Review # 89: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Description: 

    Sightless sixteen year-old Alex Kosmitoras is an outcast, treated by his father and his peers like he doesn't belong -- until the day he meets Simmi, a girl from India that seems genuinely interested in his friendship, (not to mention she smells like a candy bar). So, he thinks maybe Sophomore year won't be so bad -- then the visions start; and these aren't visions of sugar plums, but ghastly premonitions depicting the unimaginable, including Simmi's death. Unsure what to do about his new-found ability, Alex has to decide whether to try and intervene, or let the foretold future run its course. With the help of the new psychic in town, Miss Teak, and her daughter, Shapri, he must learn to control his second-sight and stop what's coming before Simmi, and everything else in his life, become part of the past.

Review: 

     I live for paranormal fiction, especially YA, so when I heard about Farsighted, I had to get a copy! The premise sounded so refreshingly different from what's been floating around the YA publishing pool lately, (vampires, witches, and werewolves- Oh, my!). Not that I mind sparkly supernatural beings, but I am very glad that Emlyn Chand came up with something out-of-the-otherworldly-box. First-off, I loved the cover idea and the way it was designed in monochromatic tones, especially since that is how I envisioned Alex's premonitions. Once I started reading, I couldn't get over how well the characters and their histories were set up and explained. Even if I disliked a character, I still had feelings about them and felt like they could be real four-dimensional people. Alex's character is very well-developed, and I enjoyed witnessing his character grow into the person I saw during the last few chapters. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the use of Alex's point of view through touch, sound, and smell. Even though the people and objects around him were never described through seeing eyes, I could imagine everyone in surprising detail, in part because of all their different personalities. This use of Alex's perspective was integral to the plot, and I must be honest, Emlyn Chand knows how to craft a page-turner. The story has a great flow and is well-thought-out; the twists and turns actually surprised and entertained me. The runes at the beginning of each chapter were really interesting to read about and slightly foreshadowed what was to come, but I was still shocked by certain outcomes, (no spoilers!). The only part I'll complain about is the ending, I really hate cliff-hangers - and not knowing what's going to happen is already driving me crazy. I absolutely cannot wait for Open Heart - Book 2 in the Farsighted Series, slated for release in 2012. Kudos to Emlyn Chand on her amazing debut published novel - the first of many, I am sure!

Rating: On the Run (4.5/5)

*** I received this book from the author (Novel Publicity) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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Farsighted Excerpt

“Did Dad tell you? A new tenant moved into the old pharmacy next door.”
“Really?” I ask, not letting on I already know. If I feign ignorance, Mom’ll divulge all the details. “What is it?”
“It’s a psychic shop,” Her voice crackles with excitement like a fire that’s just beginning to burn. “The All-Seeing Miss Teak. Isn’t that cute? Miss Teak, Mystic. Ha, I wonder if that’s her real name.”
I laugh. “That is funny. Never had a psychic in town before. What’s she like?”
“Oh, she’s very friendly. Why don’t you go over and say ‘hi.’  I’m sure she’d like to meet you.”
“Okay, I think I will.” I’m incredibly intrigued, because first off, it’s a psychic shop—how weird is that?—and second, its presence made Dad super uncomfortable—also very cool. I waste no time heading next door to check out the scene.
As I step cautiously into the new shop, a recording of soft, instrumental music greets me. I can make out chimes and a string instrument I don’t recognize but for some reason reminds me of snake charmers. The smell of incense fills my nostrils, which explains the burning I detected earlier.
“Hello?” I call out into the otherwise quiet room.
Nobody answers. I walk in deeper, sweeping my cane out in front of me in a metronome fashion. This place is new to me, so I need to be especially careful while moving around.
Thump! Despite my precautions, I stub my toe on something hard, big, and made of wood. Just my luck to stub the same toe twice in one day. I reach down to press my fingers into my throbbing foot to alleviate some of the pain. Something teeters before rolling off of the chest and across the floor; the sound it makes indicates a curved path. Suddenly, the object stops. Somebody’s stopped it.
“Hello?” I call again.
“Hello,” a deep, feminine voice responds, placing more emphasis on the first syllable than the second.
“I- I’m sorry I knocked that thing over. I didn’t mean to…” I hope she’s not angry. Probably not a good idea to get on a psychic’s bad side.
“That wasn’t just a thing, it’s a crystal ball,” she says as she walks over, sending my blood pulsing through my veins. I sense her looking at me for a moment before she places the ball back on top of the chest.
“Can it see the future?” I ask, allowing my curiosity to outweigh my uneasiness.
“No.” After a pause lasting several beats, she continues. “But I can see the future sometimes when I look into it.”
“Oh, okay.” I tighten my hand around my cane and turn to leave. It may not be the most polite thing to do, but all of this hocus-pocus stuff is freaking me out more than I would’ve guessed.
The psychic lady speaks again, stopping me cold. “Don’t run away, Alex Kosmitoras.” She must’ve spoken to Mom earlier today. That must be how she knows my name.
“I’m not running away,” I say meekly. “I’m just going back over to Sweet Blossoms.”
“Don’t run away,” she repeats—this time she speaks louder and with more energy. “Don’t run away from your abilities. They are gifts.”
“What?” I ask in confusion. What abilities is she talking about?
“You already know. Watch. Listen. Be open to your gifts.”
I turn to face Miss Teak, but find she’s already gone, returning to wherever she was before I got there.
Is it safe to leave? I trail my fingers across the wooden box I ran into earlier; a thick coat of dust clings to the tips as I pull away. If this shop just opened, why is it already so dirty? I wipe my hands over my shirt to get the gritty substance off. Shivers rock my whole body. Something about this place is wrong, and I’m not sticking around to figure out what. Tapping my cane along the floor, I’m able to find the exit without knocking into anything else.