Emlyn Chand

The concept and characters of this book were good. I struggled a bit with the Point of View of a blind person, it's weird how I felt blind often with scenes, as confused as he was. I'm actually glad the next book is from a different point of view, I felt a bit exhausted experiencing everything as a blind person!

My only other complaint is that the plot was a bit jumpy at times. I felt like something developed so quickly they gave me whiplash.

Overall though? It was good. I'll stick with the series.… (mehr)

Daly English is a lonely artist trying to get her life in order. Unfortunately her personal life and her art are both suffering as she tries to pick herself up after a breakup. Her relationship with her mother has been tense ever since her dad died and Daly can barely stand to be around her. When her mom befriends Meghann, a teenager who is pregnant, Daly feels pricks of jealousy. It pains her to see their easy conversations and their comfortable way with each other. Luckily, it isn’t long before Daly and Meghann strike up a friendship. Even though they are in different places in their lives, they are able to relate to one another and help each other through some difficult times. When Daly meets Kashi, an Indian pharmacist, she begins to feel a connection to him like nothing else she has ever experienced. Their love grows fast and they plan a trip to India together so that Kashi can see his family and Daly can meet the people who mean so much to the man of her dreams. Will his family accept her even though she is not Indian? Is it possible for Daly and her mom to ever repair their broken relationship? What will happen when events take a turn that Daly could never have predicted? Read this book to find out how everything turns out!

Torn Together was a roller coaster of a read. There were parts of Daly that I could easily relate to, like her passion for her creative outlet. Anyone that has struggled with a relationship with one of their parents will be able to see parts of themselves in the relationship between Daly and her mom. Meghann is a character that I thought brought a lot of happiness to the story and her spirit brightened the moods of the other characters whenever she was around. Kashi and Daly have a love that grows fast and it isn’t long before he asks her to travel to India with him. Although it felt a little soon for them to take such a big trip together, I did enjoy reading about India. I have never been to India, yet the description of the setting made me feel like I was there. There were times when I wanted Kashi and Daly to be stronger, but they each had their own path to take in order to realize what was important to them. The author did an excellent job taking me by surprise in the last part of the book. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Torn Together, but it was a book about loss, love, and overcoming obstacles in our lives. A book that lets us see the way people deal with life in their own way and at their own pace.
… (mehr)

What a wonderful wee book. This was my first read, in the Bird Brain Book series, and I think it is just wonderful. It is very well written and the illustrations are lovely.

I love Ruby and her passion for life. She is such a great wee phoenix, who is courageous and curious about the outside world. I think this is great for young children, as it teaches them to be strong and look for all the beauty in the world, rather than just taking things as they are.

I liked that she may not have done what was right or expected, but that her reasons were good. It shows children that they may sometimes have to go against others, in order to do what is kind and right.

I liked the friendship she made, which showed that you can do so with anyone, even if others tell you that you shouldn't be friends or it is not allowed. That is very important in the world we live in and I think that and the ending really show that anything is achievable in life.

I highly recommend this book and entire series to all adults, for reading to the children in your life.

**I received this book for free and voluntarily provided my honest and unbiased review.… (mehr)

Farsighted was a very quick read. It's engaging and full of mystery as Alex tries to figure out why he is all of a sudden getting visions.

You can feel so much compassion for Alex. He's blind, and doesn't realize just how disheveled his appearance is. He's constantly getting bullied because of his condition. He tries to stay to himself, and be invisible just to get through the school day. While he doesn't come from a broken home, there's definitely tension in his household. His mom owns a shop, and works as hard as she can to support their three member family. His dad seems very distant, and cold, most of the time. He doesn't work, but does help in transferring Alex's notes to braille.

While Alex has had hard times with people in his school, he manages to be a pretty decent student. The one thing I didn't like about his character is that he is so negative about many aspects of his life. I know he's blind, but that shouldn't keep him from looking for the good in things. The only person he manages to keep a positive outlook about is Simmi. She's new to the town, and quickly befriends him. They have such an awesome friendship. Alex wants more, but realizes things have to go at a much slower pace. Simmi is a very positive person. She keeps Alex out of as much trouble as possible. She's bubbly, and everything a person would look for in a friend. He also, reluctantly, becomes friends with Shapri. Shapri is another new girl in town, and her mom owns the shop next to Alex's mom's. Shapri is probably my favorite character in this book. She's going through struggles of her own, but she's outspoken. She's never afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and is completely loyal to her friends.

The plot was interesting. You wouldn't think a blind person would be given the ability to see the future. He doesn't see it in the traditional sense. He sees the same way he would the present. Alex becoming friends with people who have powers of their own is no coincidence. They work together in order to figure what, and who, is supposed to be the demise of Simmi. It's very quick paced, and there aren't any lulls to the story. These kids go through everything normal teens would: jealousy over friendships, and confusion as to what path they are supposed to take in life. Dax throws a kink in everything they thought they knew. I'm not going to elaborate on him because it would spoil a good bit of the storyline.

I really recommend this. What's even better, is a portion of the profit goes to organizations that help produce braille books for those that cannot see.… (mehr)