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Blink & Caution

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 1,043 ratings · 244 reviews

Two street kids get tangled in a plot over their heads—and risk an unexpected connection—in this heart-pounding thriller by Tim Wynne-Jones.

Boy, did Blink get off on the wrong floor. All he wanted was to steal some breakfast for his empty belly, but instead he stumbled upon a fake kidnapping and a cell phone dropped by an "abducted" CEO, giving Blink a link to his perfect...more

Hardcover, 345 pages

Published March 8th 2011 by Candlewick Press

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Mock Printz 2012

31st out of 51 books — 220 voters

YA Coolest Character Names

6th out of 45 books — 40 voters

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May 17, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller, level-ya

5/16/11 ** You know that the characters in a book are well-crafted when they wake you up in the middle of the night and won't let you go back to sleep because you want so badly to find out what's going on with them. Have you ever found yourself writing the the book into the future, that part you haven't read yet, as you try to figure out what's going to happen next?

Wynne-Jones has carefully crafted a dual perspective book - in the first half alternating chapters follow Blink and Caution (as in C...more 5/16/11 ** You know that the characters in a book are well-crafted when they wake you up in the middle of the night and won't let you go back to sleep because you want so badly to find out what's going on with them. Have you ever found yourself writing the the book into the future, that part you haven't read yet, as you try to figure out what's going to happen next?

Wynne-Jones has carefully crafted a dual perspective book - in the first half alternating chapters follow Blink and Caution (as in Caution: Contents are Hot). In the second half of the book, the chapters continue to alternate in perspective, but the stories are merged. In a few parts, the tight third person switches to an omniscient view in which the narrator actually addresses the characters. I found this to be slightly disconcerting, requiring a second or third reading of a few passages, but overall, the technique worked.

I referred in an earlier post (see below) to the way Wynne-Jones sucked me into the story so completely. The writing style in the first part of the book is frenetic and staccato. I felt my heart pounding and my blood pressure rising just from reading some of the passages. Very well done.

You may be annoyed at this point that I haven't summarized the plot - I've written enough. Go read the plot synopsis that GoodReads or Amazon provide. Do it now though, you won't want to miss this intense tale of two teen characters who've made serious mistakes who are now moving through purgatory toward...

5/16/11 ** The dates during which I read this book are a little misleading; I did read a couple chapters around 5/2, but didn't really start it again until 5/15, at which point I finished it in two chunks of reading time, on a Sunday and Monday evening!

5/11/11 ** Well, somehow, I managed to leave this book alone for a while. I was so worried about getting sucked in and addicted (hence leaving other things, like grading papers, undone, that Blink & Caution is now on hold. Oh, for summer break when I can actually read more!

5/2/11 ** I started this a few nights ago at bedtime - by the time I was into the 2nd chapter I was hyperventilating. Wynne-Jones definitely made me feel the tension that Blink felt. The pace slowed down as I moved into a chapter about Caution. I'll be curious to see how the two story lines merge.

I found this on my desk in the to-be-read pile, but can't remember who gave it to me. It's a signed, personalized ARC - how could I not know how I got it. I must be losing my mind, or I have too many books (nah, it can't be that.) ** My husband has subsequently reminded me that my mother-in-law met Wynne-Jones at the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Convention in Oct. 2010 and picked up this book for me. Upon telling the author that I taught 4th grade, he issued the warning that this book probably isn't for kids that young. I concur.(less)

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Dec 12, 2011 Marilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 16 and up

Shelves: realistic-fiction, thriller, youngadultfiction

At first I thought this was going to be another young adult dystopian fantasy, I guess because of the title and the cover. I'm happy to report it's not at all what I expected. What an amazingly satisfying realistic read! I fell hook, line and sinker for both characters, Blink and Kitty (Caution), and the storyline propelled me through the pages with its taut plotting. Blink's second person narrative worked, bringing me into his life and thoughts with an intimate immediacy. Wynne-Jones is a write...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Wisteriouswoman rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was great. Canada has some fantastic authors and I'm glad more and more of them are showing up in my local library system. Tim Wynne-Jones is definitely one of them.

