Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)

Apr 19, 2013 Blythe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: hurry-up, i-need-this-book, i-want-it-right-now, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, highly-anticipating-2013, almost-fell-asleep, 2013-reads, clever-plot-twists, caught-in-a-bad-romance, didn-t-see-that-coming, disappointments, doesn-t-deserve-the-hype, evil-cliffhanger, i-totally-saw-that-coming, mind-blowing-ending, netgalley-edelweiss-arc, snark-bait-ooh-ah-ah, unmet-potential, read-reviewed

A few months ago I had attempted to read my copy of Paranormalcy, which had been collecting dust on my bookshelf for quite a few months. In the mood for a light, funny read, Paranormalcy sounded like it'd be perfect, and, even better, it came highly recommended to me by multiple trusted friends of mine.

I think I may have lasted about one hundred pages before I threw in the towel and abandoned the book. From what I had read, Paranormalcy was pretty much the book I was looking for to a T, concept...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Megan (Book Brats) rated it 1 of 5 stars

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STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS DOES NOT A BOOK MAKE

"I have no idea. My plans changed about five minutes ago." I look over my shoulder to see the men, three (tap tap tap - I hate the number three), thick shoulders, one gun between them based on the way the guy in the middle is walking (that was a mistake, they should all have guns - guess they'll find out) matching our pace and getting closer.

The narration style of MIND GAMES sta...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Giselle marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc, ebook

I want this for the cover alone!!!

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Mar 02, 2013 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, other, fantasy-or-paranormal, science-fiction, paranormal, thriller, romance

Sister Assassin – or Mind Games, as it is titled in the US – is the perfect example of brilliant potential thoroughly wasted. What should have been slick, edgy and heartstoppingly intense (as the book description promised) is, in fact, little more than a careless assemble of a poorly thought-out storyline, with few redeeming qualities. Clearly writing a book in nine days isn't the best course of action for some.

The actual premise for this, although not entirely original, is full of possibilities...more Sister Assassin – or Mind Games, as it is titled in the US – is the perfect example of brilliant potential thoroughly wasted. What should have been slick, edgy and heartstoppingly intense (as the book description promised) is, in fact, little more than a careless assemble of a poorly thought-out storyline, with few redeeming qualities. Clearly writing a book in nine days isn't the best course of action for some.

The actual premise for this, although not entirely original, is full of possibilities. We have mind reading, the ability to sense the emotions of others, and the ability to see into the future – all of which are present in the school Annie and her sister Fia are recruited to. White, unfortunately, opts for the sloppiest and least exciting route, giving her main characters little attention or care, and her plot structure a meaningless and chaotic arrangement. A poor use of flashbacks fragments the present-day story horribly, as does the inconsistent writing. In effect, little that is significant takes place during this book. The extraordinary capabilities of the characters are not used to their full potential, resulting in a very forgettable tale that is lacking in substance.

For me, the most noticeable weakness here is the writing. I tend to be largely flexible with different approaches, and appreciate well-placed creativity when I see it, but White’s attempt at an irregular style left me wincing. The repetition and erratic nature of the sentences (a reflection of the unstable personalities, I assume) is poorly controlled, as is the excessive use of brackets and short statements. It is easy to understand the intended effect early on, but the execution is a disappointingly juvenile one. This does little to help the bland, barely-there personalities of the characters, especially where Annie and Fia are concerned. Where one sister is loud, obnoxious and oh-so-broken, the other is little more than a dull shadow. Very few characters in this book (if any) leave an impression.

The ending, although not by any means compensatory, is a small reward for not abandoning the book earlier on. Unlike the rest of the story, it is unexpected and genuinely engaging, with a twist that makes it difficult not to be curious about the sequel. Admittedly, perhaps due to the overall size of the book, it is a little rushed in terms of pace, but even so, it leaves an impact and is the main reason for my extra star.

I have little else to say about this book. Bottom line, I did not connect with it on any level until the very end, when it was too little too late. Personally, I cannot recommend this to anyone other than firm Paranormalcy fans. I will suggest, however, taking a look at other reviews. This seem to be a rather polarising read and you may just end up among those who appreciate this book more.

(This review also appears on my blog)
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Mar 03, 2013 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-action, alternating-povs, arc-2013, best-of-2013, favorites, i-have-superpowers, surprise-surprise, ya, reviewed-in-2013

The first thing you need to know about Sister Assassin (or Mind Games, title of the US edition) is that it’s absolutely thrilling. Ferguson, my Kindle, was temporarily unavailable so I was forced to read it on my iPhone and my eyes nearly fell out, but I couldn't stop. Not for a second. I wouldn't have stopped to save my life.

Sister Assassin is a story about two sisters, Fia and Annie, and the narrative is divided between their two points of view. It also jumps back and forth in time, and these...more The first thing you need to know about Sister Assassin (or Mind Games, title of the US edition) is that it’s absolutely thrilling. Ferguson, my Kindle, was temporarily unavailable so I was forced to read it on my iPhone and my eyes nearly fell out, but I couldn't stop. Not for a second. I wouldn't have stopped to save my life.

Sister Assassin is a story about two sisters, Fia and Annie, and the narrative is divided between their two points of view. It also jumps back and forth in time, and these flashbacks (both Annie’s and Sofia’s) allow us to fill in the crucial backstory. The sisters live in a boarding school for talented girls. Annie is blind, but she is also a Seer, able to predict the future to a certain extent. However, the real asset is Fia, for whose talent there isn’t even a proper name. Her instinct, the tiny voice that tells right from wrong, never fails her. She always knows the best course of action, even when she doesn’t understand the reason.

