2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fast-paced and Addicting!, March 20, 2011
After I read Tim Wynne- Jones' The Uninvited a couple of years ago, I've been looking forward to reading more by him, so when Blink & Caution landed on my radar, I jumped at the first chance I got to read it. Luckily enough, Blink & Caution is a thrilling and suspenseful novel about two teen runaways and the challenges they face.
Blink and Caution have both been living the hard life for the past year. For Blink that means roughing it on the streets, looking for the next way to get a quick, free meal and a place to stay, because after everything that happened at his home, he knows he's never going back. On the other side of town, Caution has been living with her sleazy, controlling, and drug dealing boyfriend, hoping that one day, she'll face enough pain to forget what happened when she was fifteen, the year she ran away from everyone and everything. Though, one day everything changes, Caution leaves her boyfriend once and for all, and Blink stumbles into a fake kidnapping. Now on the run, both of them are soon to find that there's even more surprises in store for them- one that may even land them in each others arms.
One of the most rewarding aspects in this novel was the rich and likable characters Tim had in Caution and Blink. Both are characters that you can't help but root for, especially when you find out about all the pain and suffering they've faced in the past. With that, I liked them even better when they finally found in each other in the story, because with each other, they discover a lot about themselves and each other and gain courage to speak up for themselves. Also, the adventures they have are priceless.
Adding to this, I loved the plot. I thought Tim did a great job of accurately describing the lives of two runaway teens, and what I liked even more was that he never sugar coated anything, instead he gave you a honest view about two very different teens. Further more, the way he tied in the fake-kidnapping mystery worked perfectly not only in the way it brought together they characters but it forever left the reader guessing about what would happen, especially within those last few chapters.
The only aspect of this novel I wasn't two found of was the way Tim brought you Blink and Caution's story. You see, while Caution's part is told in third person, Blink's is told in second person, and I found that to be a little odd and hard to into at times.
Lastly, at the core of this novel, Tim Wynne-Jones provokes some interesting questions and ideas, ones that I'm sure will lead to many conversations off page.
In all, Blink & Caution is an honest and addicting portrayal of two very different teens and the accidents that tie them together. Highly recommended.
Grade: B+
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
riveting and original, October 26, 2011
This review is from: Blink & Caution (Hardcover)
Tim Wynne-Jones delivers a fantastic and complex tale that blends and then merges the adventures of two very different, but equally damaged teen protagonists. The characters are fully realized, and the plot moves at a breath-taking and engaging pace. I really loved this book!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 5, 2011
BLINK & CAUTION is the tale of two streets kids. Brent (Blink) and Kitty (Caution) both have back stories that have them on the run. When their paths cross, they work together to overcome the odds against them.
Blink was simply looking for a free breakfast when he took the elevator to the sixteenth floor of the hotel. It looked like there would be easy pickings from the half-eaten remains left on trays set outside the rooms. When he actually enters a room to investigate some odd behavior displayed by the exiting guests, he realizes he has witnessed a possible kidnapping. Once inside the room, Blink discovers a wallet filled with cash and a cell phone that reveals the kidnapped may not be the victim he assumed.
Having some ready cash is a welcome surprise, but the more Blink learns about the situation, the more nervous he becomes. His nerves prompt him to check out the cell phone more carefully. He actually contacts the "kidnap" victim's daughter in an attempt to reassure her that her father has not been harmed. That contact is one Blink soon comes to regret.
Caution has been living on the street and, more recently, with a drug dealer named Merlin. Attempting to run from a tragedy from her past, Caution is fully aware that she harbors a death wish, but at the same time she looks at death as an easy escape from the much harsher punishment that her guilt insists she deserves.
Caution is on the run after a fight with Merlin that ended in her discovery of his drug money stash. She can't believe they've been practically starving to death when he has had thousands of dollars hidden away. Anger and fear motivate Caution to grab the money and run.
Fate works to bring Blink and Caution together in the train station. After a bumpy first meeting, the two join forces to help each other. Caution provides the street smarts lacking in the naive Blink, and he supplies the funds to sustain their cause. As time passes, the two begin to trust one another with secrets as well as friendship.
Award-winning author Tim Wynne-Jones takes readers on an adventure with two young people living by their wits as they try to survive, and at the same time right a wrong. It is a story with twists and turns and definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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