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Farsighted (Farsighted #1)

by Emlyn Chand (Goodreads Author)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 654 ratings · 309 reviews

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 t...more

Kindle Edition, 1st Edition, 226 pages

Published October 17th 2011 by Blue Crown Press

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Sep 01, 2011 Emlyn Chand rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Well, I'm the author, you see. This is my first published novel. Second written. I am really happy with how Farsighted has turned out and hope many a-reader will enjoy getting to know Alex, Simmi, Shapri and the rest of the characters in this world--a world not so very different from our own.

I'm giving it 5-stars now, because my other author friends said you need to show confidence in your own work if you expect others to do the same. Aye, aye, mateys!

55 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm the proud mother. I used to be the one telling her stories!

29 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2011 Hitesh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my wife's book, and I'm so proud of her!

31 likes · like · see review

Feb 15, 2012 TheFountainPenDiva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: characters-blind-heroes, characters-indian-teens, characters-psychics, e-books-purchased, genre-ya-fiction, opinions-read-this-book-now, settings-small-towns, sub-genre-multicultural-ya-fiction, theme-interracial-relationships, theme-paranormal, the-vixennes-ya-saves-challenge

FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY!

A young adult novel with absolutely NO FAIL! Emlyn Chand covers all the bases and manages to tell one hell of a rollercoaster paranormal featuring a hero who's blind, but far from weak. Screw Edward and the rest of the fake-hero-stalker-mysterious-hot-boy-with-bad-attitude posse running rampant in YA-land, Alex Kosmitoras is the real deal.

Firstly, kudos to the amazing Emlyn Chand who obviously gets that the world is filled with people of different races and who populat...more FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY!

A young adult novel with absolutely NO FAIL! Emlyn Chand covers all the bases and manages to tell one hell of a rollercoaster paranormal featuring a hero who's blind, but far from weak. Screw Edward and the rest of the fake-hero-stalker-mysterious-hot-boy-with-bad-attitude posse running rampant in YA-land, Alex Kosmitoras is the real deal.

Firstly, kudos to the amazing Emlyn Chand who obviously gets that the world is filled with people of different races and who populates her book with that in mind. To this day I still don't get why so many authors think this world resembles some 1950's all-white suburb. I mean, where the hell do these authors live? Do they work with diverse groups or are they in some scary gated hell where everyone looks like them? Wake up people! It's 2012, there's a black man with his beautiful black wife and two adorable black girls in the White House! Your girls probably prefer Chris Brown to Justin Bieber and your boys probably listen to Kanye West and PitBull. Time to join the human race folks.

When asked why she featured different cultures in Farsighted, Ms. Chand said: I don’t see why my characters all need to belong to the same culture or ethnicity. What fun is that? Culture shapes our characters in a big way, so by diversifying my cast, I was able to hit on more types of personalities and situations. Simmi, for example, is very polite and reverent. Alex is shaped by his own way of looking at the world too—his blindness. This may not seem like a culture at first glance, but look again. How different would your world be if you couldn’t see it?

Great answer.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to be born blind, and yet through Ms. Chand's brilliant yet spare narrative which sounds exactly like a teenage boy making his way through adolescence, I see Alex's life through his eyes. He's fiercely independent but also has times where he seems to overcompensate for his blindness. In short, he's real. Ms. Chand does not gloss over his blindness nor make it seem cool. It just is. His other senses are incredibly keen and I will never look at an Almond Joy candy bar the same way again. Alex has big problems that have nothing to do with his blindness. He's the target of Brady Evans, school jock and bully extraordinaire, his family is struggling financially (the way so many are these days) and now he's seeing visions of things that may happen. When a psychic shop moves in right next door to his mother's flower shop, his life shifts from 0 to 60 as he discovers he's gifted. Along the way he meets and starts to fall head over heels with Simmi, an Indian teenager whose family moved from New Delhi to the small town of Grandon. He also meets the mysterious Miss Teak (please, no raspberries) and her tough-as-nail daughter Shapri, both of whomleft New Orleans after Katrina and settled in the sleepy town for reasons that have a lot to do with Alex and his father.

Best part is there's no genderfail either. Simmi and Shapri and strong and active girls in their own right. They like science and do well in Advanced Chemistry (how cool is that)! Shapri comes to Alex's defense, and both have their own special gifts. In short, they don't need a guy to rescue them or to give them meaning the way so many so-called YA heroines seem to. These are girls you'd actually like to be friends with.