Her ability doesn’t really help her to defend herself from the school and its owner, Mr. Keane, when he starts holding Annie hostage in order to force Fia to do his bidding. She’s a girl who can do anything – predict stocks, steal anything they need, kill and get away with it. She always knows which road to take if she needs to get away.

In the process of training her, they completely broke her. Fia is a disorganized mess of violent thoughts and White’s writing reflected this perfectly. I honestly didn’t think that she, as a writer, was capable of such a thing. It reminded me just a bit of Tahereh Mafi, and you all know how I feel about her. In Annie’s chapters, the writing was more balanced, but Fia’s was full of jumbled, disjointed sentences and repetitiveness. It was the perfect way to keep the damage that was done to her constantly present in the reader’s mind.

In this room I have picked which gun was unloaded out of ten options. And then they pulled the trigger on me. I have picked stocks that went on to skyrocket. I have picked which pencil I would shove into Ms. Robertson’s ear until she kicked me out for thinking about it.

Ms. Robertson, you see, is Mr. Keane’s secretary and a (mind) Reader. The school also has Seers, and Feelers (empaths). Under their watchful eye, it’s almost impossible to plan a successful escape, but Fia is better trained than any of them and she has her own ability to help her.

The romance was completely unconventional, and all the more exciting because of it. Sofia had no idea whom she could trust, and neither did I. I liked James a lot, but his every action was morally dubious, and it was precisely that that made him perfect for Fia in a sad, twisted way. Theirs is a romance I resisted for as long as I could because I felt that a part of it is rotten at its core, but in the end I had no choice but to accept it and want it for both of them.

Make sure to have a free afternoon when you decide to read this book. You will not be able to put it down, that much I can promise you, it will consume your every thought. Sister Assassin doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but things are far from resolved. The ending IS an ending, but it is also a promise of a great second installment. I’m in. How about you?

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Jan 20, 2013 Ashleigh Paige rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, arc, back-in-the-oven-with-you-dear-book, better-than-expected, the-decent-shelf-of-meh

See more of my reviews sooner on The YA Kitten! I received my copy via Amazon Vine.

2.5 stars.

Kiersten White wrote the first draft of Mind Games in nine days and at times, it shows. In real time, the events of this 256-page novel happen in two days with half the events taking place in flashbacks and it's a fast book to read. Still, it surprised me by being much better than expected. A little undeveloped and in need of more time in the editing oven, but it's an otherwise pleasant surprise from a n...more See more of my reviews sooner on The YA Kitten! I received my copy via Amazon Vine.

2.5 stars.

Kiersten White wrote the first draft of Mind Games in nine days and at times, it shows. In real time, the events of this 256-page novel happen in two days with half the events taking place in flashbacks and it's a fast book to read. Still, it surprised me by being much better than expected. A little undeveloped and in need of more time in the editing oven, but it's an otherwise pleasant surprise from a novel I expected the worst from.

Some readers can't stand it when a book is divided half into flashbacks and half into what is going on in the present, but I quite like it. What I dislike is that White ends all the present-time chapters with cliffhangers that make me want to skip the flashbacks altogether! White did a fine enough job giving Annie and Fia their own voices and avoiding one of the biggest pitfalls for a dual POV novel; I never needed to check the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was speaking.

The consistency of its elements is where things start going downhill. Sometimes, the way Fia speaks in run-ons and repetition thoroughly gets across that what she has been through has reduced her to the emotional maturity of a ten-year-old girl. That's how she reads most of the time. (Also, small niggle, but it bothers me that she hates the number three and yet does almost everything in threes.) Other times, it's just annoying. Sometimes, the love the sisters have for one another is palpable and their complex relationship feels real. Other times? Nope. Fia's got a reason for her sections being badly written, but Annie sure doesn't.

Just about every element of the novel, from the romance-ish thing Fia has going on with James to other characters' personalities and motivations (especially James), suffers from this issue--which is exactly what I feared might happen when I heard how long it took to write the first draft. The book was both written--and read thanks to its pacing--so quickly that deeper development isn't there.

There are still too many questions the novels leaves unanswered, though the sequel will surely answer them. What does Keane want? He's collecting young girls (because only girls have them for whatever reason) with psychic powers to give out as gifts to politicians, yeah. Still, what is his ultimate goal? Hopefully, the sequel I'll probably stick around for will offer much deeper development than Mind Games.(less)

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May 13, 2013 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nook, paranormal, read-in-2013, young-adult

Mind Games (or Sister Assassin in the UK) is the first book in White's new series of the same name. I've read her Paranormalcy trilogy, and for the most part enjoyed it's fluffy heroine, Evie. I assumed Mind Games would be similar, and prepared myself for a book filled with silly humor and sparkly characters. Yeah, not so much.
I'm also bad about ordering a book, forgetting why I ordered it, and then diving in without bothering to read what the blurb on the cover says. Lazy, I know. So I download...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Lilian Cheng rated it 2 of 5 stars

