His Eyes

by Renee Carter

Amy Turner's about to graduate from high school and all she wants is a job. Actually, all she wants is to find a way to pay for college. Amy certainly isn't looking for love when she answers an ad to baby-sit a boy; she just needs the cash. But the job has a The boy is blind...and he's her age.

Tristan Edmund may be hot, but he doesn't want Amy's help. Or so he thinks. After being blinded in a horse show-jumping competition, Tristan spends his days in the dark, refusing to accept his disability. Much to his annoyance, Amy bursts into his life and drags him into the light. But just as the two begin to see something in each other, Tristan's beautiful ex-girlfriend shows up. Will the temptation be too much, or will Tristan choose the girl who really sees him?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Disability, Realistic Fiction, High School

190 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2009

About the author

Even before she could use a pencil, Renee has been a writer. She began by telling stories to a cassette recorder and using dolls for props. Countless short stories later, Renee finished writing her first chapter book at age eleven. At thirteen, she developed her writing style through fan fiction novellas and she discovered the power of an online audience. His Eyes is Renee's first novel. She currently lives with her husband in Wisconsin, where she works in Communications.
https://twitter.com/ReneeCarterYA

Reviews

[kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly disappointing. Great premise, very poorly put together. It's far less about Amy reaching Tristan as it is about his ex-girlfriend, a ridiculous caricature of a person, showing up and causing trouble. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Amy is hired to assist/babysit Tristan, a teenage boy the same age as herself, who was injured in a show jumping accident, leaving him blind, angry and frustrated. All attempts to help him, doctors, specialists, therapists, have failed.
Wow, this should be really good. How is this girl going to reach into his dark world and help him? Eh, no biggie, she just shows up and says let's go for a ride and that's about the end of the angst. Too bad no one else thought to put him in the car and take him to the stable. Of course, she LIES to the blind boy(after all, he can't see the difference)that no one else is there to see him or feel sorry for him.
Then a few days later they go to his school(he's been out of school for two months or so, but he's still going to graduate; his mother is thought to have 'paid off' the school board)to practice for graduation and because Amy listens to malicious gossip, she gives Tristan a soft drink that makes him gag, he jumps up in anger because Amy did it on purpose to see if (AFTER TWO MONTHS) he is faking his blindness and he falls to the floor in front of all his classmates. He was trying to not appear blind to them, but Amy spoiled that for him.
This kind of mean behavior continues, with Amy's friends waving hands in front of his face, Amy's long lost brother(this long lost nonsense played NO part in that story)does the same and when the poor boy comes to dinner, Amy's mom serves him a pasta dish with flowers in it and no one tells him until he scrapes a flower petal out of his mouth.
What is the matter with these people? Are they all lacking in compassion?
So Amy falls for Tristan and they kiss which to her means that they are in love or does it? Because the very next day, Tristan's girlfriend(actually ex-girlfriend, but this takes a while to become apparent), Lexus, who is a gorgeous model, shows up. Amy calls her The Creature which was okay for a time or two but not continually. So we have a sort of love triangle.
There were things about this that didn't make sense. For instance, why did Amy need to drive them everywhere? Lexus is an adult, had been living in Europe working as a model and she doesn't drive??? Silly.
The thing that bothered me the most was that Tristan dealing with his blindness was mostly dropped after the first few chapters. I thought this was going to be about how Amy really struggled to reach out to him and bring him out of the dark place where he's been, but it was actually just a silly romance story with very little depth. The whole blindness issue seemed relegated to being a simple 'meet cute' although more emo than your usual one. That's too bad because the idea of it is really intriguing. It needed a lot more character development. I think a more mature author could have made this story something special and so much more than what's here. It feels like it was written by a teenager.
Also, there are tons of grammar and typos, needed more editing. At one time the author calls Tristan's little brother by Amy's older brother's name and that confused me. At least once a chapter, Amy tucks a strand of hair behind her ear to the point where I was just waiting for the hair tuck. Amy's phone calls to her friend Ahna, are almost the same, with Ahna screaming so that Amy has to take the phone away from her face, etc. I felt like I was re-reading the same scene.
All in all, even though it's a very quick read, I'd say skip this one.

