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Forbidden Mind (The Forbidden Trilogy #1)

by Kimberly Kinrade (Goodreads Author)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 437 ratings · 165 reviews

She reads minds.
He controls minds.
Together, they might get out alive.

49% of Americans believe their government officials are honest.

I don't know these officials, or they're supporters, but I know their secrets, and 49% of Americans are wrong.

My employers pay me well to be right, to know things others can't. But I don't know why they brought that boy in, strapped to a stret...more

Kindle Edition, 250 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by Evolved Publishing

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Sep 12, 2011 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 10, 2011 L.M. Stull rated it 5 of 5 stars

What if everything you knew about your life, about your future, about your past, was turned upside down?

In Kimberly Kinrade's Forbidden Mind we are introduced to a world similar to our own, but one where those with paranormal powers exist. The book is told from the point of view of Sam, a girl who can read minds, and I fell in love with her at the very onset of this book.

A telepathic spy, Sam resides with other extraordinary kids, including her dear friends, Lucy and Luke, at a place they've dub...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2011 Lissette rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently had the honor of reading this book when Kimberly asked for a couple people to review the book before it officially released. I have to say that it was hard to put it down once I started reading it. It was that engrossing and hooked me in from the beginning.

Sam seems shy, at first, but she believes that the people behind Rent-A-Kid are taking good care of her and is looking forward to the moment when she can go out into the world and make it on her own. Her life is going just the way s...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Itsjustme-wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved that this book mostly took place at a special boarding school for Kids with Special powers or "Para-powers" as she called them. I don't know - I think I just have a thing for boarding school stories. While some kids could read minds or tell when someone was lying, others could walk through walls and had super human strength.
I loved the whole "Rent-a-kid" idea, very original. I actually thought it would make a great idea for a TV series. An organization that rents out teens with special p...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Dani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: super-human, clairvoyance, urban-fantasy

Reminiscent of both X-Men and Alias, Forbidden Mind is simultaneously thrilling and heartbreaking, full of shocking twists and turns that continually took me in directions I never expected. When beginning Forbidden Mind, I assumed that the book would inevitably hold danger and perhaps some mortal peril, but what I wasn’t expecting is how dark the story quickly became. Kinrade includes some pretty serious, heavy themes and subjects in Forbidden Mind, and it’s not for the faint of heart. While thi...more Reminiscent of both X-Men and Alias, Forbidden Mind is simultaneously thrilling and heartbreaking, full of shocking twists and turns that continually took me in directions I never expected. When beginning Forbidden Mind, I assumed that the book would inevitably hold danger and perhaps some mortal peril, but what I wasn’t expecting is how dark the story quickly became. Kinrade includes some pretty serious, heavy themes and subjects in Forbidden Mind, and it’s not for the faint of heart. While this book does include the paranormal, it’s the depravity of the human heart, the moral and ethical compromises people are willing to make, the blind-eye that people are willing to turn, the selfishness, the complete lack of compassion for fellow human beings that drove the darkness in Forbidden Mind. And I found it fascinating.

Sam, the main character, was a girl I could connect to. Her apprehension about her assignments, her longing for a normal life, her love for her friends, her fear of acknowledging that her safe haven might be hiding secrets are all things I can understand. She is a mentally strong character, clear-headed, rational, and brave. I admired especially her ability to stay calm under immense strain, and it’s a skill that serves her well. Once it becomes clear what’s actually going on with Sam and her future, the awful circumstances this girl finds herself in completely broke my heart. Kinrade did an excellent job creating an immensely sympathetic character in Sam; she made me care and had me crossing my fingers and wishing on stars that Sam would find a way out of her horrifying situation.

The romance in this story, between Sam and Drake, caught me off guard yet again. It is an extremely unconventional relationship than what is normally presented in the books I read, and though I don’t want to give too much away, I will say it’s an extremely satisfying and very intimate romance. Both Sam and Drake are victims of horrible circumstances, but they have a bond that no one can sunder. They find strength, support and hope in each other and it’s heartbreaking and beautiful to see how they attempt to overcome their traumatic situation together.

