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Seeing Blind
Jamie’s world is small. He likes it that way - after a lifetime of prosopagnosia (he hates the term “face blindness”), he has learned to keep to himself. The same job, the same coffee shop, the same shirt every time he has a picture taken, all in the hope it will somehow become familiar to him. Friends will only stick around so long after you walk right past them without recognizing them one too many times. Nameless, anonymous hookups from an app become the best way to make any kind of connection. How much more anonymous could it be than him literally not knowing his date’s face?
Lev is on the app for similar reasons. He knows he’s nothing remarkable. If he had a dollar for every time someone told him he was a pretty face but not much else, he wouldn’t be stuck in a dead end job at his friend’s coffee shop. Still, the shy, gorgeous boy who comes in every day does make things seem a little brighter, a little more hopeful. Matching with him on the app seems to be a chance to finally make a good impression.
The debut novel from Poppy Dale tells the story of two boys lost in a city and to themselves, and how, if you’re lucky, you may be able to find true love more than once.
Lev is on the app for similar reasons. He knows he’s nothing remarkable. If he had a dollar for every time someone told him he was a pretty face but not much else, he wouldn’t be stuck in a dead end job at his friend’s coffee shop. Still, the shy, gorgeous boy who comes in every day does make things seem a little brighter, a little more hopeful. Matching with him on the app seems to be a chance to finally make a good impression.
The debut novel from Poppy Dale tells the story of two boys lost in a city and to themselves, and how, if you’re lucky, you may be able to find true love more than once.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2021
48 people are currently reading
549 people want to read
About the author
Poppy Dale
3 books31 followersPoppy Dale has always been defined by stories. Through writing, she creates worlds built on the quiet moments which are sometimes overlooked.
In this world, Poppy lives in a little blue house in the mountains, and can usually be found writing, painting, or taking a very hot bath.
In this world, Poppy lives in a little blue house in the mountains, and can usually be found writing, painting, or taking a very hot bath.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
August 23, 2021
4.5 stars
This was very different from what I'm used to in this genre. Different in a good way. It's so refreshing when you read a book that doesn't follow the "usual" pattern and you don't know what to expect, where the storyline is going and how it's going to end.
This story is really beautiful, the cast of characters wonderful, the writing style a bit unusual but I think it worked really well with the story.
I loved the slow pacing of the story and the dialogues between Jamie and Lev as they got to know each other. I loved how sweet and pure their relationship is. All the relationships in this story are pretty great.
I'm also quite happy with the ending. I think it worked perfectly here.
I'm familiar with Jamie's condition, but this is the first time I've read about it in a book and I really liked how the author handled it.
This was very different from what I'm used to in this genre. Different in a good way. It's so refreshing when you read a book that doesn't follow the "usual" pattern and you don't know what to expect, where the storyline is going and how it's going to end.
This story is really beautiful, the cast of characters wonderful, the writing style a bit unusual but I think it worked really well with the story.
I loved the slow pacing of the story and the dialogues between Jamie and Lev as they got to know each other. I loved how sweet and pure their relationship is. All the relationships in this story are pretty great.
I'm also quite happy with the ending. I think it worked perfectly here.
I'm familiar with Jamie's condition, but this is the first time I've read about it in a book and I really liked how the author handled it.
July 8, 2021
Please, someone tell me there is a second part. 😭😭 ❤️❤️
Faces blindness. I've never seen or heard of it.
If you want to read it without knowing many details, I'll just tell you this: Two guys who didn't think they could find a solid, adorable and quirky friendship through an app, and then both of them would fall in love.
"Make a wish, Fishboy."
💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘
Now, if you want to know more:
Jamie has prosopagnosia, he can't recognize faces, anyone's. His family, coworkers or his own. For him, it is as if they were all wearing the same mask.
"He catches sight of himself in the bathroom mirror midway through the day. Who are you?
Who are you?
Who."
Lev also struggles with his life, feels that he is not special and is not a real person.
And what happens when their paths cross? It's the most beautiful and adorable story. 😪❤️
-Levity: I mean if you give me times when you don’t want to be alone. I can be around. I’m flexible. Okay?
-Levity: Or insert a normal amount of supportiveness here, I guess.
-Jamofish22: No, no, I think it’s great. I’d love that. I don’t want to get in the way of your real life.
-Levity: You’re also part of my real life.
Their message and dynamics are just the best.
For the author's first novel, the mcs are great. I really adored them.
The fish facts were hilarious.
The relationships between family, and although it does not deepen to a third level, I think they were well done.
Faces blindness. The author gives us these details to learn how Jamie identifies a person through their height, tattoos, hair. It helps to understand better.
The writing style is new, and although a bit confusing at times, once you get used to it, it works.
But yeah, I got confused some times. It might just be me, so keep reading and don't let this stop you.
Also, at times I felt that they spoke as if they were younger than their age.
And I wish there was more time when they're finally together.
So there will be a second part, right? 😭❤️ We want and quoting what Rebecca said:"Just the two of them being all awkwardly romantic, cracking bad jokes and exchanging fish facts."
"He holds up his wrist and Jamie leans over and kisses it.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
I highly recommend it! 💛
Faces blindness. I've never seen or heard of it.
If you want to read it without knowing many details, I'll just tell you this: Two guys who didn't think they could find a solid, adorable and quirky friendship through an app, and then both of them would fall in love.
"Make a wish, Fishboy."
💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘
Now, if you want to know more:
Jamie has prosopagnosia, he can't recognize faces, anyone's. His family, coworkers or his own. For him, it is as if they were all wearing the same mask.
"He catches sight of himself in the bathroom mirror midway through the day. Who are you?
Who are you?
Who."
Lev also struggles with his life, feels that he is not special and is not a real person.
And what happens when their paths cross? It's the most beautiful and adorable story. 😪❤️
-Levity: I mean if you give me times when you don’t want to be alone. I can be around. I’m flexible. Okay?
-Levity: Or insert a normal amount of supportiveness here, I guess.
-Jamofish22: No, no, I think it’s great. I’d love that. I don’t want to get in the way of your real life.
-Levity: You’re also part of my real life.
Their message and dynamics are just the best.
For the author's first novel, the mcs are great. I really adored them.
The fish facts were hilarious.
The relationships between family, and although it does not deepen to a third level, I think they were well done.
Faces blindness. The author gives us these details to learn how Jamie identifies a person through their height, tattoos, hair. It helps to understand better.
The writing style is new, and although a bit confusing at times, once you get used to it, it works.
But yeah, I got confused some times. It might just be me, so keep reading and don't let this stop you.
Also, at times I felt that they spoke as if they were younger than their age.
And I wish there was more time when they're finally together.
So there will be a second part, right? 😭❤️ We want and quoting what Rebecca said:"Just the two of them being all awkwardly romantic, cracking bad jokes and exchanging fish facts."
"He holds up his wrist and Jamie leans over and kisses it.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
I highly recommend it! 💛
July 2, 2021
I've connected with this characters on a level that is scary, I understood every struggle and every doubt they had... Well not all of them, but a lot, like a lot. Do I need a therapist? 🥲
"They might be right. Because when everything is impossible, the least possible thing of all is not trying to find a way around".
First, I know how having an illness makes you feel small and weak, how your brain sabotages you and how the only one that can save you is yourself.
"I used to say to my mom that I wished I was blind. I know that sounds ungrateful. But I did. Because people understand that. It’s something you can just be. What I have, people think it’s not a real thing. And even when they do, the empathy isn’t the same.”
I understood this feeling, because something tangible or known is better than the opposite. So I felt Jamie in every way.
"It really is a lecture, then. At least she doesn’t ask him what it is he does want. Lev wouldn’t mind so much if she had taken him out for a walk or a meal, but they are standing right in front of someone, a stranger, and she’s scolding him. For, apparently, existing wrong".
As an immigrant I have asked that question to myself, when you move from a fucked up country you do it to be content, but how does that even look like? So I understood Lev.
"She is taking her hair out of its ponytail and retying it slightly higher, a tiny frown as she focuses".
Even the little details, because I do that when I'm gonna work to death or kick ass. This author knows people ladies and gents! And I'm probably overreacting but I loved this shit!!! ❤❤
Was it perfect? The beginning made me confused but I pushed through and thank god I did!! Loved this, obsessed with it, I want a Lev or a Jamie I don't care!!
"There is nobody for him to recognize and he realizes, abruptly, that he is like any other traveler emerging in a strange city, seeing a thousand stranger faces. They would be blank and meaningless to anybody".
Yes baby Jamie, everyone is more similar that we like to admit, we're all fucked up. SO GO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE LOVE! * wipes her tears*. Loved this!!
And did I say it's the first book from this author? *mindblown* ❤💜
"They might be right. Because when everything is impossible, the least possible thing of all is not trying to find a way around".
First, I know how having an illness makes you feel small and weak, how your brain sabotages you and how the only one that can save you is yourself.
"I used to say to my mom that I wished I was blind. I know that sounds ungrateful. But I did. Because people understand that. It’s something you can just be. What I have, people think it’s not a real thing. And even when they do, the empathy isn’t the same.”
