Nicole C. KearReviews

nonfiction/memoir (retinitis pigmentosa / motherhood). funny and a quick read.

I'm not a wild non-fiction reader but this one was pretty interesting. A woman who gets a You Will Be Blind in 10 year diagnosis when she is in her teens. She writes with good humor about navigating the world, a marriage, kids and a life with ever diminishing eyesight about which she is in massive denial.

'The Fix-it Friends' is a chapter book series for fans of Katie Woo. Veronica feels left out when her best friend pairs up with the new girl. At the back of the book, there are handy hints for surviving the ups and downs of friendship.

In this installment of the Fix-It Friends series, Veronica Conti wants a trophy. Everyone she knows has one or at least a medal for all of their hard work. She makes it her mission to have one. Her school announces a 100 days contest and Veronica wants to win the trophy. The only problem is she gets teamed up with Matthew Sawyer, her biggest enemy. Veronica just knows her hopes of getting a trophy are very low. Matthew needs to get organized and Veronica and the Fix-It Friends are on the job. This is a great story for anyone who has read the others in the series or just wants to read a realistic fiction book about third graders. I would recommend this for any collection. The story line is true to the typical third grade angst and children being children.

Having the same same eye condition as Nicole Kear, I was intrigued to read this book. In fact, a coworker brought it to my attention and suggested we purchase it for the library (I am responsible for purchasing books for our local library). Anyway, reading this book was like looking at my life experiences in may ways. One of the things about slowly losing your vision is that you adapt to the unnoticeable changes along the way so there really is no reason to tell anyone - you just do things a little different but no one notices or cares. Some of the fakes Nicole did I also did - like dealing with not seeing in the dark you just fake having one too many drinks - even if you have held the same drink for hours! Don't drive at night and you are out with friends, you just catch a ride or have to leave at sunset to pick up your kid. No one is the wiser. There is a point that comes when you simply can't fake things anymore and you have to have some help....with a deep breath and a lot of quiet meditation you come out of the closet and ask for help. With the many great staff at the Florida Division of Blind Services I was able to receive technology that allows me to be "normal" again and use a computer with technology that enlarges the screen, provides color contrast so it is easier to read with less glare, and even with audio options that reads EVERYTHING on the scree TO YOU. In fact you can take the written page and capture the images on your computer screen which will read the page to you. Amazing! I also have to thank the very kind staff at Lighthouse of the Palm Beaches for their support and training for home safety and mobility training. Nicole lives in New York and describes much of the same type of training and support she received from her local offices. Thank you Nicole for putting your experience down to help others learn about your experience!

READ IN ENGLISH

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

I'm not really used to reading memoirs, and it feels a bit odd to rate this book (it feels a bit like I'm rating someone's life, which I'm not, I'm just rating how much I enjoyed reading about it).

Nicole is 19 when she's diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a untreatable genetic disorder that causes her to gradually loose her sight and eventually will turn her blind. Nicole gets in a state of complete denial for as long as possible, trying to make the best of life. And, despite what the blurb says, she doesn't run away with the circus, she only spends one summer on circus-school.

Blindess is fascinating, but mostly in the 'I really hope it never happens to me/someone I know' kind of way. This story was interesting and at times even funny. She tries to keep her deteriorating sight a secret as long as possible, and even though she decides quite often she can't continue this way, this what she ends up doing every time. Understandable, because admitting would feel like surrendering to the disease.

This was a short, good book. Most memoirs seem to have elements of the protagonist finding inner strength or another person to achieve more than they ever expected. I am sometimes a sucker for those. This was very different and enjoyable. Denial and humor were the main characteristics. There was also a support system but it wasn't perfectly portrayed.

What ages would I recommend it too? Twenty one and up.

** Overdosing (nigh every single page) of cursing and too much time on multiple sexual encounters.

Length? MA couple of days.

Characters? Memorable, several characters.

Setting? Real world, mostly New York and California.

Written approximately? 2014.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? Ready to read a blindness memoir that is appropriate for all ages.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. The amount of cursing is overdone and detracts from the story. Sections that should have been embellished were skimmed, and sections that should have been skimmed were embellished.

Short storyline: Mostly a flashback through ten years of a woman's struggle to hide her blindness. Her doctors were honest with her, though they didn't offer much help. However, her family refused to help her or learn how to help her. They basically emotionally abandoned her when she needed them most.

Notes for the reader: The every page of cursing means this book should be about a 2. The excessive sex scenes also keep it about a 2.

It portrays what can happen when a person is given a unexpected diagnosis at an age when they are basically on their own. If she had been given the diagnosis earlier, her life may have been drastically different. Or, even later. A good example of what not to do.