The only detractor of this story, in my opinion, is that the length of the book compromises some needed development. Forbidden Mind is actually more of a novella or short novel in length. While it does work for the story and while the writing is excellent, a little bit more space for development would’ve just made it just that much more. Particularly in two areas – that of better establishing Sam’s mystery organization and also her realizations that Rent-A-Kid might not be wholly on the up-and-up. Now it could be that Kinrade was trying to keep Rent-A-Kid somewhat concealed in the shadows – faceless and nameless. Sometimes the unknown is scarier than what’s known, and I certainly don’t need to know everything. But nevertheless, I felt that the organization’s credibility as genuinely dangerous threat, how far reaching they are, how formidable they are, could’ve been established a bit more at the beginning without compromising anonymity. And now we come to Sam’s realizations. Without revealing too much to you, Dear Reader, her belief that her home was no longer the safe haven she once thought felt rushed, a little forced, without foundation and out of character. It would’ve felt more natural to have a longer introduction in which she had mounting suspicions that then appear confirmed. These are relatively minor issues though that take place near the beginning, because once the story gets past this hump and gets rolling it’s very well-paced and well-developed right to the extremely exciting ending.

Overall, Forbidden Mind is a thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and eagerly awaiting the next installment.(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bravo Kimberly bravo!

I consider myself to be an extremely cynical person. I read a lot of young adult books and always find myself scoffing at the romance of these young characters. I picked up Forbidden Mind because I was intrigued by the story line (I’m a big X-Men, sci-fi fan). From page one I was sucked into the world Kimberly Kinrade created. I immediately identified with the main character Sam. While she, along with all her classmates and friends, has supernatural powers they all came acro...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Gregandemy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won-from-first-read-giveaways

Yeah! Won this from Goodread's first reads!! So excited for it's arrival.

Update: finished this in less then 2 hrs. It is a quick read, partly because it is about 120 pages. I'm giving the idea of the story 4 stars. I found it to be quite creative and entertaining. I like the idea of a school of paranormal powered youth- very X men but still original in the storyline. It is well written.
I would give the book less stars however for length. It is way too short and would have benefited from being...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Lacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First Thoughts:

So I'll admit the beginning intrigued me, the idea of "renting" these paranormal kids out was different than what I'm used to reading. Actually this whole paranormal idea is new to me, most books I've been most interested in has been more realistic and perhaps a tad of supernatural nothing like what I read in this book. I enjoyed the strong connections, the suspense and most of all I enjoyed that not once did I look at how much more I had to read...I loved that it was a fast read...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Miriam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Although some of the plot (teen with super powers living in a "school" where she is controlled by the mysterious higher ups) has been done before, some of it was new and interesting. I enjoyed the way the characters' relationships evolved. I really felt for Sam and all of the things she had to go through. I could also appreciate her internal struggles about right and wrong and if she and the h others like her were naturally evil or good. I recommend this for older terns and adults.

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Oct 30, 2011 T.G. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Forbidden Mind ensnares the reader within the lives of Sam and Drake. Sam's grown up as a Rent-A-Kid. Drake's been brought in by force. Neither have a choice in what happens to them. The only choice is what they plan to do about it.
I love the strength of the main characters, that they don't plan on taking things lying down. Filled with well-developed characters and a plot that will keep you at the edge of you seat, Forbidden Mind is unputdownable!
Kimberly Kinrade has created realistic, true cha...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Wanderlust rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a fantastically fucked up book!
Wow my mind is blown by the creepy & twistedness of this story. I LOVED this book.
It was dark and depressing but moving & uplifting also at times.
I cannot wait to read the next books!
READ THIS BOOK!