Farsighted is intelligent and gripping young adult fiction in a sea of absolute dreck. It's one of a few books that gives me great hope the irritating trend of Twilight-reduxes may be coming to an end.(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Kristy James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was very honored to be given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Farsighted, by Emlyn Chand. Until I discovered that it was a story told in the first person. And then I tried to come up with a way to get out of my commitment without appearing to be a rotten person. It’s not that I’ve never read this kind of book, it’s just that with few exceptions, I much prefer those told in the third person. Especially when there’s more than one perspective.

But I couldn’t find a way to back out grace...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy

Alex Kosmitoras (Pronounced Caas-me-toe-rh-aas as insisted by Alex) was born blind and at fifteen he has adjusted to life well enough. Depending upon his other senses, he can get through school, homework – pretty much everything. But he is treated like an outcast, a freak at school because of his handicap. Well, that seems to be like the life of any blind person, right? Only Alex is different. He has visions of present and future! You may say that it is ridiculous – how can a blind person, who h...more Alex Kosmitoras (Pronounced Caas-me-toe-rh-aas as insisted by Alex) was born blind and at fifteen he has adjusted to life well enough. Depending upon his other senses, he can get through school, homework – pretty much everything. But he is treated like an outcast, a freak at school because of his handicap. Well, that seems to be like the life of any blind person, right? Only Alex is different. He has visions of present and future! You may say that it is ridiculous – how can a blind person, who has never seen the light of the day, have visions? Well, like everything else, Alex’s visions are also dependent upon his other senses – he hears and feels it rather than ‘seeing’ them. It’s ironic that he should have the ‘second sight’ when he has always been deprived of the first!

His life was set. A loving and coddling mother, a father who is nice to him only when his mom is around, zero friends and the school bully’s favourite target! But everything changes when Simran Shergill arrives in the town and enrolls in his school. She is sweet and empathetic. She befriends him and his life takes a turn. He enjoys having a friend and even has feelings for Simmi and they certainly have ‘CHEMISTRY’ together ;). That is when he starts getting visions and that too visions of someone mortally hurting Simmi. What option does he have other than finding that person and trying to prevent the whole episode? So, Alex along with his dad (oh! did I mention that he has his own secrets?) Simmi, Shapri and Miss Teak, embarks on an adventure that is going to influence everyone around them.

I love the characters in this novel. They are truly lovable. The plot is amazing and so is the flow of the story. Towards the beginning I did feel that it was a bit slow, but later on I realized that the details were necessary for us understand how the characters think and feel and also the dynamics of the relationships. But what I love the most about this book is that at the beginning of each chapter there are one or two lines written that set the mood for the chapters. It’s simply unique and genius of Emlyn!
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34 likes · like · see review

Oct 21, 2011 Melissa Garrett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When author Emlyn Chand put out a call requesting bloggers and fellow authors to read and review an advanced copy of her debut young adult novel, FARSIGHTED, I didn't immediately jump at the opportunity. Although FARSIGHTED had been on my Goodreads to-read list since first learning about the book, I'd been entrenched in (and falling behind on) my own writing goals. Agreeing to read and review ARCs feels a lot like homework to me sometimes and, despite my being a generally responsible and dependa...more When author Emlyn Chand put out a call requesting bloggers and fellow authors to read and review an advanced copy of her debut young adult novel, FARSIGHTED, I didn't immediately jump at the opportunity. Although FARSIGHTED had been on my Goodreads to-read list since first learning about the book, I'd been entrenched in (and falling behind on) my own writing goals. Agreeing to read and review ARCs feels a lot like homework to me sometimes and, despite my being a generally responsible and dependable person, I am a recovering procrastinator. Needless to say, I had my doubts that I'd be able to finish the book within the specified time and . . . what if I didn't like it? But then Emlyn and I got to chatting, and what it basically boils down to is she is one persuasive woman! You can't not agree to do whatever it is she wants you to do, and quite frankly, I'm starting to wonder if there isn't something subliminal going on. Moving on . . .

Here's the FARSIGHTED blurb:

"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 to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, 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 to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future."

As this is but a "first response" to the book and not an in-depth review, let me just say that I powered down my Kindle wanting more. That's not to say the story was lacking in any way; it's more like I was ready for the sequel. Right now.

