It has been hard to be different in a society that wants everyone to be the same.

Id like to thank NetGalley, Hatchett UK Audio, and Lucy Edwards for giving me the chance to read this book.


I honestly don’t know how to review this book. This book follows Lucy as she loses her sight as a child and how she handles it. She goes through a lot of her hardships and analyses them with the maturity and the understanding of the world she has now. (Also she acknowledges the privileges she has, like her support system, etc.) In the beginning the author says this is a book about grief, and she touched on that throughout the book, this made me want to recommend it to a few people I know could learn a lot from this book.

I loved reading how she thinks and lives, her way of thinking and her resolve to fight for accessibility, representation, and to affect change is really incredible. I’ll await to read more of her, whether if it’s in a book or in the format of her social media content.

This book was narrated beautifully and it was thoroughly easy to follow. I always love books that are narrated by the author a lot more, and I was happy this was the case here.

Even though this was an inspiring book, written simply and easily to digest i didn't feel that this was for me. I can appreciate that anyone going through a tough time, or life changing circumstances would really benefit from reading this one.
An inspiring woman!

Before reading Lucy Edwards' book, I wasn't familiar with her, but after discovering her story on NetGalley, I was immediately intrigued. As I researched more, I grew to admire Lucy for her vibrant personality, her red hair, and her inspiring presence on TikTok. As someone with a degenerative eye condition that could potentially affect my vision, I found a deep connection in Lucy's perspective on living with a visual disability. She truly understands the need to improvise when faced with challenges others might find simple.

Lucy lost her sight in her teens due to a rare genetic condition called Incontinentia Pigmenti. In her book, she gently guides readers through her personal journey of grief, healing, and the emotional struggles that come with blindness. Although our experiences differ, Lucy's raw and compassionate storytelling made me feel deeply connected to her and offered valuable insights into life as a blind person.

This book arrived at the perfect time for me, especially during a reading slump. Lucy's journey, while focused on blindness, resonates with anyone navigating life changes. As a disability activist, she not only shares her personal story but also incorporates research and highlights the significant impact of societal changes on one's life. She addresses emotional aspects of grief and loss, which are often overlooked, showing that adapting to change involves more than just physical adjustments.

I also appreciated the references to innovations like audiobooks, which benefit both blind people and those with other disabilities. The book beautifully blends memoir and self-help, emphasizing the importance of accepting grief and navigating life’s challenges. It’s a must-read for anyone with a disability or those supporting someone who does, offering profound insights into how we all react to change and how we can help one another.

The audiobook, narrated by Lucy herself, added an extra layer of authenticity and emotion, making it one of my favorite listens this year. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, especially to those who can relate to trauma or disability.

A definite 5-star read for me.

#BlindNotBroken #NetGalley

Wow, wow, wow....

Well I've been in a bit of a book slump recently and was finding many books averaging 3ish stars and so I had a look at Netgalley today and I have to say this book definitely found me at the most perfect time!!!

This was absolutely an amazing listen and although Lucy's journey is for her about becoming blind I think the way she has written this is absolutely truly admirable, authentic and with great understanding of how people in general feel going through any change in their lives that affects how they live.

I had never heard of this wonderful woman before, and I now am aware that she is a disability activist, which explains why and how she has written so well. Not only from her own life experience, but it seems she has done a lot of work and obviously did research into her family's viewpoints. Documented her journey from the beginning albeit I appreciate we get a shortened version, the most important parts but to go into detail about grief and loss is something that so many people do not understand and don't take time to try to either. When anyone's life changes, it isn't just the physical aspect people deal with. There is so much more to it, and this audiobook sums it all up perfectly.

I absolutely adored all the refrances made to the different inventions made over the years etc and how these things lead on to other things ie audiobooks for blind people whilst many others may simply enjoy them they also help other disabilities and I honestly think this is one of the best books I have listened to this year.

Having studied grief myself and having a vast knowledge of the stages, it was absolutely wonderful to hear it in the way it was written into this book it all flowed so well. Part memoir, part self help, I can't recommend this highly enough for anyone who has any disability themselves or within their close circles it is absolutely fantastic! This may help others understand how and why people react in certain ways at certain times and how we can all help each other.

Many people may be able to relate to this even from the perspective of trauma, i.e., PTSD etc not only physical disabilities because of how well it is written, so I'd say definitely give this a go.

This was narrated by Lucy herself, which just brought that edge of authentication and really was a beautiful listen. It was done in one day, with lots of tears, understanding, and inspiration! I couldn't imagine anyone else having done this audiobook!

