Blink Once

Jun 18, 2012 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, ya-shelves

As a librarian, I can see why this novel won a coveted spot in the JLG Fall selection. A compelling read, well told love story, beautiful cover and plotting that will pull in reluctant readers. I see this as high interest for my teens.

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Aug 14, 2012 Lacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Wow...this book has definitely earned a spot on my favorites shelf! I'm just so wowed by the entire book and the twist?! I never saw it coming...wish I could tell you every little detail I loved about this book but per publishers request I will wait a month before the book's release date to release my review! But Cylin Busby has a wonderful talent in writing and I can't wait to read any other books she releases!

Here's the link to my full review: http://laceyshoelaces.blogspot.com/20...

There's al...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Sometimes at night, when I was alone, or when I was at the pool, in the quiet stillness underwater, my mind would go to that place. To the hospital, to the people there. It was as if my heart could travel, over the miles, over the months that had passed, and I was back with her. Olivia"

Wow. Amazing book, great love story.

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Oct 19, 2012 Shaun Heneghan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just when authors of Young Adult novels seem to be all alike...along comes Cylin Busby. Her newest work, Blink Once, is a YA novel that truly respects the intellectual and emotional depth of young adult readers.

Blink Once centers around a high-school senior, West, who lies in a hospital, paralyzed and heavily medicated. Only another patient, the mysterious Oliva, understands West's inner thoughts--including his haunting dreams. The author uses crafty techniques (such as semi-reliable narration)...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5 stars - This book had such potential to be a very powerful book. Unfortunately, the writing and the story progression just was not compelling. So I really want to bump it up to a three to credit Busby for her creativity, but I just find it hard to find the book more than just okay.

To be honest, I couldn't get into the first 2/3 of the book. We meet West, who was paralyzed in an accident, and he meets another patient Olivia, who supposedly shows him how to live.

Meanwhile, West's point of view...more 2.5 stars - This book had such potential to be a very powerful book. Unfortunately, the writing and the story progression just was not compelling. So I really want to bump it up to a three to credit Busby for her creativity, but I just find it hard to find the book more than just okay.

To be honest, I couldn't get into the first 2/3 of the book. We meet West, who was paralyzed in an accident, and he meets another patient Olivia, who supposedly shows him how to live.

Meanwhile, West's point of view switches back and forth from his current state to memories of the past and dreams of another world. I felt disconnected as West floated among the three, and I kept thinking they were really random and wondering how in the world everything tied in together. Of course, they did help me come up with my theory, and I will say the book was not at all unpredictable (yes, a double-negative, but it makes more of an emphasis that way).

What really bothered me was the convenience of everything - the bike accident that left him in a paralyzed state and the miraculous surgery that could have killed him. And how easily West and Olivia fell in love. Sure the book questions how you can fall in love with someone you've never even talked to, but I would believe it had I felt more connected to West and Olivia. Unfortunately, I found both characters to be weird and a bit on the awkward side, and their whole interaction was just off - understandable, but off nonetheless.

Of course, even though the book was predictable, and I did see it coming, the epiphany did blow me away - but just for a little bit. Then the story went back to being kind of boring, which was really disappointing because I felt Busby could do SO much with it. I will say I liked how Busby tied everything in together - Olivia, the dreams and everything else. But again, her writing and story progression lacked that compelling component that drew you into West's feelings.

Overall, I would give this book five stars for concept. I just wish there was a way I could have been more into it.(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Kelli (I'd So Rather Be Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, ya, award-winner

A spare, evocative thriller from an acclaimed YA memoirist. In this haunting story, we first meet West, a 17-year-old accident victim who wakes up in the hospital confused about what has happened to him, and the extent of his injuries.
Luckily, there is a teen girl in the room next door, Olivia, who is more than happy to fill him in: “You’re paralyzed, in case no one has told you yet,” she announces bluntly. Olivia, a beautiful former ballerina, is at once charming and terrifying, and she quickl...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, paranormal, contemporary, ya-books, favorites, books-reviewed, book-tour

Blink Once is what I would call a contemporary story with paranormal elements. At the heart of the story is a high school boy who has been in a biking accident that leaves him in the hospital and wondering when--if--he will get out. Weaving in and out of the plot are bizarre dreams that make him questions what is real and what is a figment of his imagination. There is the beautiful Olivia, also a patient and who has her secrets. With each answer, new questions arise in a complex plot that culmin...more Blink Once is what I would call a contemporary story with paranormal elements. At the heart of the story is a high school boy who has been in a biking accident that leaves him in the hospital and wondering when--if--he will get out. Weaving in and out of the plot are bizarre dreams that make him questions what is real and what is a figment of his imagination. There is the beautiful Olivia, also a patient and who has her secrets. With each answer, new questions arise in a complex plot that culminates in a revelation of self-identity and the workings of the world.

