Truesight

Rating:
Summary: Provocative
Review: Any story featuring a group of people who are
determined to create a utopian society is bound
to raise some serious questions. But Truesight
by David Stahler Jr. takes provocative to the
next level.


For generations, the inhabitants of the colony
Harmony have genetically engineered themselves to
be blind. In a society that believes sight leads
only to corruption and temptation, thirteen-year-
old Jacob is horrified when he suddenly becomes
able to see. Jacob has always been disturbed by
his best friend Delaney's criticism of the values
of the community, but when he attains the faculty
of vision he begins to see what really goes on in
his town, developing doubts of his own. Already
reeling from the shock of being able to see,
Jacob is told that Delaney has committed suicide,
and his life is thrown into complete turmoil.
The drama heats to the boiling point when his
secret ability is discovered by others in his
community. These people decide that his vision
must be "corrected," informing him that he will
need surgery to again become blind.

Though constructed around some very serious
issues, this book offers great opportunities for
moral development for mature teens and young
adults. Rather than avoiding controversial
issues, Stahler has opened the door for the
honest discussion of everything from advanced
scientific technology to social ostracism.

What makes this story appealing, rather than
just challenging, is the setting. Harmony is one
of two communities founded on Earth and sent to
live and develop on a satellite planet. This
community has developed amazing technologies to
facilitate the lives of the blind. Because the
inhabitants are determined to live independently
from seeing societies, unusual equipment was
fabricated. Featuring everything from advanced
tracking tools to personal sounding devices
invented to alert the user to the presence of
others, this novel is a science-fiction lover's
dream.

The only hitch worth mentioning is that the
reader can never be sure whether there is meant
to be romantic tension between Jacob and Delaney
or between he and his classmate, Beth, or perhaps
both. The romantic tension remains unresolved in
the end and though the events that imply the
tension contribute meaningfully to the story, to
a degree they take away from the plot.

The most impressive tidbit about this
stimulating and entertaining novel is the fact
that it is Stahler's first. A treasure for
anyone with a taste for the out-of-the-ordinary,
this book is sure to leave his readers anxiously
awaiting future publications.

Reviewed by Kimberly Bolton for Flamingnet Book Reviews, www.flamingnet.com.


Rating:
Summary: Truesight is a brilliant coming-of-age story
Review: David Stahler Jr. has written a brilliant coming of age story in a place more fanciful than Hogwarts. Jacob's character is revealed and developed masterfully. Reading Truesight was an eye-opening experience into an imaginative world. I can't wait for David Stahler Jr.'s next book!

Rating:
Summary: Truesight is a brilliant coming-of-age story
Review: David Stahler Jr. has written a brilliant coming of age story in a place more fanciful than Hogwarts. Jacob's character is revealed and developed masterfully. Reading Truesight was an eye-opening experience into an imaginative world. I can't wait for David Stahler Jr.'s next book!

Rating:
Summary: Some compelling ideas, but underwhelming
Review: I like the idea of this book, but the ideasat its core were poorly developed, and logical details (like the lead's quite adjustment to the sighted world... even reading subtle facial expressions he'd never known about before!) distract. Plus, it's basically the exact same book as the vastly superior "The Giver." Still, worth the 90 minutes it takes to read.

Rating:
Summary: Another 'Giver'
Review: I would agree with some of the other reviewers; when I was reading this, less than halfway through I noticed the strong echoes of Lowry's "The Giver". I also was critical of the speed which he adjusted to his sight; surely his depth of sight would not have been developed and understood instantly. Between "The Giver" and "Truesight", "The Giver" is easily the superior book; however, this is a well-written story for children and they will surely understand the themes and intentions of the story. It explores ideas of free choice, the nature of love, hypocrisy, truth, the flow (or restriction) of information and education, and the meanings (good and bad) community.

Rating:
Summary: Another 'Giver'
Review: I would agree with some of the other reviewers; when I was reading this, less than halfway through I noticed the strong echoes of Lowry's "The Giver". I also was critical of the speed which he adjusted to his sight; surely his depth of sight would not have been developed and understood instantly. Between "The Giver" and "Truesight", "The Giver" is easily the superior book; however, this is a well-written story for children and they will surely understand the themes and intentions of the story. It explores ideas of free choice, the nature of love, hypocrisy, truth, the flow (or restriction) of information and education, and the meanings (good and bad) community.

Rating:
Summary: a review from a student of David Stahler Jr.
Review: Not only is David Stahler Jr an incredible writer, he is also a great teacher, and a person that i am grateful i had the opportuinty to meet and be taught by. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a story that they can a part of. The description is definitley one of the best aspects of this novel. You get to look through the eyes of Jacob, and through him, truly see Harmony for the first time. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of distopian novels such as Brave New World and The Giver. It is a book that people of all ages can enjoy.


Rating:
Summary: An excellent debut. Waiting for the next book.
Review: Slowly realizing you're different. Learning to accept it. Sharing the secret. Suffering the consequences. Wanting to fit in and yet not wanting to give up your "self."

Coming to see the weaknesses, lies, injustice, and hypocrisy of adults' and society.

Growing up.

Totalitarianism.

This book is about many things.

I understand there are two more to follow. I look forward to reading them.