Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf and our stop on the Farsighted Series Tour! Today I have a review of the second and newest book in the series, Open Heart! Also, for the tour there is an awesome giveaway for a Kindle or a Nook! To check out all the activity for both Farsighted and Open Heart, click the banner above.
ABOUT THE BOOKS
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 to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger.
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.
Simmi Shergill's life is a mess. Her powers of psychic feeling are on the fritz, and Grandon Township's sudden population boom has brought quite a few unsavory characters to town. She also looks like an over-blown balloon in her size 14 pants, but not even starving herself seems to be helping.
At least she has Alex, the boyfriend who loves her so much he'd do anything for her. Last summer, he even risked his life to protect her from the mysterious boy everyone was convinced wanted to kill her.
Just one problem: she's not so sure she feels the same way. Is Alex really the man of her dreams? Why can't she stop fixating on her would-be killer, Dax? Part of her wants to run screaming in the other direction whenever Dax is around, while the other part longs to run into his embrace, no matter whom she'd hurt or what she'd risk.
Simmi's loyalty is on the line. Whom will she choose—the blind seer who loves her, or the charming telekinetic with "bad idea" written all over him? Emotions run high in the tension-packed book two of the Farsighted series.
Amazon | BN
MY REVIEW OF OPEN HEART
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author for the tour, in exchange for an honest review**
Enter to win a Kindle or a Nook!!
About The Author...
From an early age, Emlyn Chand has counted books among her best friends. She loves to hear and tell stories and emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). Her affinity for the written word extends to absolutely every area of her life: she has published three novels and three children’s books with plans for many more of each, leads a classics book group with almost five-hundred members, and, of course, runs the whole shebang at Novel Publicity.Website | Facebook | GoodReads | Twitter | Blog
The book that changed Emlyn’s life is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson. It opened her eyes to the world that could exist if only she was willing to create it—a lesson she has never forgotten. While she enjoys all types of novels, her greatest loves are literary fiction and YA. She’s best known for her Farsighted series and is developing a slow but steady following for the Bird Brain Books. She’s eager to see how her women’s fiction novel, Torn Together, will be received by the reading masses.
MY REVIEW OF OPEN HEART
Open Heart is not a light-hearted read; it addresses many issues that face young girls today. While this book features characters that have special or unique gifts, it is not the sole focus. I love the way the stories mixed, and how a more detailed and personal view of Simmi is revealed through her story. As someone who has struggled with my weight throughout my life, especially in my teenage years, I really formed a connection with Simmi in Open Heart. This book does delve into eating disorders, and it may not be appropriate for younger teens or children to read, without having a parent read it first.
In this book, more people with powers are divulged as the magnetic pull of psychic energy pulls more and more people to the tiny town of Grandon. Not all of the new arrivals are great people; some are shady characters looking to make a buck. The tension between Alex and Dax is still extremely high, which Alex refusing to trust him. This leads to complications when Simmi begins to get curious about the mysterious Dax.
I think Open Heart is a great addition to the Farsighted series, because it gives readers a new perspective on Simmi. In addition, Simmi is very relatable to any teenage girl who has self-esteem issues. Many writers shy away from the touchy subject of Anorexia or Bulimia, but I am particularly glad that Emlyn Chand did not. I think this factor in the novel gave the story a very realistic feel and look to how eating disorders can manifest.
I love the twists and turns in Open Heart, but without giving away any spoilers, the ending is what made me emotionally invested in the book, and the series. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Pitch, which is Shapri story. While I think love triangles are most of the time overdone, Open Heart manages to pull it off and succeeds. That is something not easily done currently, and it made me like the book even more.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author for the tour, in exchange for an honest review**
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5 comments:
I've had the first book on my Kindle to-read shelf for a while now. I do need to try and bump it up on that list. Good reviews!
DeAnna Schultz
This series looks fantastic! I can't wait to read it ^_^
Glad to hear book two has you vested in the series, i still need to read my copy of book one *sighs*
Thank you for the heart-felt review. Open Heart was a very personal and emotional write for me--being as I have always struggled with my weight and with self-esteem (even to this day). I'm glad you could relate as well, but sincerely hope things start looking up for you, too! And, oh my, let me apologize for taking so long to get over here to thank you--I've been working feverishly on finishing up book #3 in the series--Shapri's book, Pitch :-D
Em
Thanks for the heads up on reading it before my daughter. I like that it addresses those issues.
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