All of the books that I have read about teen homelessness have tugged at my heart strings and this one is no exception. It made me want to judge kids that live on the street less even though some of them are real hucksters or shady characters. Life is hard on the streets. I'm glad there are programs in my town to help kids find f...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Tanya Dettloff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Show not tell; it's the golden rule of storytelling, yet I'm rarely able to find a book which does exactly so. Then one day, browsing the library aisles, I found a book with the charmingly unique name, Blink & Caution.

Honestly within the first few chapters, I was extremely tempted to just stop reading. It's not that I disliked the writing style, or that I found the story lifeless; no, far from that. In only a few chapters I'd already been drawn so deeply into the characters' feelings and liv...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Ed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wynne-Jones, Tim. (2011). Blink & Caution. Boston: Candlewick. 345 pp. ISBN 978-0-7636-3983-9 (Hard Cover); $16.99.

WINNER OF THE ESP AWARD!

When I was in Austin giving a presentation to librarians about homelessness and libraries, I stayed at a very nice hotel. When I arrived, I was going over my notes. I was tired and my mind began to wander and I began daydreaming about being homeless and trying to gain employment in a hotel. I did not know about Blink & Caution at the time. When I went...more Wynne-Jones, Tim. (2011). Blink & Caution. Boston: Candlewick. 345 pp. ISBN 978-0-7636-3983-9 (Hard Cover); $16.99.

WINNER OF THE ESP AWARD!

When I was in Austin giving a presentation to librarians about homelessness and libraries, I stayed at a very nice hotel. When I arrived, I was going over my notes. I was tired and my mind began to wander and I began daydreaming about being homeless and trying to gain employment in a hotel. I did not know about Blink & Caution at the time. When I went to the convention floor, Candlewick began touting Wynne-Jones’ book. When I told Tim that I was doing a presentation on homelessness, he grabbed a copy of his book, autographed it, thanked me, and presented it to me. Later that night I began reading:

“But not this day, Blink. You’re good to go.
Just don’t hurry and, Christ, don’t gawk like you’ve never seen the inside of a hotel before.
But, oh, look at this lobby, will you? Drink it in. You want to skate across it, so shiny wide. Look at those urns with the exotic plants stuck in them and those chairs just sitting around on the thick carpet discussing important matters. Keep the jitters pressed way down your empty belly. Stroll like you’re heading up to room…pick a number—with your left hand holding on to an imagined key.
No one asks. No one cares. In the Blessed BU, you are a guest.” (p. 5)

This could very well be the winner of this year’s ESP Award, which is the Ed Spicer Personal book award for the title that comes closest to matching my homeless experiences as a teen. Blink’s voice is absolutely spot-on!

Blink is a homeless, runaway teen with a facial tic that gives him his name. Just like my daydream, Blink is living by stealing food from hotels. Caution is attempting to escape the clutches of an abusive boyfriend who is a drug dealer. When Caution meets Blink, she initially plans to play him for the sucker she thinks he is. Blink has accidentally witnessed a staged crime, a kidnapping, that is the hot story in the Toronto media. Obsessed with puzzling out this mystery, Blink and Caution travel out of Toronto and quickly run into problems, BIG problems. Caution and Blink quickly realize that they will need to work together, drawing on their varied and extensive street experience, to have any hope of finding a life. What works in this book is the very distinct and very honest voices of Blink and Caution. Wynne-Jones treats his characters with respect; I especially notice the fact that much of the success that these two characters have is BECAUSE of who they are and not in spite of their economic circumstances. Too often books feature homeless youth who overcome the obstacles of poverty and, AFTER THIS, grow, as if the only way to belong and contribute to society is with a home. In this book, the characters have a lot going for them already. The homelessness is a detail, much like one might describe hair color or clothing worn. The constant paradox of emotion is very familiar to me and very accurate. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants ONE story, one EXCELLENT story, of what it may feel like to be homeless (but don’t forget that there are MANY stories of homelessness). Recommended for high school libraries; please also direct this book to school social workers and counselors.
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Aug 18, 2012 Novi rated it 4 of 5 stars

okay, first thing the cover is so different from what i've got here. you might say it doesnt matter, but it does to me. a good cover makes a good photograph. the new cover has a little bit retro touch on it. caution was in the front in yellow and blink was on the back in blue. quite nice. i took a picture of it and edited it, it came out really cool.