I understood this feeling, because something tangible or known is better than the opposite. So I felt Jamie in every way.
"It really is a lecture, then. At least she doesn’t ask him what it is he does want. Lev wouldn’t mind so much if she had taken him out for a walk or a meal, but they are standing right in front of someone, a stranger, and she’s scolding him. For, apparently, existing wrong".
As an immigrant I have asked that question to myself, when you move from a fucked up country you do it to be content, but how does that even look like? So I understood Lev.
"She is taking her hair out of its ponytail and retying it slightly higher, a tiny frown as she focuses".
Even the little details, because I do that when I'm gonna work to death or kick ass. This author knows people ladies and gents! And I'm probably overreacting but I loved this shit!!! ❤❤
Was it perfect? The beginning made me confused but I pushed through and thank god I did!! Loved this, obsessed with it, I want a Lev or a Jamie I don't care!!
"There is nobody for him to recognize and he realizes, abruptly, that he is like any other traveler emerging in a strange city, seeing a thousand stranger faces. They would be blank and meaningless to anybody".
Yes baby Jamie, everyone is more similar that we like to admit, we're all fucked up. SO GO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE LOVE! * wipes her tears*. Loved this!!
And did I say it's the first book from this author? *mindblown* ❤💜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2021
I'm in a weird mood right now, and really, really needed something sweetly romantic. The story didn't start out that way. Lev & Jamie begin as friends online, just someone to talk to for each of them. The way the author develops their relationship was slow and easy and all the sweet I could possibly have wanted.
I loved that even when Jamie didn't know it was Lev, he knew. 🥰
That this is Poppy Dale's debut book is impressive, I genuinely loved it!
I loved that even when Jamie didn't know it was Lev, he knew. 🥰
That this is Poppy Dale's debut book is impressive, I genuinely loved it!
March 20, 2022
My heart feels so full!!!! I couldn’t put this down. Beautiful writing and story. What a debut! 💙
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April 10, 2022
|| 2.0 stars ||
I'm sad to say I wasn't a big fan of this book. For some reason, it just didn't work for me at all.
The writing style was stand-offish and sometimes even disorienting.
The overall vibe felt superficial even though the book was clearly dealing with emotionally deep characters and themes.
The pacing was slightly off, and I had often trouble figuring out what was really going on.
The relationship between the two main characters seemed incredibly awkward and sometimes even forced.
Generally, I just couldn't quite connect with any of it.
I did like the premise of this book, though. I usually love a good story about two people meeting and falling in love online. In this case, however, I wasn't feeling their connection so much, and it more so felt like they just wanted someone to talk to. Anyone to talk to, didn't matter who it was, because they were both lonely and insecure. Their conversations often seemed stiff, stale and empty.
I also kind of hated that Jamie was basically emotionally cheating on Lev, because he was crushing hard on his barista (who he had no idea was the same person as Lev in real life). It kind of confirmed my theory that Jamie was just happy with anyone giving him attention or kindness, and he wasn't truly in love with Lev or anything like that.
When they finally meet each other for the first time when both of them actually know who the other person is, I can't describe it as anything other than awkward as fuck. I wasn't seeing any chemistry between them, and I honestly felt uncomfortable for them.
The ending was also super anticlimactic. No resolution to the relationship, and nothing truly interesting plot-wise.
Jamie's condition with 'facial blindness' was intriguing, though, and was probably the only thing that was developed pretty well in this book. I could feel his desperation, annoyance, insecurities and fears when it came to his inability to recognise people. It was easy to understand how isolating that must be for someone.
Lev, on the other hand, was a lot less developed and his issues or insecurities mostly stay surface level or even a complete mystery.
I'm sad to say I wasn't a big fan of this book. For some reason, it just didn't work for me at all.
The writing style was stand-offish and sometimes even disorienting.
The overall vibe felt superficial even though the book was clearly dealing with emotionally deep characters and themes.
The pacing was slightly off, and I had often trouble figuring out what was really going on.
The relationship between the two main characters seemed incredibly awkward and sometimes even forced.
Generally, I just couldn't quite connect with any of it.
I did like the premise of this book, though. I usually love a good story about two people meeting and falling in love online. In this case, however, I wasn't feeling their connection so much, and it more so felt like they just wanted someone to talk to. Anyone to talk to, didn't matter who it was, because they were both lonely and insecure. Their conversations often seemed stiff, stale and empty.
I also kind of hated that Jamie was basically emotionally cheating on Lev, because he was crushing hard on his barista (who he had no idea was the same person as Lev in real life). It kind of confirmed my theory that Jamie was just happy with anyone giving him attention or kindness, and he wasn't truly in love with Lev or anything like that.
When they finally meet each other for the first time when both of them actually know who the other person is, I can't describe it as anything other than awkward as fuck. I wasn't seeing any chemistry between them, and I honestly felt uncomfortable for them.
The ending was also super anticlimactic. No resolution to the relationship, and nothing truly interesting plot-wise.
Jamie's condition with 'facial blindness' was intriguing, though, and was probably the only thing that was developed pretty well in this book. I could feel his desperation, annoyance, insecurities and fears when it came to his inability to recognise people. It was easy to understand how isolating that must be for someone.
Lev, on the other hand, was a lot less developed and his issues or insecurities mostly stay surface level or even a complete mystery.
May 12, 2023
Impressive but also a little disappointing. Difficult material wrapped in a lot of humor.
It was a little rough to get into. This book is perfectly wonderfully written and makes it so much easier. It's hard to put it down, even if you spend much of the book with a question mark in your head.
I have trouble really calling it a romance, too. Lev and Jamie develop a tender connection to the point of really tangible love, but since most of their communication is purely digital, it's a very different concept of romance.
I love how they talk to each other, with so much wit and emotion. 🌸🌈🌸
5:26 – Levity: The sun’s coming up and you’re going to bed. Are you a vampire?
5:31 – Jamofish22: You busted me.
5:31 – Levity: The sparkly kind?
5:36 – Levity: Fishboy the Impaler? 🤣😂🤣
Beautiful are the particularly neurotic panicked moments when one of them doesn't immediately respond to a message.
Can you let me know you’re not actually dead? I don’t want to be the last person to talk to someone who died and I don’t even know their real name so I can’t go tell their mom or whatever. 🥺😢
The book is full of insecurities and fears and slightly depressive.
He smiles and she smiles back and he doesn’t say the terrible thing. He doesn’t ask anything at all. Not: What happens after you’re gone? Not: Why don’t you trust me to survive this? Not: Do we look alike? Are we the same? Does that matter? Not: Does anything I do really matter? Nothing. A smile. A smile returned. 😭😭😭
But I love how they keep going despite the circumstances.
14:16 – Levity: And if I vanish, please send me a million messages until I come back.
14:18 – Jamofish22: You’re going to regret saying that so deeply :)
The ending is on the one hand very romantic with a grand gesture, on the other hand unfortunately a bit disappointing. It feels a bit like the foundation has been laid for a second installment. But it honestly wouldn't encourage me to read another book. The focus is too much on Lev's brother for me, and centers far too little on Lev and Jamie.
It was a little rough to get into. This book is perfectly wonderfully written and makes it so much easier. It's hard to put it down, even if you spend much of the book with a question mark in your head.
I have trouble really calling it a romance, too. Lev and Jamie develop a tender connection to the point of really tangible love, but since most of their communication is purely digital, it's a very different concept of romance.
I love how they talk to each other, with so much wit and emotion. 🌸🌈🌸
5:26 – Levity: The sun’s coming up and you’re going to bed. Are you a vampire?
5:31 – Jamofish22: You busted me.
5:31 – Levity: The sparkly kind?
5:36 – Levity: Fishboy the Impaler? 🤣😂🤣
Beautiful are the particularly neurotic panicked moments when one of them doesn't immediately respond to a message.
Can you let me know you’re not actually dead? I don’t want to be the last person to talk to someone who died and I don’t even know their real name so I can’t go tell their mom or whatever. 🥺😢
The book is full of insecurities and fears and slightly depressive.
He smiles and she smiles back and he doesn’t say the terrible thing. He doesn’t ask anything at all. Not: What happens after you’re gone? Not: Why don’t you trust me to survive this? Not: Do we look alike? Are we the same? Does that matter? Not: Does anything I do really matter? Nothing. A smile. A smile returned. 😭😭😭
But I love how they keep going despite the circumstances.
14:16 – Levity: And if I vanish, please send me a million messages until I come back.
14:18 – Jamofish22: You’re going to regret saying that so deeply :)
The ending is on the one hand very romantic with a grand gesture, on the other hand unfortunately a bit disappointing. It feels a bit like the foundation has been laid for a second installment. But it honestly wouldn't encourage me to read another book. The focus is too much on Lev's brother for me, and centers far too little on Lev and Jamie.
July 8, 2021
4.5 stars. What an incredible debut novel. I couldn’t put it down.
It is a slow paced love story. I normally hate that. There is no steam. This isn’t something you read when you want a sexy story. But it was beautiful.
