The Rules of Seeing

The rules of seeing, depends who you are. Nova is born blind but her brother Alex is a doctor who hears of a new procedure that may be able to give her her sight back a no brainer you may think but then i have never been blind so the thought of sight is well known to me. However being blind and having never seen or only seen the odd shape and light of a sort to have to learn to see is a new world that you have never known or ever expected to know is scary and a big step into the unknown.  
Kate had sight but having been married for two years to a policeman or rather a detective from the Yard who is becoming a scary man rather than a loving man, you'd have thought after this first violent indecent she would leave but as is often the case she didn't.   Something else you need to know about Nova is she is very good at languages and as such had worked for the police as a interpreter for the last ten years (and yes will know the violent man called Tony that's married to Kate but that's not to relevant for now). 
The story takes a time in a very good way, so for the first few chapters they are shared with the telling of Novas story then Kates till they collide well meet actually at a hospital appointments they have with the same doctor at the hospital.  Nova is having to learn to see and it is a lot more to it than you'd think but i will let you read her account as it is impossible to understand in the few words a review has space for. Kate's life is traumatic as is any when the person who is meant to love, cherish and protect becomes the cause of all your pain and fears.  I guess all lives that implode and become the opposite to what you expert take a lot of adjustment and will be to two people experiencing the same thing all be it in very different ways. So they have something to give but will also need some take and that is the best way i can think of to sum up the first half of this book which looks at several issues including the most important of all i think that of love. However i will stop here with the story and let you read for yourself but just say that i loved this book in many ways and learnt a lot even though i really choose to read more to escape in to a book but found i got a lot more than an escape which has made this book a even greater pleasure even through there is pain as with any good thriller  its needed to get there. But if you read it i hope you will understand that as i now do i think.
Thanks Joe Heal and NetGalley and hope you enjoy and understand my honest review.

This is a beautifully written book, it is quite harrowing at times but I enjoyed reading it. It made me realise how difficult it would be for someone who has always been blind to see and learn everything all over again.

The Rules of Seeing by Joe Heap a four-star read that will make you look differently. What a great debut, the author has done a great job of making you see how hard I can to cope when you finally get the thing everyone thinks will make you normal. In this case its Nova and her sight, even though she already has a great life, she speaks five languages and has talents that you can’t imagine, but when she gets the operation you see how she struggles and Nova has been a great character that you will be behind all the way through. The other main character Kate has a hard but great story, and together they will make you see the way they see life together. It’s a refreshing and honest read, making you see life isn’t always what you see.

I absolutely loved this book. Raw emotions. Willing them along a long road to happiness together.  Amazing first novel.

This book is just terrific. It kept me guessing almost until the very last page. The three main characters - married couple Kate and Tony and Nova - a girl who's just had a ground-breaking operation to give her the ability to see for the first time - dance around each other with many twists and turns in their respective stories. I can't say much more about the plot without giving too much away. I did find the frequent Rules Of Seeing paragraphs a little irritating (and unnecessary?). But overall I loved, loved, loved it - well done Joe! I hope perhaps we'll see you at the Cheltenham Literature Festival!

From the blurb I read, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with this book as it wasn’t my normal genre but I’m so glad I tried. This book really is incredible, a beautiful story of friendship and love, told with such imaginative description that you really feel you are seeing things through the characters eyes. It was a joy to read