the story is about brent aka blink, a street punk on the run, started a day as usual. he just wanted to steal a descent food to eat in a hotel when...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: I've always wanted to read this Canadian author but I've never got around to it. I just recently heard he'd been awarded the Order of Canada and thought it was time I read him and had this book on hand.

A fairly decent book, not really my usual thing as it deals with two runaway teens. One from a dysfunctional family, the other running from a life-changing event that is easy to guess, revealed too soon and would have been a better plot point if it had been kept as a secret to...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Audrey Laurey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Blink is a 16-year-old boy that has left his home and is living on the streets. One morning when he is grabbing someone’s leftovers at a hotel he witnesses the kidnapping of a high profile CEO. The kidnappy shows no signs of struggle and leaves a wad of cash, his cell phone, and a photo of his daughter behind.
Caution is a 16 year old girl that is living with her boyfriend, a drug dealer named Merlin. Merlin is a “magician”, as well as the definition of a scumbag. Why does she put up with this tr...more

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May 05, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

great book , sequel needed , these two amazing character's need to have another adventure ..but with more danger , sex , violence ... this is a book for young adults so it does have limits ... but this book was a ride all the way through! but as I mentioned above i do like more sex, drugs & rock n' roll ( lol ) as well as action , adventure, suspense ( this book has these aspects) a little more danger is what I like ... and murder mystery is mainly my thing . but I do love all kinds of genre...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Sky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Two words for you: total letdown. Granted, I had about ten minutes in the library to pick out enough books to last me over vacation, and this one seemed pretty interesting in its description. But in all of the 342 pages, I found that the only parts where I just couldn't bear to put it down were about the last 10 pages. It was that bad. No offense to Tim Wynne-Jones. I mean, writing a book is one of the most amazing talents ever, since it takes so much dedication and effort. I just personally was...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel started out as the distasteful variety which shows the dark underbelly of street-kid life, with gritty sexual and drug abuse, helplessness and hopelessness and plenty of reasons I might like to give up reading about. But I liked the way Wynne-Jones talked about the destiny of the meeting of these two characters, and I found that their tough exteriors and hurt hearts were endearing them to me and causing me to read on, despite my misgivings. And of course, this is a wonderful storytell...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Katie Young rated it 3 of 5 stars

Katie Young
Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Blink and Caution are two teens driven to the streets for different reasons. Blink left home because of constant mental and physical abuse from his stepdaddy. Caution left home for the streets because she felt it was the life she deserved after what she did to her brother. Their separate lives on the streets eventually cross paths and together they make it off the streets and become whole again.

This book has two parts. Part one tells the individual stori...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recap:
As the only witness to a non-crime that has mysteriously shown up in the media as a kidnapping, Blink is on the run.

At the same time, across the city, Caution has finally decided to leave her malicious, drug dealing boyfriend. Which could have been easy, but she smashed up his apartment and stole $8000 before leaving. So now Caution is on the run as well.

When the paths of Blink and Caution finally cross, it's hard to tell who is in deeper trouble. But one thing's for sure, no one is gett...more Recap:
As the only witness to a non-crime that has mysteriously shown up in the media as a kidnapping, Blink is on the run.

At the same time, across the city, Caution has finally decided to leave her malicious, drug dealing boyfriend. Which could have been easy, but she smashed up his apartment and stole $8000 before leaving. So now Caution is on the run as well.