West has been paralyzed in an accident that he barely remembers. Everyone seems to believe that he isn't aware of his surroundings--everyone, except Olivia that is. Olivia is the only one that realizes that West is conscious, and together they form a bond out of their similar circumstances, as both are trapped in the hospital and the only company for each other. Drifting in and out of consciousness, West is barely aware of what is going on, however, and sometimes it takes time for his mind to puzzle through days and sort them in chronological order. Some things may take years to recover; others will fade out of mind. The focus of most of his thoughts are on Olivia.

The two have a bizarre relationship that seems to have been born out of need. The need for someone to be there, understanding and compassionate. Someone who understands. Even when one of them gets to pushy or crosses some line, the other will be quick to forgive because they have no one else. Having broken up with his ex-girlfriend, it wouldn't have been hard for West to turn his thoughts towards the girl who is there, and Olivia is lonely, having spent quite some time alone in the hospital.

I love how this story explores the unexplained. How is West having these dreams about people he has never met, and who really is Olivia? The story is told through the perspective of someone who isn't entirely there for much of the novel, so West's story isn't very credible. Nevertheless, it is incredible, unique, and interesting. This is a story that I would recommend to those who are interested in a different kind of contemporary read with supernatural elements in addition to a tad bit of mystery and thrills.

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Aug 14, 2012 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start by saying this is a very hard story to review without spoiling anything, but let me try.
Blink Once is an emotional and mysterious story. This was an interesting premise, and I connected pretty well with West. It was definitely a journey being in his head while he is so hurt, not knowing what is real, what is a dream, and trying to piece together everything that happened to him, and if his dreams mean anything.
I loved Nurse Norris, and often wondered how she could stay so positi...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Mad Hatter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, already-read-books-that-i-own

It took me less than a day to finish reading this book.

Why? How?

It was an easy read, no hard to understand vocabulary, and the plot was simply marvelous. It's one of those books where you think you can predict everything out clearly, but in the end it will surprise you on how wrong you can be.

I love how it started, and I love how I would get teary on some parts of the story, since the two main characters just touch my heart at what happened to the both of them.

But the only thing I don't reall...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covet-these-covers, fiction, kept-me-guessing, lovely-characters, read-in-2013, romance, young-adult

Wow. I've been wanting to read this book for a long while and knew that it had the opportunity to be a really powerful read. I love the fantastical element in it of not knowing whether or not Olivia truly exists or if she is just a figment of West's damaged mind. Because he's trapped in his hospital bed for so much of the novel, it was definitely at risk for falling flat or trying to overreach and become philosophical in the times when West contemplates this change in his life and what it curren...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Sami rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was probably the best book I have ever read. I have never read a book that is so detailed and heartwarming. I read this book in less than 2 days and I couldn't stop reading it. It was a great love story and it was very intense. I don't think there was one part in the book I didn't like.

The authors point of this book was to entertain the readers. This was a fiction book and it didn't really persuade me to do anything other than to keep reading!

The theme of this book I think was to nev...more This book was probably the best book I have ever read. I have never read a book that is so detailed and heartwarming. I read this book in less than 2 days and I couldn't stop reading it. It was a great love story and it was very intense. I don't think there was one part in the book I didn't like.

The authors point of this book was to entertain the readers. This was a fiction book and it didn't really persuade me to do anything other than to keep reading!

The theme of this book I think was to never give up on hope. In the book, a boy named West got paralyzed from a bike accident. He went into a coma for about a month and didn't realize he went into a coma. The doctors and nurses said that West would never be able to walk on his own without surgery. The surgery that they had planned for him was a 1/10 chance of actually helping West be able to live a normal life again. While he was in the hospital, he met a girl named Olivia (even though he was paralyzed.) They end up falling in love together and she tells him if he gets better because of the surgery, to come back for her. He fully recovers from his surgery and comes back to Olivia but finds out something strange.

I think that the book was written in description because the author made me feel like I was actually in the book. The story was very effective and it was well written. I wouldn't change anything about the book.