Alex is such a real and likable reluctant hero, and probably the most unassuming character I've ever read. He might not have a magic wand or vampiric strength and speed, but he is a totally swoon-worthy hero that any mom would be proud to let her daughter date. The dialog, which is one of the most difficult aspects of storytelling to nail so that it sounds unforced and unique to each individual character, is spot on. I also appreciate that even though romance plays a factor in the overall plot, it doesn't overshadow the action. Some kissing and pining is good, but the meat of the story is what this reader really wants, and Emlyn definitely delivers.

The hallmark of any good book, in my opinion, is if you find yourself thinking about it even when you aren't reading it. FARSIGHTED certainly falls into this category, which is one of the many reasons why I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

So if you love young adult fiction with a paranormal twist and a little bit of romance, I definitely recommend FARSIGHTED.

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6 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2011 Nadine Larter rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: teenage girls

Recommended to Nadine by: The author

Shelves: ebooks, requested-reviews

I must admit that I almost never read YA fiction. I must have started reading "grown up" books when I was about 14 and never really went back until Harry Potter. But very soon I will have a teenage daughter and I quite like the idea of being able to recommend books that she might enjoy. I very much enjoy that this particular book is paranormal without being about, well, let's face it, vampires. Not that I have anything against them, it's just that they really are suddenly everywhere. The concept...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 Kaitlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books

The cover definitely depicts what is going on in the story, which is always a plus. I like that Alex has his “cool kid glasses” on! He would probably scoff at me using that term now, but I couldn’t help myself.

It was refreshing to get a different kind of main character here. 1. Alex is a boy, which is sometimes lacking in YA fiction. 2. Alex is blind, which is definitely lacking in YA fiction. I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard of another YA book with a blind protagonist. Correct me if I’m wrong,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Rachel's Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

The Review won't be up on the website until the tour date of the 24th, but maybe my goodreads followers deserve to see it, yes?

Farsighted
By Emlyn Chand

Alex Kosmitoras isn’t your average sophomore. For one thing, he’s blind and has been since birth. For another thing, he has the ability to see the future. He wishes he didn’t though…well, maybe he did. After all, it did gain him a best friend, Simmi, a girl who had just moved from India. He just wished he could control the visions. Most of the tim...more The Review won't be up on the website until the tour date of the 24th, but maybe my goodreads followers deserve to see it, yes?

Farsighted
By Emlyn Chand

Alex Kosmitoras isn’t your average sophomore. For one thing, he’s blind and has been since birth. For another thing, he has the ability to see the future. He wishes he didn’t though…well, maybe he did. After all, it did gain him a best friend, Simmi, a girl who had just moved from India. He just wished he could control the visions. Most of the time his visions just showed things in the near future, you know, like his dad asking how school was, but then he was struck by a serious one. Over and over this vision came: Simmi’s death. Through the new psychic business next to his mother’s florist shop, he learned there are two different kinds of visions, ones that will happen no matter what; and those that can be prevented, but who’s to tell the difference? And then there is the paradox, what if the very thing he does to prevent the incident, cause her death in the first place? Can he save Simmi’s life, and what is the cost he’s willing to pay?

Farsighted is an awesome book. It was new and exciting, it almost made the shelf of fame. The sequel (s) will decide if it goes on the shelf or not (I’ll have to think on it, It’s a tuff decision.) It was just a fantastic fantasy. One of my favorite things about this series is the dimension. If you want it to be a fun fantasy, it is. If you want it to be deeper, it is. Here is the deeper part:

I'd say the core of Farsighted is Truth, not only truth but the way that lays influence the truth. That truth is better incorporated if you knew something worse first. It offers a nice insight into emotions, which is the secondary theme of the series. (Along with strength, or what the world perceives to be strength.) In a twisted sort of way, the worse things that happen to us are the best. They make us more determined for the good things and make us who we are and make us better people. Alex is perfect for the symbolism for trials and tribulations. Being blind, he's 10X more likely to listen and has 10X the choice to NOT hear it. Those moments of complete disorientation are the physical manifestation of our emotional incapability’s (ours by choice). He's the epitome of human abilities. Because, in reality, we all have our own blindness. It shouldn't be our 'disability' of our lives per say, rather our 'ablility.' Anyway, I love this book, it’s definitely a re-reader, and one of my favorites this year. Only one negative, cussing. But I think the story is definitely worth it.

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2 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2011 S0rcy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Video review here: http://youtu.be/a3eAkFeZe-w

I think the number one worst part of this whole book was seeing:
Open Heart
Book 2 in the Farsighted Series coming in 2012

Whaaaaaat??? Oh no no no. I am NOT going to have to wait that long am I? Ok, so 2011 is almost over, but seriously, that long? Kids book? Who cares about the kids, *I* want to read it!

