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A Blind Spot For Boys (2014)

by Justina Chen(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0316102539 (ISBN13: 9780316102537)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

review 1: So I already loved the book and then I read this line, -- "Boys are stupidheads," she said flatly... -- twenty pages from the end of the book. That's a line that I would've thought would be near the very beginning, the perfect hook to entice the reader to keep reading. But this great line wasn't needed as Chen begins her new book with mention of the Gum Wall. Huh? If you're not from Seattle or haven't visited the Market, you might think this is a figment of the author's imagination, a quirky add to Seattle's literary landscape. But no, the Gum Wall is real and Chen has just drawn you into the book, in the very first line. The rest of the book is a thoughtful look at relationships between parent and child, small group interactions, and the exhileration of the possibi... morelity of love. Shana, the narrator, is a master at discarding boys. As soon as she decides to take a break from romance, Quatro appears; can she hold her ground? Both teens have family issues they need to work through and while they tentatively look to each other for support, Mother Nature unleashes big problems that threaten lives. A wonderful, hopeful story. And seriously, can't every girl relate to "Boys are stupidheads" at some point?
review 2: Justina Chen creates complex characters that do interesting things and have interesting hobbies. Don't be put off by the cover, which seems to show a couple mugging in a silly fashion. This book is so much more than the cover. While yes, the book is a romance, and the boy and girl in question end up together, what is fun about the title is how they arrive at their destinations. Shana Wilde has declared a moratorium on romance ever since her failed relationship with Dom, an older guy. Since then, she's become a serial dater, barely getting to know the guy before dumping him and moving on. When she meets Quattro on the streets of Seattle and then unexpectedly encounters him later on a trip to Machu Picchu, sparks of attraction fly on both sides. It turns out that both of them are carrying heavy emotional baggage from the past. While readers can be pretty sure that the two of them will eventually work things out, there are complications and family issues. For instance, Shana's father is coping--not very well--with his growing blindness and what will happen to his pest control business when he becomes completely blind. Shana herself is a photographer who enjoys taking photos of street fashion and sees the beauty where others don't, but her perspective on what is worth photographing changes on her trip. As always with a book by this author, even the secondary and elderly characters are interesting and their own unique journeys are fascinating. While some readers won't find all the description and philosophy appealing, I find those to be the book's strengths. Not only did Shana have a blind spot when it came to boys, but one when it came to herself and those around her. Often, that is the case for many of us. We think we see the world clearly but then realize that our view has been clouded in various unexpected ways. One of the best parts of the book is how Chen allows the failed relationship with Dom to overshadow how Shan lives life now. Gradually, she reveals just how unhealthy the relationship was and how controlling Dom was, something that Shana failed to realize. As the old adage reminds us, sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees. less

Download links for: A Blind Spot for Boys

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