Did I hear "heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller"? Because I want in. Mind Games is a refreshing addition to the YA genre, especially when psychological thrillers is often exclusive to adult fiction. White delivered a interesting plot and a fierce female character (albeit she stole the the spotlight from everyone else) all in a fast-paced two-hundred page novel. We've seen all the elements before from crazy training schools (Ender's Game, Insignia, Variant, The Vindico) to exploiting p...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction, romance, ongoing-series, kindle, hype, harpercollins, mystery, edelweiss-e-galley, cover-love, fantasy, action, annoying-protagonists, boring, thriller, whert-the-hell, you-must-be-joking, paranormal, letdown, first-person-pov, give-me-back-that-wasted-time, awful, review-on-blog, saw-that-coming, released

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

1.5 Stars

When I first heard about Mind Games, I was immediately fascinated. The synopsis added in with the gorgeous cover made me desperate for this book. I thought I would love it and even when the negative reviews started to pour in, I wasn't phased. If I'm being totally honest, I probably should've been. Mind Games had the premise of a real winner, but was too short, too cliche and too predictable to make a mark.

There is so much that I didn't like about this no...more

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Mar 17, 2013 fяσzєη rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, i-am-disappoint, hot-mess, meh-it-was-okay, cant-believe-i-finished

Ehhh. What a disappointment. :c Totally a huge step down from the Paranormalcy books. I liked the ending, but that's about it. Was not a fan of the writing style at all, and had trouble following the plot. But oh well, at least it wasn't terrible.

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Feb 10, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a much edgier and darker concept than White's Paranormalcy trilogy. It's not cutesy with vampires who are clearly misunderstood except for the one. He's just a Creepy Vampire Guy. It's completely different.

In this book we meet Fia, age 17 and her older sister, Annie, who is blind. They are orphaned as young children and shipped off to an aunt who raises them for a couple of years before the girls are taken in on scholarship to a private school. You can smell something diabolical about th...more This is a much edgier and darker concept than White's Paranormalcy trilogy. It's not cutesy with vampires who are clearly misunderstood except for the one. He's just a Creepy Vampire Guy. It's completely different.

In this book we meet Fia, age 17 and her older sister, Annie, who is blind. They are orphaned as young children and shipped off to an aunt who raises them for a couple of years before the girls are taken in on scholarship to a private school. You can smell something diabolical about that, of course. First of all, boarding schools in the United States are few and far between unless they are reform schools.

It is not a reform school or a real educational boarding school since this is YA paranormal fiction. As we continue on the timeline, the reader realizes that both Annie and Fia have paranormal abilities. Annie is a seer. Fia is something else altogether. The school is a training ground and they don't play nice. Fia has perfect gut reactions. She is trained in the fine art of fighting with knives and whatnot. She's an assassin against her will.

Much of the book is told in past tense with the present tense playing a smaller part until the end. Essentially, it is setting the stage for upcoming conflicts. The master of the school is keeping Fia in check by keeping Annie locked up and under guard and key. Fia becomes disturbed to distraction by what she is turning into. Enter incredibly suave and handsome son of the master of the school. Meet James. Does he work for his dad or is he working on his own? What are his allegiances? He is using Fia but so was his dad. You don't know whether he is good intentions or not so good.

Although written in White's signature clean style, I would add a couple of parental warnings. Violence is apparent since Fia is trained to fight and use knives. This is clearly purposeful and essential to the book's conclusion. Swearing is reported but not quoted so negligible. Sex is absent but innuendo is not. Language is clean. Dialogue is clean despite the innuendo.

I loved the story. I loved Paranormalcy and expected more of the same. It's not the same. It's very different. I can't wait to read the rest of the books. (less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was drawn in from page one of Mind Games, and I loved every second of it. Fia is exactly my kind of character that I love to read about. She can take care of herself, and she kicks butt. Her one weak spot is what makes her from being evil though, because even when she does things she shouldn't she always does it to protect her blind sister Annie.
Their bond is so complex and I loved getting the dual narrative to see where both were coming from in their decisions and how much they really woul...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like this one, but not for the reasons you would think. I kind of got the "Ocean's 13" satisfaction at the end of the book. And I think this book is better named "Mind Games." I think if I had read it as "Sister Assassin," I would have been extremely disappointed.

SISTER ASSASSIN FAIL

While the prologue and first chapter throws you right into it, the rest of the book lacked that "slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense" action I was expecting from this book. The action scenes were too short...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, arc, favorites

This book is absolutely amazing. Mind Games is simply that a perfect mind game that will leave you begging for more. I honestly have no clue how I am going to write this review but I am going to try.

The POV in this story alternates between Annie and Fia, two sisters each with very unique abilities. The time setting also changes from present time to the past making things even more complicated, but still in my opinion unique and amazing. The overall storyline is not simple either. It involves lot...more This book is absolutely amazing. Mind Games is simply that a perfect mind game that will leave you begging for more. I honestly have no clue how I am going to write this review but I am going to try.

The POV in this story alternates between Annie and Fia, two sisters each with very unique abilities. The time setting also changes from present time to the past making things even more complicated, but still in my opinion unique and amazing. The overall storyline is not simple either. It involves lots of espionage, murder, calculating, and deception. Annie and Fia are both being used for their abilities but Fia is the one that everyone wants. It isn't really clear what her ability actually is until later in the story but believe me it is one of the best creations I have ever read. When Fia can't take things anymore she starts to take things into her own hands, but with all eyes on her and her sister to protect she doesn't have many options. This story is really just the beginning, we get to see the background and the why of everything but I think the true story will start in the next one since Fia made a HUGE decision at the end of Mind Games and it is really a game changer for everybody.