(to read this review & more like it visit - http://bookprotagonist.blogspot.co.uk/)

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Oct 24, 2011 Tahlia Newland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, ya

A terrific, unusual well written story. I really enjoyed it. If you like ya urban fantasy, you'll enjoy this.

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Apr 28, 2013 Alexandra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bored, dissapointed, oh-god-why

The Forbidden Mind.

Well. I am at a bit of a loss: I haven't got far in the story, and it has already managed to disappoint me. I'll tell you what - I will tell what forced me to abruptly stop my acquainting with this book, and you will decide for yourself, if this waste-of-my-time is worthy any of yours.

We can start with the language: nothing special, nothing rich, nothing above the average - it delivers the message, and that's it. The speech of main heroine, Sam, is believable, her being a tee...more The Forbidden Mind.

Well. I am at a bit of a loss: I haven't got far in the story, and it has already managed to disappoint me. I'll tell you what - I will tell what forced me to abruptly stop my acquainting with this book, and you will decide for yourself, if this waste-of-my-time is worthy any of yours.

We can start with the language: nothing special, nothing rich, nothing above the average - it delivers the message, and that's it. The speech of main heroine, Sam, is believable, her being a teenager.

The supporting cast is bland. The only things I remember about Sam's friends, the twins, are their powers and the word "chica" used by the girl-twin. It was unwise of me - wishing for interesting characters, when the main heroine is what she is: she has nothing surprising or fascinating about her except her abilities. And even in that plot point, there's nothing new. Nada.

Then comes the hero. A young man, tied up, and, therefore, immobile, who casts a glance at Sam, mentally asks her to help him and is then taken away from sight and who remains hidden from Sam and co. and unknown to other residents.

So, after having one glimpse of a mysterious boy, and after briefly speaking to him twice or thrice mentally, when she learns that he is unconscious (more precisely, when his mind is not responding to her's) she cries her heart out. Talk about insta-anything and -everything.

(view spoiler)[
The next brain-cringing part of the plot is her learning that she is pregnant. By the hero. Through some artificial insemination, at least we are lead to believe that. Some 60 pages into the story. All that during the highly stressful time for her: she has just realized (ahem, that is, it has been thoroughly explained to her) that the people that run the place where she lives are not all that friendly, nor especially pleasant or good, and are, in fact, using her to her most, and that there is no happy ending. So she has come to an evident conclusion - she has to escape somehow. And then she is pregnant. And she feels the " new life inside her" (after what, 2 weeks of being sick?). And despite her not wanting the baby (quite reasonable, don't you think? - she is after all an 18-year old girl previously hoping to leave the spying and prying life behind to start a new, normal one, and now just hoping to escape alive out of there), she feels the love swelling up.. There might have been used some other no more intelligent word combination. Ah, I revisited that horror to find an exact quote: "The reasons to resent this child, this pregnancy, grew daily. Yet love grew in my heart despite it all." I strongly believe that love towards a yet unborn child grows only if the child is wanted in the first place (there might be an unwanted pregnancy, but if you decide against the abortion - the child is/becomes wanted).

Girls after unprotected sex tend to take a morning-after pill (or whatever it is called), I would think the rape victims to do the same (no offense to anybody out there, if such was seen), because they do not want a child at this time of life, and, in case of the victims, because of other reasons (a reminder of the awful thing that happened to them, would be one of them). So where would the love for the *reasonably suspected* unwanted child come from? She has no boyfriend, has not been in love before (not that we know of yet), has not ever before thought of having or even wanting children - and yet there it is: having just found out about the *forced upon her, unbeknownst to her* pregnancy during the hard time and already starting to love the baby. (hide spoiler)] Irrational. Idiotic.

