Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Review and Tour Giveaway: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand





Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and... oh yeah, he's blind.
Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.
Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable.
With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.


Publishes in US: March 15th 2012 by Blue Crown Press
Genre: YA fantasy
Source: blog tour
Series? Yes. Farsighted is the 1st, Open Heart is the 2nd, Pitch is the 3rd and releases May 21st 2013, 4th is Vertigo and releases May 2014, and Refrain is the 5th and last and releases May 2015

Buy it: Amazon US, Book DepositoryAmazon UK, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, or iTunes.

Find Emlyn online: site   twitter   facebook   book trailer

Blkosiner's Book Blog review 
    I liked this book so much more than I was prepared to. I know, I know, I signed up for the tour. But I went in with a negative attitude for some reason, and let me just say that Emlyn blew me out of the water with Farsighted. I loved Alex's voice, and although I have no idea what it is like to be blind, I do know what it is like to feel like an outsider. So I related to him on that level very much so.
    It gave me so much hope watching him grow as a character and then learn to accept things that he previously thought was the stuff of the stories. He had no idea that he was having visions, and he started feeling crazy. But then he met others like him, and slowly began to accept that there is more to the world than he once thought. I liked that Alex was an unlikely hero and what he accomplished despite his handicaps.
     He meets quite a cast of characters, and I love how they all play into the story. Simmi is sweet and a bit of a mystery to me. I loved what she brought to the story though, and the confidence and protector instinct that she evoked in Alex. I also enjoyed reading about Shapri. I appreciated that she doubted even though she grew up with a mom that was a psychic of sorts and it went straight up her family tree. I like the confidence she possessed in herself and how she is slow to let people in, but once she does, she is loyal to the core, even when they are involved in things she doubts and doesn't believe in.
    The family support is great in this one. I love that they are present and involved in Alex's life, and that he also has other adults that he can trust and talk to. I also appreciated that the parents were realistic. Alex's mom was loving but she hovered. This would drive anyone crazy, and although Alex understands it is protector instinct because of his blindness, it still is a flaw, and that makes it perfect, easy to relate to, and believable.
     The pacing is good, and the plot flows well. I like how things tie together and while most things were pretty tied up, we do get a taste of a different conflict for the next book but doesn't leave us hanging in a major way.
     The ending is nothing what I expected, but I think that Emlyn made it work for this story, and I am def looking forward to picking up the next one to see if some of my suspicions are true.

Bottom Line: Great fantasy about a blind main character who fights for his friends and to discover his gifts.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Do you believe in psychics?

Giveaway:
Kindle or Nook (Winners choice) US ONLY, If international $100 dollar Gift Card to a bookstore.

39 comments:

  1. +JMJ+

    This is a novel I've been interested in since I first heard about it. I've read some excerpts and actually wished that I could read the whole novel in Braille, just to understand Alex more!

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    1. That would be interesting... Learning a nother language too

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  2. Liking the sound of this reading your review and the synopsis, its just a shame that I probably wouldn't have otherwise gave it a second glance as I really don't like the cover.

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  3. Great review, thank you.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  4. Thanks for your review. I haven't read it yet. I don't know if I believe in psychics or not?

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  5. Fantastic! I love that you went into this with a negative attitude and no expectation and that you were dazzled! I think I would certainly love to give this a whirl and to answer your question, yes I do believe in psychics.

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  6. Oh I've heard of good things about this book. Perhaps that is why you had the neg. attitude? You know... all the pimpage might have put you off... but so glad that it wowed you. That really makes me want to read it all the more!

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  7. I really need to read this series soon! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  8. This story sounds amazing, glad you were pleasantly surprised while reading! I'm always on the lookout for books that portray realistic, present, even at time overbearing parents. I get sick of reading about absentee parents. Alex and Simmi sound like great characters. Thanks for introducing me to this!

    And to answer your question, I want to believe, but I'm not sure I do. If there are psychics, there are definitely a lot fewer of them than the ones that are claiming it publicly. :-)

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    1. I don't know if I do either, but it was fun to read about them in this setting.