The writing style I will admit may turn some people off. I personally loved it but I can see where it could be a little bit much at times. Fia has a habit of repeating certain things three times and tapping her leg three times, this is proven and shown throughout the book and to me it just showed me how broken she really was. I felt her being broken down and with the writing the way it is it just fit her mind perfectly.

I honestly just want to squee from the roof tops about this book. I know my review is all over the place but I just can't seem to find the words to do this book justice. Mind games is unique, amazing, interesting, and so so much more. I was so shocked at so many things that happened throughout, that by the end of the story I was exhausted emotionally and in shock over what is to come. I don't know how I am going to wait for the next book! (less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Katja rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The disjointed narrative didn't work for me. I had been looking forward to this book because I liked Kiersten White's Paranormalcy, but this was a struggle for me to read. I didn't connect with the characters either, and in the end reading felt like a chore.

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Mar 24, 2013 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, arc, 2013-reads, young-adult, gave-away

Mind Games drove me crazy. At first I was intrigued when Fia and Adam met. The story was fast-paced, and it didn't take long for action to happen. I wanted to know where it was all leading. However, once Fia and Adam went their separate ways that's when things started going downhill, and I went from interested to irritated. Why? I mostly blame the characters.

I can't stand when characters are being manipulated and controlled like how Fia and her sister Annie were, so I understand why Fia was alwa...more Mind Games drove me crazy. At first I was intrigued when Fia and Adam met. The story was fast-paced, and it didn't take long for action to happen. I wanted to know where it was all leading. However, once Fia and Adam went their separate ways that's when things started going downhill, and I went from interested to irritated. Why? I mostly blame the characters.

I can't stand when characters are being manipulated and controlled like how Fia and her sister Annie were, so I understand why Fia was always angry and frustrated and explosive. But dear Lord, it wasn't easy reading from her perspective. She made me cranky as heck for the majority of the book. I liked Annie more, even though there were times where she made mistakes that made me facepalm hard.

I hated James. I really don't care if his intentions were good or if he had this grand scheme to end things. None of that mattered to me because all I could focus on was how he treated Annie, the sister of the girl he supposedly cares a lot about. You don't treat family like that. If one of my sisters were to end up with a guy who treated me or any of my sisters like crap, I would tell that motherfucker to go to hell and force my sister to choose between him and us. I was just disgusted with James's treatment of Annie. He came off as such a huge prick.

As for the other "love interest" Adam... He was kind of random and bland. Really, he seemed important to the story, but I felt he was overshadowed by some of the other characters in the end. Although I liked the whole Fia and Adam romance that seemed to be developing in the beginning, I honestly wasn't feeling it at all near the end. I would like to state now that I'm hoping for some Annie and Adam instead. Mwahaha! Hopefully Adam's as good as he sounds.

Okay, I realize this was more of a ramble about the characters than anything else. I couldn't help it. A story can be all over the place and still be a good read to me. But if I find the majority of the characters to be unlikable or unmemorable that's all I'll be able to focus on and that's exactly what happened with this book. If I ever decide to read the sequel to Mind Games, it would only be because I want to find out what happens to Annie. I'm not sure how much I'm going to care when the times comes though.(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this ARC from the author via a contest. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Kiersten White's Mind Games is far different from her Paranormlacy trilogy. There's not much paranormal to this one. It has more to do with spies, espionage, assassinations and a school, of course!

There's quite a bit of mystery to this school as a whole and what they do with these young girls. They seem to find girls with talents, seeing the future, reading minds, reading thoughts...that kind of thing....more

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Apr 09, 2013 Livvy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-stars, arcs, feb-2013, mystery, thriller, fantasy, ya, romance

Sister Assassin unfortunately is not a novel I enjoyed, and I am sure I will be one of the rare few and it is not often that I feel that way. For me, the problem with Sister Assassin lay not with the structure of the narrative which switches between Annie and Sofia, the two protagonists and sisters and jumping from present to past. This did discombobulate me, but I learned to deal and pay close attention to the time frame, it was the characters themselves that truly grated on me. Despite this, I...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Elevetha Houre rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one

Shelves: 2013, characters-need-to-die, gorgeous-covers, potential-wasted, cover-fraud, head-meet-your-new-friend-the-desk, not-what-i-wanted-at-all, once-is-enough, one-time-too-many, pathetically-wanting-dialogue, start-the-fire, the-series-of-awesome-quest, what-on-earth-is-this-junk, why-was-this-written, images-involved-in-review, too-many-questions, mind-numbingly-boring, neverending-regret, nothing-special-here, slogging

1.5 stars.

You know what I told this book?

description

For your reading pleasure, I am going to have many examples of awful awful (oh so awful) writing for you.

Example A^: (The (Repeat And Then Repeat Again In) Parenthesis)

Also, snippets of "Why this reads like a 13 year old girl's diary". You have been warned.

Quotes!!! - As much as I would love to type out every single (single single single) time something annoyed me in the writing, I'll just type up the ones I had enough paper to mark.