It is rather pointless to read on for me, as the heroine has just showed that the book is utter bollocks and is in no way worthy of my time. How come this pile of wrongly and foolishly combined letters has a fairly high rating? (In case anyone decides to enlighten me - it was a rhetorical question).
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Mar 02, 2013 Eyrsi Enosh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Premise:

Sam has led a special life, living within a world similar to the x-men movies. She’s a telepath at Rent-A-Kid; a valued one who has always done what was expected of her. After her return from an assignment, a mind calls for help. Investigating the plea turns her world upside down, and reveals truths that she wished she had never learned.

My Review:

The good:

Exciting, and an overall good read. The characters were strong, and well blended, and the plot entertaining.

The bad:

The character’s...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Gaele rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-reads, owned, tours

I had bought this book not long after I first got my kindle, and have now read it a second time as part of a review tour for Innovative Online Book Tours. Originally I thought that this book would have a similar feel to X-Men Origins, as they both have brought together kids with paranormal abilities into a controlled setting. However, the story loses all of the reminders from that film almost instantly as you are drawn into the world that Sam inhabits and see her struggles. With twists and turns...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Suzie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, a-great-read, action, america, blog-tour-book, clean-read, fiction, kindle-book, modern, paranormal, romance, romance-modern, romance-pg, romance-paranormal, series, teenager-books, young-adult

Have you ever read a book and it ended before you were ready? Well, this is one of those books for me. This book ended on such a cliffhanger that I wanted to yell and scream at the author. I was not ready for the book to end. I got so mad. Yes, the second book in this series is out. However, it is not on my reading schedule until this weekend. No, sadly I cannot change anything around to read is faster.
I will not lie; I am not a big fan of YA books. Yet, this does not read like a YA book. Yes,...more Have you ever read a book and it ended before you were ready? Well, this is one of those books for me. This book ended on such a cliffhanger that I wanted to yell and scream at the author. I was not ready for the book to end. I got so mad. Yes, the second book in this series is out. However, it is not on my reading schedule until this weekend. No, sadly I cannot change anything around to read is faster.
I will not lie; I am not a big fan of YA books. Yet, this does not read like a YA book. Yes, there are teenagers in this book. Nevertheless, it is not all about teenagers. These teens are almost legal adults. I started this book and I did not put my Kindle down until it was finished. I cook supper while reading; everywhere I went in my house, I had the Kindle in my hand reading this book. I usually read before bed each night and in between work. Yet I could not stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen next. Okay I know more about the book and less about me.

Drake looks like an ordinary male teenager. He likes to surf. He has a set of those blue eyes that females just want to get lost in. That is not what makes him different. He is different because he can read minds and make people bend to his will. Well not his will, but make them think they need to do something and they do it without realizing what they are doing. Makes sense right. No? Well, it will when you read the book. I promise. The author has created something that will have readers blocking out everything except the next words in the book.

Sam is a cute feisty female. She likes to paint. Okay she does not just like to paint it is a passion for her. A release, painting is a way to brush away her troubles for a time. She is an amazing artist according to her teacher. She wants to attend this great creative art school in New York. Yet, the dean at her private school does not want her to attend. Sam is also special. She can dive into people’s minds and find out anything about them. Yes, including stuff that happened years in the past. Sam is one of the people at what she calls Rent-a-Kid.

Rent-A-Kid is a private school that has several teenagers that are special. They all have different types of paranormal powers. Some read minds, some have ultimate physical strength, and others are like human lie detectors. All of them are special, yet none of them may leave the school unless on assignment. They have no family except each other. They’ve been told that they were either not wanted by their parents or that they were left there, for their own protection by their parents. They believe that when they finish they get to leave and have a chance at a real life.

The author has written this series with a passion. Granted I have only read the first book. However, I do not think my opinion will change after reading the other books in the series. Kimberly takes readers on a journey with some paranormal, a little romance and a lot of mystery. Readers might even question if something like this is possible. Yes, it could be possible.