[Flor ❁ (HIATUS) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe i loved this book so much hjdhd and the first time I read this was on wattpad as an adaptation of Niall Horan 😭😭

13yrold me thought this was a masterpiece, but god this was bad-bad.

[Meret Magdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars (:
When I first read this book's blurb, I thought it sounded a lot like Me Before You xD..
I enjoyed this book a lot :D
I liked the author's way in describing Amy's thoughts and feelings xD..
Ofcourse the ending was so expected, but it was still cute :P..

[NewMoonGirl (Hazel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

His Eyes is a quick, sweet, heartwarming read which I devoured in one sitting.

Amy is a very likable character as she takes on a job most girls her age would immediately turn down as soon as they realized the guy they would be babysitting was the same age & blind. At first the job is a way for her to rake in the money to help pay for her college tuition .The more time she spends with Tristan she realizes that its becoming less like a babysitting job and more like hanging out with a friend who she is starting to fall for.
Tristan is very stubborn in the beginning and is not willing to allow anyone to help him. He is struggling with the loss of his eyesight after having an accident in a showjumping competition. He has shut himself away from the world and is mourning not only the loss of the life he once had but also the deaf of his father.
When Amy first starts the job Tristan locks himself in a closet , childish at his age but he thinks it will have the desired effect and make Amy reconsider taking the job. Tristan is shocked when the next day Amy shows up bright & breezy ready to take him on a trip. Conversation between the pair is not easy and there are afew awkward moments but the more time they spend together the relationship grows. The chemistry between the pair kept me turning the pages & I especially love the scene where they go horse riding as it shows the trust they have in each other. Obviously nothing ever runs smooth when it comes to love and Tristan's ex girlfriend shows up, who is totally annoying! you want her to hurry up & disappear,lol But Tristan lets her get away with murder making Amy practically obsolete and feeling completely shut out.
I loved it from start to finish but I think it could have been longer just to allow time to delve deeper into Tristan's struggle with the loss of his father, his blindness and his reluctance to adapt.
Would definitely recommend :)

[Melannie :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was pure sweetness, not the artificial kind like Splenda, but more like natural- straight out of a cane- brown sugar.

Despite of the fact that there was so much tragedy in Tristan's life, loosing his sight, his father and his girlfriend,
I never ever doubt he will make it through, he was such a good character! everything about him was described perfectly, I felt like I really know him,
and then we have Amy, the girl who helped him find light again in the world of darkness...

man! I feel like going out and kiss some random stranger just to spread the loooooove .

And Tristan's little siblings were great too! they were such sweet kids! they had just lost a father
but they were still sympathetic towards their big brother, they understood he needed the attention right now, I loved them!
and his mom was great too! in fact, almost all secondary characters in this book were interesting and feel real and not just
like random people filling holes in the story, that was a change.

So, to sum up this might not be the most beautiful writting I've read, or the most original story in the world,
but it was sweet and sooo cute and made me enjoy a thursday's afternoon much more that I would have if I had just watched re-runs of friends on tv,
those 4 hours it took me to read this were well occupied and I'm SO glad I did. (:

PS. They prologue was just the cherry on the ice cream!

[Fatima B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nooooooooooooo, this book was supposed to be amazing! :(

I read the blurb and I thought: this is going to be amazing.

IT COULD'VE BEEN! The story was far too short and.. is it weird to describe this story as diluted? I mean, it wasn't horrible or anything, but it could've been much better. The ending, the chemistry, the everything.

Tristan is a rich teenager with a Mercedes-benz Cabriolet and a passion for show-jumping. Good looking, an equestrian, rich...I mean, who wouldn't fall for him? Well, there's this catch, he's blind. He suffered a terrible accident and is refusing to adapt to his disability.

Amy Turner is the daughter of a hippie, with an MIA older brother, and is hired to work for twenty dollars an hour helping Tristan out to pay for her college tuition. Yes, yes, they fall in love, or at the very least, they like each other like a lot.

Amy was cool, Tristan was cool. But the story kind of died off for me. I mean, this was supposed to be beautiful. I played it out in my head, how he was supposed to really truly accept his loss of vision but it seemed too short and rushed imo.

I won't elaborate further, otherwise I'll be a huge spoiler.

