Blind Sighted

I randomly picked 'Blind-Sighted' off the book shelf, interested in blind characters in fiction. I got an amazing coming-of-age story that I could relate to in so many ways. Kirk is basically an extension of myself as I found so so many similarities between himself and I. I love this way this book is written, in a style that resemble my writing style. I just connected with this book in so many ways. I'm 16 years old and gosh, I just wish I knew more about Peter Moore or could contact him. I couldn't give enough praise to him for how much I connected with this book.

Kirk is a 16 year old that is used to doing things his way. You get the sense that he has raised himself. His mother drinks and is neglectful. The story picks up when Kirk is taken out of honors english and placed in another class. There he meets new friends(one will be his girlfriend). Outside of school, he gets a new job, reading to a blind woman. His life is looking up, until his mom decides they need to get out of that town. She leaves to check things out. Kirk, is now alone at home. He now has to deal with the house, a new girlfriend, feelings for an older woman, and then ther is school. This is an excellent story. Kirk is a good kid faced with not so perfect circumstances. I found myself "rooting" for him, as I read.

Kirk is not your average public high school student--he's short, smart, and prefers books to sports. He does what he can to make himself fit in (sort of)--he doesn't apply himself or do his school work, and is able to give quick come-backs. He's been a loner for most of his life. This is another story where readers are thrust behind the scenes of a "misfit." We see how Kirk is bullied by the burnouts (and I would guess others as well), thus he doesn't do his homework or write his essays properly so as to hide his brains. We discover that part of Kirk's problem is that his mother is an alcoholic, and has decided to move to California with her boss, wanting Kirk to join them so they can be a family (Kirk's father left when he was a baby). Kirk is against this and refuses to leave his hometown. He refuses to leave because things in his life begin to look up--he is befriended by one of the burnouts, gets a girlfriend, and starts a new job reading to a blind woman that pays more money than the library job he had. He also dislikes the man his mother ends up marrying. I enjoyed this book--the characters are real (especially Kirk--we see his growth as he branches out), there are a lot of literary references (which was fun), and it was a fast read (kept me interested). The kids do swear (strongly) in the book. Kirk and his girlfriend have sex. There is violence. But none of it is gratuitous, and Moore isn't striving to be offensive with his writing. Overall, I recommend the book to high schoolers and adults.

What a great book! This book gets my endorsement and I am a Young Adult Librarian who reads YA novels, and this is a truly exceptional novel, it would definelty appeal to boys, I cannot wait to read his next novel. There is great character development and believeable, a trait that lacks in so many of the novels I have read. Watch for great things from this author.

This book captures, in a true voice, what it is like to be a teenager. Kirk, the lead character, is a wonderfully, written, true to life boy who is dealing with an alcholic mother, high school cliques, and falling in love. I loved it as adult, and think all teenagers, both boys and girls, should read it!