Jamie has prosopagnosia. Google it. I had a hard time believing it was a real thing, to the extent that it’s portrayed here. It was fascinating being in his head. I can’t imagine. It was amazing watching him conquer his fears slowly and allow himself to fall in love.
Lev was amazing too. Completely flawed. Imperfect. Insecure. Both of them slowly allowing their true selves to shine in their texts. It was ordinary yet so romantic.
11:11 – Levity: Make a wish, Fishboy.
I wanted more. More. More.
Side note: anybody Russian here? Is Yaya a name used for Russian grandmas? I always thought it was just us Greeks using that word. It bugged me the whole time. Google is no help.
It is a slow paced love story. I normally hate that. There is no steam. This isn’t something you read when you want a sexy story. But it was beautiful.
Jamie has prosopagnosia. Google it. I had a hard time believing it was a real thing, to the extent that it’s portrayed here. It was fascinating being in his head. I can’t imagine. It was amazing watching him conquer his fears slowly and allow himself to fall in love.
Lev was amazing too. Completely flawed. Imperfect. Insecure. Both of them slowly allowing their true selves to shine in their texts. It was ordinary yet so romantic.
11:11 – Levity: Make a wish, Fishboy.
I wanted more. More. More.
Side note: anybody Russian here? Is Yaya a name used for Russian grandmas? I always thought it was just us Greeks using that word. It bugged me the whole time. Google is no help.
July 8, 2025
How have I not read this sooner?!
Though I have heard of this book, I put it off for a while. I don't know why. Maybe I was worried the premise wouldn't interest me as much as the description did? Either way, it turns out there was nothing to be worried about.
I quite like reading POV from someone who doesn't see faces. It is easier to focus on other characteristics, and further immerse oneself into the story.
Absolutely beautiful love story!
Though I have heard of this book, I put it off for a while. I don't know why. Maybe I was worried the premise wouldn't interest me as much as the description did? Either way, it turns out there was nothing to be worried about.
I quite like reading POV from someone who doesn't see faces. It is easier to focus on other characteristics, and further immerse oneself into the story.
Absolutely beautiful love story!
July 15, 2021
3,75 stars
Darn. I should NEVER leave a book review until a few days after I finished. And I should never ever ever try to write one after reading another traumatic, heart ripping book.
I'm sorry, book, if I don't do you justice.
The scenario is fascinating and immediately caught my attention. I don't think I'd heard of 'face blindness' before, a condition which makes it impossible for you to make out different faces, thus all people looking 'the same' as if they were all wearing the same mask. That includes yourself, so each time you look in the mirror the recognition of 'ah that's me' doesn't happen.
It is obvious that this will cause problems in everyday life, when family, friends and work colleagues remain 'facial strangers' and you have to work out who is who every time you see them.
While Jamie has some strategies to help him recognize his family I did wonder if not more could have been done for him with all other people he comes in contact with and whether the author did not mention this to add drama to the book?
I also thought that 'it took too long' for Jamie to figure out who Lev is which didn't leave a lot of page time for them to sort their relationship out in more depth. I would have liked to see at least a little bit of that, but we are leaving the two guys at the early stages of a HFN.
I couldn’t help thinking that Jamie’s parents seem to be way too overprotective and wondered why they considered Jamie’s condition such a danger to him to justify their attitude.
All in all, an interesting book, written in a slightly ‘different’ style which made all events feel immediate and personal.
Darn. I should NEVER leave a book review until a few days after I finished. And I should never ever ever try to write one after reading another traumatic, heart ripping book.
I'm sorry, book, if I don't do you justice.
The scenario is fascinating and immediately caught my attention. I don't think I'd heard of 'face blindness' before, a condition which makes it impossible for you to make out different faces, thus all people looking 'the same' as if they were all wearing the same mask. That includes yourself, so each time you look in the mirror the recognition of 'ah that's me' doesn't happen.
It is obvious that this will cause problems in everyday life, when family, friends and work colleagues remain 'facial strangers' and you have to work out who is who every time you see them.
While Jamie has some strategies to help him recognize his family I did wonder if not more could have been done for him with all other people he comes in contact with and whether the author did not mention this to add drama to the book?
I also thought that 'it took too long' for Jamie to figure out who Lev is which didn't leave a lot of page time for them to sort their relationship out in more depth. I would have liked to see at least a little bit of that, but we are leaving the two guys at the early stages of a HFN.
I couldn’t help thinking that Jamie’s parents seem to be way too overprotective and wondered why they considered Jamie’s condition such a danger to him to justify their attitude.
All in all, an interesting book, written in a slightly ‘different’ style which made all events feel immediate and personal.
November 29, 2021
Reread on 28/11/21 STILL 5 SHINY STARS
Prosopagnosia , also called face blindness, is a cognitive disorder of face perception in which the ability to recognize familiar faces, including one's own face (self-recognition), is impaired, while other aspects of visual processing (e.g., object discrimination) and intellectual functioning (e.g., decision-making) remain intact. Survey says 1 out of 50 people suffers from various degree of prosopagnosia. To understand it better check out this YouTube video
Jamie, is 23 years old guy living with his parents and can't recognize face, not even his own.
Author masterfully rendered the suffocation Jamie feels, struggles he faces. It felt like everything is happening in front of my eyes. Dark, gloomy. This character got peeled like an onion showing the beautiful underlying layers and different shade of his character that surely will touch your soul. On contrary, Lev is just another pretty face for people to entertain, rejected by his homophobic family he suffers from inferiority complex. Two met in a dating app and gradually becomes a part of each other's daily life not even knowing who the other person is. Will their path ever be crossed is not the question, the irony is will Jamie recognize him if so happens?
I usually don't do zero steam but When i read the blurb for the first time i knew I've to read it. Simply put Seeing Blind is a story of two people seeking for love and assurance via a dating app, but one has prosopagnosia, other Doesn't know. Will their love only be confined to some pretty talk and texts? Who knows!
This book is an ultimate testimony of hopeful relationship and acceptance. Both the leads had to fight their own demons to reach to the core where contentment only matters. I have always been a fan of comfort/healing troupe and here it gets It's prominent form, as I often say most of the time Misfits are the perfect fit. Not knowing the person other side of the screen It's easy to pretend who you are not, but the offline persona often strikes hard. I'm glad Seeing Blind finds a way to maintain a healthy balance between it. It could turn into something creepy and hollow rather it takes a turn that our. beloved barista's warm greeting and a picture of sunrise sky becomes a part of the reader's reality as well.
Trust me this smile is contagious and you Won't be able to stop grinning the whole time. Gotta admit i was almost disappointed when i realize there Won't be any fish facts and quirky remarks for me once I'm done. It ended too soon.
The transformation of both the characters (Mostly Jamie tbh) is noticeably good. Shy, timid, socially awkward guy to a charming, considerate boyfriend, i was dazzled by the contrast of Jamie's character growth. It evolved genuinely allowing us to resonate with it. It's obvious his inabilities are incurable, so their HEA is not gonna be all red and pinks. I Don't think I can have enough of them.
I like the familial bondings and friendship woven in it. A proper loving family and a dysfunctional one , contrast was too much and both the case were equally impactful. But what really was the one for me is
For a content heavy book the tonality of the book is fairly light and cheerful. I particularly enjoyed the little moments shared by the protagonist while texting. The endearment "FISHBOY" and a silly 11:11 wish will make you laugh, will make you feel silly, loved! I'm surely gonna reread their texts over and over again!
I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that It's a debut novel. Such a mature writing, such a sensitive selection of words. Subject matter required some careful handling and to author's credit it was done precisely. Poppy Dale has already become an auto read author for me. Imma read no matter what she writes.
My rec? Please read it! ✨
TEXT FROM THE AUTHOR! SEEMS LIKE WE ARE GONNA GET MORE OF OUR BOYS 🥺
and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
Prosopagnosia , also called face blindness, is a cognitive disorder of face perception in which the ability to recognize familiar faces, including one's own face (self-recognition), is impaired, while other aspects of visual processing (e.g., object discrimination) and intellectual functioning (e.g., decision-making) remain intact. Survey says 1 out of 50 people suffers from various degree of prosopagnosia. To understand it better check out this YouTube video
Jamie, is 23 years old guy living with his parents and can't recognize face, not even his own.
Him not knowing himself is something that rarely comes up. It must make him seem significantly more disabled.
He catches sight of himself in the bathroom mirror midway through the day.
Who are you?
Who are you?
Who.
Author masterfully rendered the suffocation Jamie feels, struggles he faces. It felt like everything is happening in front of my eyes. Dark, gloomy. This character got peeled like an onion showing the beautiful underlying layers and different shade of his character that surely will touch your soul. On contrary, Lev is just another pretty face for people to entertain, rejected by his homophobic family he suffers from inferiority complex. Two met in a dating app and gradually becomes a part of each other's daily life not even knowing who the other person is. Will their path ever be crossed is not the question, the irony is will Jamie recognize him if so happens?
I usually don't do zero steam but When i read the blurb for the first time i knew I've to read it. Simply put Seeing Blind is a story of two people seeking for love and assurance via a dating app, but one has prosopagnosia, other Doesn't know. Will their love only be confined to some pretty talk and texts? Who knows!