[Annie ~ Queer Books Unbound · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really not sure how to rate this book.
On the one hand it was a nice read and I enjoyed it. It was really easy to "get into it".
Amy seemed like a really nice character. Just like a eighteen-year-old should be.
I really liked the general idea of the book, that's why I bought it.
But on the other hand it was too short and therefore a bit rushed. Especially at the end. It feels like there are important parts missing. The whole thing with Amy's brother for example. He's gone for ten years without a real explanation and when he comes back everything's just fine? That's not really believable.
So, I wasn't sure how to rate it. And 3 stars seems right.
I can't give more because I expected it to be better.
But I enjoyed it so I'll give it 3 stars.

[The Media Bunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Girl meets boy is the staple of YA novels and the "who’s" and "how’s" make all the difference between the memorable ones and the otherwise forgettable. His Eyes has the makings of a great story: she’s a girl with a lot of college dreams without the money to back them and he’s the proverbial Mr. Popular Rich Hunk whose been knocked on his ass both literally and figuratively—a horseback riding incident left him blind and isolated from the familiar good life. The set up is ripe with conflict and angst-filled possibilities: Amy is hired (and well paid by Mr. P.R.H.’s mom) to play babysitter to Tristan’s former charming-turned-depressed HS senior playboy refusing to adapt to his accident. The sparks fly. Tristan’s younger siblings, little bro Chris in particular, straddle the lines between Loki and Cupid for these crazy kids. Little push and pull here, little to serious misunderstandings there, and Carter has a sweet little story brewing about two individuals falling for each other naturally even though they’d never have crossed paths otherwise. I was along for the ride…

Until it is derailed by Tristan’s ex-girlfriend. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good “ex-comes-back-and-stirs-shiz-up” storyline, but it seemed misplaced and wholly unnecessary here. Instead of adding compelling antagonism to Amy and Tristan’s growing relationship or even Tristan’s recovery, the entrance of The Ex is superficial and abrupt. This superficiality is emphasized with the rather extreme characterization of Lexus (the aptly named ex) as the perfect rich blonde model who has not blood, but pure bitchiness, selfishness, and heartlessness running through her veins with a dash of idiot for good measure. In effect, her presence infects the intelligence of the people around her. Based on Lexus’ levels of ridiculous (like her nefarious plans to use blind Tristan to generate buzz in the modeling industry), readers aren’t supposed to like Lexus. The trippy thing is no one in the book actually likes her aside from Mommy Warbucks. So instead of shaking things up, Lexus’ only purpose is standing between Amy and Tristan (sometimes literally…the girl is like Elmer’s) to delay the book ending for more chapters.

So you might be asking yourself “Well, isn’t that the whole point of the “ex-comes-back” trope? To stand in the way of our twosome getting together?” Absolutely, but here? It comes across as a hastily inserted hindrance within a story that was unraveling organically around Amy and Tristan, creating classic and rootable angst and revealing layers of personality for each. But before we see these two truly struggle with their differences (and they are a-plenty), the entrance of Ms. External Antagonist sweeps the conflicts under the plot rug. Carter builds great tension between Amy and Tristan before Lexus arrives (wrong side of the tracks, falling in love vs. just doing the job, distrust mixed with dependence, etc). Once Lexus exits? All ends up deus ex machina-ing itself into oblivion, leaving only the fresh linen scent of a HEA.

The reading experience was ultimately disappointing because the book had good ideas and characterizations failing to manifest as a whole. There are cute, flirtatious scenes, music shout-outs, and realistic enough family tussles for drama. Amy and Tristan are likeable folks when Lexus isn’t around. They have a great hook and I was looking forward to experiencing their fallout and/or coming together, but the pieces just didn’t come together satisfactorily.

[Princess Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: Where to start? I will start with the price. I usually do not worry about prices but this one is around 10 dollars on amazon and its less than 200 pages which is a bit to me for such a short book. BUT, it is worth every cent. I loved loved this book. We meet Amy who is in desperate need of money so she can go to a private expensive college so she takes up a job to babysit Tristan. She does not know he's her age! And whats more? He's blind. He went blind from a horse competition. They start spending time together, and than his old girlfriend who is supposedly hot shows up! Without giving away the whole book, I will just say this book is amazing. I felt myself very entertained with the remarkable chemistry between Amy and Tristan. I also liked all the side characters, his family and her family. I particularly like his little brother. Its one of those that leaves you thinking about it for days. The kind that gives you butterflies while reading it! Its a great love story and when miracles like these happen, the two falling for each other, it is wonderful and gives me hope.