With so much gratitude and appreciation to Netgalley, Hachette UK Audio 🙏🏼

Easy 5⭐️

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a difficult but hopeful read at this point in my journey but is really helpful while I am on the waitlist for counselling. It was interesting to hear Lucy talk about grieving and the stages of grief as someone who recently found out I didn’t properly grieve my own diagnosis and that is still causing problems almost 5 years after. I did have to praise a few times throughout the book due to my own journey making parts painful, especially around romantic relationships but it was important to hear nonetheless. I found that there were some great exercises and listening to it as a self-narrated audiobook was amazing, getting to hear her words in her own voice.

Blind Not Broken is an inspiring memoir by Lucy Edwards, a true testament to resilience and hope. At just 17, Lucy's life changed dramatically when she lost her vision due to a rare eye condition. Despite the challenges she faced, including a failed surgery, Lucy's journey is filled with moments of joy and unwavering support from her family and friends.

Narrated by Lucy herself, the audiobook captures her emotions authentically, transforming her struggles into a motivational guide for anyone facing difficulties. With ten insightful chapters, Lucy shares coping strategies and encourages a positive mindset. Personal interviews with her loved ones provide additional depth, showcasing the strong support system around her.

This memoir is not only a story of loss but also one of empowerment and perseverance. I highly recommend Blind Not Broken to anyone seeking motivation and guidance through tough times. It’s a beautifully crafted narrative that will leave you feeling uplifted.

A really enjoyable and interesting insight into the experience of being blind. The insights into Lucy’s childhood experiences, relationships with family, and how she navigates life as a blind woman were really interesting. Less exciting were the self-help tidbit sections, which wasn’t really what I was looking for in this book. Audiobook narration was really good, and I would recommend the audio format to really get a sense of Lucy.

3 stars - good book but could have done with less self help and more breadth and depth in relation to the authors experiences.

Lucy does a great job of explaining her journey. Knowing people who are slowly losing their sight is scary and listening to this book will help me to understand them. I am giving 4 starts instead of 5 as I really didn’t feel the need for Lucy to make it a self help book with activities. Her story is powerful enough.
Thank you net galley for the chance to listen and review this arc.

What happens when your life turns pitch dark when you are just 17? This is the true story of BBC broadcaster, TikTok sensation, and disability activist Lucy Edwards.

This is a special book for me. Because it is my first audio book that I listened to with full attention and enjoyed it, even though the life of Lucy was sad at times, there was hope and happiness thriving in all corners.

Lucy lost her visual sense due to a rare eye condition called incontinentia pigmenti. Even after surgery to restore her vision, it turned out to be a complete failure. One can only empathise with Lucy’s trauma and darkened, bleak future.

However, with supportive family—father, mother, and sister—and her childhood friend and current husband, she was constantly encouraged to do what she most desired.

This book was narrated by Lucy herself, with all her emotions kept intact without getting overwhelmed by revisiting her tough journey through this book.

Rather, the book, through Lucy’s words, serves as a self-help guide and a motivating manual for all who are facing challenges, whether they are physical, mental, emotional, or financial, to get ahead in life with a positive attitude.

Blind Not Broken has 10 chapters, including a prologue, and each one has tips on how to overcome these difficult times with a disability that is obstructing one’s progress through coping mechanisms and willpower.

In addition, there are personal interviews with Lucy’s parents, family, and friends, where they share about her childhood days and how they were supportive of Lucy during her hard times.

Overall, my view on audiobooks is not as sceptical as I was earlier. However, I am sticking to non-fiction audio books currently, as I believe fiction is still a reading/visual medium.

I recommend this short memoir if you are in need of motivation and guidance.

This is an excellent reminder that just because someone has a disability, they can still be self-centered, vain, shallow, entitled, and generally embody everything wrong with online influencer culture.

I hate making light of something that may in some way be helpful for someone out there…but damn, this one is painful. There aren’t many people who should write a memoir at age 27. Including this lady. Her complete and total unawareness of her own absolutely staggering amount of privilege makes it incredibly difficult to find even the smallest amount of empathy (I knew sympathy was not a realistic expectation after the first page) for what any non-psychopath would describe as the textbook example of an unfortunate event - going blind at age 17. However, when the top 10 reasons she repeatedly cites her “trauma” all involve being unable to see and select clothing, makeup, and hair products, you start to wonder if this is some sort of parody. It does not appear to be, unfortunately.

There is, surprisingly, some mildly interesting information about life as a disabled person in the ADA-free (BDA?) UK, which could have been expanded upon for a much more interesting book. However, the author’s cheerful ignorance of and disinterest in anything related to public policy or people other than herself in general quickly swings the conversation back to the important work of promoting Pantene shampoo.

The audio version is particularly painful as it is read by the author in what I assume to be her “influencer” voice - that weird, breathy, giggly, flirty tone that seems to transcend language in online advertising for dubious nutritional supplements and sweatshop produced clothing. Assuming that the voices in the especially awkward segment in which she harangues her family into telling her how wonderful she is actually belong to her relatives, it seems unlikely that this is just how she talks.

