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Love and First Sight
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
49 posts | 41 read | 44 to read
In his debut novel, YouTube personality and author of We Should Hang Out Sometime Josh Sundquist explores the nature of love, trust, and romantic attraction. On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right? As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a charming, quiet girl named Cecily. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn't meet traditional definitions of beauty--in fact, everything he'd heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed? Told with humor and breathtaking poignancy, Love and First Sight is a story about how we related to each other and the world around us.
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Pigpen_Reads
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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#ItHadToBeYou photo challenge

Day 5: First Love

I read this a few years ago and loved it. I would recommend reading this if it's your cup of tea 😊

@eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Great choice👏🏻 3y
13 likes1 comment
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faelinwolf
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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I'm loving all the lilacs that are blooming right now! I pass these every morning on my way to the building where my office is. It's nice to start my day with an audiobook. #audiowalk

I forgot to post this yesterday. I had an extra surprise with a bunny-friend who was also enjoying the lilacs too!

Lindy 🥰 🐇🌸 6y
GypsyKat Awe! 6y
BookaholicNatty I love all the little bunnies this time of year! We have some baby ones we have been enjoying in our yard! 🐰 6y
Tanisha_A Lilacs! 😍 And this is a beautiful picture overall! 6y
21 likes4 comments
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Carnett
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
Pickpick

Great book. First time reading this author and I truly enjoyed it.

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Hayle27
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist

Love the fact that he didn‘t stereotype blind people and researched specific details about many things first.

LoverofLit This was such a good read for me this year! I had never read a book from a blind person's perspective, except for Helen Keller's autobiography as a kid. 6y
RaimeyGallant Good to know. And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. Or if you prefer how-to videos, @chelleo put some together at the link in her bio. @LitsyWelcomeWagon 6y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 👋🏻😊 6y
See All 11 Comments
Chelleo Welcome 🤗 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 📖💙 6y
Lel2403 Welcome to Litsy 6y
CarolynM Welcome to Litsy👋 6y
Wife Welcome to Litsy!🌹 6y
Birdsong28 Welcome to Litsy ❤️📚📖 6y
CoffeeNBooks Welcome to Litsy! 🎉 6y
mabell Welcome! 🎉🎉 6y
13 likes11 comments
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kgriffith
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
Bailedbailed

Bailed. The sighted author writing a blind protagonist was already making me 🤨 but once we got into “your dad‘s a urologist so like, is he gay?” I couldn‘t. Yes sure that may be realistic. I don‘t want it to be, so I‘m not going to endorse books that reinforce it as such.

JSW How disappointing! I am a fan of this author‘s memoir and the way he‘s embraced his disability. But it would be hard to return to that having read this book, I think. Thanks for saving me the time. 6y
kgriffith @JSW it really was disappointing, as there are so few well-written books with disabled MCs! FWIW there is a counterpoint character to the very hormone-driven hyper-hetero boy, but I have zero patience for allowing that BS to take up space even if it gets shut down. 6y
41 likes2 comments
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kgriffith
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Scribd was having server issues so I flipped over to OverDrive and started this one from SYNC. I appreciate that the author is visibly disabled, but I think I want future fiction from a blind POV to be by a blind author: it‘s hard to know how much is speculative, where there might be sighted privilege microaggressions etc. I also generally don‘t want to read YA that‘s painfully straight; cis boy-girl love stories aren‘t my jam.

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DebbieGrillo
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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1. This is my first weekend home since the June 2nd weekend. I'm going to waste the mornings away drinking coffee in my PJs, go for walks on my favorite trails, and if it ever stops raining BBQ and read on the deck.
2. Two audiobooks. We've been roadtripping.
3. Summer because I'm a teacher and that's when I recharge.
4. Elton John.
5. 👍
#friYAYintro @jesshowbooks

LA_Mead Yay for summer! I‘m a teacher as well! 6y
DebbieGrillo @LA_Mead Then you know what I'm talking about! What grade/subjects? 6y
Areader2 Oh I loved Elton John, I saw him too! 6y
See All 6 Comments
MelissaSue81 Sounds like a great weekend! I‘m sure you‘re glad to be home! 6y
britt_brooke Elton John was one of my favorite concerts, too! 6y
tracey38 Sounds like a great weekend. 6y
78 likes6 comments
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LibrarianRyan
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

4⭐️ Thank you to AudiobookSYNC for a chance to listen to this book. I will be honest, I would never have read this book. I‘m not a fan of YA contemporary. Especially contemporary where the teens have problems that have to be overcome. Cecily has a batgirl esk facial birthmark, and our main character Will was born blind. But even though most of the story was completely expected, I enjoyed the trip.

Full review at GR and LT

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LoverofLit
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

I'm embarassed to say I have not really read any books from a blind person's perspective and I think this was probably a good first foray into it. Sweet and light but also really interesting and full of so much perspective from someone blind from birth and how the world is really shaped around having sight and a little against those without it. Equal parts sad and happy, with a little bit of love and an ending that leaves you satisfied.

