by Meg Howrey
Pantheon, $24.95, 290 pages
Meg Howery’s debut novel Blind Sight is a coming of age novel that touches on familial relationships, parental choices, sexuality, religion, science and belief. Though merely seventeen, the main character Luke is a knowing, sensitive soul. He is fascinated by the nuances of the mind and the science of brain function. Luke was raised by women; the strongest of whom is his New Age leaning mother Sara. He practices yoga and meditation, attends a fundamentalist “assembly” church with his grandma, yet describes himself as an atheist. The only plan Luke has for the summer is to run 75-miles a week and write his college application essay, but fate intervenes. Following a call from his previously unknown father, Luke finds himself in Los Angeles, a world away from Delaware. He comes to know and love his Dad during a adventure filled summer. Everything is not always as it seems. Both parents have a secret: One secret he holds close and understands; the other causes everything he knows to be brought into question.
I greatly enjoyed the characters and appreciated Luke’s keen sense of humor, intrigue with the mind, and search for truth. I struggled with the changing narration throughout the book, and I’m still unsure about the ending. Since each reader will have their own “qualia” of experience as Luke suggests, I encourage you to decide for yourself how the book leaves you feeling.
Julie Finley