Yeah, it's that good. It's Harry Potter good. It's Twilight without all the glitter and sex talk. This takes a YA book right back to where it's suppos...more Video review here: http://youtu.be/a3eAkFeZe-w

I think the number one worst part of this whole book was seeing:
Open Heart
Book 2 in the Farsighted Series coming in 2012

Whaaaaaat??? Oh no no no. I am NOT going to have to wait that long am I? Ok, so 2011 is almost over, but seriously, that long? Kids book? Who cares about the kids, *I* want to read it!

Yeah, it's that good. It's Harry Potter good. It's Twilight without all the glitter and sex talk. This takes a YA book right back to where it's supposed to be, reality. The worries of these teenagers are entirely normal, until they are threatened with certain doom. And really, who doesn't at some point think about what it would be like to change someone's feelings, see the future, or talk to the dead?
If I hadn't been so impressed with the story, and I really had no idea what was going to happen until the end, I would have read it just to walk in Alex's footsteps as he walks through his world while blind. Emlyn does such a good job of describing it, that when it came to Alex's parts in the story, my mind shut out all the visuals and concentrated on what Alex heard, smelled, and touched.
Some of the things that Emlyn did NOT concentrate on, that most books today WILL have as a major part; there are few mentions of computers, internet, cell phones, apps, and what not. When it is mentioned, it's for a purpose and then the subject is put away. The focus is on the characters, not on their crap.
I was not quite sure what to make of the Greek drama style intro to each chapter. At first it seemed a touch over dramatic and perhaps even a little intrusive into my own thoughts about what the next chapter could hold. I think everyone will have their own reaction to those intros. They are well written, just as the whole chapter is, I'm just not completely sure of their usefulness to the reader.
Emlyn Chand has absolutely proven herself entirely capable in the writing market with this book. If you are looking for a classy YA book, characters with gifts, interesting and original characters that will appeal to the tastes of the current batch of youth, and a series you will have no problem handing over to your kid, here it is. At 4.99 on Amazon, this is an eminently affordable read. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 ❋ Sylvia ❋ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, top-books-to-read, psychics, hot-leading-men

What a great book!
This has become one of my all time favorite books, I bought this on a whim, the story line was different from any other paranormal book I've read and was intrigued by the main character. Usually I don't read books from a guys POV, so it was sorta hard for me to get into that mind set, but once I did I fell in love with Alex! What you'll find with all these characters is that besides the paranormal side, you don't get much more realistic then this book! these characters are wr...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2012 Helen Daly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. He is always on the outside, never fitting in. His mother is very protective, father distant and to add to this, he's blind. Knowing he will never have a normal life he meets a girl, that will change everything he knows. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex.

With her arrival comes an unexpected ability. Although he can't see, he can now experience the future. Unable to ignore his 'visions' he is drawn to a mysterious psychic...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 26, 2011 D. Pease rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I toss and turn. A yellow parakeet stands on my head and whispers in my ear. What's that? Far-what? Farsighted… Farsighted… I leap out of bed and run to Amazon. Sure enough it's true. I've seen into the future. Farsighted is climbing the charts, destined to be a number one seller. Was it a vision? Am I a psychic? Nah, I just know a good book when I see one.

Farsighted was a fun read, that kept be guessing. It was rich with texture. Most notably it filled me with sounds and smells like no other bo...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, romance

Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

What there is first off that really set a nice tone was Farsighted contains a "Note to Readers". Helps to bring us along the story much more closely and found intimate.
A Note To Readers
You are about to embark on a journey along with the characters in this novel. At the beginning of each chapter, you'll find a rune and a corresponding prophecy. Put your powers of divination to the test by trying to predict what each chapter hol...more Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

What there is first off that really set a nice tone was Farsighted contains a "Note to Readers". Helps to bring us along the story much more closely and found intimate.
A Note To Readers
You are about to embark on a journey along with the characters in this novel. At the beginning of each chapter, you'll find a rune and a corresponding prophecy. Put your powers of divination to the test by trying to predict what each chapter holds based on the hints provided. Or you may choose to ignore the runic prophecies altogether and dive right into the story. Either way, happy travels.