25 likes1 stack add
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LoverofLit
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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"Independence and self-reliance sound nice in theory but in reality they are just synonyms for loneliness."

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LoverofLit
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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"Lean on others long enough and eventually you will fall."

sudi Great quote ❤ 6y
LoverofLit @sudi I thought so too. 6y
27 likes2 comments
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LoverofLit
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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I can't believe there was a time before I listened to audio books while downloading my work reports in the quiet dark of the early morning. Or during my commute. Or while meal prepping and folding laundry. They've enriched my life so much over these past 6 months!
#audioworking

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LoverofLit
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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😍😍😍

28 likes1 stack add
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callunakeep
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another free download from audiobooksync.com and to be honest I did NOT expect to like this one; I am not big on love stories & most “overcoming challenges” stories are trite, sappy and overly “preachy” for me. This book however, was very well written with characters who had realistic and believable reaction and responses to events and the sarcasm and humor were spot on as a contrast to the serious issues being raised. LOVED IT!

EJG31 I just started my download from #booksync too as I finished When Dimple met Rishi. 6y
callunakeep @EJG31 I hope you enjoy it!! It had me laughing out loud at times, and deep in serious thought at others!! I really enjoyed it!! 6y
21 likes2 comments
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LibrarianRyan
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Oh my goodness you need to listen to this book. There is a quote about personality changes that likens it to a clone taking over your body and the real you forever. I wish I could find the real words. It was so amazing.

Re listened to get the real words.

"...This operation made a clone of you. The clone had functioning eyes but in order for it to live, you have to die".

vkois88 Wow. I'm so glad I downloaded this last week!! 6y
50 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Haleighbug_25827
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

This book is honestly my favorite book!!! The author does an absolutely beautiful job at detailing and describing everything in this story. It is obvious that this author did tons of research and mapped out every single word in this book. This is far from your average love story and shows that to the right person, beauty doesn‘t matter. Amazing from start to finish!!!♥️

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ItsAnotherJen
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

An enjoyable quick read! 📚 #YAfiction
Some really interesting insights into what it is like to be blind.

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Onlaughterandliteracy
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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The Diverse Books Club (on insta and Goodreads) theme this month is differing abilities. The YA pick is Love and First Sight. I‘m loving it so far! Have you read it? What other picks do you love with characters of differing abilities?

Megabooks I read this, which was inspired by the author‘s own disability 7y
Onlaughterandliteracy @Booksandcooks awesome! Added! Thanks for the suggestion ❤️ 7y
21 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Onlaughterandliteracy
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Are you on Instagram or Goodreads and want to read more diverse literature?! Join the Diverse Books Club! I am now {as of today} the classroom coordinator...helping teachers bring diverse literature into their classroom! Come join us for a different theme each month with adult, YA, middle grade, and picture book picks! ❤️📚 you can find me on ig at the same name. Hope to see you there!

Alicia Yayyy!! So amazing!! ❤️📚🍎 7y
Talkdewey2me Love this picture! Looking good Mrs. Schne! Your hubby sure is lucky! 7y
30 likes2 comments
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wonderfully_bookish
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

Just finished this book! Super cute, a little cheesy at parts but I'm glad that at one part specifically they kept it real. Adorable love story! 💕

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raelaschoenherr
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

I needed a palate cleanser after finishing a book that was not for me, and this totally did the trick! It took me less than two hours to read and was delightful and heart-warming. An endearing and at times thought-provoking sweet YA.

24 likes1 stack add
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Libbysbooks
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

What a fun book! This is squarely in the YA category, cute love story, a few misfits, and a little drama. Main character Will Porter decides to transfer from his school for the blind to a regular high school. When an experimental surgery to give him sight becomes a possibility, he has to decide if being able to see is worth the risk of changing who he is.

Content notes: mild swear words, and a small amount of kissing. 670 Lexile, Ages 12+

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fandomsfangirl02
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

This book was lovely and full of perspective. The characters are funny and nerdy. And the overall love between Will and Cecily is cute and sincere. I recommend for anyone looking for a great, short read.

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MyBelovedLittleBooks
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Mehso-so

This was cute. Not spectacular but, it was an okay read. I think what annoyed me the most was Will, the main character. I have never been blind or had a handicap, but I didn't really like him a lot of the time. He could be a bit of a brat. Once again, I've been fortunate in many aspects of my life bit, I found him to be annoying at times. This was insightful on aspects of being blind I never considered. Cute story and characters.

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Saknicole
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Panpan

Meh, it was alright. Great premise, but nothing about the main character and his reasoning felt real or fleshed out. I love the description in the first section of the book, just a teen with visual impairment. He is hilarious and a great narrator, but after that I lost interest. It was all the rest that lacked, character development, and even the romance.

