Farsighted (Farsighted Series) [Kindle Edition]

Emlyn Chand (Author)

Book Description

Meet ordinary teens with extraordinary powers in the award-winning Farsighted Series.

Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still "see" things others can't. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider.

Evolved Publishing presents the first in a 5-part series, Farsighted, by award-winning author Emlyn Chand. YA / ROMANCE / PARANORMAL / FANTASY

Alex Kosmitoras's life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead broke and insanely overprotective, and... oh yeah, he's blind.

Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, an enticing new girl comes to their small Midwest town all the way from India. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Alex is in store for another new arrival--an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to "see" the future. Try as he may, he is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they suggest Simmi is in mortal danger.

With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex embarks on his journey to change the future.

Open Heart, the second book in the Farsighted series, is now available for purchase!

Praise for Farsighted:

• Winner, Writer's Digest Self-Published Novel Awards, Young Adult Category, 2012
• Best Multicultural Fiction, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, 2012 
• Finalist, Eric Hoffer Award, 2012
• BookBundlz Book Club Pick, 2012
• Overall Winner, Best Young Adult Fiction, Best Debut Author, Dragonfly eBook Awards, 2011
• Bronze Medalist, Paranormal Fiction, Readers Favorite, 2012
• Finalist, Speculative Fiction, Global eBook Awards, 2011
• Winner of the Alternative Booker Award, 2011
• Winner of the WritersType First Chapter Competition, September 2011

***This eBook is DRM-Free.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chand's characters are compelling and diverse... Shapri is a standout." - Kirkus Reviews

"A showdown...brings the novel to a surreal and...suspenseful close." - Publisher's Weekly

"A suspenseful and spellbinding mystery that grips you from the very start." - IndieReader 

"A paranormal story line vastly different from the many offerings of vampires, fae and elves... Right away I liked Farsighted" - Tracy Riva for Midwest Book Reviews

"Alex Kosmitoras might not have a magic wand or vampiric strength and speed, but he is a totally swoon-worthy hero that any mom would be proud to let her daughter date." - Melissa Luznicky Garrett, author of Turning Point

"You don't have to be psychic to know that Farsighted is going to take the world by storm. Vampires are so last year." - Kimberly Kinrade, author of Forbidden Mind

"I read the book in one sitting... the ONLY other time I have done this is when I read the Harry Potter series." - Marie Bothwick, blogger at Write Panic Live

From the Author

Whether you've read my books in the past or are still trying to decide whether they're something you'd like to read, I'm glad you're here. It's readers like you that have made all my crazy dreams--you know the ones that everyone said were impossible--come true. You are the ones who keep me writing, keep me inspired, keep me sane. And for that, I owe you a gigantic thank you.

You see, I started writing as a way to feel a little less lonely in this far too impersonal world. Since then, I've made it my mission to write and talk about the issues facing today's youth, the issues that are often overlooked in entertainment because they're conceived as gritty, taboo, or simply "too depressing."

In the Farsighted Series, I tackle topics like racism, self-esteem and eating disorders, physical disabilities, and teen substance abuse.

In the Bird Brain Books, the lessons are far simpler--remember to say thank you when someone does something nice for you, know that who you are is what makes you special rather than what you look like, appreciate love, friendship, and beauty where ever you can find it.

I've connected with some amazing people who share my same outlook on today's literary landscape, and I've made fantastic friends in the process. At the end of the day, I love hearing from people who've read my books, and I welcome emails, Facebook messages, tweets--any way you'd like to get in touch with me, it just makes my day.

Every now and then, I like to reach out to readers with free Advance Review Copies or other giveaways on my site, and I'm planning to do so much more of that in 2013. To keep up with these opportunities, please come on over and subscribe to my newsletter at EmlynChand.com/contact.

You can also email me at [e-mail] or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or GoodReads. I look forward to hearing from you!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 529 KB
• Print Length: 226 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0983930805
• Publisher: Blue Crown Press (October 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005WXFG54
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,946 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic fiction for the young adult masses. October 24, 2011

By S0rceress0

Format:Kindle Edition

Length: 1:23 Mins

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Chand keeps readers breathless and drooling for more. October 20, 2011

By Dee18 TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

Life has never been easy for Alex Kosmitoras. He is constantly bullied at school by a bonehead called Brady. He has no friends, and his family struggles financially, while suffocating him emotionally ... but they worry for a good reason, because Alex is blind.