My opinion of this book can't really be explained; that's how good it was. I am being serious when I said I have never read a book like this before. The first couple paragraphs just sucked me in. I couldn't put this book down and I would recommend it to everyone who likes love stories and suspense. The love story in this book is unbelievable and it has a HUGE twist at the end. When I read the ending, my jaw seriously dropped. Like I said before, I wouldn't change this book for a million dollars. There wasn't a part in this book I didn't like.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! I wish there were more stars to rate it, but there isn't. :((less)

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Jan 30, 2013 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

: In this bittersweet story, West, a popular high school junior, has been in a biking accident that has left him paralyzed. Throughout his ordeal, beautiful Olivia, the girl in the room next to him, secretly helps him to cope with all of the unsettling effects of being paralyzed. Although she is often an enigma, her ability to understand his feelings establishes a potent bond between the two. When West begins to have startling nightmares about people he doesn’t know, that often leave him in a co...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Romancing the Book rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance, ya

Reviewed by: Valerie
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Wow. This story was a page turner that sort of crept up on me as I read and by the end I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It’s very suspenseful and had me trying to figure out the ending…

West is in a hospital as we start to know him and struggling to figure out what happened to get him there. Every day, he’s turned, prepped, and visited by his mom. His feelings of confusion and anxiety were hear...more Reviewed by: Valerie
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Wow. This story was a page turner that sort of crept up on me as I read and by the end I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It’s very suspenseful and had me trying to figure out the ending…

West is in a hospital as we start to know him and struggling to figure out what happened to get him there. Every day, he’s turned, prepped, and visited by his mom. His feelings of confusion and anxiety were heart-wrenching to read and I felt that I was putting the pieces of what happened together at the same time he was. As he went in and out of consciousness, day after day, I felt sorry for him, his mom, and his friends.

When his friend, Olivia, appeared, the story moved into a gentle friendship between two teenagers on the same floor in adjoining rooms. I wasn’t sure what to make of Olivia. At times she was kind but her facial features and actions left me in doubt as to her true intentions regarding West. As their friendship grew, she became selfish at times and began questioning whether West truly had feelings for her.

Since I was rooting for West to get better, I was cheering as he moved from hospital to surgery and then physical therapy but wondered what would happen to his relationship with Olivia? Sometimes, I flipped back a page or two rereading a part making sure I was keeping all the facts and hints I felt I was reading in order. I was also trying to figure out all the dreams and characters that kept appearing to him while he was in the hospital and their significance.

There is no way to discuss any more of the story about what happens to West and Olivia without posting spoilers. This is one I’d definitely recommend as the writing style flows along without any lags in the story and you truly want to know what happens to the characters in the end.

Favorite Quote: In the tree of my life, this year was a ring dark and deep, embedded further than any other year had been or ever would be.(less)

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Dec 24, 2012 Darcie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2.5 Stars
Contains mild spoilers
Before I start reading I usually take a quick look at the ratings. Half the time it won't matter if the majority of the readers rate it 3 stars or less or 4-5 stars, chances are I'll still give it a chance.
So when I found the majority had rated 4-5 stars I had pretty high expectations. Unfortunately I was disappointed.
I got pretty bored during the first half. I understand that when writing about someone who is paralyzed, there's only so much you can write about the...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Esther Shaindel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...

I love the tone of this story. West doesn't actually talk while he's in the Wilson center, but we get to know him fairly quickly by the way he tells the story, even without seeing him interact with Olivia. He tells the story with a sort of dry humor, but at the same time he's very serious and somber. It's an interesting mix.

The way the story moves from West's current experiences to his dreams and memories is really great....more

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Nov 21, 2012 Jade Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp, paranormal, rated-a

Blink Once was one of those books that I just don't know how to describe, I enjoyed it so much because it was so mind bending and psychological. I never really had a clue what was going on and the ending just totally threw me, just when you think you've grasped what's going on that happens... It was pretty amazing and, in a way, anticlimatic. Don't get me wrong, I loved what Busby did with this book, it was realistic and semi-believable and works well as both a 'supernatural' book as well as a c...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Tyler-rose (The Reading Pile) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! Blink Once is one of the only books as of late to make me cry at some point or another. Seriously, this book is emotional and not for young readers. The whole idea of this short novel could be found to be upsetting for many readers no matter the age - it was for me.