Kimberlone Hahahahaha and the cliche twist! 8y
Saknicole @Kimberlone yeah ugh, why is a portwine birthmark such a horror in literature?! Bareminerals exists y'all 8y
4 likes2 comments
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eekabook
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Panpan

While I enjoyed the writing style and the first half of the book, the second half had a lot of problematic moments. Among them was when the main character insists that "ugly" people were responsible for letting blind people know they are ugly-otherwise they're lying, and then the book introduces and fails to dispel the idea that life is not worth living if you can't see. Which. Is a really bad message. ?

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Teenreadsdotcom
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Grab your ☀️ sunglasses 😎 and take a book 📚 outside to read! We recommend #LoveandFirstSight by @joshsundquist and while you're at it enter to win a copy in our Spring Fling #giveaway

http://www.teenreads.com/features/spring-fling/spring-fling-2017hickleberrypunch...

5 likes1 stack add
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teayako
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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This was nice to read 😊

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teayako
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

This book was such a fun read! It was definitely from a quite different POV but that's what made me enjoy it the most. I reccommend everyone to read this book because it's so insightful and it truly encourages you to be more open about everything.

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Betty
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Will is blind, he's irritated because of "sightist" comments. My world is not less rich because I'm deaf. There are many audist comments about us Deaf. "My sensory experience isn't less than yours. It's just different."

ValerieAndBooks Yes. And people worry more about what we might be missing out on (such as music) when instead they should worry about equal access, stopping discrimination, etc. 8y
47 likes1 comment
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ReadingSusan
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Mehso-so

This was a cute book. But it just missed a pick by a little bit with me. It didn't have that heart and soul like a lot of YA books.

Valink My book club read this last month & I felt the same way. There were parts of the book that were great, and other parts that most definitely were not. 8y
83 likes1 comment
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ReadingSusan
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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54 likes1 stack add
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Sharpeipup
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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You can always tell when my husband goes to the library with me. Can you guess from this photo? #libraryhaul

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hannahindieana
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Cute, funny, & dare I say it: eye-opening.

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Peddler410
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

I loved this story! Hard to say exactly why...maybe because it introduced me to the world of the blind. Will is a character I would love to meet and I'm pretty sure I would be friends with the academic quiz team. Although, I would need to be partnered up with someone for "Settlers Sunday" ?

22 likes1 stack add
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Peddler410
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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So, I'm only three chapters in but I'm liking this one 🙂

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B.Reader
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Panpan

I feel like I have been rather harsh in some reviews but here is another one...great illustration of why #ownvoices reads are so important. The character's emotional journey became the focus rather than the "conflict," which is fine, but the author just felt too impressed with his own ideas to actually understand that emotional journey. The end note said he did some research but I am unimpressed with the result.

RanaElizabeth Even just the summary sounds problematic. 8y
26 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Valink
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Well, that explains a lot!

Desha 😂😂😂 8y
6 likes1 comment
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Valink
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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On to my next book.....

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JacintaMCarter
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Pickpick

#2017Book39
The most impressive writing in this novel happens after the main character decides whether or not to have surgery that will potentially give him eyesight for the first time. The consequences of his decision are portrayed so realistically and it's impossible not to see (or to not see) what he is experiencing. My favorite thing about this book is that no one behaves as though the main character can't have a full life without eyesight.

rubyslippersreads I got this from #Netgalley, so am glad to hear you liked it. 8y
43 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Valink
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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My book club picked Love and First Sight as our book for next month. I never heard of it, but I love a YA pick for book club! I already borrowed it from the library (so much for trying to read what I own!) so hopefully I'll finish it more than an hour before the next meeting!

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SeeJanRead
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Getting a few hours of reading in this morning, before I have to go to work. #24in48 #readathon #todayimreading #yalibrarian

britt_brooke Love the mug!! 8y
Jacks0803 This was a great book! 8y
12 likes2 comments
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SeeJanRead
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Getting ready to start my next book in the #24in48 #readathon. I loved Josh Sundquist's memoir, We Should Hang Out Sometime, so I am really excited to read his first novel! #readharder2017 #debutnovel #yalibrarian

11 likes1 stack add
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Teenreadsdotcom
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Youtuber Josh Sundquist has his first YA novel out this month, which is filled with humor, reliability and love. And is definitely a must-read!

EloisaJames Nice photo! 8y
4 likes1 comment
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HiddenGemBooks
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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On his first day at a new school, blind Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a quiet girl named Cecily.

Then an opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight. But learning to see is more difficult than imagined, that the world has been keeping secrets.

#TBR 📚

101 likes15 stack adds
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Librarylady
Love and First Sight | Josh Sundquist
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Although game 7 of the World Series is on, I've been sucked in to Love and First Sight. Enjoying this YA novel and perspective of a blind narrator.