Mind Games

So far I've read only one book by Kiersten White which was The Chaos of Stars, a book with Egyptian mythology in it. I loved it so I wanted to try another book by this author to see if I was going to like it as much also. I really wanted to try Mind Games because it seemed really great and how could I resist that gorgeous cover? Anyways... I've seen a lot of mixed reviews of it - the usual extremes of only one, two stars or four, five stars. Because of that it's always hard to tell what you will think of it, personally. And I must admit, starting it the first fifty pages or so were kind of slow and I didn't know what to think of it. It doesn't mean it was bad or anything... I just needed something to pigue my interest. (That's why it didn't get a full five stars.) Mind Games introduces us to two girls, sisters. Fia is the younger one who has flawless instinct. She acts first, never thinking always knowing what is right and what is wrong. Her older sister, Annie, is blind except when she has her future visions, where she can see clearly as you and me can. Together they are trapped in a school that's run by the Keane foundation where they use both Fia and Annie plus other girls who also have special abilities for their own gain. Fia and Annie have to keep using their gifts or risk each others lives and that's just not something they are willing to risk. This book was fast-paced and shocking but very enjoyable for me. Its characters were brilliant and yet messed up in their own ways. Kiersten White has created a very intense world with the school Fia and Annie are trapped. I could practually smell, taste and feel Fia and Annie's desperation to protect each other. Especially Fia was very harsh and fierce to read about because she's so broken by everything she had to do to protect her sister. Mind Games felt right from the beginning very different from other books. I've never read anything like it. The overall story makes it very interesting as did the characters. It has both the sister's point of view, but also flashbacks about what happened before, taking place so far back as ten years ago to six months back, also in both Fia and Annie's perspective. Aside from the two main characters we had a bunch of others. Some you will like, some you will hate. But really, all these people from the Keane foundation are awful. I can't understand why someone would be willing to work there. Anywho... we also have James Keane. Yes, Keane as in the Keane foundation. He's the son of the Mr. Keane who calls the shot. He's one of the love interests for Fia. Though it's not like there's a lot of romance in it, just the potential for romance, especially with Adam. Fia has a lot of history with James but things actually feel right with Adam. But before I give too much away I must say personally I like James more. People will probably call me crazy but what can I say, I like the bad ones. The ending of this book was freaking shocking. I was freaked out by everything that was happening suddenly. **** really did hit the fan. It only made me crave the sequel even more. I'm really glad I was able to score it already! I can tell you I will be reading it soon because I can't wait to read about what's going to happen next. I'm sure it's going to be really exciting as well. Mind Games by Kiersten White was really as author Holly Black says on the cover of my copy, "A brutal, exciting gem of a book." It's the perfect description of it. It was all that and more. I was surprised by how captivated I was by it. A definite must-read for fans of psychological thrillers with paranormal twists.show more

Reviewed by Janessa, Age 15 This is one of those "what if" type of books. What if defying authority hurt the ones you love? What if there was a sliver of hope that you could save them even though they might get hurt in the process? Would you do it? Could you do it? "You can't feel her like I can. She's dangerous, Annie, and it scares me every time she's alone with you. She's-" For the entire review go to http://www.musingwithcrayolakym.com/3/post/2013/08/mind-games.htmlshow more

Can I just say I love Kiersten White? I mean, seriously. Thank you, Kiersten, for writing a novel with an original plot, intriguing characters, and a whole lot of action. Mind Games felt like such a cool break from everything else I've been reading lately. I read a ton and sometimes I get so bogged down with reading and reviewing that things start to run together. Mind Games stood out from the first chapter, and I love crawling back into this story. I'm a romantic at heart and the love story told here worked my heart over good. No I'm not talking about Fia and James (yeah, I love these two), I mean the love between Fia and Annie. This story is very much the story of two girl who love each other and are willing to risk anything and everything for each other. While Fia may technically be the younger of the two, she comes off as the big sister because of Annie's blindness and the role she has assumed to protect her sister. I love these two girls to pieces. Usually a book (especially a young adult novel) needs a romance to spark attention, but the heart of the story here is Fia and Annie. Anyone who has a sister knows it is a bond like no other. I would take a bullet for my sisters, and reading about Fia and Annie only strengthened that resolve. The story alternates perspective between the sisters, and I loved that. Because these are two vastly different characters, it was essential to be able to get into both of their heads and see how they ticked. I will say I'm a bit more partial to Fia, but don't discount Annie. I can't wait to see how both of these characters grow in future books. I was pretty surprised at how quick I blazed through Mind Games it isn't a very lengthy read and at times I wished some things had been elaborated on a bit more, but White maintains a quick, brisk pace that really drives the plot and kept me entranced. This is definitely a book action and SciFi fans need to grab ASAP. I hear White has another series ... Paranormalcy? Think I'll check that out while wait for book 2. If it's half as good as Mind Games then I know I'll be thoroughly entertained.show more