The story is told from West's point of view who is in a coma at Wilson's hospital. It's here he meets the girl he loves, he didn't know it at the time... but in time he comes to love this girl, Olivia. Olivia starts off mean, bu...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trues and Falses

It’s been theorized that the human brain operates like a biological supercomputer, essentially getting its messages across through the chemical equivalent of binary code. But for West Spencer, the quadriplegic protagonist of Cylin Busby’s Blink Once, communication through binaries proves to be a formidable process. Through the impressively medically-accurate but not overwhelmingly technical exposition, West orients himself with his locked-in syndrome; he is strapped to a hospital...more Trues and Falses

It’s been theorized that the human brain operates like a biological supercomputer, essentially getting its messages across through the chemical equivalent of binary code. But for West Spencer, the quadriplegic protagonist of Cylin Busby’s Blink Once, communication through binaries proves to be a formidable process. Through the impressively medically-accurate but not overwhelmingly technical exposition, West orients himself with his locked-in syndrome; he is strapped to a hospital bed, unable to move or feel anything below his eyes. The darkly mysterious beauty from the next room over, lonesome Olivia, relinks him to the world of communication with characteristic efficiency: “She stared hard at my face, like I could answer. ‘Just blink once for yes and twice for no,’ she sighed, exasperated” (7). And through this simple system of “trues” and “falses”—and Olivia’s stealthy visits to his room—West and his patient neighbor develop their own bond, in parallel to the former’s struggle to reintegrate his damaged networks: between his mind and body and between his thoughts and the verbal community—his visitors, hospital staff, and of course, the “girl with huge dark eyes” (5), Olivia.

The protagonist’s immediate openness to considering supernatural explanations for some of his eerie hospital experiences sends the reader on a refreshing and generally convincing departure from the paranormal fiction convention (i.e. following the characters on a drawn-out journey toward accepting the paranormal). In fact, the investigation itself is all but inconsequential. Rather, Blink Once prioritizes the states of West’s sentience over his credulity, challenging the meanings of “consciousness” and “agency” within different dialogues. Like from the individual contexts of social relationships and social issues. Even though the book centers on the pains West and Olivia take to surmount the quite different impediments segregating their feelings from their emotions from their forms of expression, it also seriously but non-didactically attends to hot topics like the ethics of euthanasia and the definition of “living.”
Through the duo’s struggles, a largely (and understandably!) unvocalized romance gradually kindles between the pair. But how this romance so suddenly heats up from flame to wildfire is still a little lost on me. Two facts do help undercut any resulting misgivings: first, West and Olivia are, indeed, young adults (and so, as per convention, prone to such dramatic cases of spontaneous combustion). But more importantly, they genuinely, almost eerily instinctively empathize with one other’s thoughts and feelings even before the other can expresses them—whether via frown or double-blink: “We don’t have to talk and I know what you’re thinking. You don’t have to say a word” (75). However the rapidity of their fervor still remains one of several instances where I felt that the novel tended to drag on certain complications only to haste—albeit affectively and effectively—through their cruxes. I personally wish that the first two thirds of the book were quicker-paced (or at least, for the space given, that it introduced a more diverse assortment of plot events and/or interpretations through West’s eyes), and that the last third were a bit more fleshed out. In terms of plot, some of the loose ends left untied in the resolution do serve central themes: accepting uncertainty, dealing with the non-universalizability of “reality,” etc. But I would have been happier if these necessary loose ends were better developed, their uncertainty further reflected upon. In particular, some of the world-building mechanisms would have been okay left unexplained if they weren’t left unaddressed.

That said, I especially admire Busby’s technique of introducing West’s impressions and attitudes as intuitive or “given,” then later rewarding the reader for taking these opinions for granted by validating them with his ongoing observations, like when he takes note of his nurse’s gapped teeth and “that made [him] instantly like her even more than [he] already did” (18). This instant affection eventually takes on real meaning for the reader as the nurse’s characterization augments, verifying West’s seemingly cursory judgement. Similarly, insofar as the narrator, West, is comfortable enough to relate the events delineating the structure of his not-so-subtle homosocial/homoerotic relationship with his friend Mike, Busby succeeds in capturing the sequence of these moments as pure observations—and conveying their ensuing awkwardness—without explicitly developing West’s interpretations of them like she does for his other, less ticklish experiences.