While I have not read the other 2 famous YA books available. You know the ones I am talking about. I admit that I cannot wait to finish this series. Kimberly has created a series that will take you on a journey. A journey that will take readers across America, guessing what will happen next. Pick out your favorite character and follow them along on this great reading journey. Just be prepared for some
cliffhangers that make you yell and scream at the author. I know I did.

Wow Kimberly thanks for such a great read.

The bunnies and I give this book 4 carrots.
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Oct 01, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, ebooks, paranormal, review-books, thriller, ya

According to Amazon, this book is 248 pages. I just can't believe that. I read it so quickly, that I was sure it was only 100 pages, and I couldn't figure out how I was going to review that.

This is a YA paranormal thriller, but it's a little violent and the organization they are fighting is run by some seriously twisted people. But, I'm a little weird myself, and I loved this book! The action and down-times are well-balanced, and we know enough to care about the characters. I don't like trilogie...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

She reads minds. He controls minds. Together, they might get out alive.

Forbidden Mind is a fast-paced Young Adult story that pulled me in straight away. This story is told in first person with some chapters from Sam's POV and others from Drake's POV.

Sam lives at a school for gifted children. It's a super secret school and occasionally the kids go into the outside world to carry out assignments that require their para-powers. Sam can read minds, but when she finally leaves the school at age eight...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Nikki Wilde rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What seemed like an excellent premise for a book turned out to be poorly executed.

Sam a mind reader and working for rent-a-kid to turn up hidden secrets for the highest bidder is about to turn 18 and be sent off to college to do as she pleases. Or so she thinks. Little does she know that all at rent-a-kid is not as it seems.

Drake, being able to control minds and being super strong hides out as much as he can. He keeps to himself but his one dream of becoming a surfing legend has him confused. H...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FORBIDDEN MIND (Forbidden #1) by Kimberly Kinrade

FORBIDDEN MIND is the first storyline in Kimberly Kinrade’s YA Forbidden series focusing on a group of older teens with para powers and the adults who have taken control. Think X-men vs Doll House vs a few other popular YA novels and storylines and you will recognize much of the plot.

17 year old Sam has the ability to read minds. Attending the school for the pararnormally gifted, Sam’s goal is to attend the prestigious Sarah Lawrence Art school, b...more FORBIDDEN MIND (Forbidden #1) by Kimberly Kinrade

FORBIDDEN MIND is the first storyline in Kimberly Kinrade’s YA Forbidden series focusing on a group of older teens with para powers and the adults who have taken control. Think X-men vs Doll House vs a few other popular YA novels and storylines and you will recognize much of the plot.

17 year old Sam has the ability to read minds. Attending the school for the pararnormally gifted, Sam’s goal is to attend the prestigious Sarah Lawrence Art school, but a ‘para’ assignment that goes horribly wrong will have Sam returning to the school to find all of her art work, the studio and her art instructor missing. Burned to the ground, Sam uses her powers to seek out anyone who may know what has happened. Meanwhile Sam begins to have nightmares about a young boy so brutally abused that she believes she may have made a mind connection with someone else.

Luke and Lucy are Sam’s friends. Twins, they too, have lived most of their lives at the same school, but things were changing and the trio of friends would begin to hunt for clues. But when the school begins to change their policies, Sam realizes that her friends and many other students at the school appear to be drugged or under some one else’s control.

Drake is a surfer with aspirations of winning the US Open championships for surfing. But after a major competition Drake would find himself drugged and imprisoned in a mystery facility with only the visions of a blue eyed girl to keep him alert. Drake soon finds that the girl in his vision is real and probably his ticket to freedom.

Drake makes a mind connection with Sam and over the course of several days they develop a friendship that eventually turns into something much stronger. But the people at the facility had bigger plans for Sam that would involve Drake and with surprising knowledge Sam and Drake would be tied together for the rest of their lives.

