I took this because i am trying to expand the type of books that i read. This was quite upsetting because it was so deeply emotional. The relationship between Nova and Alex is profound and the one between Nova and Kate is lifechanging in so many ways that neither of them expected.

A real gritty book that will make you smile and make you cry in equal measure.

I had an interesting conversation with someone at the weekend who has a rare condition whereby he cannot visualise. When he shuts his eyes, he can'r bring up a picture of a tree or a colour, or anything, his mind is black.

Thinking back over reading this book I can 'see' that life is difficult for him, and imagine if you had this condition, AND, were blind from birth?

I learnt so many things from this story. And found it very difficult to write a review. I learnt about sight and what it must be like to lose your sight after birth and to be blind from birth. [Macular Degeneration must be really hard.] And yet, is it harder to learn to see after being blind? There are so many complexities of sight and vision.

This book also has a love story. A love of two people coming together at a difficult time for both of them, of how they survive together and their experiences.

This is a book that engages the reader on many levels - the critical mind that thinks about sight and vision and dimensions; the literary mind that reads and understands and celebrates the writing style; and the emotional mind that taps into the characters and their emotions and experiences as expressed by the author.

I really recommend this story and author.

This book was a real tearjerker for me and possibly hit a little close to home as I suffered a brain heamorrhage this year and found that the story hit very close to home (although mine wasn't caused by domestic violence thankfully.)

I liked the questions that this book raised hugely, and I loved that there was a strong gay main character who was at home with her sexuality. It reflected well a lot of the problems I've faced this year and even if I found it a hard read for personal reasons I thought it a good book.

I thought the plot of this story sounded a really interesting read and something a little different. However I found this a bit slow at times and quite drawn out. I did enjoy certain aspects and some parts were quote moving. All in all I found it boring and some of it not to be plausible

This was a really well-written exploration of blindness and seeing, often from the perspective of a character who once was blind and is learning to see. That aspect was so well-wrought by Joe Heap that it was occasionally hard to believe that he is a sighted author who has never been blind himself.

The plotline was a little lacking, however, and the antagonist occasionally seemed cartoonish in his somewhat motiveless evil - I liked the depiction of an abusive spouse, however I didn't believe that a character like that would be aware of this trait and exploit it to that extent.

I have read news stories about people being surgically given the ‘gift’ of sight after many, if not all, their years spent in darkness. But I have never really appreciated the complexity of gradually and progressively learning what is indeed a new language, the language of sight, and the need to become ‘fluent in seeing’. Nova’s newly acquired sight is a thing of mystery so she devises Rules of Seeing, for example Rule 147 “Like a baby, you will have no idea an object persists in time. This seems stupid. Of course you know that a butterfly does not disappear just because you are not looking at it, but that does not mean you’re not surprised when it reappears in front of you”. Or Rule 385 “Sitting in the front of a car is like diving deeper and deeper into a painting, watching as the trees and buildings grow and disappear, only for more to spring up on the horizon…”
It did not surprise me, upon finishing the book, to learn that Joe Heap is a published poet, such is the quality of the language and the depth of empathy with Nova’s gradual acquisition of this perplexing skill. Her growing relationship with Kate is so beautifully evoked too but, while I don’t want to give too much away, the introduction of the final elements spoilt the overall story for me personally. Still a highly recommended read which gave me much to ponder and appreciate.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Nova has been blind since birth but has an operation to give her sight and she has to learn how to see. Kate is trapped in an unhappy marriage and the two meet in the neurology ward and this chance encounter changes both of their lives. I found the novel unpredictable, well written and very sweet. Would definitely recommend.

This is a beautifully written story of love, friendship and overcoming unusual difficulties. Nova is blind and an interpreter for the Metropolitan Police. The book gives an insight into the limitations caused by blindness from birth. After surgery, Nova is forced to adjust to a strange, new vibrant world of colour and action she'd never seen before. It's a poignant story which is thought-provoking. It resounded well the difficulties involved with such a ground-breaking transition. It's so sensitively written. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins.

