Review: Blindsided

Before I begin, I know what you're thinking. Whoa, P.E. actually posted a review for once? Is it the apocalypse or something? I actually write a review every two or three days. I have trouble posting them though, since I write better on my ipod. I have 22 reviews written that I need to post, not including this one. Whoa. I better start posting, eh?


Author: Priscilla Cummings
Pages: 240
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Source: Library (I ♥ libraries!)
Synopsis:

In many ways, Natalie O'Reilly is a typical fourteenyear- old girl. But a routine visit to the eye doctor produces devastating news: Natalie will lose her sight within a few short months.

Suddenly her world is turned upside down. Natalie is sent to a school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille and how to use a cane. Outwardly, she does as she's told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle that will free her from a dreaded life of blindness. But the miracle does not come, and Natalie ultimately must confront every blind person's dilemma. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she embrace the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight?

Blindsided was the story of Natalie, a young girl slowly becoming blind.

I have okay vision at the moment. It upsets me that every time I go into a restaurant I have to ask someone to read the menu posted up high or that I need to squint to read signs but I'm lucky I'll keep my sight. Natalie wasn't lucky.

Natalie was a typical goody girl. Nice friends, did well in school, decent parents. The fact that she was becoming blind was an alien possibility and for a good while Natalie was in denial until she was sent to a school for people with vision impairments where's she'd have to prepare for living sans vision.

I would have been just as terrified in Natalie's position. She was quiet and didn't resist too much out loud. Her struggle was real though. How can you prepare for becoming blind? Nat was a good protag for the story. Her friends were also interesting, from Bree to Serena.

Blindsided shed some light about what it feels like to be blind. All through out the story I learned a ton about things such as canes and how much more difficult it is to do simple things such as counting money.

There were some parts in the story that I didn't believe were too realistic, more dramatic. They were interesting to read of but they took away from the reality of the story. However, this is a fictional tale so it was probably just my false expectations.

Overall, Blindsided was an interesting story of living with a disability. It's easy to read and likable and it deserves 3.5 stars,

***&1/2 *