Overall: Renee Carter did it right!!! She wrote a beautiful and amazing story. I was hooked from the first page and over the course of the book I felt myself falling in love with Tristan. I didn't want it to end! I could have kept reading about them forever!!!! LOVED IT!

Cover: Cute cover. We don't get to see what Tristan really "looks" like so we can imagine him in our minds how we want him to look. I like the sunglasses on the ground and I like how we can just see the legs. Very artistic and beautiful just like the story. I'm not sure, if they are Amy or Tristan's legs? His sunglasses are right there but his shoes look like a girly color. I'm not sure, either way cute cover!
(originally reviewed at princessbookie.com

[PattyPepperpotts · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book was so promising, that I was itching to read it right after learning about it. I was looking forward as to see the how the novel would tackle the complexity of emotions that could only spring from such a situation, excited to see how the two people who are unlikely to be seen together at normal circumstances would help each other with their personal situations and find themselves falling in love...

But alas, I was dismally disappointed at the execution of the novel. The elements were all there, but unfortunately they were ineffectively utilized to stir up any kind of attachment (emotional, intellectual, psychological) from its readers. The characters and the story were so poorly developed not to mention that the conflict turned out shallow as well... (the author should have made the ex-girlfriend more of a contender, but when she was so blatantly developed as a selfish airhead bimbo, what challenge did it pose to our protagonist? I mean, how can Lexus even use the one asset the author gave her - her looks - to challenge Amy, when Tristan was BLIND to it? It was like throwing the game! It baffles me how this could be considered a significant conflict)

Oh, I feel so sad after reading this. I was really really looking forward to this, and my mind is reeling at the 101 ways this novel could have been better. I'm giving it two stars for all intents and purposes, because I loved the premise, and somehow that makes up for it, despite being utterly disappointed at how it was written.

I'd still say it's an okay read, but heed my warning, if you were also bedazzled by the blurb like me.

[Saniya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really nice, short, cute and a perfect book to read on summer holidays. I mean, its only 196 pages, and I finished it in 1-2 hours. Its that kind of a book in which you already know the ending but still you are reading it because its fun and makes you happy.
Its a story about this girl, Amy Turner, who wants to find a way to pay for college after graduation. Then she answers an ad to baby-sit a boy. But the boy is blind and he's her age. Then gradually they both fell in love and then suddenly theres Lexus, His ex-girlfriend who comes back. Then Tristan has to choose between Amy or Lexus.
This book was really cute and in the end it makes you smile. One thing which I really like about these types of books is that it takes you away from those dark fantasy books (which we read all the time) for a moment. And this can also happen in real life, and you can imagine it too! =D
Cute, Cute, Cute!^^ 4/5 stars =]

[Mafi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fue una lectura para pasar el rato, algo un poco más 'ligero' que el otro libro que estoy leyendo ahorita.

Pero pensé que tal vez tendría algo de diferencia con todos los demás libros que son más fanfics que eso.

Los personajes se me hacen muy planos y es lo mismo de siempre, el rico que se enamora de la chica de pueblo y jura amor eterno y de pronto aparece una novia perfecta y blah blah.

Se lee rápido pero la verdad ya no presté atención en los últimos capítulos.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Click here to read more YA reviews at READING, EATING & DREAMING

His Eyes by Renee Carter: DIDN’T LOVE IT…DIDN’T HATE IT!

There were certain aspects of this story that I enjoyed. At the same time, there were some elements of this story that I didn’t particularly care for.

Let’s start with the positive… Renee Carters debut novel, His Eyes, was a fun, easy read. This story has an original plot and some great characters. I especially liked Chris, Tristan’s younger, annoying-but-loveable brother. (Having one of them myself, Chris made me smile countless times throughout the novel. He actually reminded me a lot of my own little brother).

Now on to the negative…(I am going to be very vague because I do not want to give anything away!!) For one, the subplot was a bit far-fetched and melodramatic. Also, I had a few issues with the major conflict in this novel. It, too, was over-the-top and unrealistic. Plus, it was one of those situations where the entire thing could have been avoided with this new thing we call communication!! Basically anything pertaining to Lexus, Tritans ex-girlfriend, irked me. Her character was ridiculous, stereotypical and not at all realistic.