Nobody really likes Alex. His own dad doesn't much. Only his mother just because he happens to be blind. Beginning high school this year, he expects it to be another awful year but along comes a new friend. It's Simmi. While quiet and reserved Alex finds her intriguing. Just as Alex is starting to feel a romance blooming as he hoped he starts to develop crazy powers that suggest he can see the future and more. At first he's skeptical what with a new psychic and the psychic's daughter moving into town too. It quickly becomes apparent he just has to believe before Simmi becomes entangled in a danger, Alex can actually prevent. Alex finds all the more frustrating as he realizes it's all connected to his powers that are attracting powerful but obviously dangerous psychic kids.

The thing most impressive is that the story has solid characters. Alex is likable enough but can aggravate you making him somewhat more real. While Ms. Teak, the new psychic who is a sort of guide to Alex and seems very mysterious. Let's hope we see more of Ms. Teak and her background since going that way could be interesting. Shapri, Ms. Teak's daughter, it seems is a psychic as well and it becomes apparent that as Alex and her grow closer there is a sort of potential for romance. She's really more prone to be louder than Alex or Simmi which I like a lot since she's really a more overly lively type of girl. While, Simmi is a contrast to Shapri who's sweet and a calm presence. She's also Alex's main biggest love interest. Even, Alex's dad however small the role plays a pivotal role in the book towards the later events in it.

Farsighted is by far easy to get into. The characters are involved in various situations sometimes immensely important in the dangerous zone or sometimes just friendship problems but all fit together well. The story has some very subtle suspense in both situations and romance. It's unique in many ways from the perspective and how character complexity is developed through the use of plot. Since, this is the first in a series, once read you'll be wanting to reach for the next one soon after. Proving that there is something in ,Farsighted, that makes for a unique story that has big potential in more books to come even.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Ashlinn (at) Baffling,Bonkers,and Brilliant Books! rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 Jaclyn Cotton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-tour-books, reviewed-on-my-blog, recently-finished

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand (read it on my blog by clicking HERE
Read my Interview with Emlyn Chand by clicking HERE

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand is the first in a series of books about teenagers with various types of psychic gifts. One of these teens is Alex Kosmitoras who learns that he has psychic ‘visions’ which is ironic as Alex is blind. So for Alex, his ‘visions’ come in the very same way as he experiences the rest of the world, through his other senses.

When the story st...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Beckie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, read-for-review-on-blog, ya-misc

I was contacted by the author of Farsighted - Emlyn Chand about a month ago and she asked me to read and review her book for a blog tour she is going to have. After learning more about her book I found the synopsis of Farsighted to be very interested so I decided to give it a go and read the book and I am very pleased that I did. Her book was surprisingly really good. I love that it is not your ordinary paranormal fiction novel. Farsighted takes the paranormal fiction genre to new levels with a...more I was contacted by the author of Farsighted - Emlyn Chand about a month ago and she asked me to read and review her book for a blog tour she is going to have. After learning more about her book I found the synopsis of Farsighted to be very interested so I decided to give it a go and read the book and I am very pleased that I did. Her book was surprisingly really good. I love that it is not your ordinary paranormal fiction novel. Farsighted takes the paranormal fiction genre to new levels with a fresh, entertaining, and fast paced novel you will love to read over and over again.

Alex Kosmitoras life has never been easy but full of daily challenges. Why? Because he is blind. Alex sees through all of his other senses with are more in tuned because of his loss of sight. Upon going into a new school he meets two girls Simmi and Shapri (both main character's of the book) ,and learns they all share similar "gifts". Alex will come to learn his gifts are more that he ever knew he had when he begins to see visions of the future. Alex is only now to learn that, Simmi the girl who has a major crush on may be in trouble. With Alex's new visions he keeps seing that Simmi will die and he will do anything he can to protect her from this horrible future he sees. Will his "gifts" save the girl he loves or will it be to late?

I found reading Farsighted to be quite refreshing. The book was unlike any other paranormal novel I have read. The whole concept of the book is very unique and like a breath of fresh air - Not your normal paranormal read (Vampires, Fairies, Angel, Werewolfs.) I really enjoyed reading about Alex and his gifts and I have never read a book where the main character is blind. That makes for a very fun, and entertaining book to read. All of the characters in the book both main and secondary were well thought out and very interesting with their own stories which gave Farsighted more depth and personalty. The plot within the book was very fun to read with twist and turns along the way which made for a fast paced read and had to keep turning the page to see what would happen. I could tell the author, Emlyn Chand did her research while writing the book to learn more about blind people and as well as people from India's culture. I would very much recommend Farsighted to the YA crowd as well as adults. If you are looking new to read I would so say to give this book a chance. You will not regret you did.
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Jul 31, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hey, Emlyn1--I kind of randomly stumbled on this doing research. You and I share a tendency to feature disabled characters. I give you credit for having a blind mc--so hard. You've done a great job and I'm really enjoying the book! I'll complete the review when I am done. (I was reading until 3AM last night and was totally shocked when I looked at the clock!)