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  9. Thanks for the review! I'm definitely going to read this!
    -Amber

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  10. How wonderful that you found something similar in you that you could relate to the main character!

    I think we all possess some degree of psychic or intuitive ability, don't you think? ;)

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    1. I don't know. I have never thought I did, but maybe I am just too skeptical to accept?

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  11. Sometimes I just expect some books to be bad, too, for no good reason. I'm glad this pleasantly surprised you, though! Great review. :)

    And I don't think I believe in psychics, but I do love the thought of it.

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  12. Ya know this book has been on my radar, and on my wishlist, and i just never picked it up, so i know how you felt going into it..your review has convinced me that I must read about Alex!

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  13. So glad you featured this because I hadn't heard of it until now - I really like the sound of and it's so unique, too!

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  14. WOw, it sounds like this was really good! Thanks for the great recommendation!

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  15. Wow! I like that this has a different storyline. Love the cover! I hadn't heard of this one!

    Mich:D

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  16. Ohhhhh, I have only read one book where the main character, also a guy, was blind and I enjoyed it, so I am really intrigued by this one. It sounds very unique. And I'm happy you enjoyed this! :)

    Fabulous review! :D

    And I don't believe in psychics, but I guess it would be really cool to have such powers.

    ~ Maida
    Literary Love Affair

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    1. I just remembered I have too, the one by Carter I think?

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  17. I am really starting to like novels with male characters, I find them really refreshing! Great review, this one sounds great!

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  18. My mom has always believed in psychics. She still has a picture that I came home with from art class one day that I drew of an old man in a suit the same day that she went to see a psychic. The psychic told her that there was a man in a blue suit watching over her. The man in my picture looked just like my great-grandad that I had never met...so yeah she thought that was significant.

    Anyway :D Great review. I really like it when parents are actually believable because you really don't find that very often. This sounds like a very enjoyable read. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven

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  19. I'm really interested in this for the male POV and that he's blind. I have heard quite a bit about this book and it really sounds good! I should think about grabbing it, I just know I can't read it anytime soon unfortunately. I am going on a trip in June though and will finally get to more of my kindle books so maybe I will grab it to read then.

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    1. I know, so hard to get around to all the good books out there

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  20. I've felt like that too so I understand. Actually it happened with the tour Saving Mars. I had forgotten I had signed up for a tour (I actually never got a confirmation so I didn't write down the date) and I had a concept of the book in my mind that wasn't very good. When I saw that I was supposed to read it I didn't want to start it but I had to if I was going to post it on time. I liked it, it was really good and so not what I had in mind. Especially the cover, I kept picturing the cover as something I didn't like (I don't know why I had that image) but when I saw it again when I was going to read it, I thought it's not bad. It was really weird.
    This book sounds really good, I don't know how there will be 5 books but I want to read them, see what happens throughout the series. I guess I don't believe in psychics really, I mean I believe in God so there has to be a way but I don't think it comes from us. I don't know how to explain it.

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    1. Makes some sense. But the bible does mention mediators and such, which makes me wonder. but I also don't want to get caught up in any of that except throguh books

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  21. LOL. I've totally done that. Where I went into a book assuming I am not going to like it. It makes it so much more better when it's good. So happy you liked it.

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  22. This the first time I see this book at all and frankly I'd never expect a lot of it. I have no idea why but the cover seems too childish. I'm happy to see it worked for you. Great review :)

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  23. This one is new to me, and I really like the sounds of it. Wonderful review.


    Jenea @ Books Live Forever

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  24. oh I don't think I ever read a book with a main character like that, it must be interesting to follow a blind person. really different.

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  25. Great review! I love that the protagonist is blind. It's a good way to learn about his life and how he handles everyday things. I also like that he has powers.

    I hear blind people has exceptional senses of smell and hearing. Maybe there is some truth in the book too. :)

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  26. Wow! Thank you for the awesome review, and, my, you've sparked quite the discussion. I'm glad you enjoyed Alex, warts and all :-D

    Em

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