The biggest disappointment was that His Eyes had so much potential, mainly Tristan’s character, yet it was lacking. Carter didn’t dig deep enough into the emotions of her characters. She also didn’t exhibit the seriousness of Tristan’s physical handicap. In fact, throughout the novel, people test Tristan, laugh at him and ask him ridiculous questions pertaining to his blindness. (Let me ask you a serious question. If one of your friends became blind tomorrow, would you laugh at them if they tripped? Would you give them a drink they detest to see if they were really blind or if they were faking? I know I wouldn’t. And, in my opinion Carter didn’t give us enough credit…)

Originally I was going to give His Eyes 3 STARS, but after reviewing the positives and the negatives I can only give this book 2 STARS. Overall I thought His Eyes by Renee Carter was a decent book, and I think there is an audience out there that will really enjoy this book. I enjoyed certain aspects of it. It isn’t a favorite, but I am still curious to see what else Renee Carter will bring into the world of Young-Adult Literature. My recommendation is to follow my 2 STAR advice: If you can get this book for free from a family member, friend, etc. then maybe read it, but I wouldn’t pay money to read this book and I would put it on the bottom of my to-read list.

-XOXO
READING, EATING & DREAMING

[Hajar Y, · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. I was attracted by the premise of His Eyes where a girl, Amy, is hired to babysit a blind guy named Tristan who is having a hard time accepting his current condition. I expected that it will be more about Amy reaching out to Tristan but it seems like the book loses its focus entirely the moment Tristan's ex-girlfriend makes her entry.

The sad thing is I cannot really see the authentic reason to put the ex-girlfriend's character in the story at all. She doesn't add on anything important and the reason that she suddenly comes back to Tristan is beyond ridiculous. It feels that the only reason of her abrupt, superficial entrance is to heat up the book a little bit, though to me, the effect is completely the opposite.

All in all, His Eyes does have a potential to be a good book but it suffers, severely, from choppy writing and poor editing.The storyline does not seem to progress anywhere while the character development is nearly non-existent. Despite being a very quick read, this isn't something I would recommend.

[caren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't remember where I found this book, but after reading the summary, I had a feeling I was going to like it. And I did. It's fairly short (196 pages) and it only took me a few hours to read, partly because I couldn't put it down.

I loved Amy's voice and of course, the supporting characters (with the exception of Kristy and Lexus). Tristan was this sweet, broken boy who just needed to see that what happened to him didn't change who he was, just his circumstances. His younger siblings Chris and Marly absolutely warmed my heart. Those two had me giggling and smiling quite a bit.

This is definitely something I would recommend if you want something that's going to tug on your heart strings but leave you smiling in the end. It did everything I think a book's supposed to do even though it's technically just fanfiction.

[Laura's Book Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a awesome book I loved it so much

Re-read I loved it even more the 2nd time around.

[Breen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un hermoso libro para empezar el hábito de la lectura.
Qué nos cuenta la historia de Tristán y Amy Rose.
Un romance adolescente para aquellos que recién empiezan el vicio qué son los libros.

[Jooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

<3

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

lo leí con 13 años y era un librazo ahora supongo que sea una mierda pero bueno ahí está

[Maida (Medley of Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Thanks to Renee Carter for providing a review copy in exchange for a honest review.***

There is just something so distinctly relaxing about contemporary books. That is exactly how I felt while reading Renee Carter’s debut novel, His Eyes. It is a short, fast-paced story that is both fun and touching. I loved how Ms. Carter brought into light a unique obstacle – being blind –rather than the same old “I can’t have her, I can’t have him” scenario. A sweet read and a great love story, you will find yourself reading it into the late hours of the night.

Perhaps, the biggest issue that held this book back from a perfect rating is the plot. It was pleasing to a limit, however it lacked notable development to fully leave a lasting impression. The idea of babysitting a blind 18-year old boy, was both interesting and refreshing. I got to learn about the reality of being blind and just how much it can truly change your life. Having said that, there are many scenes in the book that are emotional and I was disappointed that Ms. Carter didn’t capture them in full detail. The elaboration of Tristan’s emotions or even insight into Amy’s family problems would have given the story an overall different feel, preventing it from being inadequate. However, I did enjoy this and believe it is a decent read, despite it being rushed at times.  

