Book Review: Blink Once by Cylin Busby

Summary: 
West is a high school senior who has everything going for him until an accident leaves him paralyzed. Strapped down in his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, West is terrified and alone. Until he meets Olivia. She’s the girl next door—sort of. A patient in the room next to his, only Olivia can tell what West is thinking, and only Olivia seems to know that the terrible dreams he’s been having are not just a result of his medication. Yet as West comes to rely on Olivia—to love her, even—certain questions pull at him: Why has Olivia been in the hospital for so long? And what does it mean that she is at the center of his nightmares? But the biggest question of all comes when West begins to recover and learns that the mysterious girl he’s fallen in love with has a secret he could never have seen coming.

Release Date: September 4, 2012
Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: NetGalley

Review:
What a haunting story!  Reading the summary, I loved the idea of a secret connection between Olivia and West.  And that is exactly what they had.  Something about being in an accident or similar health crisis kind of strips people down to their core.  Suddenly, the things you thought were so important are suddenly not.  I like reading about characters who are going through these kinds of situations.  These kinds of stories are just so compelling to me.

Once I started Blink Once, I knew there was no way I could go to bed without knowing what was going to happen to West.  I am usually not a fan of a male first-person narrative, but I really liked West.  He was so open and raw, and I appreciate that in a character.  I sped through Blink Once in just a few hours.  The narrative was written beautifully, and the plot was paced so well, that I just could not stop reading.

The only thing that bothered me about this book, and this was a big thing for me, is that is was almost a ghost story.  And if you know me, you know that I don't do ghost stories.  Not even if they are friendly ghosts.  There was a thriller-type element to Blink Once, almost a ghostly kind of thing, that freaked me out.  The combination of this book and being up late got me kind of scared.  I am such a ninny, I know.  But I wanted to warn others---if you scare easily, this one may not be for you.

The ending was not quite the happily-ever-after I was hoping for, but it was very appropriate and moving.  I loved watching West grow and change throughout the story, for me that was the best part of the book.  I would definitely read Cylin Busby again.  I loved her writing style and her emotional plot.  Overall, I would recommend Blink Once.



2 comments:

  1. I saw this review on GR and have decided to give it a go. *fingers crossed*

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  2. I went to the library today and picked this book up on a whim. I'd already found all the books i wanted but i saw this one on the table and figured 'why not give it a go?'. I knew i'd be in the library for a while because my dad dropped me off before work and said he'd be back to pick me up in a couple of hours. I went to my favourite spot in a the library (near the back by the 'Life Sciences' section) and started reading. 3 and a half hours and 290 pages later...wow. Though i wouldn't say it's the best book i've ever read, it definitely fit the bill of 'un-put-down-able'. Literally. Just in case anyone reading this intends to read the book, i won't ruin it; but seriously: THAT PLOT TWIST. Not going to lie, it bugged me. I wanted them to have their happy ending but i guess the fact that they didn't get it made the book all the more real and relateable. Enough babbling, what are you waiting for? Go to the library and pick it up. What's 3 and a half hours out of your day for a seriously good read that will stay with you for God knows how long (personally, 12 hours later i'm still pondering as to what West did with the rest of his life). Enjoy! x

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