Without a doubt, the story arc of Blink Once will appeal to fans of romance fiction. But I feel that the content will resonate more with readers interested in ghosts and mysteries, in consciousness and the surreal. West and Olivia supersede their role as a star-crossed couple, delving into questions of interconnectedness and self-expression and “soul mates” on a dramatic scale, but from a young-adult perspective relatable by readers who may be faced with some form of the same questions. While West provides the focalization and narrative voice, one should note that Olivia’s dialogue comprises the excerpt, Olivia’s description precedes West’s in the insert, and Olivia—sans West—inhabits the cover, which suggests that the novel targets a specifically female YA audience, even though I believe the novel’s exploration of communication and community, and ultimately competency, to be universally useful. It’s a shame that the marketing didn’t seem to have invested in attracting male readers; while the unconventional premise proved a poignant vehicle for the “love” moiety, it also wove a consistently interesting narrative (for either gender, I believe). Altogether a great read if you’re looking for a more mentally exfoliating kind of romance.

While there may be an infinity of questions lacking yes-or-no answers, 1s and 0s remain the indivisible elements from which we may begin to address them. According to Blink Once, once a true connection between two psyches is constructed, these irreducibly simple bits of language can themselves compose an infinitely complex meaning. West must learn to apply this realization in order to truly feel the gravity of his petition when it comes his turn to implore Olivia to fulfill their mutual understanding and blink once—to say “yes.”(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Panda1222 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be honest, when I picked up this book, I was expecting Olivia to be a Yandere or a serial killer. I mean, a guy waking up paralyzed, combined with nightmarish dreams, and a mysterious girl he falls in love with linked to it all? Definitely suspicious. And while it didn't go the way I was expecting, I still enjoyed myself.

Now, keep in mind, I'm not into romance books, and I'm especially don't like romance books where characters announce their love for each other after only a short amount of t...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Maya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya

During the last half of this book, I just could not put it down! While I did find the first half a little bit repetitive, I think the rest definitely made up for that. I became completely drawn into this captivating story, to the point where someone could call my name whilst I was reading and I wouldn't hear them!

I loved that Blink Once was told from West's perspective - it was really interesting to read something told from the point of view of a person who cannot move or speak. It was also rea...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Preet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hardcopy-must-own

This is one of those books I'd love to discuss with someone over some coffee. I don't even know what to say about Blink Once other than saying I loved it because I really don't want to ruin it.

West waking up from an accident with little knowledge as to what's wrong with him and how he got there felt really spot on for me. Not that I've ever woken from an accident, but I do know what it's like to wake up from a surgery and not be able to speak while being unaware of your surroundings. It sucks an...more This is one of those books I'd love to discuss with someone over some coffee. I don't even know what to say about Blink Once other than saying I loved it because I really don't want to ruin it.

West waking up from an accident with little knowledge as to what's wrong with him and how he got there felt really spot on for me. Not that I've ever woken from an accident, but I do know what it's like to wake up from a surgery and not be able to speak while being unaware of your surroundings. It sucks and is really disorienting until someone decides to fill you in.

Most of the characters played a really great role throughout the book in one way or another. Even if they had short scenes, I felt like I had a really good idea of who they were. Busby writes in a way that makes you feel like you're laying in bed as West and going through everything he's going through. It gets to a point that it's kind of uncomfortable to think about at times, but builds a great connection to other characters when you're in his shoes.

The only part of the story I could've done without is the love story. It was sweet, but I personally liked Olivia's bond with West more than anything. I didn't feel like I needed it to develop into something more than just an understanding of what two people were going through. However, their story did add a dash of hopefulness to the plot in a rather dark story, so I can see why it was done.

This is a story that will definitely have you questioning everything you read as you get deeper into the story. The plot left me reading to the very end just to see what would happen between various characters because I could never get a solid grasp on my theories. I continually doubted myself on how characters would end up. Blink Once has definitely made me a Cylin Busby fan and I can't wait to see more from her. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

Book Playlist:

Ghost of You - My Chemical Romance

Sleepwalking - Photek, Linche

Angles - We Shot The Moon

Hush - Automatic Loveletter(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: psychological, contemporary, male-protagonist, mystery, own, real-life-issues, thought-provoking, thriller, unique, ya

Emily's Review at http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: Blink Once is part contemporary YA novel and part something more. It's part mystery, part medical drama, part real-life story. I love YA books with strong male characters, even if that character spends at least part of the book in a vegetative state, unable to really communicate with anyone else.