As much as the plot was lacking, the characters were that much better. Ms. Carter created characters that are both engaging and very likeable. Both Amy and Tristan had issues and it was great to see them overcome those. Amy is an admirable heroine. She has so much going on in her life – family drama, college, the challenge of babysitting someone blind – yet she manages to hold onto her sanity and push through. She is strong and not the type of girl to sit around and let an opportunity pass her by, and she definitely isn’t afraid to speak her mind. As for Tristan, he is at a very emotional state. Loosing his eye sight, his father, his girlfriend, he has lots to express but bottles it inside, until Amy. It was fun watching him come out of his shell and accept life, and “look” at things with a positive attitude. These were definitely memorable characters. 

Admittedly, we know exactly where the romance is headed, but in this case, it’s okay because the characters deserve the happily-ever-after and you want nothing less for them. Amy and Tristan’s relationship was cute and simple. She was always there for him, and even though it took Tristan a while to warm up to her, it was nice to see his feelings for her grow gradually. As the story progresses, their chemistry is undeniable and both characters begin to share their lives with each other and teach each other the importance of love. At one point, they go through a rough patch but that only made the ending that much sweeter. Their relationship is the wholesome type, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The book is all tied together with the addition of secondary characters, such as Tristan’s younger brother and sister, who brought the humour, his mom, and even the antagonist – ex-girlfriend, Lexus. It was great to see these characters sum up the story and give it the extra attraction that it was missing.

Where His Eyes didn’t meet expectations with the plot, the good characters and fresh idea are more than enough to pique interest. It’s an overall nice read and perfect for spending a few hours away from the more heavy books.


My Rating: (3.5)

This Review is also posted at: Literary Love Affair

[Countrygirl_TN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Turner has gotten accepted into 2 schools. Illinois University and Evanston. She wants to be in journalism and Evanston would get her to her dream a lot quicker than the state college but the problem is that it will be very expensive without a scholarship.
Amy decides to respond to an ad in the paper for a babysitter but the ad she responded to forgot to mention he was blind and that he was her age. Since she is offered $20 per hour she decides to take it. All she is gonna have to do is spend time with Tristan, get him out of the house, and try to get him to live a little instead of being hauled up in in room all day feeling sorry for himself. She soon learns that it may be harder than she thought cause Tristan doesn't want her help or a "babysitter".
Amy decides to take him to the stables where his horse currently resides and they are able to talk a bit before they leave and get to know each other. They are both getting ready to graduate and she takes him to his rehearsal and his ceremony and they are able to start opening up to each other more and more as the time goes on. Amy starts falling for Tristan and they kiss each other when he shows up unexpectedly to her graduation. This is a perfect night for Amy but when she wakes up in the morning, her job takes a turn and Tristan's mom says she has to pick up Tristan's girlfriend (Who Amy calls "The Creature") from the airport. Wait...What did she say? Girlfriend??? Umm ok. This is where the story gets good. Amy decides to continue working so she can earn her money that she needs for college but she also has to put up with all of "The Creature's" baggage - literally. Amy is not gonna let him go that easy and she is hoping that Tristan will see that she has been the one there for him and not "The Creature".


I fell in love with this story! Beautifully written and it really pulls you in and you get attached to the characters. I found this to be a quick read since it only took me a few hours to finish. I was able to devour this in one sitting, not wanting to put it down for a minute. It was a surprise to me that I loved it as much as I did seeming how there are no vamps or wolves in it. His Eyes was believable and left me genuinely happy after I finished the last page. It was a pleasure reading about Amy and Tristan and I really started to feel for each of them and their current situations. Renee Carter created emotions in the characters but not so many that they were overwhelming to the story. I would love to read another of Renee's books cause I was hooked once I started and any author that does that to me, makes me want to continue to read their work. If you get a chance to read this, do it cause it is awesome!!!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Amy dreams of becoming a journalist, but fears it might be just that - a dream. Even though her parents want the best for her, the cost of college, at least the college she hopes to attend, is not something they can afford. Then a job with an amazing paycheck becomes available.