Okay--finished! I thought you did an absolutely brilliant job portraying Alex and his struggles to be a normal teen. That's what kept me re...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Naomi Leadbeater rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Naomi by: Emlyn Chand

"LaForge, He sees things you don't too."

Farsighted, the first book in a series written by Emlyn Chand. This was a great intro to the series. Alex embarks on a journey of magic, growing up and teenage love all in 206 short pages. I could have kept reading 200 or even 400 more pages, which is why I'm super excited there will be another book to read soon.

This book has so many levels to grasp onto. Whether you're into sci-fi and fantasy, or you just want a good story about growing up, making hard choices and doing the 'right' thing. This book will grab you and take you for a wonderful imaginary ride. That ride, will also make poignant jabs at your own past, or someone you likely know.

While Alex may be blind, he can still see things other people can't and that creates the beginning of a thread that twines through every chapter of the book. It's a wonderfully bound together book, with some spectacular writing that really lets the reader get to know the characters through Alex's 'eyes'.

This would be an awesome intro into fantasy and sci-fi writing for any YA reader. It's not an entirely new world to get used to, like say Star Trek, but a world that seems completely plausible with a few twists to it.

I'd even go so far as to say any age could get a lot out of this book. I say that because the characters are so well written and life like that it's hard NOT to identify with them. I also have to say the first thing I noticed was the runes at the beginning of each chapter.

This:
Just when I think my life can't get any weirder, it does. I can't decide whether being a psychic magnet is more awesome or terrifying. It's one thing to read about this stuff in books or listen to it in the movies, but to actually become a super hero?

is what kept me reading, and made me identify with Alex. Emlyn Chand's writing is awesome. Just sayin'

So, here's another plug for Emlyn and her awesomeness. She's part of the Book Bundlz book pick. Actually she's leading the pack right now. You do have to register, but voting would mean a lot to her. She's a young author, and she's making it on her own. She really is inspirational, and also the president of Novel Publicly, which I have in the recent past hosted whirlwind blog tours for.

Open Heart is the next in the series, and I will state right away, that I am very excited for it.

I hope if nothing else, my review makes you go read the book itself. It's available at Amazon and not expensive ($2.99). I know I have at least a few friends with Kindle's who'd enjoy it. It was a great, easy and fun book to read. I hope you enjoy as well.(less)

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Nov 23, 2011 Donna Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cards on table time (I hope I don’t live to regret this!): when Emlyn sent out an email asking for reviewers for her upcoming title, Farsighted, I felt quite conflicted. Emlyn has a BIG heart and I really wanted to review her book. But psychics? Paranormal? Let’s just say, that’s not my bag when it comes to books (even though I love tarot cards, runes etc! Go figure…). Emlyn’s a reasonable person, though, and I knew as long as I gave it an honest and fair shot, she’d appreciate my feedback even...more Cards on table time (I hope I don’t live to regret this!): when Emlyn sent out an email asking for reviewers for her upcoming title, Farsighted, I felt quite conflicted. Emlyn has a BIG heart and I really wanted to review her book. But psychics? Paranormal? Let’s just say, that’s not my bag when it comes to books (even though I love tarot cards, runes etc! Go figure…). Emlyn’s a reasonable person, though, and I knew as long as I gave it an honest and fair shot, she’d appreciate my feedback even if it proved not to be my thing. So I agreed. After all, if it wasn’t for me, I wouldn’t submit a review. I don’t believe in critiquing things that aren’t my cup of tea.

Then the book arrived and I began to read it and, well, I can only describe it as a class act.

As a lead character Alex is both immensely likeable and frustratingly irritating at the same time and that’s the kind of conflict I love. He doesn’t discover psychic powers and immediately begin abusing them or trying to act like a superhero: instead, the conflict of his character extends very much to his conflict of feelings about his abilities. Can he use them? Should he use them? Should he trust them?