When the paths of Blink and Caution finally cross, it's hard to tell who is in deeper trouble. But one thing's for sure, no one is getting out of trouble on their own.

Review:
I would have never picked up Blink & Caution had I not seen it on a "Best of 2011" book list. I would have been seriously missing out.

Blink & Caution is a contemporary thriller that will appeal to a range of young adults. Blink and Caution are both runaways, escaping from the violence of their pasts. In Blink's case, an abusive stepfather. In the case of Caution, an accidental shooting that resulted in death.

With the two stories told in alternating chapters, Blink's narrative is initially difficult to get used to. Told in the second person, it is as if the narrator is giving us Blink's story, while speaking directly to him. Here's one example from the first chapter, right after Blink witnessed some suspicious events that will eventually be presented as a kidnapping:
"And you, Blink, in there with the ice machine, not breathing for fear of being sniffed out, snuffed out - are you ready? You cannot let go of that door now. So are you prepared for what comes next? Because you just stumbled into this thing and you will need a thicker skin than the Blessed Breakfast Uniform to get to the end of it."
Caution's narrative is told through the more traditional third person. Although she works hard to present herself as untouchable, tough-as-nails, "Caution: Corrosive," she is really just a little girl who has lived through something no one should ever have to experience. She is filled with such self-loathing, I wanted to give her a giant hug, and then go with her to a really good therapist.

Author Tim Wynne-Jones makes sure the reader knows that the two paths will cross eventually - once, before they meet, Caution almost hits Blink with her car - but first both characters are allowed to fully develop, independently from each other. And one might assume, as I did, that Blink and Caution will fall in love once they meet. I mean, this is a YA novel. Doesn't someone have to fall in love? Well in this case, no. Blink and Caution have a connection to be sure. And there might be some hope of romance in the future. But they both have more than a few issues to work through first.

Recommendation:
With a fake kidnapping, a trio of thugs, a vindictive boyfriend named Merlin who always has some evil "magic" up his sleeve, and a mysterious shooting, Blink & Caution will appeal to readers who appreciate a good crime novel, a mystery, or a coming of age story. Blink & Caution is all of those things rolled into one.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, cln

Blink and Caution are the street names for two teenage homeless kids, one male, one female. Blink left his home because of an abusive stepfather and Caution because of a horrific accident which resulted in the death of her brother. Both of them are struggling with life on the street and meet each other in the oddest of circumstances.

By loitering in hotel hallways in the morning, Blink has learned that he can scavage for food leftover from people's roomservice trays that they set out in the hallw...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, reality, young-adult

This was an enjoyable, intriguing story. It reminded me a little bit of Paper Towns by John Green. Both characters were likeable, and the story unfolded in alternating points of view. Blink's voice was in second person, which was unique. Caution's voice was in third person. It took quite awhile for the two characters to meet, but once they did, they became a team with each one's strengths complimenting the other one. The basic premise of the story is that Blink witnesses a businessman leaving a...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Miz Lizzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canada, death, guysread, native-american, realistic-fiction, runaways, sovereignty, young-adult, mystery

The novel tells the story of two runaways in two different narratives. Blink has fled his abusive stepdaddy and passive mother to live hand-to-mouth on the streets. His desperate schemes for food unexpectedly entangle him in a high-profile kidnapping that isn't all that it seems. His story is told in second-person, the current stylistic trend that usually drives me crazy but it actually was used quite effectively here. Perhaps it helped that I listened to the book but the "you" point of view wor...more The novel tells the story of two runaways in two different narratives. Blink has fled his abusive stepdaddy and passive mother to live hand-to-mouth on the streets. His desperate schemes for food unexpectedly entangle him in a high-profile kidnapping that isn't all that it seems. His story is told in second-person, the current stylistic trend that usually drives me crazy but it actually was used quite effectively here. Perhaps it helped that I listened to the book but the "you" point of view works as the voice in Blink's head. The other storyline follows Caution in a more conventional third-person narrative. Caution is on the streets looking for punishment for the terrible deed she committed that is slowly revealed throughout the novel. Of course, the two storylines eventually become entwined as Blink and Caution join forces to figure out the mystery behind the kidnapping-that-wasn't. The ending felt a little rushed and the kidnapping scheme a bit of a let down after the fast-paced suspense that came before it. But I appreciated the way that Blink and Caution grew into themselves as they forged their partnership and how they each found inner peace and hope for the future. The story should appeal to both boys and girls.