Amy is going to babysit. Her charge's name is Tristan, but there's a catch. Tristan is about to graduate from high school just like Amy. The reason he needs a sitter is because he is blind. A horse jumping accident combined with an inherited condition involving weakened retinas have left Tristan without his sight. His mother hires Amy with the hope that someone his age can convince him to take the steps necessary to resume a more normal life.

Once Amy begins hanging out with Tristan, she learns that things are more complicated than just his loss of sight. He is also grieving the sudden death of his father and the guilt that their relationship was not at its best. Amy has her own family struggles. She tells Tristan about her mother's eccentric behavior of fixing family meals to include a son who left home ten years ago.

Although the job pays extremely well, Amy begins to realize money isn't the only thing that keeps her coming back. As Tristan begins to make small gains in adjusting to his new life, a relationship develops that goes beyond employer/employee. Since their lifestyles are completely different, Amy hesitates to get too close, but soon it just might be beyond her control.

HIS EYES is the first novel for Renee Carter. Readers will sense the chemistry between Amy and Tristan immediately. Carter fills out her cast of characters with family members such as Tristan's funny younger brother and cute little sister and an annoyingly self-centered ex-girlfriend named Lexus.

Although at times predictable, HIS EYES offers a fast-paced read for readers looking for a bit of romance.

[littlebookbosomed bookreview · Rating 5 out of 5]

****MINOR SPOILERS*****
Amy Turner - A girl who is in need of job, and found an ad. She got interviewed and passed. On the other side, Tristan Edmund who is deadly charming, he dated lots of girls before he got blind and played 'Show-Jumping' and also he had dated a model (she's so plastic, bitchy, i know u might hate her).
****EXTREME SPOILERS****Too many information given below
As the story goes by, Tristan and Amy get along and got close. They fell in love. But it is not for long when Tristan ex gf came along, her name was LEXUS (Thought it was a car at first). Amy's life in ruined. I know how she felt, it hurts me too. And when Tristan was siding his bitch instead of Amy that hurts me more. AHHHH the story is so great i dont want it to end. Since i mentioned spoilers above, u might not want to continue if u dont want to know the ending, some people might want to know the ending before reading it so the ending is so great Tristan and Amy are together and it is so sweet <3 My new book's bf <3 Tristan though he's blind. Good work Renee Carter i expect you to make a new book as great as this one

how i felt after reading this book

[Adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

(sigh)

I have to be honest. When I read the synopsis, this book intrigued me.
There's this popular cute cocky arrogant rich guy (Tristan), who has a wonderful life, full of friends, lives in a mansion, rides horses, wears fashionable clothes, drives an awesome car and is dating the hottest chick in the school. Sounds familiar, huh?
But one day, while riding a horse, he falls and the accident leaves him blind.
He loses everything, shuts out the people who still care about him and he can't do anything by himself, so he needs someone to take care of him.
Amy Turner applies for the job. She needs the money for college, she doesn't have to many friends, basically she's everything Tristan wasn't.
He doesn't like her at first, but throughout the story they learn how to trust each other, except when the ex girlfriend appears and blah blah blah, you know the rest blah blah blah, happily ever after.

“I was supposed to be babysitting an eighteen-year-old blind, rich kid, and he locked himself in a closet! Honestly.”

I rated this book with two stars because I am disappointed. Very displeased. I expected great things from it, an awesome story that blew my mind! My mistake.
Even though this was a sweet book, it was also very rushed. Idk, everything happened so fast, I didn't had time to "digest" it. It really could've been an amazing book but unfortunately didn't work, not for me.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

His Eyes was a cute, sweet read. I have a confession, though. I think I like the idea of this novel more than I actually liked it. Or maybe it was just the writing that threw me off. It was a little... lacking, I guess. The characters just didn't have as much depth as I was hoping for. I mean, this is a blind guy who happened to lose his father not long before the accident that caused his blindness. To me, that would mean depth. Apparently not, though. We got a little, but it was more happy-go-lucky type. Maybe that was just Amy, the main character, though. She was pretty happy-go-lucky, always seeing the good in people. Except maybe Tristan's ex, but that's another story. While Tristan was somewhat grumpy, Amy was always smiling and happy.

Another thing was that this was a shorter novel, under just 200 pages. I felt that all the events were rushed, and they should have been drawn out a little more. Then maybe the depth that I was looking for could have had more time to happen. Seemed like the second one good thing happened, a bad thing happened a page or two later. Too rushed. Give His Eyes another 100 pages or so, some more detail and a little more depth and this one could have been great.