I tap my fingers(t

...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Renae M. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, boarding-school, paranormal, published-2013

There’s been a lot of buzz lately due to the fact that Kiersten White wrote the first draft of Mind Games in an astonishing 9 days. That’s pretty cool, when you think about it, and for myself, I was looking forward to this book due to my past experiences with the author. Paranormalcy and its sequels were fun, fluffy books that I liked perhaps in spite of my own better judgment. I expected that this book would be along the same lines. I did not expect that this book would actually read like it ha...more There’s been a lot of buzz lately due to the fact that Kiersten White wrote the first draft of Mind Games in an astonishing 9 days. That’s pretty cool, when you think about it, and for myself, I was looking forward to this book due to my past experiences with the author. Paranormalcy and its sequels were fun, fluffy books that I liked perhaps in spite of my own better judgment. I expected that this book would be along the same lines. I did not expect that this book would actually read like it had been written in just 9 days. Because it did, and that didn’t make my reading experience particularly great.

Mind Games reads like a first draft. A very creative first draft with tons and tons of potential, yes. But still a first draft. No matter what I was reading or what was going on, there was always this feeling that everything was undercooked and undeveloped. Really, the only thing wrong with this novel is that it needed a lot more fleshing out and more time in revision. The framework is there, the basic idea is solid. It’s just that every single aspect of this is lacking in depth.

White’s characters have never been particularly strong, in my opinion, but at the very least they were well-rounded enough for me to become invested in their stories. The sisters Fia and Annie were more names on a page than imaginary people. Secondary characters like Fia’s two love interests, James and Adam, were even more woefully portrayed. The villains weren’t villainous because I knew nothing about them and felt no emotion toward their supposed crimes. I didn’t hate or love any of these characters because the author gave me no emotional depth to draw from. Everything was extremely static.

The other huge issue I had was world-building. Namely, the conspicuous absence of any establishment of setting whatsoever. When does this take place? The future? I have no idea. How many people are there with special abilities? Why are they all women? No clue. What do places, people, and objects look like? Haven’t the foggiest. These are all topics I’d expect an author to skim over in a first draft, but in a finished copy it’s inexcusable.

And then there was the plot, which was just weird because without characters or world-building, I had no idea what was going on or what I was supposed to feel. This book is fairly short, and it’s definitely very very rushed. I liked what I read to a certain extent, but it wasn’t enough to keep me satisfied.

In the end, I found Mind Games to be rather like a skeleton. The framework of a good novel is there, but until the skeleton gets some meat on its bones, I have nothing to say but “eh, better luck next time!”

Read more reviews at Respiring Thoughts.(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Burgandy Ice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh… I’m mad. I was not ready for this book to be over. I was just catching up to speed… This is going to take some time. I can’t just exit this book and live my life. I keep trying to pick it back up again. Maybe I can read it again right away? No… it would be a totally different experience. Rats.

This book is called Mind Games. Be warned. It messes with your head.

It’s told from two different perspectives and hops through time all over the place. I learned to pay attention to the title headings....more

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Jan 04, 2013 Cynthia (A Blog about Nothing) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kiersten White is a genius! I adored everything in this novel. She can write some pretty fantastic stuff that will have you hooked from beginning to end and even after it’s finished. You’ll be wanting more from her long after you’re done with Mind Games.

I was constantly flipping back to the cover to make sure I was reading a book by Kiersten White, not in a bad way though because I did love her Paranormalcy series but because this one felt so different. Mind Games was just as engrossing and fabu...more Kiersten White is a genius! I adored everything in this novel. She can write some pretty fantastic stuff that will have you hooked from beginning to end and even after it’s finished. You’ll be wanting more from her long after you’re done with Mind Games.

I was constantly flipping back to the cover to make sure I was reading a book by Kiersten White, not in a bad way though because I did love her Paranormalcy series but because this one felt so different. Mind Games was just as engrossing and fabulous as Paranormalcy but it felt darker, steamier, it felt like Kiersten lets go in this series and touches at the edge of her limits. It’s really hard to explain, just know that there was a lot more kissy scenes in Mind Games. Loved it!

I loved that Kiersten once again created some empowering female characters that can kick butt just like Evie. Fia is not a damsel in distress and reading her story makes your blood pump faster, makes you proud of being a girl and also feel like you can kick anybody’s butt and go run a mile right after. I loved Fia’s strength and loyalty to her sister. I love that we get to see both of their perspectives in this novel and see how different they are but how much they both love each other and will do anything to protect one another. We also get to see how they ended up in this institution through flashbacks in between their chapters that take us a couple of years back and counts down to the present.

There’s also of course, a very hot love interest, one that you don’t really know if he’s trustworthy or not, but boy does he make you weak in the knees. Couldn’t get enough of those scenes between him and Fia, they were pretty hot and had me holding my breath waiting for more. Kiersten definitely knows how to tease her readers. There’s also the possibility of a second love interest but honestly I don’t know how that will play out in the sequel with the crazy ending we are left with in Mind Games. This was a fast paced and exciting new series by Kiersten White, one much edgier than Paranormalcy and just as addictive.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Eileen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, gift, owned, physical-book, thriller, young-adult

Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***

It's fair to say I had no sound expectations walking into this book—Kiersten White was an untouched author to me. I'd heard rave things, and as soon as I read the first word, I was lost in the world of Mind Games.

Fia may be the most brokenly powerful character I have ever read. Her voice, her loyalty to her sister, every last detail about her screamed, "I don't want to be fixed." Her mind was jumbled up with so many thoughts, b...more Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***

It's fair to say I had no sound expectations walking into this book—Kiersten White was an untouched author to me. I'd heard rave things, and as soon as I read the first word, I was lost in the world of Mind Games.