A very unusual, thought provoking story, I really enjoyed this. It is refreshingly different, and provided a very illuminating glimpse into the world of a person who has been blind from birth. Nova’s first faltering steps into the world of the sighted, which most of us take for granted, was very eloquently described. Nova’s ‘rules of seeing’ were a very clever and insightful way to describe her difficulties in not just adjusting to her new sense, but learning how to use it in the newly revealed and frightening world. It certainly made me think about my own sightedness , and how devastating it would be to have to function without it.
The story of Kate, and her injury, and her deteriorating relationship with her husband Tony, was so cleverly and subtly described. The faltering first steps of friendship that grew between Nova and Kate was beautifully described, with all it's highs and lows, joys and tensions. It also had very tense moments when I was holding my breath regarding the ultimate fates of the two main character.
I would definitely recommend this book, and I thank Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a free copy. I will read more of this author’s work without hesitation.

Nova, blind from birth is given the opportunity to see. The rules of seeing is a compilation of rules that she creates in order to make sense of her new world. Whilst in rehabilitation, Nova meets Kate, who is living with a controlling husband and the two forge an unlikely friendship. The rules of seeing is beautifully written, and will change the way you see the world.

I was very interested in the subject covered in this book as I have family members who are partially sighted. The description of how blind people deal with their condition was portrayed very well. A very original book and well written. I enjoyed it very much.

I absolutely loved this exciting and unusual book. Nova was born blind and now she can see but this seems to complicate her life rather than simplifying it.

This one was simultaneously right inside and completely outside my comfort zone. It's beautifully written with fantastic characters. It really made me stop and think about how I see the world and how much I take things like my sight and all the beautiful and mundane things I get to see every day for granted. I can still not imagine what an overload to the senses it must be, having being blind and suddenly seeing the world for the very first time. Having to relearn everything you thought you knew about the world. Add in a friendship that becomes so deep and the trauma of domestic violence and this little thriller becomes an incredible page turner. It's a bit harrowing in places, but it wouldn't work if it wasn't. It's completely not what I expected and that's why I love it all the more.

This was a lovely book to read ,beautifully written with characters you could get to know. The rules of seeing are simple really- we see what we want and block out what we don't want to see-or are they?
Nova ,blind from birth,is offered the chance of a life changing operation to enable her to see visually.She chances across Kate,blind to her own bad marriage,in the hospital.An unlikely friendship is struck and their lives become intertwined and eventually changed for ever.By turns the story is desperately sad,funny ,uplifting with a dark thread woven through it. It is also a profoundly moving love story with some edge of the seat moments about two women learning to see again. It will make you re-evaluate how you see things

A beautifully-expressed portrayal of how a blind person learns to see for the first time, surprising in its ability to convey something quite unknowable to the reader. I enjoyed the unfolding of the relationship of the two central characters and how their experiences overlapped. I was, however, less impressed with what felt like a clumsy handling of the psychopathic husband, where I perceived plot holes (how did he track a car that was borrowed from his wife's friend on a whim?) That said, it was fun to hate him! I read this on my Kindle and when I do that, I'm often unaware of the author's name as I don't see it frequently on the cover as I would a paper book, so at the end I was shocked to realise this was written by a man. Very rarely do I feel so comfortable with the depiction of women's voices by a male writer, especially when there is a same sex romance involved. It all felt very natural and intuitive, so good job, Joe Heap!

Beautifully written, if a touch overlong. Wonderful and insightful descriptions of being able to see after years of darkness and how overwhelming it would be. In my opinion, the violence near the end was unnecessary to the intelligent writing.

Absolutely loved this book!
The characters were interesting and flawed - but the most fascinating part of this for me was the explored concept of how it would be to gain sight as an adult, with all the things we learn before we even know (colours, depth perception, reading faces) now coming from practice and effort.

Very thought provoking in numerous ways: blindness to sight and how difficult this is, an abusive relationship and a gay relationship.
I can't say it was a pleasant read but it is a book that I wouldn't like to have missed and feel richer for having read it.

This is a good read for a first novel. Novas journey of learning to see is fascinating. Every detail is really well described and well thought out. I feel that the rest of the book is not as well written. It is slow in places and jumps about a bit. This book is worth reading as the parts about Nova are really good. I probably would read another book by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A beautiful book, scary in places, had me gasping and then crying. It also made me think how I take seeing for granted. But for me, the beauty of the writing shines out beyond everything else.