Full review to come.
I deeply apologize, but life is a handful lately and I'm using all my free time to read, not review. I hope everybody understands.

A fascinating and ‘eye-opening’ story which puts a whole new perspective on what our brains are up to as we do what seems the simple act of seeing. And the love story and thriller which acts as the backdrop to this are also gripping. Joe Heap is such a clever writer - will look for more by him.

3.5 stars for me. This is such a genre-defying book I don't really know where to start...

Joe Heap's descriptions are absolutely beautiful, and this book has a way of completely reinventing how you look at the world. Nova is self-assured and self-possessed, but when her eyesight is restored, we begin to realise how much of herself was defined by her blindness and how hard it is to relearn the world and yourself. Opposite Nova we have Kate, successful professional and living the picture-perfect, whose head injury soon starts her questioning how much she is being defined by her husband.

Nova, for me, is the absolute star of the book - she's brilliantly funny, quirky and full of strengths and vulnerabilities. There were times when, reading the world through Nova's perspective, I had to put the book down and just sit there and think.

This was such a fresh and surprising book, with a storyline I did not expect and characters you can't help but love. Definitely an author to keep an eye on for future books!

Brilliant book. Not normally my genre but I really enjoyed it. The story was great right to the end. it was an emotional rollercoaster ride with the character
Easy read but had everything in it as a great book, loved it

The insight and deep understanding shown by this author shines through each page of this novel about a blind girl who regains her sight.
For her, it was not just about learning to live by sight, but the differences it made to so many relationships. One would imagine regaining one's sight would be wonderful and life would be simpler and easier.....but is it??

Thanks to Netgalley for my ecopy of Joe Heap's first novel, I hope it's the first of many.

The story is a slow burner whilst we become acquainted with the main characters Kate and Nova and the rather extreme circumstances that lead to their meeting. Personally I found Kate a bit of a cold fish but Nova was a delight despite, or maybe because the problems that go with being mixed race, blind and gay.

When the heat builds up it really rocks you , there are many menacing, difficult moments but then once again calms reigns,the love story continues (or sometimes doesn't) then once again you're knocked for six. and it is actually quite chilling at times but all in all a brilliant first novel..

Insightful (pun intended) look at vision within a slow-burning thriller and relationship story.

Kate meets Nova after an accident leads to a fairly severe head injury. Confused and suffering emotional after-effects, she likes the Police Interpreter for her unconventionality, her verve, and her defiant attitude to the blindness she has lived with all her life. Nova has just undergone an operation to restore her sight, leaving her vulnerable also. The two form an instant bond.

The story moves between genres, but the clues are there as to what the women can expect. I did enjoy the thriller aspects of the story, the mounting tension and regular reminders of threat.

My favourite aspect of the book though, was Nova's regular insights into what it is like to be both blind and to be a newly-sighted citizen... her 'rules for seeing' that anyone 'reading' this as someone who takes vision for granted will find makes them see things around them with fresh 'eyes':
"It's like trying to learn... five languages at the same time...it's like all of these conversations going on simultaneously - colour and depth, shape and texture, light and dark - and I'm trying to translate them all at once."

Though an accomplished linguist and reader of Braille, Nova has to learn to read from scratch, can't recognise shapes and colours. Sometimes her insights are hilarious:
"RULE OF SEEING NO.151 Food does not look appetising, the way it smells. Sometimes it looks like plastic, or like dog poo. Sighted people do not like it if you point this out."

The thriller plot, I thought didn't work as well as Nova's own personal story, an antagonist whose motivation I didn't truly understand or buy into, but I was happy to stay with Nova. Kate grew on me from a slightly annoying woman at times to someone more in control and spirited.

Incredibly insightful in parts, a fairly good linking of a personal story of growth with a psychological thriller.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

What an excellent read! This book was terrific and made me see the world in a new light/perspective! *****

What an amazing book. Enlightening! It had never occurred to me that someone born blind, regaining their sight, wouldn’t automatically know exactly what they’re looking at. That the everyday shapes and sights we see every day, would be unknown to the ‘newly sighted’. I loved the concept of learning to see being likened to learning a language and whether or not the character could ever become fluent in the language of seeing.
So that the story didn’t lose its pace and seem like a feel good kind of story where girl gets vision and love, there was a story running parallel containing a psychopath and he was out for revenge. Did he get it? You’ll have to read the book to find out. I loved this book. It was something very different and thought provoking.

An original plot with authentic characters provides the essential ingredients for an excellent, poignant and thought-provoking story.

The book's two main characters, the enigmatic Nova and long-suffering Kate lead separate lives. Two unconnected events lead to a serendipitous, life-altering meeting between the two women.

There is a chance of a bright future or a tragic end for the women, depending on how they interpret what is possible. The multi-layered plot explores the 'rules of seeing' as Nova learns to accept her new sight. Kate's injury, also makes her look at things differently but is she brave enough to make a change?