I really can’t not recommend this highly enough - but hey, it fulfilled my reading challenge prompt to read a book by someone I know nothing about! So thanks, NetGalley!

Beautifully written and really tugs at your heart!

I've left a full feedback piece on goodreads but thank you for the opportunity to listen to this one. I don't often gravitate to memoirs and biographies but I'm glad I listened to this one

The author herself narrates the audiobook, which takes you on her journey through grieving her vision loss. However, this does not mean it’s only suitable for the blind or their loved ones. After each chapter, there are exercises that are useful to everyone in my opinion, even if you’re not currently in the process of grief, they can help to reflect and be mindful.
The narration itself was beautifully done and it felt like a friend was telling you a story, which I really enjoyed.

Thank You to NetGalley for the ARC.

This audiobook was a great listen, Lucy's story is inspiring and emotional to explore, she narrates in a way in which you feel as if she could be sat across the room from you, letting you in on her emotions and struggles.
Her advice about grief and moving forwards after loss is really profound, a lot more than I was originally expecting from this book. I'd reccommend to anyone who may have had an impairment develop that has made them feel lost in this new world that they find themselves in, or those who just need kind words about how to move forwards through unpredictable life.
In the physical print of this book I hope there are pages to write in at reflective points - so that readers can reflect on what has been said and apply that to their own lives.

Blind Not Broken - Lucy Edwards

Lovely audiobook narrated by Lucy herself, what an amazing young lady!
I felt the emotions that Lucy shared throughout about her sight-loss journey and I still maintain that schools should teach Brail and BSL from a young age…Anyone can go blind or deaf at any point in their life ( yet we learn foreign languages?! ), but not only that maybe then as we grow older we may be able to understand and communicate more efficiently with each other. On the same subject as a carer for the elderly & disabled it would also be a great to be able to communicate with them and I actually went to the library to source such books and both brail and BSL were unavailable 🤷‍♀️

I recommend this book to anyone who is coming to terms with loss of any kind as Lucy has taken the time to add some self help exercises.
I plan to use the notes I have taken and try some of these techniques/exercises throughout the month of July. July is a hard month for me as it’s when I lost 3 close family members.

Praise to Lucy for being a true inspiration and sharing her personal story.

This book was an emotional read, very insightful memoir and self help guide! I loved listening to this audiobook and enjoyed the narration from the author herself, with a Q&A section featuring her family and questions from social media.

This was so insightful and really important for anyone unfamiliar with the reality of living as a blind person to listen to. I loved the suggestions at the end of each chapter and relating each to stages of grief.

Such a great book for anyone dealing with disabilities, mental and/or physical, grief or just going through a bad time. The way Lucy compares the stages of grief to her own personal experiences really helps to understand her better and understand yourself and out things into perspective.
It was an emotional and helpful read. Such a good book

This book was suggested for those losing their sight or going through grief. As someone who is experiencing neither I still found this book relatable and guiding with the self help tips at the end of each chapter being a bonus! The book offers insight to things a sighted person wouldn’t even consider or see as an obstacle. The book highlights how far we have come with including those with poor sight but also how much we still have to go to improve in some areas. Lucy’s optimism is contagious and while she describes the hardships she has faced, she always seems to have a positive message and outlook. I picked this book as I’d vaguely heard of Lucy via TikTok and wanted a perspective of someone different from my own, this book was perfect for that, interesting and practical! I would recommend this book to anyone, there was nothing to dislike!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I absolutely loved this book. It was a little slow to start with as there was a lot of scene setting for the self help sections, however a little over half way I couldn’t stop listening. I thought I wasn’t after a self help book when I started to listen to it, however the advice is so sincere and tested by Lucy herself, and all of it seems really sound stuff that I whole heartedly agree with. This is a beautiful piece of writing that brings to attention how ableist the world we live in is which makes me sad for anyone with a disability. Lucy gives some great advice about things to do and not to do when you are interacting with anyone that has a disability. Thank you Lucy for writing this book, I have gotten so much from it, I am in awe of what you have achieved.

Having discovered Lucy on Tiktok with her "how does a blind girl" series I was intrigued to find out more about her. I think as a blind person she is doing a wonderful job to raise awareness and help to create a fairer world for those with sight loss. I am in awe that she was not only able to write a well written book on her experiences but to narrate it so flawlessly also.

After losing her sight completely at 17 Lucy's world changed in a way you could never imagine and she describes her experiences with saying goodbye to her then hopes and dreams with sadness and the frustration of having to re learn many skills. Her family and friends provided her with a loving support system which allowed her to grieve her losses and build courage and determination to engage with life again.

Written thoughtfully and honestly I really enjoyed hearing about how Lucy has navigated life with sight loss. The surprise section for me was when her family members contributed their thoughts on Lucy's sight loss and it was heartwarming to know that she is loved so much by those around her.