Review - Blink Once by Cylin Busby
Title: Blink Once
Author: Cylin Busby
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 304
Format: e-ARC (via NetGalley)
Rating: 5/5 Owls
Goodreads 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.
Review
You guys, I'm in a state of shock. This is one of the best, most emotional books I've read in a long time . . . I'm just going to say now that no words I will ever speak (or type) can justify or express exactly how I feel about Blink Once, exactly how much it tore me apart.
Blink Once is about seventeen-year-old West, who is in a mountain bike accident and ends up in a hospital. From the first page, I loved West. He was compassionate, caring, and an overall great guy. He is one of the best male narrators I've ever read. He, however, isn't my favorite character in the book -- Olivia is. From her first scene, she steals the show with her shy, gentle wit and her amazing compassion. She is a fellow patient at the hospital, and she often shows up in West's room to visit and take care of him on her own. Their relationship soon becomes more than just friendly, however, when they fall for each other.
Then, an amazing twist comes about, and everything you thought you knew just gets flipped upside down. The twist brings a great amount of surreal things to the surface, making you doubt every fact you learned. Busby's writing throughout the book is simple; not flowery, or over-descriptive, but just perfect. She gives you just enough information, just enough description to where you know what's going on.
The tension in the story is unbelievably high. The beginning took a little warming up to, but after that, it was smooth sailing. I read the last three-quarters of the book in one sitting, and I loved every page. I sobbed through the last third, especially during the twist at the end that I almost saw coming, but was hoping didn't.
The point is, Blink Once made me feel so much. If you want a book that will make you laugh, cry, gasp, and ultimately fall in love with it, Blink Once is my number-one recommendation. (P.S. My eyes are still watering every time I think about it.)
Blink Once is about seventeen-year-old West, who is in a mountain bike accident and ends up in a hospital. From the first page, I loved West. He was compassionate, caring, and an overall great guy. He is one of the best male narrators I've ever read. He, however, isn't my favorite character in the book -- Olivia is. From her first scene, she steals the show with her shy, gentle wit and her amazing compassion. She is a fellow patient at the hospital, and she often shows up in West's room to visit and take care of him on her own. Their relationship soon becomes more than just friendly, however, when they fall for each other.
Then, an amazing twist comes about, and everything you thought you knew just gets flipped upside down. The twist brings a great amount of surreal things to the surface, making you doubt every fact you learned. Busby's writing throughout the book is simple; not flowery, or over-descriptive, but just perfect. She gives you just enough information, just enough description to where you know what's going on.
The tension in the story is unbelievably high. The beginning took a little warming up to, but after that, it was smooth sailing. I read the last three-quarters of the book in one sitting, and I loved every page. I sobbed through the last third, especially during the twist at the end that I almost saw coming, but was hoping didn't.
The point is, Blink Once made me feel so much. If you want a book that will make you laugh, cry, gasp, and ultimately fall in love with it, Blink Once is my number-one recommendation. (P.S. My eyes are still watering every time I think about it.)
Five Owls
Comments
thank you
Anyways thanks for the great review, so glad I found other readers who enjoyed it as much as I did :)
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