This book is an ultimate testimony of hopeful relationship and acceptance. Both the leads had to fight their own demons to reach to the core where contentment only matters. I have always been a fan of comfort/healing troupe and here it gets It's prominent form, as I often say most of the time Misfits are the perfect fit. Not knowing the person other side of the screen It's easy to pretend who you are not, but the offline persona often strikes hard. I'm glad Seeing Blind finds a way to maintain a healthy balance between it. It could turn into something creepy and hollow rather it takes a turn that our. beloved barista's warm greeting and a picture of sunrise sky becomes a part of the reader's reality as well.
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
Trust me this smile is contagious and you Won't be able to stop grinning the whole time. Gotta admit i was almost disappointed when i realize there Won't be any fish facts and quirky remarks for me once I'm done. It ended too soon.
The transformation of both the characters (Mostly Jamie tbh) is noticeably good. Shy, timid, socially awkward guy to a charming, considerate boyfriend, i was dazzled by the contrast of Jamie's character growth. It evolved genuinely allowing us to resonate with it. It's obvious his inabilities are incurable, so their HEA is not gonna be all red and pinks. I Don't think I can have enough of them.
I like the familial bondings and friendship woven in it. A proper loving family and a dysfunctional one , contrast was too much and both the case were equally impactful. But what really was the one for me is
For a content heavy book the tonality of the book is fairly light and cheerful. I particularly enjoyed the little moments shared by the protagonist while texting. The endearment "FISHBOY" and a silly 11:11 wish will make you laugh, will make you feel silly, loved! I'm surely gonna reread their texts over and over again!
I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that It's a debut novel. Such a mature writing, such a sensitive selection of words. Subject matter required some careful handling and to author's credit it was done precisely. Poppy Dale has already become an auto read author for me. Imma read no matter what she writes.
My rec? Please read it! ✨
TEXT FROM THE AUTHOR! SEEMS LIKE WE ARE GONNA GET MORE OF OUR BOYS 🥺
May 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this one, we have a winner for a new to me author that's refreshing. This book is really original, both in writing style and content. I really loved the texts bits we get even though it was confusing at first. Jamie is a great character even though his job makes no sense to me, he could have had any other jobs that would have been more fitting to him and his condition but that's a small thing. Lev is less fleshed out but I still liked him too and their connection really is unique. I'm knocking down one star because the book has a double "big secret" trope and I'm not sure I love how it was resolved/revealed. I won't say more to not spoil anyone but yeah not the best. I also wish the secondary characters were more fleshed out (Ethan in particular, but even Birdie, she seemed so COOL I wanted more of her). I would highly recommend this one!
June 25, 2021
"Make a wish, Fishboy"
LOVED IT. Loved the characters, the dialogue, the pace, everything... For me, it was perfect.
July 28, 2021
This was not for me, but I’m clearly in the minority.
I loved the idea of the story, but for the most part I really struggled with the writing style, and trying to figure out who’s point of view I was reading. Often things were said that I really didn’t understand.
I also felt absolutely none of the emotions being described in the book, and felt like both characters were simply walking around with a storm cloud above their heads. Somehow I felt like I was drowning reading this. Was it supposed to be sad? It really felt sad.
I loved the idea of the story, but for the most part I really struggled with the writing style, and trying to figure out who’s point of view I was reading. Often things were said that I really didn’t understand.
I also felt absolutely none of the emotions being described in the book, and felt like both characters were simply walking around with a storm cloud above their heads. Somehow I felt like I was drowning reading this. Was it supposed to be sad? It really felt sad.
June 20, 2021
I was immediately intrigued when I came across this book. I’d never heard of face blindness before, and I thought it was incredibly interesting to read about a character who couldn’t recognize faces (including his own).
Jamie is 23, living with his parents, and had face blindness. He can’t recognize faces. Not even those of his parent or sister. And not even his own. He gets by, but he has no friends, and people often thinks he is rude because he doesn’t know who they are.
Lev is 29 and works in the coffee shop of his friend. He feels he doesn’t have his life together, but he doesn’t quite know what to do to change it either.
When Jamie gets a message from ‘Levity’ on a dating app, he is surprised they seem to connect immediately. And not even to hook up, but just to talk.
After talking for a few weeks, both acknowledge how important the other one has become and that they are kind of falling for the other one.
But Jamie doesn’t want to meet, because he hasn’t told Lev about his condition, and Lev hasn’t told Jamie that he is the barista from the coffee shop Jamie frequents….
The writing in this was a bit confusing at times. Some things didn’t make a lot of sense, and I guess it just took me a while to get used to it. Not that it was bad or anything perse, it was just a bit strange sometimes.
If you’re reading this book for the sexy times, you can pass, because there are no sexy times. There is one kiss and that’s it. But that was okay, there’s plenty of romance, just not the physical kind.
And I do have to say that these guys read younger. I know it is mentioned that Lev is not quite living like a grown-up, even though he is 29, but it really did feel like he was younger. Like they were both around 20, instead of 23 (24?) and 29 (could be he was 27, I honestly don't remember exactly 🙈).
I did like the text messages these guys sent each other. Since this started out as an online romance, we got a lot of online messages on page. But they never felt boring or unrealistic. I thought the dialogue in this was pretty decent.
I do have to admit that I wanted just a bit more when it was over. It didn’t quite feel like an ending. Yes, these guys were in a good place, but I still wanted just a bit more.
Still, I read this in one sitting and I really enjoyed it, despite these few niggles.
Jamie is 23, living with his parents, and had face blindness. He can’t recognize faces. Not even those of his parent or sister. And not even his own. He gets by, but he has no friends, and people often thinks he is rude because he doesn’t know who they are.
Lev is 29 and works in the coffee shop of his friend. He feels he doesn’t have his life together, but he doesn’t quite know what to do to change it either.
When Jamie gets a message from ‘Levity’ on a dating app, he is surprised they seem to connect immediately. And not even to hook up, but just to talk.
After talking for a few weeks, both acknowledge how important the other one has become and that they are kind of falling for the other one.
But Jamie doesn’t want to meet, because he hasn’t told Lev about his condition, and Lev hasn’t told Jamie that he is the barista from the coffee shop Jamie frequents….
The writing in this was a bit confusing at times. Some things didn’t make a lot of sense, and I guess it just took me a while to get used to it. Not that it was bad or anything perse, it was just a bit strange sometimes.
If you’re reading this book for the sexy times, you can pass, because there are no sexy times. There is one kiss and that’s it. But that was okay, there’s plenty of romance, just not the physical kind.
And I do have to say that these guys read younger. I know it is mentioned that Lev is not quite living like a grown-up, even though he is 29, but it really did feel like he was younger. Like they were both around 20, instead of 23 (24?) and 29 (could be he was 27, I honestly don't remember exactly 🙈).
I did like the text messages these guys sent each other. Since this started out as an online romance, we got a lot of online messages on page. But they never felt boring or unrealistic. I thought the dialogue in this was pretty decent.
I do have to admit that I wanted just a bit more when it was over. It didn’t quite feel like an ending. Yes, these guys were in a good place, but I still wanted just a bit more.
Still, I read this in one sitting and I really enjoyed it, despite these few niggles.
November 15, 2025
I’m familiar with Jamie’s disability, but I haven’t read a book about it before, and it was so interesting to read what felt like a real-life perspective on what it must feel like to not recognise anyone in your life. The author does a very good job of making Jamie feel very human, expressing his feelings and fears, and making you fully invested in his life and his HEA.
Lev was a bit more of a mystery until you got much further into the book. I liked the ending well enough, but I would have loved an epilogue a few years later to see how he is getting on emotionally. How his relationships with both his brother and Jamie were getting on.
All of the side characters were lovely and supportive. The way the book is set out and the text conversations I enjoyed. I loved the humour and the fish facts. Even the writing style, which I found unusual at first, I thought was very good by the end. I did click on that Lev knew more than he was letting on, but that slow development, the way they got to know each other before they officially met, and the way they grew to love each other was just so endearing and beautifully done.
It was a very unique story for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 17, 2022
This book was refreshingly different from everything I've read lately. The writing took some time getting used to, so the beginning was a bit shaky. The theme and the MCs were very engaging and the ending was kind of abrupt HFN, but I felt it left me (and them) in a good, hopeful place. Poppy Dale is a new author for me, and I'm really glad I picked her book up.
March 1, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
Ok this is hard to review. This book started so late for me 😭😭😭 BECAUSE IM DUMB AND I WAS SO SLOW CATCHING UP. I thought nothing was happening, but once it clicked to me, I was so on edge and it got entertaining. I fucking hate myself why was I so dumb and sloowwww.