A tender love story, the horror of domestic abuse and a menacing evil that threatens their new life are all experienced by Nova and Kate, which makes their story absorbing and courageous and definitely worth seeing through to the end.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What a novel (no pun intended) story. Abused wife of policeman turns lesbian, her lover being a blind woman who has an operation to enable her to see. Having left the husband, the two ladies enjoy a loving relationship, including teaching the previously blind one to cope with sight. A brilliant story in that learning to see is so difficult to cope with! The spurned, abusive husband is always in the background seeking revenge - so a thriller with a fabulous theme. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I read this book in one day, and honestly I don’t think I’d ever read it again. The story didn’t grab me at all, and I did have to force myself to continue reading. I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

An intersting concept for a book. The 2 protagonists are interesting and the book has a good pace. Unfortunately it doesn't really hit the mark with me.

I really enjoyed this book, it's one of those books that really gets you thinking. If you've always been blind then how would it feel learning to see. I loved the descriptions of 'the rules of seeing' narrated to us by Nova. On the flip side, we have Kate who is suffering from a different kind of difficulty and together their friendship blossoms.

This is quite a difficult book to review. The writing is good, the two protagonists are realistic and relatable. The pace is good. And yet I have only given it three stars. I think that this is because the book almost doesn't know what it is and there are three stories contained within it's pages that never quite come together. I found reading about Nova and her newly acquired eyesight fascinating. The author not only brought to life all kinds of problems that just wouldn't have occurred to me, but how Nova experiences all this was incredibly well written. The second element of the book is the relationship between Kate and Nova. Again, this was beautifully written and I was keen to see whether they would last the distance. The third element is the thriller; is Tony a threat, or is it all in Kate's mind. All three elements were well written, but always felt very separate. I would go so far as to say I felt as though I had read three different novellas rather than one complete book.

My thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This is an engaging yet incredibly insightful fictional tale of two women that meet at a neurological centre. Nova born blind, at 32years of age has had an operation to give her sight, the other, Kate is recovering from a head injury.
It has a full mix of emotions, from the incremental creep of fear from being in a controlling and abusive relationship, to therapeutic effect of embracing a new friendship, to romantic attractions, confusion, insecurities and humour. But the gem of this book is the fantastic way that Heap has brought to life how difficult it would be adjusting to sight after never having it before. The discourse and description of this is shall we say eye opening and indelible.
Kate had managed to travel with her stick independently to work as a translator for the police. She has to ask for a little bit of help now and again, which people are willing to do, but it was her way of life. She is persuaded by her brother to undergo this revolutionary operation and could never have been prepared for the impact. It is essentially a battle of managing sensory overload and it is exhausting. Now she has to interpret objects that she hasn’t had to recognise before, there are colours to learn about, depth perceptions & coordination to master, essentially a perpetual bombardment of visual information, for which at times she just needs to close her eyes and block it out. She has to learn about eye contact, a social skill she had no means of being prepared for and it affects, such as her interaction with the suspects/criminals she interviews. She hasn’t had to look at them before, to judge them, to be intimidated by them– but now she is.
The book is peppered with Nova’s own rules to seeing. How confusing these rules need to be and how as she goes along she needs to contradict her own rules is a witty journey in itself. I have talked a lot with people about what I have learnt and reflected upon since being immersed in book, which is an accolade in itself. Some of the relationship development between Kate and Nova whilst meant to be awkward, struggles a bit & I am not sure there was enough of a convincing attraction, and as such some parts of the relationship depicted in the story weakened the power of the book. But given it is a debut it is forgivable given the enjoyment I got from the rest of the book.

Beautiful beautiful written book , one I've had to already recommend to friends and family. Yes its quite distressful in parts but also very moving and uplifting . highly recommended !

Interesting story following the lives of 2 young women who inadvertently meet in hospital. However I wold struggle to call this a thriller as it seemed to loose its way in the middle only becoming gripping in the last 10%. Enjoyable read and you couldn’t help but love the character of Nova.

Nova, smart, sassy, confident & blind since birth, is offered surgery to restore her sight. Kate, meanwhile, is beginning to question her marriage.

I found this an absorbing story with great main characters. Their relationship was beautifully drawn, & the early sense of menace in Kate's abusive marriage was almost overwhelming. But there were so many things I just didn't believe, from Nova's initial decision onwards. For me, the big ending had less impact than the quieter storylines.

I would have loved to have read this as part of a book club, though - the discussions could run and run,

What an original book - hard to categorise - but I will be recommending it to everyone I know. In some ways the plot of this tale is incidental. The characters are well-drawn, their relationship ups and downs are believable and the descriptions as seen through the eyes of Nova, blind from birth, are astonishing. Obviously I don't know how accurate they are but they are so interesting and make complete sense to me. Those of us with reasonable eyesight take so much for granted. The descriptions and problems cited in this tale will definitely make me think twice when I look around me.
Kate is another interesting character in this tale, leading a busy life but with problems of her own.
When Kate and Nova meet at the hospital their lives become intertwined and each brings life experience to help the other move on.
Can't wait for another offering from Joe Heap.
Very many thanks to Netgalley/Joe Heap/Harper Collins for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.