Alex struggles with terrible and horrifying visions of the future and the frightening certainty that his good friend Simmi is in incredible danger. There’s a heavy burden on his shoulders and at one point he aptly quotes the Spiderman line: “With great power comes great responsibility”. However, the book also depicts Alex’s struggle with many more mundane things – but things that can, nonetheless, make a teenager’s life awful: bullying, girl trouble, parental problems.

There are little touches in Farsighted that make the book stand out. Chand begins every chapter with a rune and states at the beginning of the book:

“You are about to embark on a journey along with the characters in this novel. At the beginning of each chapter, you’ll find a rune and a corresponding prophecy. Put your powers of divination to the test by trying to predict what each chapter holds based on the hints provided. Or you may choose to ignore the runic prophecies altogether and dive right into the story. Either way, happy travels.”

These little hints at the beginning of each chapter are about as mystical and other-worldly as the book gets and that’s no bad thing. Farsighted stays very much in the real world with real people who happen to have unusual skills. It offers a fantastic opportunity to get to know the characters who will – hopefully – become a regular feature in future novels. Perhaps more mystery and other worldliness will follow but it’s refreshing to have a book that actually allows wonderful events to occur against a mundane backdrop.

It seems there’s a lesson for all book lovers to learn here: we all have our preferences and our ‘must read’ and ‘must avoid’ genres but every once in a while it’s worth taking a chance on something new. You never know when you’ll find a five star read and you’ll be hanging on your eReader waiting anxiously to download the next book in the series… It seems, as Emlyn Chand prophesied, Psychics Are In.(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Heather from NightlyReading rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first I felt sorry for Alex not have any sight. I cannot imagine having to live life not being able to see the vibrant colors or the look on my children’s face when they smile brightly. I soon realized that Alex does not need pity! He is fine just the way he is and actually does quite well without being able to see.

I loved the characters of Simmi & Shapri. Shapri was my favorite, she was not afraid of anything and could care less what people thought. If she had something to say, she was r...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Vix (TToria) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-tour-reviews, ya, series-first-book, supernatural-ghosts-etc, authors-to-watch

First of all, i'd like to thank Emlyn Chand for giving me an advance reader's copy of this novel for review. I truly appreciate it...
Along with an excerpt being posted on the 24th of October, 2011, this review will also be published on my blog ttoria.blogspot.com on the 30th of October, for the Farsighted Blog tour. Check it out on the day for more details on how to be in with a chance of winning some prizes.

Wrapped in meaningful epigraphs, Emlyn Chand’s first published novel, Farsighted, is pie...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Laurie Carlson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-boy, a-couple-of-friends-who-are-girls, a-novel, visions, paranormal-mystery-thriller, psychic-abilities, psychic, blind-teenage-boy, cane-for-the-blind, braille, high-school-football-coach, powers, author-giveaway-in-return-for-a-rev, character-female, character-male, parents, a-gift-of-a-second-sight

"Farsighted” by Emlyn Chand

First, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this book by Emlyn Chand! Her writing is SO good, enjoyable, and continues to make you think after the book is over, that she got me to read a genre that I don't normally read! I just have to laugh at that! She asked me, I said no. She wrote back and said to 'just try it out'. Okay, I said. Sure enough, I was hooked! Emlyn, you're GREAT! The power of suggestion really DOES work with a talented and unique person such as yo...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-tour, young-adult, paranormal, read-in-2011

Please read my full review at: http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.c...

Alex Kosmitoras seems like your average 16 year-old high school student who is bullied by the “cool guys”, who sits by himself in the school cafeteria and is hopeless when it comes to making friends or interacting with girls. Alex, however, is different. He has been blind ever since he can remember. And if it wasn’t enough, it turns out that he’s gifted – that is, he can see the future. As much as he would like to ignore this...more Please read my full review at: http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.c...

Alex Kosmitoras seems like your average 16 year-old high school student who is bullied by the “cool guys”, who sits by himself in the school cafeteria and is hopeless when it comes to making friends or interacting with girls. Alex, however, is different. He has been blind ever since he can remember. And if it wasn’t enough, it turns out that he’s gifted – that is, he can see the future. As much as he would like to ignore this, he can’t. Especially when Simmi, a new girl from India moves into town and becomes Alex’s best (and only) friend – but the boy’s visions begin to suggest that Simmi is about to die. What can he do in order to save her? Can he put an end to these visions, change the future and save Simmi’s life?

