Blind by Rachel DeWoskin | DNF Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When Emma Sasha Silver loses her eyesight in a nightmare accident, she must relearn everything from walking across the street to recognizing her own sisters to imagining colors. One of seven children, Emma used to be the invisible kid, but now it seems everyone is watching her. And just as she’s about to start high school and try to recover her friendships and former life, one of her classmates is found dead in an apparent suicide. Fifteen and blind, Emma has to untangle what happened and why—in order to see for herself what makes life worth living. Unflinching in its portrayal of Emma’s darkest days, yet full of hope and humor, Rachel DeWoskin’s brilliant Blind is one of those rare books that utterly absorbs the reader into the life and experience of another.

Why’d I Pick This Book To Read?

I was offered a netgalley review copy of Blind by Rachel DeWoskin. I thought the premise sounded interesting because it’s about a girl who suddenly goes blind and has to adjust her life. Also, the blurb compares it to Looking For Alaska and I loved Looking For Alaska, so I sort of assumed it would be that good and that compulsively readable. Unfortunately, for me, it was not.

What’s The Story Here?

Let’s see, so I pretty much summed up Blind at the top but to get a bit more detailed: Emma is struck by a firework that backfires on Independence Day, thus going blind. When the book opens she is about to switch from going to a school for the blind to public school. We meet her best friend whose name I forget and her guide dog, whose name I remember, which is Spark. She’s also assigned a teacher’s aide. Also, there’s a lot of angst about being blind.

How Long Did I Last?

I lasted for 49 pages or 10% according to my Kindle.

Why Did I DNF?

Honestly, I was just so bored. I felt like the book was going nowhere. I kept expecting something interesting or exciting to happen but then nothing did. I mean, over the course of 50 pages, we are still going on and on about her first day at school and literally nothing happens. I mean, okay a neighborhood girl is killed, maybe. That’s it. Even that is not redeeming enough for me to keep going. I guess I just felt this book was weighing me down as a reader. I was not into the pacing and it made me feel depressed and not in a good, contemplative way. I felt like this book was a bit much for me and I just was not in the mood for it.Blind is just not the book for me, it doesn’t have an exuberance that I enjoy.

Is There Anyone This Book Would Appeal To?

I think that people who are really into intellectual, literary books will enjoy Blind by Rachel DeWoskin. I think that people who are intensely interested in the experiences of a blind protagonist might like this. Also, people who are patient. Also, people who like books about protagonists with big families.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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