At first glance this seems like your typical young adult book. We have a protagonist, Maggie, who’s facing some hardships in her life. We have a somewhat dysfunctional family in that they’re moving farther and farther away from each other after a recent tragedy. And we have as a love interest a brooding, moody up-and-coming rock star facing some hardships of his own. Very formulaic, for sure. But that’s where the similarities to other books of this genre come to an end.

Maggie is, or was, a typical teenager until several months ago when a sudden illness robbed her of her eyesight. As she alternates between feelings of anger and self-pity, her parents don’t know how to help her. And so they distance themselves, spending more and more time at work while avoiding the issue of her blindness. Maggie sinks deeper and deeper into a pit of despair and helplessness as she tries to adjust to just how radically her life has changed.

And then the prank happens. One moment of rebelliousness leads to sessions with a counselor. This is where she meets Ben. Ben is everything she is not at the moment. Optimistic, enthusiastic, helpful and friendly…he’s just the friend she needs even if he is almost half her age. And the kicker? She can see him. For some reason, Ben and everything around him are visible to her. Oh yeah, there’s also his older brother who just happens to be the lead singer of her favorite rock band.

But nothing comes without a price, and Maggie is devastated when she finds out exactly why she’s able to see Ben. This revelation leads to some hard truths for her as faces her life after blindness.

Great story? Yes. Happily ever after? Maybe, maybe not. But life doesn’t always end this way, either. Another huge bonus for me? This young adult book is truly meant for young adults with the exception of an obscenity here or there.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The One Thing (Single Title (One-Off))