Fia may be the most brokenly powerful character I have ever read. Her voice, her loyalty to her sister, every last detail about her screamed, "I don't want to be fixed." Her mind was jumbled up with so many thoughts, but with an analytical scrutiny dancing around the edges. Fia's "superpower", let's call it, was perfect instinct. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine always knowing exactly which answer was the right one; which decision would have the most positive outcome? Knowledge can sometimes be a burden, and you definitely tell that Fia's burdened by everything she's ever been through.

Another thing that was simply perfect about Mind Games was the writing. Kiersten White just completely dazzles, flowing the language like water through a just-cleaned drain. She has definitely outdone herself, and I don't even know what her Paranormalcy series is like, just that this, my friends, has to be much, much better, because I can't really think of a way she could have made anything more flawless in terms of the writing, the sympathy she made us feel toward the characters, and especially the characters. They were all so real and so palpable that you kind of had to wonder for a few minutes, "I wonder where Fia and Annie are right now and what they're doing."

Plot-wise, Mind Games is the champion! The pacing was executed perfectly, and for such a short book, it sure packs a punch! Every word, every last detail is used perfectly, and I want to take a moment to highlight the flashbacks. Every other chapter was a flashback into either Fia or Annie's past, creating a real sense of atmosphere in the plot. Furthermore, the fact that these flashbacks acted as a buffer between one climactic point to the next, which could be equally frustrating and totally intriguing. And, like I said above, these memories of Fia and Annie's childhood brought the whole story together and made us really feel for the characters and whatever they'd ever been through.

Heart-breaking, emotional, and totally creepy at times, Mind Games will not fail to blow you away and leave you awe-struck for maybe the longest amount of time! This one is a must read.(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, 2012-read

Can I just say that this book was a total mind-fu*!? Because it was. And mostly in a good way. It's so incredibly different than Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, which is rather lighthearted and fun. This one...very not lighthearted.

Two sisters, each special in her own way, are brought into a place for special girls. Annie believes she's come home, that she's found a safe haven. Fia comes along because she can't leave Annie, because she has to protect her sister, no matter that she doesn't...more Can I just say that this book was a total mind-fu*!? Because it was. And mostly in a good way. It's so incredibly different than Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, which is rather lighthearted and fun. This one...very not lighthearted.

Two sisters, each special in her own way, are brought into a place for special girls. Annie believes she's come home, that she's found a safe haven. Fia comes along because she can't leave Annie, because she has to protect her sister, no matter that she doesn't trust the people who run the place.

And why should she, seeing as how they use Fia as their own personal assassin. Fia's been trained, her already impeccable instincts honed to a razor's edge. They send her out on missions and she goes because she has to, because they'll hurt Annie if she doesn't. She can't let anything happen to Annie.

But this latest mission is different. She's sent to kill a boy but...she can't. Even though she knows Bad Things will happen to her sister, her instincts scream at her to disobey and to not kill this boy. So she doesn't and, with that impulse, she plunges both herself and her sister into more danger than they've even been in.

Told in alternating points of view, MIND GAMES plunges the reader into a world filled with mind readers and trackers, assassins and psychics where everyone plays by the boss's rules or they die. The weaker of the two sisters, Annie has visions of the future but doesn't see the danger of the situation until it is way too late. She doesn't see the bad in people and places, even though her sister tries to tell her about it. She sees the good first. The crazier of the two, Fia, on the other hand, knows things are bad from the get-go but she doesn't see a way around it yet. So, she follows orders and scars her very soul for the sake of her sister.

Rounding out a disturbing cast of characters (including a Nurse Ratchet-type and plenty of bad dudes) is James, the son of the big, bad bossman. James is playing games of his own but he takes it upon himself to help out Fia when he can, to teach her ways of survival that she may not have considered. There's a strong connection between the two, even though Fia's BS radar is on high alert any time he's around.

Trippy and filled with unexpected twists and turns, MIND GAMES is a white-knuckle thrill ride through a shadowy world of high-stakes espionage and murder.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review posted at Bewitched Bookworms

Unique Paranormal Abilities!
What I found most unusual here, was the paranormal abilities the girls were “gifted” with. Even though most of the gifts are psychic, Fia’s special ability was outstandingly unique! Her instinct always tell her what to do, she just has to trust her gut. Like, today the High Heels would be the best option, because she will need them later that day in a fight. Just a small example, but I found it a remarkable and interesting choice f...more Review posted at Bewitched Bookworms

Unique Paranormal Abilities!
What I found most unusual here, was the paranormal abilities the girls were “gifted” with. Even though most of the gifts are psychic, Fia’s special ability was outstandingly unique! Her instinct always tell her what to do, she just has to trust her gut. Like, today the High Heels would be the best option, because she will need them later that day in a fight. Just a small example, but I found it a remarkable and interesting choice for a psychic gift!

Fia – Girl Extraordinary and far from being plain or ordinary
I loved loved LOVED Fia! She was full of spark and funk! She was constantly in action, constantly thinking and never stood still. She had a hard time dealing with her powers and especially since she discovered for what she has been trained by this mysterious school…. It was heartbreaking to see that this sweet girl, who struggled so much was used to be an assassin. The way the school treated her and forced her to obey was heartbreaking and very twisted. Once Fia realized what they are up to, she had no way but to obey and do what they want even though it goes against everything she believes in and finally… might even break her.

