends Will made at school. Somehow, he managed to become friends with the nerdy group. I think it's pretty awesome. Would he have ended up at the nerd table if he wasn't blind? I am leaning towards, probably not. But because of all the circumstances, this group of unique people ended up together and it made for a very beautiful story and an even more beautiful ending.
Halfway through the book I started getting really upset. There are so many horrible things in this book showing us exactly how it is to live in this screwed up world as a girl. Beauty is preordained for us from the minute we can comprehend what is being shoved down our throats. At this point in the book I decided that however this ends will tell me a lot about the author and I found myself really hoping the author doesn't turn out to be a douche nugget.
I do have 1 regret about this book. I really wish I would have done one of my "As I Read Reviews" for this book. I had so many outbursts and anger that I think it would have made a great addition to those reviews. For example. I would have probably said this in that review: "I think it is gross that Will had all of these people feel sorry for him and try to help him his entire life but he didn't realize that Cecily didn't have that. She just had people making fun of her and judging her because of something she was born with. Hey, Will, how the HELL is that any different from how your entire life has been? You couldn't hide your blindness and she couldn't hide her mark. If you could have hid your blindness would you have?"
All in all, I really loved this book. It had a beautiful meaning behind it and I am very glad with how the author ended it.
EDIT: So, after sitting here and talking with a friend about the book and her fiance having pretty much the same "deformity" that Cecily has I am kind of rocking back and forth on my rating. I feel like the book was sending the wrong message about Cecily. That message being that only a blind guy/guy who is seeing for the first time could see Cecily's true beauty. I don't think that is what the author was trying to say but it kind of leaves everything open. I also think that Cecily would get bullied a lot more over a guy who had the same thing. For some reason people care less if some bad thing is on a guy. Girls get judged for everything and it is ridiculous.
Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
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