That's pretty much all I have to say about this one. It was cute, but didn't quite measure up to my expectations.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Eyes is a beautiful story that i cant seem to get out of my mind. I read it over and over again, its just that awesome.

The basic plot is that Tristan lost his eye-sight in a horse riding accident and he refuses to see any therapists, his mother is becoming desperate and hires someone to 'baby-sit' him, to bring him back to the world.
This person is our protagonist, Amy, a high-school senior who needs money if she wants to attend the college she wants. Amy goes to an interview for the babysitting only to find that the kid she has to baby-sit isn't a kid at all, but a rich 18-year-old. Also the ad she read had a typo and didn't say he was blind. However, Amy needs the money and accepts the job anyway and makes numerous attempts to bring him out of his shell. At first Tristan resents Amy because he doesn't want a baby-sitter, but over the days that she baby-sits they begin to fall in love.
Then...disaster strikes. Tristan's ex is back in town and Amy agrees to be chauffeur taking her and Tristan to his summer cabin. Things couldn't get much worse.

This story is well written and believable with a very good ending. It has a beautiful romance and the conversations are often humorous and witty. A well earned 5 stars.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book's synopsis describes this as a novel where main character Amy will "drag Tristan into the light" but honestly, that's kind of inaccurate

It's more like they meet, get "close", and then this too-mean-to-be-believable ex-girlfriend shows up halfway through the book and as soon as she's sent out that's the whole story

So less of Amy helping Tristan find some positivity in his life and more about dealing with this girlfriend (but even then they don't really even deal with her, they just avoid talking to each other about it until it ends up happening way too late) and then you get a rushed ending where we just assume Tristan's happier / wants to be happier now but we don't actually get to see it happen nor does it really feel like he "grew" leading up to this point anyway

The characters in general are pretty underdeveloped and honestly a bit boring. The ex-girlfriend is your typical mean girl- blonde hair, only cares about appearances, whines about everything and has next to no redeeming qualities. This makes for a cliche and bland book.

I don't even want to discuss the whole subplot thing going on with Amy's "lost" brother, I just- cringe.

[Cathy Kitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was quite heartbreaking for me. I can't help but feel sad about Tristan's condition. He's an achiever and his life's seems perfect before the accident. But because of that he realized so many important things when he met Amy.

Amy she's so determined to go to college. Because of that, she immediately grab the opportunity as a baby sitter to Tristan to earn college funds. When she finally met Tristan, she knows that her job will not be that easy.

Albeit the differences between them, they'd learn how to adjust on each other's feelings. Tristan and Amy became friends...and their relationship began to bloom in something more :)

This book is a light read and very heart warming. And it also proves that disability is not a hindrance to success. Tristan pursues his dream and found real love despite of his blindness.


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“And being blind... that doesn't change who you are.”
― Renee Carter, His Eyes

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Satisfied...?

Maybe.

A cute story of two young teenagers who fall in love.
Very heart warming story, as it talks about the acceptance and importance in life.
The writing structure was quite pleasing, as it was based on a female's POV.
However, I find that the author did not elaborate as much with her vocabulary and phrases were quite repetitive throughout the story.

I was very dissatisfied with the ending.
For the fact that this was a very short read, I expected a better outcome from what I read.
It was disappointing as the romance and troubles for the characters were so quickly resolved.
It seems to me that the author just wanted a happy ending too quickly.
Emotions and feelings were too quickly drawn.

I really was looking forward to a greater plot.

This book on an average scale was a disappointment.
May there be a greater ending perhaps it will prove otherwise.

[Kitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those books that you pick for a quick read or books that just want to make you happy? Well, that's exactly what this book has done. I don't know what I expected when I first started reading it but by the end of the book I was wishing that there was a sequel.

Renee Carter has done a fantastic job in capturing what it's like when your world is turned upside down and all you need is someone to come along and make you see that there is more to life than your immediate surroundings.

I could not stop smiling throughout this whole book. The way that Amy interacts with Tristan is amazing and if you are looking for a dash of humour look no further than Tristan's siblings.

This is truly a beautiful book that I am sad to say I have now completed. Well done Renee Carter, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a story that will touch your heart and leave you with a smile upon your face.