BLOG TOUR: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Farsighted, Emlyn Chand, Blue Crown Press, October 2011


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.

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand is the first in a series of books about teenagers with various types of psychic gifts. The protagonist, Alex Kosmitoras, ironically has the gift of sight – psychic visions which come to the blind teen. Not to be pitied, this novel describes the quiet strength of character as Alex experiences the world through his other senses as the blind do. Who doesn’t hate high school? Certainly, Alex has every reason to, but he adapts and thrives most independently, receiving guidance from a mysterious psychic who opens shop next to his mother’s florist business after he begins having terrifying mental pictures of death and destruction. Rather than cower in fear that he’s gone mad, Alex learns he has the ability to foretell impending disasters that he may or may not be able to prevent.

Chock full of the usual cast of characters including both teenagers and adults, this is no tired YA paranormal knock off. Creating a world that is both real and surreal, Chand works her magic into generating a fascinating, compelling story that was, for this reader, a true page turner! It was good to see a less than perfect hero and the first person voice lends both credence and power to the piece. The characters and their relationships are believable though the storyline is fantastical. Chand also does a great job of building suspense and mixing those flashes of the future with Alex's everyday life – a feat both challenging and impressive.

I am known for my frustration with world building and Farsighted had it’s bumps for me in the beginning but took off and I was spellbound. The runes that start each chapter with the remark that "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." struck me as a bit kitch but do actually make sense contextually.

I am a huge fan of YA Paranormal Romance – that being said, there is no real romance in Farsighted – a friendship with promises and the hint that more will come (I do so hate cliffhangers, they are so….cliffhangery!) I do hope that Chand builds off of the foundation she began in Farsighted and that Simmi and Alex have a chance to become more romantically involved.

RATING: All in all, Farsighted gets 4 out of 5 Chocolate dipped Strawberries with a “flash” of brilliance for a bright and shiny future for this captivating author!

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