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“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.”
— Publishers Weekly
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“Sensitively explores disability and its influence on identity…The resolution is optimistic yet realistically open-ended. Thought-provoking and insightful.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“Although Will is completely incapable of seeing anything in the beginning of the story—not even shadows—he is not helpless or powerless. He is flawed, not because he cannot see with his eyes, but rather because of how he responds when he can see with them…Readers will enjoy Will’s journey.”
— VOYA
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“Readers will enjoy the humor and romance of the story while gaining a better understanding of life with a visual disability. Sundquist makes it clear that Will is not defined by his disability; he often has better ‘vision’ than those with eyesight…A highly recommended and engaging story.”
— School Library Journal
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Sensitively explores disability and its influence on identity...The juxtaposition of blindness with (not) judging by appearances is common, but the author gives depth to the trope by highlighting the betrayal Will feels at the exploitation of his blindness. Thought-provoking and insightful.
— Kirkus Reviews
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Unique...will encourage young adults to think about their own biases related to physical attractiveness and body image. Readers will enjoy the humor and romance of the story while gaining a better understanding of life with a visual disability...A highly recommended and engaging story for most YA collections.
— SLJ
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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.
— Publishers Weekly
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Rich in sensory detail, this novel pulls readers into Will's world. Sundquist deftly shows the difference between the act of seeing and truly seeing. This fresh and funny coming-of-age story presents an opportunity for readers who take certain abilities for granted to take stock of challenges facing peers.
— Booklist
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Sundquist does a nice job of getting inside the head of a person who has absolutely no visual frames of reference...without it feeling intrusive or overly clinical. For budding scientists and future doctors, these details offer new thoughts as well as context for understanding the real stories of people gaining eyesight after blindness and then wishing they hadn't; even readers who just came for the romance will find themselves understanding the "tyranny of the visual" in new ways.
— BCCB
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In his debut novel, memoirist Josh Sundquist proves he's as adept at making up new stories as he is at recounting his old ones as he explores overcoming adversity, seeing the world through fresh eyes (literally), and keeping a sense of humor in the midst of life's tribulations. An exciting new voice in the world of YA fiction.
— Tommy Wallach, New York Times bestselling author of We All Looked Up
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Is love blind? Should it be? With an intricate, intimate fiction debut, Josh Sundquist aims to find out.
— Barry Lyga, New York Times bestselling author
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[A] laugh-out-loud memoir...
— SLJ