Anyway, this was good. I think the writing did affect my understanding on the first half lmaooo. After the crisis I had, I couldn’t put it down. I thought I wouldn’t be able to understand, but fuck that. I GET THIS! 😩
Their online relationship was real, they talked about their real life and I adore that. It didn’t feel forced. I had some good laughs and snickers with them. They started out slow and I could really see the progress. They fit. It was definitely low angst despite the tropes. It soundedangsty and I did expect it to be, but everything was fine, even with heart attack I had in the middle there. Someday, I’ll reread this so I’ll get the message EARLIER and CLEARER. And the rating will be higher. Maybe. Maybe soon. Maybe never time. As Jamie would say.
“You talk like how you write, you know that?”
I love their conversations the most, people would say they’re childish. IMO, it’s online, easy to be yourself without being judged all the time, and my honest self is also child-like so I kinda get their behaviour despite their ages. It all makes sense to me. They make sense to me and they use old style emojis like meee!!! They have taste! ;3
It’s really hard to rate books with different experience the first and second half + difficult writing, and I’m stucked for a while deciding, but I enjoyed this and that’s all that matters ;P Thanks Hugo 🫂 I wouldn’t have gone through the crisis without you loll
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
Ok this is hard to review. This book started so late for me 😭😭😭 BECAUSE IM DUMB AND I WAS SO SLOW CATCHING UP. I thought nothing was happening, but once it clicked to me, I was so on edge and it got entertaining. I fucking hate myself why was I so dumb and sloowwww.
Anyway, this was good. I think the writing did affect my understanding on the first half lmaooo. After the crisis I had, I couldn’t put it down. I thought I wouldn’t be able to understand, but fuck that. I GET THIS! 😩
Their online relationship was real, they talked about their real life and I adore that. It didn’t feel forced. I had some good laughs and snickers with them. They started out slow and I could really see the progress. They fit. It was definitely low angst despite the tropes. It soundedangsty and I did expect it to be, but everything was fine, even with heart attack I had in the middle there. Someday, I’ll reread this so I’ll get the message EARLIER and CLEARER. And the rating will be higher. Maybe. Maybe soon. Maybe never time. As Jamie would say.
“You talk like how you write, you know that?”
I love their conversations the most, people would say they’re childish. IMO, it’s online, easy to be yourself without being judged all the time, and my honest self is also child-like so I kinda get their behaviour despite their ages. It all makes sense to me. They make sense to me and they use old style emojis like meee!!! They have taste! ;3
It’s really hard to rate books with different experience the first and second half + difficult writing, and I’m stucked for a while deciding, but I enjoyed this and that’s all that matters ;P Thanks Hugo 🫂 I wouldn’t have gone through the crisis without you loll
July 14, 2021
Overall book rating: 3.8 (I just know this is going to make Lorraine smile)
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
I decided that it would be fitting to enjoy a mug before I write this one.
Don’t get exited! It’s not going to be ground breaking because of said mug of coffee. Heaven knows I’m off my game.
I can tell you this.
It was something else.
I for one, have never heard of Jamie’s condition. It was refreshing and it made me really sad for him…
I struggled with the writing style at times, BUT, it’s not at all something that would put me off the book. Just different.
I wanted “more” of the ending. Not entirely sure what “more” means. More time? More info? More …. Yeah just more. Although it has to be said that I do understand the ending. It’s fitting I suppose.
Makes me wish for a book two though.
The story kept me interested. It should get recognition for that because I’m not getting out of my book slump this year. So finishing this so soon is a positive thing.
I enjoyed these two.
I have to say that there are lots of things I’d like more clarity on or have them sort or grow into or out of but this is like a slice of time you are invited to and therefore you should enjoy it as is. A little slice of time out of someone’s life story.
I’m happy to have read it and I enjoyed it.;
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
I decided that it would be fitting to enjoy a mug before I write this one.
Don’t get exited! It’s not going to be ground breaking because of said mug of coffee. Heaven knows I’m off my game.
I can tell you this.
It was something else.
I for one, have never heard of Jamie’s condition. It was refreshing and it made me really sad for him…
I struggled with the writing style at times, BUT, it’s not at all something that would put me off the book. Just different.
I wanted “more” of the ending. Not entirely sure what “more” means. More time? More info? More …. Yeah just more. Although it has to be said that I do understand the ending. It’s fitting I suppose.
Makes me wish for a book two though.
The story kept me interested. It should get recognition for that because I’m not getting out of my book slump this year. So finishing this so soon is a positive thing.
I enjoyed these two.
I have to say that there are lots of things I’d like more clarity on or have them sort or grow into or out of but this is like a slice of time you are invited to and therefore you should enjoy it as is. A little slice of time out of someone’s life story.
I’m happy to have read it and I enjoyed it.;
March 24, 2022
This was very different, and I totally didn't expect this. This was very realistic and totally adorable. the writing style and pace seemed different at first but I couldn't stop reading. now I need a second book, all the characters are extremely amazing, such a fresh emotional book.
June 16, 2021
uhm, waow, i really loved this? it’s just so fkn cute and sweet and lovely omg.
i was a little iffy at first because the writing style took me a while to get used to, but the story was wonderful. all the dialogue and the text interactions between Jamie and Lev felt so realistic, which i really appreciated as bad dialogue really is an interest-killer for me in these kinds of stories.
i will for sure keep an eye out whatever Poppy puts out next.
i was a little iffy at first because the writing style took me a while to get used to, but the story was wonderful. all the dialogue and the text interactions between Jamie and Lev felt so realistic, which i really appreciated as bad dialogue really is an interest-killer for me in these kinds of stories.
i will for sure keep an eye out whatever Poppy puts out next.
September 21, 2022
3.3 Stars
There were several points in this book that I thought well done, foremost of these was the way the author transmitted the feelings of Jamie about his own disability and the reaction of people to it. This is a uncommon disability that I know hardly anything about though and I can't say how close to reality the description is. But it seemed at least realistic to me. I could follow Jamie's way of thinking and feeling.
I also liked the developing relationship between the two MCs. They seemed to fit very well together.
So now we naturally progress to the parts I was not so enthusiastic about.
Most of all - I found the end not fully satisfying. I had wanted to see more closure. See them more together. Have at least one love scene - even a not so graphic one would have done. I would have liked to see Jamie's family accept Lev. See where their relationship is going. Some matters seemed still unresolved, like for example that Lev had said he wanted marriage (maybe even kids) and that Jamie had thought himself incapable of that. Had being with Lev changed his perspective? Or would they both have settled for a dog?
I also at times struggled a bit with the writing. Poppy Dale has a rather introspective, poetic way of writing and that is not always my thing. That's just personal taste. Some people may exactly like the book for this.
In the end I found this not without merrit but still would have liked to have the power to at the very least force the author to write a more satisfying end to the story.
There were several points in this book that I thought well done, foremost of these was the way the author transmitted the feelings of Jamie about his own disability and the reaction of people to it. This is a uncommon disability that I know hardly anything about though and I can't say how close to reality the description is. But it seemed at least realistic to me. I could follow Jamie's way of thinking and feeling.
I also liked the developing relationship between the two MCs. They seemed to fit very well together.
So now we naturally progress to the parts I was not so enthusiastic about.
Most of all - I found the end not fully satisfying. I had wanted to see more closure. See them more together. Have at least one love scene - even a not so graphic one would have done. I would have liked to see Jamie's family accept Lev. See where their relationship is going. Some matters seemed still unresolved, like for example that Lev had said he wanted marriage (maybe even kids) and that Jamie had thought himself incapable of that. Had being with Lev changed his perspective? Or would they both have settled for a dog?
I also at times struggled a bit with the writing. Poppy Dale has a rather introspective, poetic way of writing and that is not always my thing. That's just personal taste. Some people may exactly like the book for this.
In the end I found this not without merrit but still would have liked to have the power to at the very least force the author to write a more satisfying end to the story.
June 16, 2021
lev and jamie became my friends through the journey of this book. i felt like it was a story about loneliness as much as it was love, and love and loneliness in so many different forms. definitely different then i was expecting but i couldn’t put it down! i can’t wait to read more from this author!
June 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this. I had heard of face blindness before, but this is the first time encountering it in a novel. I really enjoyed both Lev and Jamie, both individually and as a couple. I thought the book left off in an interesting place, and I enjoyed that (especially as a hater of epilogues).
The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars mostly comes down to editing… which is by no means horrible, but mostly left me with a few head scratchers.
At one point, it’s mentioned that with Pippa home:
So, even though they left at midday in Chapter 1, in Chapter 2, Jamie’s mother brings him lunch in the middle of the week. But I thought they were out of town. But then later in the same chapter, Jamie wakes on Saturday and muses that his parents are away visiting a friend until Sunday night. So maybe they went out of town two weekends in a row? Except, also in this chapter, Jamie tells Pip he has been talking to Levity for a few days. So, I just found that a little unclear.
And some sentences were structured in a way that I had to read them a few times to get what was trying to be said, like this one:
Which might have been due to me reading between 1am-5am when I should have been sleeping, but also the author’s bio mentions she lives in England, so I was thinking maybe if she is British, it was that slipping through, or maybe her attempt to not sound British that just made some sentence read oddly. Because it definitely for the most part doesn’t read like a British author wrote this.
