Blink of the Mind

Twilight: Where Darkness Begins #5

by Dorothy Brenner Francis

Kelly's parents are dead. The news is not only shocking but terrifying. Hours before word of the crash had reached Kelly and her sister, Kelly had "seen" her parents die —and yet, she had been powerless to stop the tragedy.

No one had believed her, calling the premonition a coincidence. But now, standing on deck aboard the Carib Queen, Kelly knows her vision was not merely her imagination, but a horrifying power. Will Kelly be a victim of a force she cannot control, or will her own strength be crushed by the same evil?

Genres: Horror, Young Adult

154 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 30, 1982

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but why were Kelly and Lisa expected to provide the nightly entertainment for the cruise for free when they’re paying guests? Shouldn’t the ship hire its own entertainment?

[Paula Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelly Chapman and her sister Lisa are sent on a cruise to the island of St Thomas to help them get over the death of their parents. However, Kelly can't stop being nervous. She had a vision of her parents' plane crash, and she's sure it wasn't an accident. Then she has a vision of her best friend, Bonnie, and knows in her heart that she is dead too. What could the connection be to the country club that her parents joined? And is the person who killed her parents on the cruise with her, trying to kill her as well?

This was a quick, easy read and it had some interesting ideas, so it is frustrating that it doesn't really go anywhere with them. Like a lot of YA from the old days, this ends by steadfastly refusing to explain itself. What was the deal with the country club? If the club brings you riches in exchange for someone else's suffering, what did that involve? What are the antagonist's origins, what did he hope to achieve? Was he the devil? Was he a demon? Why is the ship making Kelly and Lisa perform music every night when they're on a holiday cruise and still mourning their parents' deaths?

It's far too short to be really satisfying, but it was decently suspenseful, with some nice red herrings about who on board might be doing the antagonist's bidding. There was some nice commentary (and this is way back in 1982) about how inappropriately older men behave around young girls.

[Erica Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two sisters are sent away on a glamorous grief cruise to get over their parents’ deaths, one of them has psychic powers, and creepy men are after the psychic one for reasons unknown.

A bit of a weak story but I liked the overall concept of a power-hungry doctor figure vs. psychic girl (very Stranger Things).

And lol at the sisters becoming popular on the cruise ship for their talent show singing act.

They’re grieving, why are people making them sing

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a little direct (which is typical of YA books from the 1980s), has some overly dramatic prose at times ("The blond teenager cried from the depths of her soul."), and feels hokey, but it's not that bad of a story. YA books have come a long way since this time, but it doesn't feel terribly dated, and it even has some progressive moments. I don't know if I'd recommend it, necessarily, but it was better than I expected it to be.

[Claire]

I'm not sure if I want to read this.
Reminds me of The Vampire Diaries + The Mind Reader (Fear Street), which I just finished reading yesterday.