If you are looking for a well-researched, entertaining and highly captivating read, then Farsighted was definitely made for you. Alex may be blind but it only makes the story more interesting. The way Chand works with adjectives is wonderful - you would think it is going to be hard to narrate a story from a blind person's point of view but the author made it seem like the easiest thing in the world. I was really touched by how Alex described everything in so much detail - how her mother smelled like flowers and how Simmi reminded him of an Almond Joy bar. You're thrown into the world of someone who doesn't know what colours look like, how his friends or his home look like which makes the story really fascinating. For me the most moving part of the book was when Alex says that even though he doesn't know how it looks like, the colour green is his favourite because so many of the best-smelling things are of that colour.

If I wanted to make comparisons, I would say that Farsighted is like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and Harry Potter rolled into one – and do take it as a huge compliment because I love both series. Both Adrian and Alex grew up in a family that struggles to make ends meet and to earn enough money to get by. Chand gives a bittersweet touch to the story by describing how poor Alex's family is. His backpack is starting to tear and his only pair of boots are scuffed, still, his parents would give anything to be able to buy him new clothes and new books. They both have a sarcastic sense of humour which is right up my street and which, in my opinion, makes the book even better. Alex’s mum reminded me a little bit of Mrs Weasley (who I absolute adore, by the way) – an overprotective mother who calls his son her “brave little oak tree” and her “little sapling” even though that little sapling isn’t that “little” anymore.

The main reason why I loved this story is because it’s so complex. It includes everyday characters, people we meet every day, people who are just like us – but there’s a magical side to the story as well. I love the fact that multiculturalism plays quite an important role in this book – as Chand puts it, “I don’t see why my characters all need to belong to the same culture or ethnicity. What fun is that?” And I agree. Why should all the characters be the same? It makes the story stand out and believe me, it works. In addition, the story is written in the first person – that is, Alex is the narrator. This was quite new for me because most books I’ve read used a third person narrator, but similarly to multiculturalism, it works perfectly.

It’s a very well written representative of the YA fiction genre – witty, fresh, entertaining and exciting. It keeps you on the edge of your seat all along and makes you want to find out what happens at the end. It’s a perfect read for a quiet night-in so make sure to get a copy and read it, you won’t be disappointed. (less)

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Nov 01, 2011 Kerry sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urbanfantasy

This awesome book was reviewed for musings of a bookworm as part of the Novel Publishing blog tour for Farsighted release Please follow the link to my blog for this review.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 M.B. Mulhall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Luckily, I got to see this story from its first draft to the final product and I enjoyed it immensely. It’s something different compared to a lot of the YA stuff that’s out right now. While Alex has this sight, he’s definitely not the super hero type (even though he would very much like to be). He comes off as very real; a sullen, moody, hormonal teen. I liked that it wasn’t very predictable. When you read a lot of YA, it’s sometimes very easy to figure out what’s going to happen next. I didn’t...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Berenice added it · review of another edition

Meet Alex Kosmitoras, he is a high school student with a passion for chemistry, no friends and his own personal bully. But it all changes when he starts to get a glimpse of the future, soon he is learning to stand up for himself and finds a friend in cute and lovable Simmi, and the quirky and explosive Shapri.
But getting friends and having special powers isn't as great as one may think, specially when you start to have visions that your friend and crush dies at the hand of a stranger called Dax...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Sarah Butland rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Farsighted is brilliant in that it had me understanding what it was like to be without sight! While I was reading it I stumbled over a few paragraphs as it seemed I was trying to find instances where this author slipped and was truly impressed when I didn’t find even one example!

Not reading anything about this book prior to diving in I was welcomed by wonderfully warm water in both the character end and the plot side. I related mostly to Alex, even though I have my first sight and that alone, as...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Robin Armstrong rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The hype: YA stories are often about outsiders, since teenage years are all about trying to figure out who you while everything seems to change. In this turbulent setting, any difference makes you stand out and isolates you. Farsighted by Emlyn Chand tells the story of a teenage boy, blind since birth, who finds himself caught up in the midst of more than just the usual changes.

Tell me more: Sixteen-year-old Alex Kosmitoras is starting his sophomore year of high school when he finds his world tu...more

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About Emlyn Chand

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dabble in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoy...more

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Quotes from Farsighted

“They say that right before you die your whole life flashes before you – a medley of your own personal greatest hits. Well then, I must be about to live, because events that haven’t happened yet are constantly pushing themselves into my head.” — 14 people liked it

“There are two types of visions. Those that will happen no matter what, and those that can be stopped. Now more than ever, I wish I could tell them apart.” — 11 people liked it

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