Not If I See You First

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom     310 pages

Parker Grant doesn't need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That's why she created the Rules: Don't treat her any differently just because she's blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart. 

When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there's only one way to react - shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough

on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that's right, her eyes don't work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn't cried since her dad's death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened - both with Scott, and her dad - the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.

Parker Grant is one of my favorite literary characters now. She's funny, she's direct (read: brutally honest), and she's a fierce, loyal friend. I am so glad I got to read a book from her perspective. And she's blind, a fact that does not change how you read her as a relatable teen character. Lindstrom does a fantastic job of adding layers to this story - Parker's blindness is not there to make her special or novel. She's just a YA protagonist who happens to be blind. And I learned so much about what being blind means from Parker. That was a brilliant side bonus to this story. I will never forget what she has taught me. Having a close friend who is disabled, I can relate a lot to Parker's friends and that dynamic. Many times, it doesn't change how the friendship is - only things like how the world handles the differently-abled changes things, like making it more difficult for them to get around or people treating them differently because they have this idea of how they're supposed to be treated. This is brought up well in the book, often in humorous ways so it doesn't feel preachy or overly sympathetic (things that Parker would hate). The story is so well constructed, the characters develop and evolve, and there are some very sweet, touching moments about friendship in here, about how you can love your friends and lean on them when you really need to. It's a great story about friendship, among other things. It's also a high school drama, and there is lots of drama, but it never feels cliched or redone. Lindstrom is not telling this story just because it's his idea for a high school story. There are many levels happening here and the fact that it takes place during high school is just a fact, not the main purpose. I also greatly appreciate the use of this novel to show that differently-abled people can do amazing, extraordinary things that often people would think them incapable of. Parker runs track. And she's good at it and it gives her a freedom that many would think her unable to achieve. I love that this book shows that, it's such an important thing, aside from bringing diversity to YA. Because of this, I would highly recommend this book to everyone, adults included. And Parker is a great character - she should get more recognition.