This isn't usually the kind of story (dark, realistic, contemporary story about teens living on the street) I enjoy and I put off reading it even though it had been getting good reviews and was on my local Mock Printz list. But then I started reading it and discovered that it had two things in particular that I am interested in. The Canadian setting in Toronto and Kingston made me feel right at home (even if the, otherwise quite effective, American reader mispronounced -- for a Canadian, that is -- a few words and jolted me out of my Canadian nostalgia). There's also a subplot (very much in the background, as it turns out, but still) involving Aboriginal land claims, my folklore research focus.

Book Pairings: The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
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Nov 29, 2011 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: peach-consideration

I would probably go 3.5 here. The characters are good, the plot fairly suspenseful. If anything, the plot twists don't involve enough actual corruption and violence for many readers, but there is some--a must for a thriller.

Blink is on the streets, and when he can make himself look like the kind of kids that belongs there, he strolls into nice hotels seeking the perfect breakfast tray--barely touched and full of breakfasty goodness, and lying on the ground outside one of the guest rooms on some...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Lisa (lisaisbusynerding) added it

in a sentence or so: Caution is on the run from her abusive boyfriend and a past that hurts her more and more every day. Blink stumbled into a kidnapping while stealing breakfast from a hotel and is running towards the mystery. their paths will cross and their lives will change.

Blink is 16 and homeless. he's out nabbing breakfast from a hotel hallway one morning when he sees a kidnapping. only it isn't what he expected a kidnapping to look like. for instance, the man being taken seemed to be run...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Blink (real name: Brent) is living on the streets of Toronto to get away from a violent stepfather. Caution (real name: Kitty) is living with a vicious drug dealer to escape from a tragedy that has made her believe she has no right to happiness.

Blink witnesses a puzzling scene in the hallway of a fancy hotel - a rich guy apparently stages his own kidnapping. Blink uses a cell phone left behind at the scene to get in touch with the rich man's daughter, who convinces Blink to travel to a remote l...more Blink (real name: Brent) is living on the streets of Toronto to get away from a violent stepfather. Caution (real name: Kitty) is living with a vicious drug dealer to escape from a tragedy that has made her believe she has no right to happiness.

Blink witnesses a puzzling scene in the hallway of a fancy hotel - a rich guy apparently stages his own kidnapping. Blink uses a cell phone left behind at the scene to get in touch with the rich man's daughter, who convinces Blink to travel to a remote lodge to see if her dad might be there. It's in the train station on the way out of town that the two teens meet - Caution steals Blink's money, then has a change of heart and helps him with his task instead.

The pseudo-kidnapping, complete with political/industrial intrigue, thugs with guns, and other thriller trappings, provides the framework from which the basic plot hangs and moves the story forward at a heart-quickening pace.

It's Caution's story, and to a lesser extent Blink's, that provides the heart of the story, however, as well as much of the suspense. Her self-loathing, her grief, and her refusal to believe that anyone could love her after the event for which she blames herself, are so vast that she has become self-destructive. Her journey back toward emotional health and the strong family that loves her is tentative, suspenseful, and utterly absorbing.

Blink's story is a bit less dramatic, though still sad and probably all too common. His life on the street is pretty horrible, and it's easy to understand how a terrifyingly abusive stepdad could lead Blink to it - but it's harder to see why he didn't go to his loving grandparents much earlier. Perhaps, being a very young and fairly clueless teen, he just didn't think they would take him in or offer him what he needed. Maybe he thought that somehow he wouldn't be on the streets long. Certainly his belief that he could make money via the dubious agreement he makes with the rich man's daughter proves his naivete.