FORBIDDEN MIND is a quick read whose characters and premise mirror much of the X-men comics. Kimberly has developed a cast of fire starters, mind readers, seekers, mind controllers and super humans all gathered at a ‘school’ for the para-gifted, but the plotline changes when the gifted teens are hired out for special assignments by well-to-do and powerful people. ‘Kids –for –Rent as they call themselves will discover that most of what they know to be true has been a lie, and their abilities and special powers are not necessarily an accident of birth but a manipulation of DNA.

see all of my reviews at :thereadingcafe.com(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Lan (The Write Obsession) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at: http://thewriteobsession.blogspot.com...

From the very first sentence, I knew what I was getting into with Forbidden Mind. Sam is like a female super-spy complete with telepathic powers. The only problem for her employers is that she has a conscience.And she wants out. That's when things go wrong and the plot begins to twist in some very unexpected and somewhat disturbing ways. I can't go into too much detail without revealing spoilers but let's just say that Kinrade has a g...more Originally posted at: http://thewriteobsession.blogspot.com...

From the very first sentence, I knew what I was getting into with Forbidden Mind. Sam is like a female super-spy complete with telepathic powers. The only problem for her employers is that she has a conscience.And she wants out. That's when things go wrong and the plot begins to twist in some very unexpected and somewhat disturbing ways. I can't go into too much detail without revealing spoilers but let's just say that Kinrade has a gift for upping the creepy factor of an organization that is largely faceless throughout the story. You can see why I liked this book. Forbidden Mind does what many books on telepathy leave out. It provides stream of consciousness insight into the minds of the people Sam is reading and for the most part their thoughts were very entertaining. Even though the powers weren't new, Kinrade puts her own twist on the classics and I loved her idea of the Rent-A-Kid program.

The Novella Trap
As much as I enjoyed how quick the story leaped, I feel like Forbidden Mind suffers from the novella trap. Too much plot condensed into too few words. There are a number of aspects (plot/relationships/characters) that could have been fleshed out a lot more.I'm a big fan of sling shot pacing but I have to admit there were parts of the story which moved too quickly even for me. Characters were introduced and revelations made only to be snuffed out shortly after. Much too early for their existence to have much on an impact on me personally. Though they don't physically meet until long after their psychic relationship blossoms, I still didn't feel like the connection between Sam and Drake was realistic. Thumbs up for non physical attraction romance (even though they're both hot, it's still YA remember?), thumbs down for what could be construed as insta-love.

Sometimes Less Is More
Novella trap issues aside, Forbidden Mind is without many of the other YA traps which knock off stars for me. There was no angsty teenage psycho babble, no love triangle, no TSTL heroine and best of all no secretly bitchy best friend. There was just plot, action and powers.

What more can I say? Despite being so short, Fobidden Mind was interesting and fun to read. I actually stayed up late into the night reading this one which doesn't happen that often anymore.(less)

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May 10, 2012 Melody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be honest I am more of a book collector than reader especially since getting my eReader for Christmas. Kimberly Kinrade has become my favorite author. I need a book to pull me in and keep me reading and Forbidden Mind did this first..... Just hours after re3adering Forbidden Mind I purchased (also rare for me to pay for a book..lol) Forbidden Fire and it took me on a rollercoaster ride, keeping me wanting more... which I finished Forbidden Fire in a day as well and now am anxiously waiting fo...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Sam is a 17 year old girl who reads the minds of others for a living in Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade. Not only does Sam read minds but she lives on a campus that the kids call Rent-A-Kid where kids under 18 with paranormal powers are rented out to the highest bidder. Sam is looking forward to her 18th birthday when she will finally be free and on her own at college in New York.

A few weeks before her birthday Sam begins feeling ill and is rushed to the school's hospital. While she waits fo...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Cass rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review posted at: http://librarymosaic.blogspot.pt/2012...