And there are a handful of spots where there is a period in the middle of a sentence, or no period. Or no capitalization at the start of a sentence. Or sentences like this:
The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars mostly comes down to editing… which is by no means horrible, but mostly left me with a few head scratchers.
At one point, it’s mentioned that with Pippa home:
[…] their parents are taking her visiting for the summer to go out of town for a couple of days[…]
So, even though they left at midday in Chapter 1, in Chapter 2, Jamie’s mother brings him lunch in the middle of the week. But I thought they were out of town. But then later in the same chapter, Jamie wakes on Saturday and muses that his parents are away visiting a friend until Sunday night. So maybe they went out of town two weekends in a row? Except, also in this chapter, Jamie tells Pip he has been talking to Levity for a few days. So, I just found that a little unclear.
And some sentences were structured in a way that I had to read them a few times to get what was trying to be said, like this one:
”We’re just not it for me.”.
Which might have been due to me reading between 1am-5am when I should have been sleeping, but also the author’s bio mentions she lives in England, so I was thinking maybe if she is British, it was that slipping through, or maybe her attempt to not sound British that just made some sentence read oddly. Because it definitely for the most part doesn’t read like a British author wrote this.
And there are a handful of spots where there is a period in the middle of a sentence, or no period. Or no capitalization at the start of a sentence. Or sentences like this:
”I didn’t think this through, He looked jagged, when I dropped him at the airport and I don’t know, I couldn’t handle the thought that this might make him decide… maybe think you’re better if he cuts you off”.
July 6, 2021
I actually really liked this book even though it was a no-heat romance. It was sweet and vulnerable and the texts between the MCs were amazing. The writing style was a little strange and sometimes I didn't understand what was being said. I don't know if it was sentence structure or just this author's style but it really worked mostly except when it didn't.
The characters were very nuanced as far as personalities and that went for the secondary characters as well. I thought the vagueness on the looks of each character was very poignant here and the fact that the descriptions were generic made a lot of sense due Jamie having a disability called Prospagnosia where he could not recognize faces not even his own. Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe what it was like for Jamie but he manages.
I found myself laughing quite a bit at the humor which is a big thing for me. Humor is so subjective & I adore wit and quirkiness along with snark and dad jokes. It was perfect for me and could have been overdone but it worked just as it was.
Lev and Jamie were super sweet and even though their insecurities were blaring, it just made me think of real people. There were exclamations of love very early in the texting relationship even when they hadn't truly met but once again, it seemed OK here even though I am not normally so forgiving.
Pippa & Kate were excellent side characters and perfect support for these two MCs because they needed guidance and the friend and sister were very good for the MCs.
I will definitely read another book by this author and really hope they can find more interesting subject matter & inspiration such as this one.
The characters were very nuanced as far as personalities and that went for the secondary characters as well. I thought the vagueness on the looks of each character was very poignant here and the fact that the descriptions were generic made a lot of sense due Jamie having a disability called Prospagnosia where he could not recognize faces not even his own. Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe what it was like for Jamie but he manages.
I found myself laughing quite a bit at the humor which is a big thing for me. Humor is so subjective & I adore wit and quirkiness along with snark and dad jokes. It was perfect for me and could have been overdone but it worked just as it was.
Lev and Jamie were super sweet and even though their insecurities were blaring, it just made me think of real people. There were exclamations of love very early in the texting relationship even when they hadn't truly met but once again, it seemed OK here even though I am not normally so forgiving.
Pippa & Kate were excellent side characters and perfect support for these two MCs because they needed guidance and the friend and sister were very good for the MCs.
I will definitely read another book by this author and really hope they can find more interesting subject matter & inspiration such as this one.
August 4, 2021
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
God, this was EVERYTHING. Probably the best m/m romance I’ve ever read. So soft. Such poetic, beautiful prose. I couldn’t get enough. I’d never heard of prosopagnosia/face blindness before reading this so it was so unique and insightful and also so great to see disability being represented in such a natural and positive way. But mostly the characters were just REAL. The way they talked and acted and loved. The way they communicated. It was like watching a real love story unfold and it was a privilege to be able to read it. I cried and laughed and everything in between. I love them. I love the author for creating them. My heart is full. ✨
God, this was EVERYTHING. Probably the best m/m romance I’ve ever read. So soft. Such poetic, beautiful prose. I couldn’t get enough. I’d never heard of prosopagnosia/face blindness before reading this so it was so unique and insightful and also so great to see disability being represented in such a natural and positive way. But mostly the characters were just REAL. The way they talked and acted and loved. The way they communicated. It was like watching a real love story unfold and it was a privilege to be able to read it. I cried and laughed and everything in between. I love them. I love the author for creating them. My heart is full. ✨
January 17, 2022
4+
Dziwna książka 💙
Dziwnie piękna, dziwnie fascynująca, dziwnie inna, dziwnie niepokojąca, dziwnie dobra, dziwnie wciągająca 💙
Prozopagnozja - wymyślna nazwa na przerażającą chorobę. Nierozpoznawanie twarzy. Nie wyobrażam sobie życia, kiedy każda jedna osoba jest przez cały czas dla Ciebie obca. Łącznie z Tobą. Nie rozpoznajesz po twarzy własnej matki, ojca, siostry. Kiedy stoisz przed lustrem wiesz, że to Ty, ale na wszelki wypadek jeszcze dotykasz ręką twarzy, żeby się upewnić. Bo za każdym razem z lustra patrzy na Ciebie obcy. Nie rozpoznajesz się na zdjęciach. Starasz się zapamiętać, jakie ktoś ma oczy, fryzurę, cechy charakterystyczne. Rozpoznajesz ludzi po tatuażach, ulubionych ubraniach. Ale zawsze w pierwszej chwili jest ten strach - czy to na pewno ktoś, kogo znasz, czy może zupełnie obca osoba. Dopóki nie dostrzeżesz czegoś znajomego, na czym możesz się oprzeć i utwierdzić, z kim rozmawiasz. Dopóki ktoś się nie odezwie, bo przecież głosy rozpoznajesz. To dlatego Twoja mama od lat nie zmienia fryzury, a Twój ojciec nosi przez cały czas brodę. Nie masz przyjaciół, nie masz znajomych, bo wszyscy myślą, że jesteś po prostu niegrzeczny - tylko udajesz, że ich nie znasz, a całą swoją chorobę sobie wymyśliłeś. Nawet mówisz swojej mamie, że wolałbyś już być niewidomy, bo TO ludzie rozumieją... Ograniczasz się do swojego małego, znanego świata, bo gdyby coś Ci się stało, ktoś Cię napadł, zrobił coś złego czy złośliwego, nawet nie umiałbyś wskazać, kto to był. Bo wszyscy noszą maskę - tę samą maskę, nie do odróżnienia. Przerażające życie... życie Jamiego.
Tak jak i w Digging Deep Jay Hogan, tak i tutaj autorka świetnie sobie poradziła z opisaniem choroby, na którą nie ma lekarstwa i wykreowaniem świata, w którym jest ona tak naprawdę trzecim bohaterem... Wiarygodnie - to słowo nasuwa się samo. Tak, jakby zarówno Jay Hogan, jak i Poppy Dale zrobiły naprawdę bardzo, bardzo dokładne rozpoznanie, bądź znały to z autopsji lub widziały, jak ktoś bliski się z tym zmaga.
Lev to zupełnie inna historia, zupełnie inne problemy. Ale też ma kłopoty z dostosowaniem się do świata. Walczy cały czas. Jest niepewny. W sumie nieśmiały, choć jak wszyscy mówią, bardzo przystojny. Randki mu nie wychodzą, bo nie wie, o czym rozmawiać. Z rodziną praktycznie nie utrzymuje kontaktu.
I okazuje się, że ta dwójka spotykając się na pewnej aplikacji, zaczyna ze sobą rozmawiać. Bo tak naprawdę mogą tam być sobą. Ich rozmowy są naturalne w swoje dziwności. Pełne prawdy, ich prawdy.