At least she finally decides her life as to change for the better. The finally part of the book is the only thing that saves it. And the fact that she does finally realize what is important in life. Just think, if she ad had her kids ten years sooner, she would have enjoyed more of her vision with them. It would not have been so difficult when they were finally born.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

NOW I SEE YOU, by Nichole C. Kear, an uplifting, emotional, and humorous journey—a memoir about a courageous young woman and her personal battle with a degenerative eye disease—retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

She was told by her doctor, no one in her family has it. Essentially the photoreceptor cells in her retina, the ones that turn light into electrical impulses for the brain are dying. The night vision goes first and peripheral vision, then the central vision later on. Her vision had been given an expiration date—not a good sign!

Her first options: penning epic poems (Homer/Milton); composing musical masterpieces (Ray Charles/Stevie Wonder); and selling pencils out of paper cups (homeless people). Slim pickings!

Diagnosed at age nineteen, an untreatable genetic condition, basically leaving her blind within fifteen years, immediately chose to ignore the diagnosis, and faked all her symptoms for years to come. Nichole goes from being a normal college student, worrying over boys and jobs, college—she would not be able to have children, or function as a normal person. She wants to enjoy her life and indulges herself (you will laugh out at some of the things she says and does).

Bouncing from New York City to California and back, Kear surged forward, hiding her increasing disability from her family and friends. Despite the difficulties of losing her eyesight, Kear fell in love, married and tackled all that she met, even having children and a full life.

When she finally comes out of hiding and embraces all she has—she is able to live. A story of negative turned positive. An uplifting, inspiring, and well-written story—one we all could learn from. It is the little things in life that matter the most. An ideal read for any woman, especially if you are a mother.

With the author’s unique writing style, sometimes you think you are reading a book of fiction. (Loved the attractive front cover). One of the most engaging and satisfying memoirs! I loved Kear's determination and drive to do what she wants to do, despite what other people think (am a firm believer in this). You will fall in love with the author and her wonderful supportive husband. Thank you for sharing such a poignant story. Nichole is assured to empower you!

Going into the dark

Now I See You: A Memoir by Nicole C. Kear (St. Martin’s Press, $25.99).

Nicole Kear was 19 years old when she got the news: She was going blind. She had a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease, which would gradually take her sight over the next decade.

Her decision was to live life to the fullest, as if the diagnosis didn’t exist, and Now I See You is the story of how that worked—and eventually, didn’t.

It covers her stint as a circus performer, acting, partying and wild living, moving from Right to Left Coast and back again, and finally, with her vision narrowing to a tunnel, attempting to hide her growing disability from the people around her. These are some of the—inadvertently—funniest parts of her story, as she tries to “fake it” when she can’t see or explain away the bruises she gets from bumping into things.

But if she’d held on to denial, it wouldn’t be a worthy memoir; for all the humor, the heart is in her journey to accept and adapt to her own “new normal.”

Reviewed on Lit/Rant: www.litrant.tumblr.com

Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear - This book, which has just been featured as a Best New Book in People magazine is terrific. It's the story of a young woman given a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 19 - and how she deals with that diagnosis - and keeping it a secret - for many years - all while fulfilling a bucket list. When she meets the man she eventually marries, has children and her vision dims to the point of her truly needing help in her daily activities, she finally faces the fact that people must be told - but that that will not and does not mean that her life will not be full of all the best there is to find. It's truly inspiring. What was especially fun for me was how well she described motherhood and all that goes with it - and how I could relate to so much of that without having the extra added loss of vision. A disclaimer - Nicole is my brother's daughter-in-law. I haven't met her in person yet, but cannot wait until that finally happens.

Tip #8: On driving

Just because you are in possession of a valid driver's license does not mean you should get behind the wheel. That would be like saying that just because your acid-washed jeans from high school fit, you should wear them.

What an absolutely hilarious, uplifting, and inspiring memoir. At the age of 19 Nicole C. Kear is diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, which in ten years or so will leave her blind. The doctor who gives her that diagnosis warns her that she will start to need to make changes. Well Nicole does make changes, she turns her motto into "carpe fucking diem" and tries to experience as much as she can before she becomes blind. However when she gets married and starts having children around the deadline age for her vision she will start to make some real changes in order to protect her children. Well that doesn't mean that she still isn't somewhat in denial.

The reason that I called this uplifting and inspiring is because Kear deals with her diagnosis in ways that any other person might. She has her breakdowns, her denial, her fear, but yet she also has her moments of joy, and thankfulness for her experiences. She doesn't suddenly become SuperMom (although she is going for Mom of the Year) but she does her best to keep her children happy and safe and do what is best for her family.

This memoir was just hilarious. I was constantly laughing and highlighting passages from it on my Kindle. One of my favorite parts of this and one of the funniest parts were the "Tips for the (Secretly) Blind" that Kear includes before each chapter.

I would highly recommend this memoir, and would especially recommend it to all mothers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the galley.½