Review:
I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review and Forbidden Mind is a thrilling and fascinating story full of twists that are able to take the reader by surprise.
In the world of Forbidden Mind some people, like Sam, have special, paranormal abilities. Sam can, in fact, read minds. She lived with other kids with abilities at a place they call Rent-A-Kid.
When she’s almost ready to leave, she meets a boy named D...more

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Mar 04, 2012 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you listen to movie reviews, you might hear a comment along the lines of, “The leading actor carried the movie.” In the book Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade, the female character of Sam possesses enough charm to pull me into this quick paranormal read.

The story itself reminds me of the television series Dollhouse. In the latter, a company hires out “dolls” to wealthy clients for varied purposes from romantic interludes to high-risk criminal enterprises. Dolls have their original memories w...more If you listen to movie reviews, you might hear a comment along the lines of, “The leading actor carried the movie.” In the book Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade, the female character of Sam possesses enough charm to pull me into this quick paranormal read.

The story itself reminds me of the television series Dollhouse. In the latter, a company hires out “dolls” to wealthy clients for varied purposes from romantic interludes to high-risk criminal enterprises. Dolls have their original memories wiped and exist in a child-like blank state until they’re programmed with new personalities for their new engagement. In Forbidden Mind, a company called Rent-A-Kid hires out paranormal spies to rich and powerful clients. These spies don’t have their original memories wiped, but instead are raised and educated within the company’s confines until the age of eighteen. Whenever spies finish an engagement, they’re drugged and the worse memories of their engagement are erased. As you can see, Forbidden Mind avoids being a clone.

Unfortunately, the Rent-A-Kid setup is underdeveloped. I never did figure out how spies are briefed about their clients or their cases. Perhaps for that reason, I remain confused about the events of the foundational first chapter: Why do clients hire young people instead of adults? How do young people gain access to the bad guys? And for that matter, why was Sam hired for the particular client featured in Chapter One? After a couple rereads of the first chapter, I did figure out that Sam is digging up dirt on a bad guy by reading his mind. Moreover, when Sam discovers that her client intends to use the dirt to bribe the bad guy rather than send him to jail, Sam gets herself in trouble by getting involved.

Unfortunately, this entire setup seems more like a clever ploy to hook readers into Forbidden Mind rather than being actually critical to the plot. Perhaps, as the old adage among writers goes, Kinrade should have thrown out the first chapter. From Chapter Two on, everything made sense: Just when Sam is due for release on her eighteenth birthday, she develops a mysterious sickness. While recovering, Sam receives a telepathetic message from new boy Luke. In what sometimes reads like an information dump, readers learn that Luke has been kidnapped. Moreover, the timing of Sam’s so-called flu is no coincidence. Intrigued? So was I.

Yet the real reason I kept reading is Sam. She is the perfect blend of a savvy spy and the nice girl next door. In one paragraph, she tells how: “This level of wealth didn’t impress me the way it might some. We lived well at Rent-A-Kid, with the best of everything—I’d endured so many formal dinners, etiquette training, and socialization classes…. After all, we had to impress and fit in with some of the wealthiest people in the world.” Later, Sam admits to craving hot showers so she can sponge away the guilt she feels over helping to destroy the lives of others just to satisfy rich and powerful clients. While minor characters too often received token descriptions of body and apparel, Kinrade has successfully created a charming main character.

There’s something else about Sam. One of the rules of Rent-A-Kid is to never leave a trace of one’s presence. When Sam ends up caring for the son of a target, she leaves behind a photo the two had taken together at a country fair. It had been the first time Sam felt like a kid. While the rest of Forbidden Mind deals instead with Sam’s mysterious sickness and the new boy Luke, this is one of my favorite moments in the book because it shows how torn Sam feels about her spy life. Another scene I like happens later, when Sam realizes that not only does she have the ability to read minds, but she can also control people’s thoughts and actions. After she “convinces” a nurse through mind control alone to look the other way while she sets about freeing Luke, Sam questions her ethics. Indeed, throughout Forbidden Mind, Sam often questions the reasons for her powers, how they can be used, and what type of person she wants to be. By instilling Sam with these strong morals, Kinrade gives her that extra depth often missing from other main characters in paranormal books.