First 50 Pages: Blink Once starts out quickly. West, the narrator and main character in the story, has been in a horrific acc...more Emily's Review at http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: Blink Once is part contemporary YA novel and part something more. It's part mystery, part medical drama, part real-life story. I love YA books with strong male characters, even if that character spends at least part of the book in a vegetative state, unable to really communicate with anyone else.

First 50 Pages: Blink Once starts out quickly. West, the narrator and main character in the story, has been in a horrific accident. He is unable to move his legs, breathe on his own, or really even communicate with the outside world. He is having nightmares that are extraordinarily vivid that creeps him out. His only link to the rest of the world is Olivia, the girl in the room next to him. She is different from everyone else that West encounters at the hospital. Even though all of the action is taking place in the confines of one small hospital room, Blink Once is captivating and engrossing.

Characters & Plot: West and Olivia are multidimensional characters that seem to leap off the page. For the first 2/3 of the book, West is confined to a hospital room, but the story still moves ahead at full speed. The rest of the characters serve their purposes well, creating more depth to West. One of my favorite characters is Nurse Norris, a nurse with a heart of gold. She works a hard job, dealing with the day-to-day struggles with patients who may never wake up from their own nightmares.

Once West is able to leave his first hospital room, the story takes on another whole dimension. Who was Olivia? Was she part of his dreams? Real? Something else entirely? It's hard to talk about the plot without giving too much away, but there is enough mystery there to make you want to keep reading.

Final Thoughts: Blink Once leaves you with some serious unanswered questions, but you still feel satisfied when you turn to the last pages of this book. Life is hard and complicated, and there are rarely any easy answers. Blink Once makes you believe that the mind is more powerful than you might imagine and that what we know is only a small part of what we can accomplish.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Emy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone !

Recommended to Emy by: Claudiu

Shelves: favorites

Oh My God ! I have just finished another awesome book ! I had some sad feelings as I read it ,of course.But this is why I enjoyed it so much ! There can be lots of sad stories,but they must be well written.And "Blink
Once" is certainly a good-written one !
The subject is really great.Something new for me .I mean,I've heard about this "meetings" with other "spirits" of the alive patients,as you're in comatose.But I never knew exactly how it was like.Before I read this book.I felt so bad about West...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Alexandra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly I thought this was going to be a lot better than it was. Many people have it four and five stars and plus someone I spoke to said she heard it was amazing. But alas, I was not impressed. At all.

First of all, it moved way too slowly. Now, normally I don't have a problem with slow moving books. As long as they're going somewhere or seem like they eventually plan to go somewhere. This one dragged like no one's business. But because of all the great reviews I kept plugging along, sure that...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

(This review is also on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).

I bought this book as a gift to myself because, well, I can never have enough books! The synopsis of the book sounded really good, and I was kind of right.

West ends up in hospital paralysed from the neck down after a biking accident. He thinks that life will never get any better until he meets the alluring Olivia who is in the next room. Soon, she's sneaking in to his room to see him whenever she can. He com...more (This review is also on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).

I bought this book as a gift to myself because, well, I can never have enough books! The synopsis of the book sounded really good, and I was kind of right.

West ends up in hospital paralysed from the neck down after a biking accident. He thinks that life will never get any better until he meets the alluring Olivia who is in the next room. Soon, she's sneaking in to his room to see him whenever she can. He communicates with her by blinking his eyes once for yes and twice for no. West starts having some strange dreams whilst in hospital. He can't but help to feel that his dreams and the hospital he's in are somehow connected. And what's the deal with Olivia? Why is she in hospital?

I thought the title of this book kind of suits it. West does use blinking for communicating, but that's about it. I don't really see the significance of the title "Blink Once." The author could've chose another title that's better suited to the book, but I suppose Blink Once suits it a bit.

The cover, like the title sort of suits the book. It's just a picture of a girl laying down, possibly sleeping. I'm assuming it's Olivia. It seems that most YA books these days take the easy route of picking out a design for their cover but just putting up a photo of one of the main characters. Meh, like I said, it's an okay cover, but it could've been better. It does relate to the book though so I suppose that's something.

There's not much to say about the setting. About 98 percent of the book takes place in a hospital. The other places the book takes place is in memories in West's mind for the most part.

The pacing started out so so so slowly. I was thinking how disappointed I was in this book especially as I actually paid money for it. I had to force myself to read it, but I'm glad I did. About 65 percent of the way through the book, the pacing of the book picks up. It becomes a fascinating read. Of this, I was very thankful. Once I got to where the book had decent pacing, I couldn't put the book down. I was wondering if I was actually reading the same book as the pacing was totally opposite for awhile.

