Blink & Caution

Description

"Wynne-Jones's finest, most beautifully written novel yet, one more in a career full of distinguished works." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) All Blink 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. Now Blink is on the run. Enter a girl named Caution, also on the run, from a skeezy drug-dealer boyfriend and from a nightmare in her past that won't let her go. When she spies Blink, Caution can see he's an easy mark. But there's something about this naive, skinny street punk that tugs at her heart. Charged with suspense and intrigue, this taut novel trails two deeply compelling characters as they forge a blackmail scheme that is foolhardy at best, disastrous at worst - along with a fated, tender partnership that will offer them each a rare chance for redemption.

A dazzling crime novel that evokes the taut writing and tropes of hard-boiled fiction while interweaving social justice themes and a solid sense of realism -Publishers Weekly (starred review) Wynne-Jones' finest, most beautifully written novel yet, one more in a career full of distinguished works -Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The story is told in alternating viewpoints, with Blink's segments in second-person present tense, which adds a heightened sense of immediacy and urgency...Those who enjoy thought-provoking thrillers will not want to miss this novel -School Library Journal (starred review) Master suspense-spinner Wynne-Jones uses an alternating third person perspective, with dashes of a second person perspective, to draw the reader deeply into the story and care about the fate of these two soul-weary runaways -Library Media Connection (starred review) This is gritty, sure, but more than that, its smart, and earns every drop of its hopeful finish. -Booklist The crime-drama element of the novel, involving a dispute over corporate uranium mining on Indian-owned land, has enough suspense and action to keep readers interested while they forge a connection with the main characters, whose relationship deepens as they help each other survive immediate dangers as well as the aftereffects of past trauma. -Horn Book Suspense combines with a genuinely moving character drama to ensure broad reader appeal -Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books Over the course of the novel these two damaged children move from darkness toward light and healing, and by the end we are awfully glad of it -Wall Street Journal A fast paced mystery with intelligence and heart...snags readers and doesn't let go. -Bookpage All the elements of a classic noir: a quick thinking leading lady; an unlikely. but decent. hero; a femme fatale with dubious motives; goons with nicknames like "Tank," "Merlin," and "Snake"; and, of course, action and suspense. -Plain Dealer This novel is charged with suspense and intrigue and trails two deeply compelling characters as they forge a blackmail scheme that is foolhardy at best disastrous at worst along with a fated tender partnership that will offer them each hope. -San Diego Union Tribune