Uwielbiałam czytać ich dialogi. Nie mogłam się doczekać każdej kolejnej rozmowy - tak jak i oni. Może i książka jest inaczej napisana, niż zazwyczaj, ale w tej historii sprawdziło się to świetnie. Na pewno nie każdemu się spodoba, nie mam co do tego najmniejszej wątpliwości. To klasyczny slow-burn, nic nie dzieje się szybko, tempo jest leniwe. Ale świat widziany oczami Jamiego jest zadziwiający, i przerażający, i dla mnie zdecydowanie wart poświęconego na czytanie czasu 💙
Dziwna książka 💙
Dziwnie piękna, dziwnie fascynująca, dziwnie inna, dziwnie niepokojąca, dziwnie dobra, dziwnie wciągająca 💙
Prozopagnozja - wymyślna nazwa na przerażającą chorobę. Nierozpoznawanie twarzy. Nie wyobrażam sobie życia, kiedy każda jedna osoba jest przez cały czas dla Ciebie obca. Łącznie z Tobą. Nie rozpoznajesz po twarzy własnej matki, ojca, siostry. Kiedy stoisz przed lustrem wiesz, że to Ty, ale na wszelki wypadek jeszcze dotykasz ręką twarzy, żeby się upewnić. Bo za każdym razem z lustra patrzy na Ciebie obcy. Nie rozpoznajesz się na zdjęciach. Starasz się zapamiętać, jakie ktoś ma oczy, fryzurę, cechy charakterystyczne. Rozpoznajesz ludzi po tatuażach, ulubionych ubraniach. Ale zawsze w pierwszej chwili jest ten strach - czy to na pewno ktoś, kogo znasz, czy może zupełnie obca osoba. Dopóki nie dostrzeżesz czegoś znajomego, na czym możesz się oprzeć i utwierdzić, z kim rozmawiasz. Dopóki ktoś się nie odezwie, bo przecież głosy rozpoznajesz. To dlatego Twoja mama od lat nie zmienia fryzury, a Twój ojciec nosi przez cały czas brodę. Nie masz przyjaciół, nie masz znajomych, bo wszyscy myślą, że jesteś po prostu niegrzeczny - tylko udajesz, że ich nie znasz, a całą swoją chorobę sobie wymyśliłeś. Nawet mówisz swojej mamie, że wolałbyś już być niewidomy, bo TO ludzie rozumieją... Ograniczasz się do swojego małego, znanego świata, bo gdyby coś Ci się stało, ktoś Cię napadł, zrobił coś złego czy złośliwego, nawet nie umiałbyś wskazać, kto to był. Bo wszyscy noszą maskę - tę samą maskę, nie do odróżnienia. Przerażające życie... życie Jamiego.
Tak jak i w Digging Deep Jay Hogan, tak i tutaj autorka świetnie sobie poradziła z opisaniem choroby, na którą nie ma lekarstwa i wykreowaniem świata, w którym jest ona tak naprawdę trzecim bohaterem... Wiarygodnie - to słowo nasuwa się samo. Tak, jakby zarówno Jay Hogan, jak i Poppy Dale zrobiły naprawdę bardzo, bardzo dokładne rozpoznanie, bądź znały to z autopsji lub widziały, jak ktoś bliski się z tym zmaga.
Lev to zupełnie inna historia, zupełnie inne problemy. Ale też ma kłopoty z dostosowaniem się do świata. Walczy cały czas. Jest niepewny. W sumie nieśmiały, choć jak wszyscy mówią, bardzo przystojny. Randki mu nie wychodzą, bo nie wie, o czym rozmawiać. Z rodziną praktycznie nie utrzymuje kontaktu.
I okazuje się, że ta dwójka spotykając się na pewnej aplikacji, zaczyna ze sobą rozmawiać. Bo tak naprawdę mogą tam być sobą. Ich rozmowy są naturalne w swoje dziwności. Pełne prawdy, ich prawdy.
Uwielbiałam czytać ich dialogi. Nie mogłam się doczekać każdej kolejnej rozmowy - tak jak i oni. Może i książka jest inaczej napisana, niż zazwyczaj, ale w tej historii sprawdziło się to świetnie. Na pewno nie każdemu się spodoba, nie mam co do tego najmniejszej wątpliwości. To klasyczny slow-burn, nic nie dzieje się szybko, tempo jest leniwe. Ale świat widziany oczami Jamiego jest zadziwiający, i przerażający, i dla mnie zdecydowanie wart poświęconego na czytanie czasu 💙
July 21, 2025
4.5 stars
Cute, awkward 20-somethings (with some pretty serious issues) falling in love over messages on a dating app. I really liked it! Be forewarned there was no steam and it was a very tentative HFN. I almost feel like it was being set up for a sequel.
Cute, awkward 20-somethings (with some pretty serious issues) falling in love over messages on a dating app. I really liked it! Be forewarned there was no steam and it was a very tentative HFN. I almost feel like it was being set up for a sequel.
March 19, 2022
Online friends to lovers With a slowburn trope
Y
E
S
This is a cute one, such a cute love story
Is this YA? cuz it felt like one but either way loved it
Make a wish fishboy
All of the quotes are so cute and memorable.
Y
E
S
This is a cute one, such a cute love story
Is this YA? cuz it felt like one but either way loved it
Make a wish fishboy
All of the quotes are so cute and memorable.
November 17, 2022
This had a lot of potential and there were a lot of great components, but the execution of the story left me really disappointed. Every part of the story had some issues: the writing, the pacing, the characterizations, the romance, the ending etc.
First – the positives. I really love how the author portrayed Jamie’s prosopagnosia. I’m pretty sure the author knew that many readers (like me) wouldn’t know anything about face blindness and she did a great job showing us what this particular disability is like from Jamie’s perspective. I still can’t fully wrap my head around how Jamie sees the world but I think that’s because I’ve never experienced anything close to it so I have no frame of reference. But the author did a wonderful job providing lots of examples and letting us literally experience the world through Jamie’s eyes. I don’t think this particular disability can be put in written form any better than the author did it here.
Another thing I liked is Jamie’s character development. I nearly DNF’d the story multiple times in the first half because Jamie had a very deeply ingrained victim complex, which I found annoying. He considered his disability to be much more debilitating than it actually was and his disability seemed to be his entire identity, to the point where he would purposefully avoid doing things that would lessen the impact of his disability on his daily life. For example, he makes it clear that he has the ability to recognize people if he makes an effort to remember specific details about them (ex. Lev’s very white teeth, his height, his blue eyes etc) and Jamie even carries around a notebook to write these details down. The problem is that he rarely uses the notebook and rarely takes the effort to memorize characteristics about the people he interacts with on a daily basis. I got a strong feeling in the first half of the book that Jamie unconsciously liked using his disability as an excuse to not be more independent or form more relationships. This attitude annoyed me, until I realized it’s not really Jamie’s fault – it’s his parents’.
His parents constantly treat Jamie like he’s a helpless child and that’s led to Jamie having zero self-confidence and zero desire to try to become more independent. He’s 23 years old and his disability only really impacts his socializing skills, yet his parents still treat him like a child. He lives at home, he pays no bills, he doesn’t cook/clean, his parents never leave him home alone and he rarely socializes with anyone. The reason why is purely due to his parents being convinced that Jamie is completely helpless in all aspects of life and because of this, they never encourage him to step out of the little bubble they’ve created for him. I stumbled on this realization when Jamie reveals that his parents have very few photographs hanging up in their home and none of the photos show Jamie. Why? Because Jamie can’t easily recognize himself or others in the photos and his parents had decided that this would be so upsetting to Jamie that the solution is to remove the majority of photos from his view. The better solution would have been to label people in the photographs or make learning the faces a good practical exercise for Jamie. But his parents automatically decided that dealing with the photos is too stressful for Jamie and away the photos went.
Another example of this is Jamie’s college experience. He attended for a short while but he decided that not being able to easily recognize his professors or fellow students was enough for him to drop out. This made no sense to me when I first read it because a) if he’s there to learn, it doesn’t matter what his professor or the students look like, he just has to make sure he’s in the right lecture hall and b) if he’s in a smaller group, then he can easily make the effort to learn how to recognize the professor and specific students he has to interact with. But even if the situation made him so uncomfortable that he couldn’t deal with it, what about online classes? It was absurd to me that he dropped his education completely due to a socialization issue that could have been remedied various ways. I finally realized that Jamie was probably encouraged to drop out by his parents as soon as he expressed some discomfort because like I said – they have zero faith in Jamie’s ability to function as an independent adult.
As I said – Jamie’s woe-is-me attitude really irritated me for a long part of the book, until the halfway mark when things started to change. Jamie takes some giant steps forward in terms of his independence . These situations were set up really well because Jamie starts out really struggling and he’s shocked to discover that it’s not due to his disability. Instead, it’s due to his lack of life skills and self-confidence, which is a result of his parents’ influence. This progress felt realistic and I loved that Jamie realized that the majority of his current problems aren’t due to his disability, but it’s due to the limitations he’s put on himself or allowed others to put on him using his disability as an excuse. This was a really great progression.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of Jamie’s characterization arc and that was part of the problem with this story. Jamie has that realization about the airport at 80% of the story. After that, he’s in many different situations that he’s spent his entire life dreading, yet there’s no internal reflection on his part when he gets through them easily. The author spent about 75% of the book having Jamie complaining and whining non-stop about how he’s a failure at everything, and then she crammed his life changing moments into just 25%. When the book ended, it felt like Jamie’s journey had barely even begun.
As for Lev’s characterization – it fell completely flat because the majority of the story focused on Jamie. In stories like this (where one character is going through a very complex character arc), most authors choose to make the other character be relatively stable in terms of characterization. The reason why is evident in this book – Lev got completely sidelined from start to finish. We know he suffers from chronic depression and he has big problems with his family, but all of it is presented way too quickly and without sufficient explanation. By the end of the book, I still don’t understand what Lev’s issues with his family were and his entire backstory is a confusing mess. The reason why is because the author devoted 90% of this story to Jamie and while that’s fine, it meant there was not enough space for Lev.
