Blink Once by Cyn Busby

Blink Once by Cyn Busby
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304

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.

My Thoughts: Wow. When I started this, I knew something wasn’t right. It just didn’t feel right. Something was different. Something was weird.

We are introduced to West who is a popular guy. Everything is lined up for him. He’ll go to college. He has the popular cool girlfriend, and a nice family and best friend. Things are pretty good.

Until one day when West wakes up in the hospital. He’s paralyzed, he’s got a tube down his throat, so he can’t even talk.

Blink Once tells us West’s story and how things unfold. We get flashbacks, we get what is going on now, we get to see his family and friends come into the hospital to see him. The only way he can communicate, is to blink once or twice.

There is also a girl. There is always a girl. Her name is Olivia and she shares the room next door. Every night Olivia sneaks in to see West and they communicate in their own way, with her doing all the talking mostly.

I loved these characters. I loved West and seeing things from his point of view. We don’t know if he’s going to ever walk again or be his old self, but he has to have faith that he will.

Things are crazy. The ending, wow. I kind of knew something was up, something wasn’t quite right and in a way, I was right. It was kind of crazy the way things took that twist and I kind of knew something was going to happen that would change things drastically.

This is definitely a debut that should be on your fall reading list. Interesting, lovable characters that keep us at the edge of our seats.

Overall: Blink Once has romance, strength, and the true hope that something good can happen even when something bad comes first. I really enjoyed this one, and I think you might too.

Cover: Like it! Like the girl on it, she kind of reminds me of how Olivia might look.

What I'd Give It: