The Rules of Seeing by Joe Heap

I am so relieved to finally be able to shout about The Rules of Seeing as part of the blog tour.

I read this book a month ago when I was on holiday ( yes I am sure I was the one who brought the sun back to the UK for us all lol! ) I had so many people ask about the book when they saw the cover and I just replied it is amazing and definitely a book that will get your mind thinking.

Synopsis 

illian Safinova, Nova to her friends, can do many things. She can speak five languages. She can always find a silver lining. And she can even tell when someone is lying just from the sound of their voice.

But there’s one thing Nova can’t do. She can’t see.

When her brother convinces her to have an operation that will restore her sight, Nova wakes up to a world she no longer understands. Until she meets Kate.

As Kate comes into focus, her past threatens to throw them into a different kind of darkness. Can they each learn to see the world in a different … and open their eyes to the lives they could have been living all along?

My Review 

I first saw the cover for The Rules of Seeing by Joe Heap in Twitter and I was drawn in by the simplistic, unique cover  with the green textures rabbit which was strange and after reading the synopsis I was desperate to read this debut novel.

Nova has been blind from birth but this hasn’t stopped her from securing a job as an interpreter for the met and she has an active social life too. When her brother approaches her about an operation that would mean she would gain sight Nova is hesitant, she doesn’t miss what she has never known but as she talks with those close to her she makes the decision to have the operation.

It is whilst Nova is recovering from her operation that she meets Kate who has been admitted to hospital after falling backwards and hitting her head. Nova and Kate strike up a strong friendship, putting their trust in each other and being each other’s rocks in their time of need.

What a thought provoking read, I realise how much I have taken my sight and hearing for granted after having an insight into the day to day challenges people with visual disabilities face. We go one step further with Nova though as the operation wasn’t about regaining sight it was about having her sight for the first time and how disturbing it can be as they she has to learn everything from scratch as she has never known what a person looks like or that as people walk away they look like they are shrinking. Joe Heap as described in such fine and precise detail the difficulties that Nova was facing.

The author brings a touch of humour to the storyline through Nova who has a wicked sense of humour one particular part that got me was the discovery of a pineapple!

Both Nova and Kate are very strong and intelligent women which made me sympathetic of their situations but I didn’t pitty them I just willed them to find a happy ending.

There is a disturbing and somewhat sinister side to the storyline that centres around domestic abuse which gave a slight thriller feel to the book towards the second half of the book.

I think this is a praiseworthy debut with an original and unique storyline that will educate readers and pique their interest as well as raise awareness to the difficulties of living with any form of visual impairment. I know this one will stay in my mind for a long time to come. I look forward to reading future releases by Joe Heap.

Kindle                      Hardback