Born blind, Alex has never seen the world as others do. Instead his heightened senses allow him to smell, hear and feel the world around him ... and occasionally, foresee the world too. Because Alex has another `gift' - the power of second sight.

When a lovely new female Indian student called Simmi arrives at Alex's school, life takes a dramatic turn for the better ... until Alex's foresight has him `seeing' Simmi in danger.

With the help of his psychic next-door-neighbour, Alex is determined to turn his second sight into a force for good and save the girl he is kinda-maybe-definitely falling for.

`Farsighted' is the debut YA paranormal novel from Emlyn Chand.

Chand set a difficult task for herself when she decided to write a blind protagonist for her debut YA paranormal. It's no mean feat, cutting readers off from one of their narrator's most crucial sensory perceptions - but Chand, like Alex, compensates. There's a fullness to the story, detailed in Alex's other senses - his heightened smell, touch and hearing mean that for pages and pages you'll forget that you're reading the voice of a blind boy, who is skimming over the most encompassing perception - sight. I was really impressed at how Chand jumped over this difficult hurdle with her precise and flavourful descriptions of everything Alex smells, hears and touches. Not to mention what he foresees ...

Alex is a veritable Cassandra - able to see the future, but not necessarily alter it. I loved this very clever take on `second sight' - a cruel gift when Alex is blind. Alex has never felt more impotent than when his foresight shows him his crush, Simmi, in danger. But he is determined to turn his `curse' into a rescue mission, and do whatever it takes to save his girl.

One thing I really liked in `Farsighted' was Chand's descriptions and focus on bullying. Fair warning, you will want to box the bully, Brady, around the ears (regardless of `violence is not the answer'!). I kind of loved that Alex wasn't written wrapped in cotton wool just because of his being blind. Brady doesn't care or sympathize with Alex, he just attacks him. Bullying is a big issue in itself, but I really commend the way Chand dealt with it in Alex's everyday life.

I really did enjoy this book ... but more the second-half than the first. Chand takes a while to warm the story up - due partly to the fact that she's battling the difficulties of writing in first-person from someone who does not have sight. It's mostly a logistical problem, as Chand works around all that Alex can't tell us, while also establishing this world and setting. But once the story puts the pedal-to-the-metal, there are enough careening twists and turns to keep readers breathless and drooling for more.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Surprising Read! October 24, 2011

By Marie Borthwick

Format:Kindle Edition

I was surprised when got lost in this story, the first time I looked up - I realized a couple of hours had passed and I have gone through 75% of the book (according to my eReader). I found the character of Alex so well written, I could easily imagine his world as if it were my own. I didn't get up and take a break, I just dived back into the book. I read the book in one sitting, only pausing long enough to grab a drink once or twice... the ONLY other time I have done this is when I read the Harry Potter series. The ease of which Emlyn Chand introduced the supernatural into her book was creative, she made it seem like Alex's abilities of "seeing" the future was a natural thing. I forgot briefly from time to time that Alex was in fact blind - the richness of descriptions from his point of view were very engaging.

Every time a read a book with a "mystery" element, like Farsighted, I try to guess what's coming next. Pretty much I try to solve everything before the author spells it out for me. Farsighted is the first time I was completely wrong and no where near what the author took the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and as I read the last word I wanted more story...
That was the only fault I found with the story - that it left me hanging. I wanted to know more about Alex's family history, I wanted to know more about Shapri and her mother's contentious relationship and Simmi's other-worldly roots. While not knowing as much as I wanted to know had me a little upset - I think leaving it out was a creative move I can only applaud the writer for, Farsighted is nothing if not a hook to keep you on the line waiting for future books in what is likely to be a very successful series. After you read the book, I challenge you to find all the meanings behind the title - it's been a week since I read the book and still every now and then a new and creative meaning behind the title pops into my head, a special treat from a skilled author I am sure!

More About the Author

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dabble in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!