Bookish Things & More

Farsighted was a very quick read. It's engaging and full of mystery as Alex tries to figure out why he is all of a sudden getting visions. You can feel so much compassion for Alex. He's blind, and doesn't realize just how disheveled his appearance is. He's constantly getting bullied because of his condition. He tries to stay to himself, and be invisible just to get through the school day. While he doesn't come from a broken home, there's definitely tension in his household. His mom owns a shop, and works as hard as she can to support their three member family. His dad seems very distant, and cold, most of the time. He doesn't work, but does help in transferring Alex's notes to braille. While Alex has had hard times with people in his school, he manages to be a pretty decent student. The one thing I didn't like about his character is that he is so negative about many aspects of his life. I know he's blind, but that shouldn't keep him from looking for the good in things. The only person he manages to keep a positive outlook about is Simmi. She's new to the town, and quickly befriends him. They have such an awesome friendship. Alex wants more, but realizes things have to go at a much slower pace. Simmi is a very positive person. She keeps Alex out of as much trouble as possible. She's bubbly, and everything a person would look for in a friend. He also, reluctantly, becomes friends with Shapri. Shapri is another new girl in town, and her mom owns the shop next to Alex's mom's. Shapri is probably my favorite character in this book. She's going through struggles of her own, but she's outspoken. She's never afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and is completely loyal to her friends. The plot was interesting. You wouldn't think a blind person would be given the ability to see the future. He doesn't see it in the traditional sense. He sees the same way he would the present. Alex becoming friends with people who have powers of their own is no coincidence. They work together in order to figure what, and who, is supposed to be the demise of Simmi. It's very quick paced, and there aren't any lulls to the story. These kids go through everything normal teens would: jealousy over friendships, and confusion as to what path they are supposed to take in life. Dax throws a kink in everything they thought they knew. I'm not going to elaborate on him because it would spoil a good bit of the storyline. I really recommend this. What's even better, is a portion of the profit goes to organizations that help produce braille books for those that cannot see.