Related to the characterization issues, this book suffered from horrible pacing problems. The majority of this book consisted of text message conversation between Lev and Jamie, scenes in which Lev/Jamie have conversations with side characters, scenes showing Lev and Jamie’s mundane day-to-day lives, and Jamie throwing himself a pity party because he thinks his disability makes him completely useless. Many of these scenes were important but it wasn’t necessary to repeat them over and over again. Specifically – it wasn’t necessary to show them all on page. I know the rule is ‘show don’t tell’ but I think sometimes beginner authors overcompensate by going all the way to the other extreme and this is what happened here. Since the ending of the story was rushed and felt incomplete and so much of the first 80% was unnecessary, the actual story could have been condensed to a novella length without losing any essential narrative beats. Some examples of the unnecessary showing was when Lev asks Jamie to tell him some fish facts to help him sleep (it’s a cute ritual they have). That’s followed by a dozen actual fish facts being written out in text message form. Another time, Kate and Ethan (two side characters) banter about Ethan’s clothing choices. There were so many scenes where I got bored halfway through because the important part had already been done and I ended up skimming to the next scene.
To give credit where it’s due, I did enjoy most of the text conversations and I understand that the author was trying for a lyrical/descriptive writing style. While these things are fine, it’s even more essential to properly assess what to show and what to tell if an author’s style is already long winded and the narrative calls for lots of text-based conversations.
Another thing I had mixed feelings about was the massive plot twist at about 50%. I’ll put it under spoiler tags but honestly, it was so glaringly obvious that I’d be surprised if somebody didn’t connect the dots way before the reveal.
I had various other issues with the story too. Lev was supposed to be nearly 30 but was written like he was in his very early 20s. The MCs kiss a grand total of twice and touch each other once and there’s not even a fade-to-black reference to any sexy times. Combined with the very young way that both characters were written (Jamie being written young made sense but not Lev) made this feel like YA instead of an adult romance. Lastly, the story ends very abruptly and at an odd spot (Jamie and Lev have a bizarre conversation where they’re both complaining about their various issues and it honestly seems like they’re not even listening to each other but are instead talking at each other) with nearly every plotline (except the mistaken identity situation) still being unresolved.
Overall, this story was full of great ideas and great characters, but the execution felt a bit amateur. This all being said, I’m looking forward to seeing what else the author produces.
First – the positives. I really love how the author portrayed Jamie’s prosopagnosia. I’m pretty sure the author knew that many readers (like me) wouldn’t know anything about face blindness and she did a great job showing us what this particular disability is like from Jamie’s perspective. I still can’t fully wrap my head around how Jamie sees the world but I think that’s because I’ve never experienced anything close to it so I have no frame of reference. But the author did a wonderful job providing lots of examples and letting us literally experience the world through Jamie’s eyes. I don’t think this particular disability can be put in written form any better than the author did it here.
Another thing I liked is Jamie’s character development. I nearly DNF’d the story multiple times in the first half because Jamie had a very deeply ingrained victim complex, which I found annoying. He considered his disability to be much more debilitating than it actually was and his disability seemed to be his entire identity, to the point where he would purposefully avoid doing things that would lessen the impact of his disability on his daily life. For example, he makes it clear that he has the ability to recognize people if he makes an effort to remember specific details about them (ex. Lev’s very white teeth, his height, his blue eyes etc) and Jamie even carries around a notebook to write these details down. The problem is that he rarely uses the notebook and rarely takes the effort to memorize characteristics about the people he interacts with on a daily basis. I got a strong feeling in the first half of the book that Jamie unconsciously liked using his disability as an excuse to not be more independent or form more relationships. This attitude annoyed me, until I realized it’s not really Jamie’s fault – it’s his parents’.
His parents constantly treat Jamie like he’s a helpless child and that’s led to Jamie having zero self-confidence and zero desire to try to become more independent. He’s 23 years old and his disability only really impacts his socializing skills, yet his parents still treat him like a child. He lives at home, he pays no bills, he doesn’t cook/clean, his parents never leave him home alone and he rarely socializes with anyone. The reason why is purely due to his parents being convinced that Jamie is completely helpless in all aspects of life and because of this, they never encourage him to step out of the little bubble they’ve created for him. I stumbled on this realization when Jamie reveals that his parents have very few photographs hanging up in their home and none of the photos show Jamie. Why? Because Jamie can’t easily recognize himself or others in the photos and his parents had decided that this would be so upsetting to Jamie that the solution is to remove the majority of photos from his view. The better solution would have been to label people in the photographs or make learning the faces a good practical exercise for Jamie. But his parents automatically decided that dealing with the photos is too stressful for Jamie and away the photos went.
Another example of this is Jamie’s college experience. He attended for a short while but he decided that not being able to easily recognize his professors or fellow students was enough for him to drop out. This made no sense to me when I first read it because a) if he’s there to learn, it doesn’t matter what his professor or the students look like, he just has to make sure he’s in the right lecture hall and b) if he’s in a smaller group, then he can easily make the effort to learn how to recognize the professor and specific students he has to interact with. But even if the situation made him so uncomfortable that he couldn’t deal with it, what about online classes? It was absurd to me that he dropped his education completely due to a socialization issue that could have been remedied various ways. I finally realized that Jamie was probably encouraged to drop out by his parents as soon as he expressed some discomfort because like I said – they have zero faith in Jamie’s ability to function as an independent adult.
As I said – Jamie’s woe-is-me attitude really irritated me for a long part of the book, until the halfway mark when things started to change. Jamie takes some giant steps forward in terms of his independence . These situations were set up really well because Jamie starts out really struggling and he’s shocked to discover that it’s not due to his disability. Instead, it’s due to his lack of life skills and self-confidence, which is a result of his parents’ influence. This progress felt realistic and I loved that Jamie realized that the majority of his current problems aren’t due to his disability, but it’s due to the limitations he’s put on himself or allowed others to put on him using his disability as an excuse. This was a really great progression.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of Jamie’s characterization arc and that was part of the problem with this story. Jamie has that realization about the airport at 80% of the story. After that, he’s in many different situations that he’s spent his entire life dreading, yet there’s no internal reflection on his part when he gets through them easily. The author spent about 75% of the book having Jamie complaining and whining non-stop about how he’s a failure at everything, and then she crammed his life changing moments into just 25%. When the book ended, it felt like Jamie’s journey had barely even begun.
As for Lev’s characterization – it fell completely flat because the majority of the story focused on Jamie. In stories like this (where one character is going through a very complex character arc), most authors choose to make the other character be relatively stable in terms of characterization. The reason why is evident in this book – Lev got completely sidelined from start to finish. We know he suffers from chronic depression and he has big problems with his family, but all of it is presented way too quickly and without sufficient explanation. By the end of the book, I still don’t understand what Lev’s issues with his family were and his entire backstory is a confusing mess. The reason why is because the author devoted 90% of this story to Jamie and while that’s fine, it meant there was not enough space for Lev.
Related to the characterization issues, this book suffered from horrible pacing problems. The majority of this book consisted of text message conversation between Lev and Jamie, scenes in which Lev/Jamie have conversations with side characters, scenes showing Lev and Jamie’s mundane day-to-day lives, and Jamie throwing himself a pity party because he thinks his disability makes him completely useless. Many of these scenes were important but it wasn’t necessary to repeat them over and over again. Specifically – it wasn’t necessary to show them all on page. I know the rule is ‘show don’t tell’ but I think sometimes beginner authors overcompensate by going all the way to the other extreme and this is what happened here. Since the ending of the story was rushed and felt incomplete and so much of the first 80% was unnecessary, the actual story could have been condensed to a novella length without losing any essential narrative beats. Some examples of the unnecessary showing was when Lev asks Jamie to tell him some fish facts to help him sleep (it’s a cute ritual they have). That’s followed by a dozen actual fish facts being written out in text message form. Another time, Kate and Ethan (two side characters) banter about Ethan’s clothing choices. There were so many scenes where I got bored halfway through because the important part had already been done and I ended up skimming to the next scene.
To give credit where it’s due, I did enjoy most of the text conversations and I understand that the author was trying for a lyrical/descriptive writing style. While these things are fine, it’s even more essential to properly assess what to show and what to tell if an author’s style is already long winded and the narrative calls for lots of text-based conversations.
Another thing I had mixed feelings about was the massive plot twist at about 50%. I’ll put it under spoiler tags but honestly, it was so glaringly obvious that I’d be surprised if somebody didn’t connect the dots way before the reveal.
I had various other issues with the story too. Lev was supposed to be nearly 30 but was written like he was in his very early 20s. The MCs kiss a grand total of twice and touch each other once and there’s not even a fade-to-black reference to any sexy times. Combined with the very young way that both characters were written (Jamie being written young made sense but not Lev) made this feel like YA instead of an adult romance. Lastly, the story ends very abruptly and at an odd spot (Jamie and Lev have a bizarre conversation where they’re both complaining about their various issues and it honestly seems like they’re not even listening to each other but are instead talking at each other) with nearly every plotline (except the mistaken identity situation) still being unresolved.
Overall, this story was full of great ideas and great characters, but the execution felt a bit amateur. This all being said, I’m looking forward to seeing what else the author produces.
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