Because of its sometimes amateur style, Forbidden Mind is almost a near miss. Yet the plot is suspenseful enough to make me want to know what happens next. Moreover, Sam is a refreshing teen, in that she lacks the angst that weighs down too many fictional portrayals of adolescents. Combined with the short length, it substituted nicely for my common evening fare of a one-hour television show.(less)

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Mar 02, 2012 Erin Maurer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kimberly has done it again. I first fell in love with her style of writing while reading her collection "Bits of You, Pieces of Me" and "Forbidden Mind" did not disappoint. I have always loved YA books and teen dramas for the emotional rollercoaster and "Forbidden Mind" provided the drama in the best possible way.

Paranormal fiction is not something I typically read, because outside of Xmen and Harry Potter, I tend to find most of it cheesy. Rather than cheesy and expected, "Forbidden Mind" was...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Andy Gavin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This little novel caught my attention yesterday while running a Kindle Selectfree day. I was sold by the tag line, "She reads minds. He controls minds. Together, they might get out alive." I like the notion of a couple stuck together by theinherentnature of circumstances. I tried to build this dynamic into my second novel, Untimed — only it's time travel, not mind reading.

I pounded through this book in one sitting, as it is only 134 pages, making it more a novella. This is a new trend made possi...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Lizz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! Where to start with this book?! Literally 5 sentences into this book & I was already sold on it. Right away I was pulled into such a wonderfully creative story about Sam, who is on the verge of 18 and has the ability to read minds. Sam & a bunch of other kids who have paranormal powers are all apart of an organization, which they like to refer as Rent-A Kid, where they are rented to clients who want to use their paranormal abilities. Sam who has been with the organization her whole...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: meh-eh-so-so-won-t-read-again, other-paranormal, ya, yuck-awful-waste-o-f-time

So had to write a review here. I don't usually write reviews but I am trying to do this more since I use other people's reviews to choose a book. This one had great reviews and an interesting story. The book started off great - about half way through the book I kept thinking "wow I am half way done and feel like I am still at the beginning". The characters are interesting (except for this mysterious boy who shows up) and you feel like the story is building towards something. But the story didn't...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Tiff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook-lendable, own, recommended-to-me, ebook

This book kept me interested and wanting more. As the book's description says: Sam reads minds and is a part of "Rent-a-Kid". Through this book she uncovers lies about basically everything including the place she calls Rent-a-Kid, people she thought she could trust, and even her future. She sort of telepathically meets Drake who she is instantly smitten with. From there her life pretty much goes to Hell. It's kind of hard to really talk about the book without giving too much away.

I definitely pl...more

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About Kimberly Kinrade

Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who think they're...more

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Books by Kimberly Kinrade

Seduced by Innocence (The Seduced Saga, Book 1)

Seduced by Pain (The Seduced Saga, Book 2, Rose's Trilogy)

Seduced by Power (The Seduced Saga, Book 3-Rose's Story)

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Quotes from Forbidden Mind

“In one blow, that dream died as they dragged me—him—away. A tear slid down my cheek. I wasn't the only one mourning the loss of a dream.
"I'm sorry."
'You're not alone, I just wanted you to know that. And someday, when I have my powers back and am free, I'm going to do some serious damage to the people who've hurt you.” — 2 people liked it

“I opened the door and stepped in. Raw pain filled me at the sight of my painting.

'Show me what it looked like, before the fire.'

His request surprised me, but I did as he asked. With eyes closed, I projected the exact details of the painting I had poured my soul into. Just as I had experienced his love of surfing in a visceral way, he shared not just the visual beauty of my work, but the love and passion with which I had dedicated myself to it.

'Thank you. Now, it will never truly be gone.'

I choked back a sob and went to Mr. K's office.” — 1 person liked it

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