Will Porter has been totally blind since birth, which in turn helped contribute to his parent’s idea to place him in a school for the blind. However, his aspirations to become independent result in him integrating to a mainstream school, where he as the rely on other’s senses to lead the way. One day in particular, through his newly found friends, Will meets a girl named Cecily who becomes his seeing eye, and that connection links the two in a peculiar way. But when Will is offered the opportunity to see again, will things change between everyone around him?
This book was absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t keep my hands off of it! The overall theme of the story is something that everyone can take into account and think about in their daily lives. This book really opened me up to the idea that we all take things for granted that others would love to have. Because of this, I feel all the more grateful to be blessed with the gift of eyesight. Also, I noticed that Will was placed in some very tough situations where both arguments were valid. However, I commend him for taking his time and realizing new lessons at the end of the story. Although this novel wasn’t necessarily about Cecily, she was definitely one of my favorite characters. At times, I felt pity because of the way she was treated. At others, I was really happy that she could stay so strong. Nevertheless, Cecily and Will both shared one thing in common: they wanted to prove that anything is possible if you set your mind and soul to it. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, there is always a path to your end goal.
I find it remarkable how Josh Sundquist was able to assert himself into the position of a blind person and describe everything in a realistic manner. Although it surely isn’t what every blind person goes through, I imagine that some can relate to elements weaved into this incredible story. In the “Author’s Note” section at the end, Sundquist describes all the books he went through to craft this novel. It goes to show how much time and preparation was put in, leading to a beautiful end result. I better appreciated the story, plus “Love and F1rst Sight” has made me realize how important it is to remain open-minded to anyone who has disabilities.
Reviewed by Mitali, Grade 9, Twin Hickory Library
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