2 Sisters – 2 POV- 2 Time Frames
The story is told from both Fia’s and Anna’s POV. Apart from getting the story told from both Anna’s and Fia’s view, we also jump in time. We always go back to see what happened “before”, when they wer just joining the school and how Fia realized what this school is really about. Even though, this was most definitely important pieces of information, I found it a little harder to fully get drawn into this story. I would have liked an evenly time frame better.

Thrilling, Edgy and Psychologically intense!
I was absolutely mesmerized and fascinated by this story and especially by Fia’s personality! It was definitely a psychological thriller which kept me glued and on edge all the time. There were some twist, I didn’t see coming and I found my heart was breaking for Fia ever so often. Apart from this intense plot, there was also some romance. And.. I loved the romance.. a lot! There are two boys, both are total opposites and there is one where I’m still not sure we can trust. But. I love that there are some mysteries and secrets still to be discovered and I am excited to see where this all will head!

Bottom Line
Mind Games by Kiersten White was a brilliantly played story and very edgy new tale dealing with psychic gifts that are highly unusual and truly extraordinaire. I especially loved Fia’s constant moving self and her very funky personality. Due to the 2 POV and 2 different time lines I was not fully able to get drawn in the story completely Sometimes I felt a little detached. Still, I can highly recommend it to all fans of paranormal thrillers with Kiersten White’s unique characters!

(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-galley

Hmm, a high 3.5? It is kinda crazy/weird/demented but in a fun way.

The point-of-view alternates between sisters Fia and Annie. Fia has perfect instincts. How awesome is that?! She always makes the right choice. Her teacher has to stop giving her multiple choice tests because she never chooses wrong. (I find this hilarious!) So the people with the power in this story are using Fia to help them with things: choosing stocks, picking winners, doing random dirty work, etc. Fia does get periodically a...more Hmm, a high 3.5? It is kinda crazy/weird/demented but in a fun way.

The point-of-view alternates between sisters Fia and Annie. Fia has perfect instincts. How awesome is that?! She always makes the right choice. Her teacher has to stop giving her multiple choice tests because she never chooses wrong. (I find this hilarious!) So the people with the power in this story are using Fia to help them with things: choosing stocks, picking winners, doing random dirty work, etc. Fia does get periodically angsty with the whole I-am-a-monster thought process, but her tendencies toward self-loathing are forgivable since she's had to do some terrible things. Still, it is right on the borderline for me between an expected affectedness and an obnoxious self-pity. It doesn't quite tip the scales into that annoying zone, but it had me growing slightly less amorous toward Fia's character the more she had those thoughts. She's still my favorite, though. Annie is blind (actually blind, not figuratively blind) and a bit naive. And she has psychic visions. Blind seer is awesome! Annie's chapters are largely focused on her growing realization of what exactly is going on with Fia. James is deliberately misleading and is something of an enigma, but I find his character to be really interesting because it's difficult to know on which side of the line he stands at times.

The villain is properly sinister and mysterious, and the thriller/suspense elements range from tense to fun to exciting. But there isn't a whole lot that actually happens, outside of the numerous flashbacks and back story. Probably most of Mind Games' chapters take place in the past. I think the nonlinear narrative could put some people off. I don't mind nonlinear narratives, and in this particular story the past stuff is interesting, is completely necessary for exposition, and also allows for a slow trickle of information that gradually enlightens the reader. The chapters are also divided in a way that sets some of them in the past and some in the present, so it's not randomly jumping around - there is a structure to it. But I still prefer the present events and wish that part of the story had progressed further. I would have preferred there to be more balance of the past and the present within the narration, because this first book is skewed in favor of showing the reader past events over present ones. I really wanted more of the present and it frustrated me just a little bit to not feel like the current events were progressing as much as I wanted them to. And, though I enjoy the past and need it to understand the present, the plot becomes a little too concentrated on catching up rather than propelling forward.

I think that there is great potential for the future even though I'm not quite that satisfied by the amount of progress in this part of the story. I love the stuff involving Fia's use of her instincts, and the ending is pretty awesome. I'll definitely read the second because I think it will contain more spying, action, and impulse, and because Fia is crazy in a good way and maybe a little bit in a bad way. I want to know what happens next, and since this book catches readers up to the sisters' present, the following books should be able to move directly forward from here on out.

review also posted on http://mimosastimulus.blogspot.com (less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Monaliz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, arc, for-review, in-my-bookshelf, read-2012

My rating: 5/5 stars
Remember to stop by my blog!

First I have to introduce Mind Games' UK cover, though I'm sure this is no news to anyone.

I really can't say which cover and title I like more, cause they're just so different and both suitable on their own way.

I didn't really know what to expect from this book when I first heard about it, except of course some sort of epic awesomeness, thanks to author.
We have two narratives, Fia and Annie. They're sisters, but that's probably all they have in c...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who liked Paranormalcy for the writing, not the humor (if they exist)

Shelves: yabc-reviews, arc, dropped-series-graveyard

Ugh, you guys. I was so excited for this pretty much until I started reading it. I mean, that cover! Also, I enjoyed the first two Paranormalcy books, though in Endlessly Lend and Evie went way over my sap-tolerance. Here's the thing: the best part of Paranormalcy is the humor; it may not be good literature or amazing writing, but Evie is funny. Neither Fia nor Annie has a sense of humor, and, without it, the book relies heavily on White's writing and plotting, which turns out not to be a great...more Ugh, you guys. I was so excited for this pretty much until I started reading it. I mean, that cover! Also, I enjoyed the first two Paranormalcy books, though in Endlessly Lend and Evie went way over my sap-tolerance. Here's the thing: the best part of Paranormalcy is the humor; it may not be good literature or amazing writing, but Evie is funny. Neither Fia nor Annie has a sense of humor, and, without it, the book relies heavily on White's writing and plotting, which turns out not to be a great thing.