I loved all the little bits and pieces that make this story a colorful, multi-dimensional story. The millionaire businessman isn't what he seemed at first, and neither is his daughter. One of the "thugs" is actually quite a nice guy - and in fact the whole preposterous scene at the lodge is strangely believable thanks to him. Blink and Caution turn out to have plenty of loving, good people in their lives - they just have to believe in themselves before they can trust anyone else.

This is a definite Printz contender for all the right reasons, and the biggest one is that it's a well-written tale that teens are going to love. Highly recommended for ages 14 to 18.(less)

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May 23, 2011 Sean Kottke rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ya

Brent Conboy (alias, Blink) is a homeless Toronto teenager whose chief concern in life has so far been finding a clean hotel room service tray from which to scrounge his next meal. Kitty Pettigrew (alias, Caution) is a seventeen year old on the run from a tragedy in her past and from her abusive, criminal boyfriend. When Blink stumbles upon a possible conspiracy involving high level government and business interests, his search for answers intersects with Caution’s flight from Toronto, and the p...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Griffin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Blink! You left home to escape your stepfather and now you are involved in finding a kidnapped executive who might end up getting you killed. Caution betrays the dangerous drug-dealing boyfriend that exposes her to the seedy underbelly of crime in Toronto and now she has cons you! Between your panic, her secrets and the dangerous favor you've promised to the daughter of the kidnapped VIP and CEO, how can you survive?
Wynne-Jones creates a taut, realistic noir novel with adolescent protagonists Bl...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: drug-abuse, mystery, coming-of-age, young-adult-literature, survival, suspense, sibling-relationships

Blink is a street kid, living day-to-day in downtown Toronto, scrounging for meals left outside hotel rooms. Caution is running from her abusive, drug-peddling boyfriend, and also running from a terrible event that shattered her family, and her notion of who she is. When Blink stumbles across a fake kidnapping, and follows the instinct to grab a left-behind cell phone, he quickly gets swept up into a case of business and government conspiracy. His path crosses with Caution's as they both work to...more Blink is a street kid, living day-to-day in downtown Toronto, scrounging for meals left outside hotel rooms. Caution is running from her abusive, drug-peddling boyfriend, and also running from a terrible event that shattered her family, and her notion of who she is. When Blink stumbles across a fake kidnapping, and follows the instinct to grab a left-behind cell phone, he quickly gets swept up into a case of business and government conspiracy. His path crosses with Caution's as they both work to get out of Toronto - he to rendezvous with the daughter of the "kidnapped" executive, she to get farther from her boyfriend and her ghosts. Once they meet, their involvement in the kidnapping case escalates, even though neither of them has ever met the man in question. They have only each other to rely upon, but when they've spent so long surviving on their own, can they even begin to find the trust they need to make it?

I've enjoyed the craft and care with which Wynne-Jones writes since reading The Uninvited, and this one takes the craft to a new level. We read about Blink and Caution in alternating chapters, with Blink's being written in second person (which is a much bigger deal to me than you might expect - it's hard for a writer to handle that POV well). It's fascinating to see how the two characters come *this* close to running into each other throughout the first 2/3 of the novel, and Wynne-Jones offers little nuggets of information about each of the characters very gradually, so that by the time they do run into each other in the train station, we're completely invested in them each. The mystery around the kidnapped executive isn't all that compelling, but it's an effective vehicle to reveal more layers of the characters. Even guessing Caution's traumatic event from a mile away ruins nothing - and I applaud Wynne-Jones for revealing it so subtly, without fanfare. It's affected Caution deeply, but there's no need to dwell on it for pages and pages. This is a fast-paced, superbly-written story, and I can see why it's ended up on so many "best of" lists for 2011. Well worth the read. (less)

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Nov 18, 2011 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction, spring-2012-hs-booktalks

At first the writing (2nd person narrative) was a bit jarring and I had to focus on the story. Blink did not appeal immediately and I wasn't really into the story. Then Caution was introduced and I was absorbed into the tale and began to enjoy myself.

