Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

Blind Spot would be a B-  grade novel.  It definitely had potential with its dark story of perceptions and consequences. 

“There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.” –Goodreads.com

See?! Potential!  Murder mystery is mixed with a handicap that creates even more problems, because Roz cannot see things as clearly.  What I liked about his novel is the take on handicapped people and how others treat them and also how sometimes to prove a point they can harm themselves trying to be independent.  Unfortunately, in this story Roz actually harms others while she is trying to be independent. 

Roz is friendless and now must take a Special Ed course on how to deal with your handicap and the outside world.  Of course Roz hates being labeled handicapped and feels like the class is only meant for people with mental disabilities, not her.  The reality is that Roz has isolated herself trying to be independent.  Because she doesn’t use the label, handicapped, most people do not know she has a disability.  All people know is that she avoids eye contact (which makes her seem rude and obnoxious) and that she wears ridiculously thick glasses. 

Enter Jonathan, I believe he is compared to a Greek god, he is popular and just what Roz thinks the doctor ordered.  Jonathan being the actual douche bag that he is is really using Roz and her feelings for him.  Along with Jonathan comes Tricia, an emotionally disturbed student in Roz’s new class.  Tricia is definitely out there; however, since she actually talks to Roz and Roz feels superior to her Roz accepts this classroom “friendship”.  Then there is Dellian, a HS coach and the teacher in the handicap class.  His major job is to push Roz’s buttons.  A night out at an underage party leads all 4 into a disastrous calamity.

Tricia is now missing, Roz cannot remember anything (except an argument with Tricia) and Jonathan has confirmed that Dellian might be responsible.  Now Roz must uncover the truth about Tricia.  Did the teacher do it?  Are they having an affair?  Did Tricia runaway?  What happened that night and why can’t Roz remember? Told through time (days before incident, days after incident) the reader along with Roz will discover how everyone is connected to what happened to Tricia, but not before accusations and crimes are committed by those that are responsible for that night.

Major potential; however, the story was missing something… I don’t know what exactly but when I finished this book I was not overly impressed but I wasn’t completely disappointed.  The themes were clear and so was the story, perhaps Laura Ellen’s next novel will be better.

Thanks NetGalley!