The dialogue is good for a young adult book. There is some swearing in this book, but it's not too much. I liked the way the characters, especially the boys, came across as being "real" teenagers, as in talking about how hot a girl was and that sort of thing. A lot of YA books seem to make their teenage characters appear to be more adult. It was so refreshing to see the characters acting their age.

As for the characters, I must admit, at first I couldn't care less about what happened to West and Olivia or what was going to happen to them. When the book actually got going, I started falling in love with West and Olivia. I loved their relationship. You can definitely feel that they've got something special. Olivia does come across as a bit needy, but I think that helped me relate to her. She doesn't come across as an annoying needy girl. It's a bit hard to explain.

This book will make you question certain things. I won't tell you what because I don't want to give too much away. It made me feel like I shouldn't ever take anything for granted.

I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 16+.

Blink Once by Cylin Busby gets a 3.5 out of 5 from me.(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Antonia ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted on my blog:
http://whispersatmoonlight.wordpress....

Okay, this book got me intrigued from the first page till the last one. I loved it and I still can’t believe I finished it. ''Blink Once'' is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. But it is also the saddest book. The story is original and PERFECT. Yes, perfect.

And I have to thank Mrs. Cylin for giving me this huge opportunity. If it wasn’t her, I would have never read ‘’Blink Once’’.

EVERYTHING CHANGES WHEN YOU FIND...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books

I have mixed feeling about this book. There were some things I really enjoyed about it but other things I wasn't as keen on.

Things I liked
I enjoyed following the story from the perspective of the main character West. I really liked his voice and I loved the relationship he developed with Olivia and I enjoyed seeing that relationship develop in the very unique way it did.

I really enjoyed the twist and didn't see it coming at all and thought it was unique.

What I was unsure about
Due to the natu...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Zoe Crook rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-received-for-review

Poignant and unique, Blink Once is a beautiful novel that will have you smiling and sniffling at every page. When I received this book in the post, I started it immediately as I was so intrigued. It didn't disappoint, and I really enjoyed reading it.

This book is told through the eyes of West, a high school boy who has an accident on his bike and is paralysed. At the hospital, he meets Olivia who is also a patient. She comes into his room and talks to him, only communicating through "Blink once f...more Poignant and unique, Blink Once is a beautiful novel that will have you smiling and sniffling at every page. When I received this book in the post, I started it immediately as I was so intrigued. It didn't disappoint, and I really enjoyed reading it.

This book is told through the eyes of West, a high school boy who has an accident on his bike and is paralysed. At the hospital, he meets Olivia who is also a patient. She comes into his room and talks to him, only communicating through "Blink once for no, blink twice for yes." I think that the whole premise of this novel is extremely original and I love the idea of a young romance where they are in both similar situations but West is unable to do anything apart from blink.

I can't write this review without mentioning how interesting it was reading from West's POV. Almost the whole novel is told by a boy who can not move or talk, restricted to his hospital bed. However, Busby seemed to carry out a fascinating tale without it getting dull.

Despite adoring the story and characters, I did find one fault. As I just mentioned, West is paralysed and is a character which is unable to interact with others apart from blinking. I found it interesting that Busby made this work. However, at the beginning, at a few chapters I began to get a bit annoyed by the routine of his life. Of course, being paralysed does not allow to do anything, but I felt that the layout of the chapter was getting a bit irritating. It was effective and gripping at first, but it started to get a bit repetitive for a short while. It started with an action-packed dream that lasted for a few seconds, and then he woke up and the nurses talked to him for a bit. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I found this a bit tedious. However, just as I was getting bored, the novel picked up. The ending is .... wow, how do I explain the ending? MIND. BLOWING. Beautiful, morose and just... WOW. <3

I definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone. It will probably make you cry at the end, so be prepared. I blink twice for a sequel! ;) This is a story which haunted me for the rest of the day, and I am sure it will do the same to you too.
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Jan 22, 2013 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was definitely creepy in a fascinating way. After a teenager gets into an accident, he meets this girl in the hospital who is ghost like but amazing to him in the same way. There’s a sad but amazing twist at the end that I never saw coming and the way West changed throughout the book, was above all my favorite part.
I rated it a 4 because the story all around is fascinating but spooky! The author showed a lot of emotion, but in more of a loving way. It’s hard to explain, so just read t...more

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