The tale of two street youth, Blink and Caution, both on the streets for different reasons and then thrown together because of a series of a mystery that Blink (street name because he blinks so much)is trying to solve. While stealing food in a hote...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Alli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sweet. Honestly, I don't think this book is really anything special but it has a certain tenderness to it that sets it apart from a lot of the other books out there.

First off, let me say that I loved the characters in Blink & Caution .

Caution is truly a unique heroine. Throughout the book, she develops into such a memorable character. The trauma she's experienced and the grief and guilt she deals with already makes her memorable but as the book progresses, I found that she learns to forgi...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Kellee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-teen, survival, death-or-dying, realistic-fiction, horror-thriller-suspense, abuse, adventure

This one is hard for me.
I liked the story. It was intense, suspenseful, well developed. I liked the characters. They were multi-dimensional with great stories and presence.
But while reading I just could not get past the point of view shifts and primarily the 2nd person point of view. The book starts out in 2nd person. Odd, but I went with it. Then all of a sudden it switches to 3rd person. I was like, "Okay. It is going to be like Night Circus." In Night Circus there is 5 or so points in the b...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Shelisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-420

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. TIM WYNNE-JONES REQUIREMENT
Blink has run away from home and is living on the streets, trying to find food when he witnesses what turns out to be an alleged kidnapping. But Blink knows its not a real kidnapping because he saw the 'kidnapped' CEO with the 'kidnappers' and the CEO was walking out with them and he was perfectly normal. He answers a phone call on an abandoned cell phone and it happens to be the CEO's daughter calling. He tells her what he saw and she asks him to help her. At the same...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Stefanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, 2011, ya, washyarg-reviews

Blink and Caution are two teens living a hard life. To stay away from his abusive, alcoholic stepfather, Blink has been living on the streets, and Caution has been living with her abusive drug dealer boyfriend to punish herself for the accidental death of her brother. The two meet and form a partnership after Blink stumbles across a dangerous kidnapping hoax and Caution is on the run after crossing her boyfriend. The result is a fast-paced thriller with two characters dealing with complex issues...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Wandering Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, fiction, friendship, realistic-fiction, serious-issues, ya

Blink was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A street kid just looking for a meal, Blink has stumbled onto a crime scene and ends up with one of the men's phones. Now he's in contact with the daughter of someone who's supposedly been kidnapped. But that's not what Blink saw. Caution is running away from her drug-selling boyfriend. She doesn't know where she's going. Just away. Blink and Caution's paths cross, and now they're both wrapped up in the disappearance of a man neither of them know,...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, thriller-and-suspense

Blink is a homeless teen who goes to hotels to get breakfast (he takes the leftover breakfast left outside hotel rooms from room service). While there, he becomes witness to a strange crime, and becomes an accessory to the crime when he picks up the kidnapped CEO's Blackberry. Caution is on the run from her drug dealer boyfriend. These two troubled teens eventually cross paths, and help one another to escape and move on from the horrible events of their pasts.

It's really difficult to describe Bl ...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Rose Reid rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Mr. Wynne-Jones for many years and was thrilled to recieve an advance reading copy of his latest book.

"Blink and Caution" is the title of the book and also the names of the two main characters. They are both street kids, a shockingly large but mostly overlooked portion of our society. Both teens have rough edges but are sympathetic and I found myself engaged with them both right away.

Set in Toronto for the most part this is a fast paced book with lots of tension. Blink witne...more

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Mock Printz 2014: Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones	6	47	Jan 07, 2012 04:41pm

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About Tim Wynne-Jones

Tim Wynne-Jones (born 12 August 1948) is an English–Canadian author of children's literature, including picture books and novels for children and young adults, novels for adults, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical and an opera libretto.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best You...more

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