Sometimes when a book disappoints me, I leave feeling angry. I am pissed off for days that the marketing tricked me into reading something so awful. In this case, I really do not have any bad feelings towards Mind Games at all. This may be, in fact, the most meh I have ever felt upon finishing a book. I can almost feel the novel draining out of my head as I type this, so I should probably type with alacrity. Basically, this book bored me, from beginning to end (with brief breaks to annoy me). Despite its brevity, it took three days for me to finish because any distraction would be more interesting.

On the plus side, Mind Games starts off with a bang. Fia is an assassin, sent to complete a mission. Unfortunately, her mission turns out to be a cute guy who likes puppies, so she cannot follow through. This would be cheesy, except that saving him writes a death warrant for herself and her blind sister, Annie, with her employers. Even worse, three goons are chasing her and the guy, Adam. The opening scene catches the readers attention and creates a lot of curiosity about what precisely is going on.

Honestly, I'm torn on the writing. Personally, I really do not like it, because repetition and simplistic sentences bother me. However, I do give Kiersten White full credit for writing two disparate, easily-distinguished two person narratives. What really irritates me about the writing, primarily Fia's narrative, is the repetition. This done stylistically, though, so, if this does not bother you, then I suspect you will enjoy the writing. Here are a couple of samples from the ARC, so you can see what I mean, though note that they could be changed before publication:

"He's still helping the puppy, untangling the leash from a tree its owner tied it to outside the bar. And he's not only setting it free, he's talking to it. I can't hear the words but I can see in the puppy's tail that, however he's talking, he's talking just right, all tender sweet cheerful comfort as his long fingers deftly untwist and unwind and undo my entire day, my entire life."

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no. I didn't do it. I didn't kill Adam. He's sitting next to me, driving (I let him drive? Why did I let him drive?) and very much alive."

The plotting and world building confound me at many points, which is not something I say often. Two main things I really do not get: the school and the seers. First off, we've got these people with powers (like seers and readers), and some evil dude is collecting them into this school so he can use them for his nefarious purposes. We learn nothing about how this school started or where the powers came from. Perhaps more frustrating, Fia has a unique power, perfect instincts, but we never learn if there are other rare powers or if she's just that special.

Throughout the novel, much is made of the seers and how Fia is the only one who can possibly do anything they cannot see in advance. She has this capability because she acts on her perfect instincts. Since she acts impulsively, they cannot ever see her future, since it is not set. That sort of makes sense, except that she makes longer-range plans all the time. Maybe one instinctual decision in the middle prevents the seers from picking up on her endgame? I mean, in the, admittedly surprising, conclusion, she had a plan and they would have seen it; that was not instinct. This whole thing reminds me a lot of Minority Report. All of this might not bother people who do not feel the need to focus so much on nitty gritty details. For me, nothing made any sense, though I may be trying to apply logic where it's not meant to be.

Mind Games would benefit from characterization. Fia is the only one I know too much about, and the only one to really receive any back story, despite the fact that the flashbacks should give a lot more of a view into Annie and James, too. Fia never coalesces into a distinct person. She does a lot of things and feels a lot of things that never really seem to add up the way one might expect. Her motivations are often unclear, such as why a certain incident made her start tap tap tapping. I do like Fia's love of dancing, and that no one ever shames her for loving that or wearing sexy clothes. However, I do not care for Fia's desire to belong to James, like a pair of headphones or something; this seems both out of character and really backward. Everyone else is one-note. James is sexy and dangerous. Annie is blind and helpless. Cole has stubble. Eden is awful. Adam is sweet and loves puppies.

The portrayal of Annie upsets me the most. For all that the book should be equally about her (the UK version is even titled Sister Assassins), she has no role in the novel but to be the albatross around Fia's neck. Every single horrible thing in Fia's life happens because she has to watch out for Annie. Both of them feel this. Annie never does anything; even when she makes up her mind to make a change, her role in that change is entirely passive. Her visions of the future, too, should give her some power, but she always messes up, never leverages them properly. Characters should not exist solely to be a burden. The portrayal of Annie's character depresses me.

Much as this book bores me, I have no doubt that other readers will squee all over it. If you like the writing samples above and will not be digging around looking for plot holes, you can probably sit back and be entertained. If you're more like me, read a sample before spending your hard-earned money.(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-releases

*Genre* YA Science Fiction
*Rating* 2-2.5

*Full Review Shortly*

My feelings about this book are all over the place. I really didn't like the back and forth flashes, including at the end. Maybe that will be just my negativity brewing it's ugly head. Obviously, there is a semi-cliffhanger ending that will leave some readers wanting to read the next book in the series. One of the main characters, Sophia, is one of the most damaged characters I have ever read about. Her continued mumbling, and tapping...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Kimberly Sabatini rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg-ya

I've erased this review like ten times because I'm having trouble. When I say that MIND GAMES is not the Paranormalcy Trilogy, I find myself stuck in an endless loop because I loved the Paranormalcy Trilogy, so I don't want you to think for a minute that this is better, because it isn't better--but yet--its better. *sheesh* The most accurate thing I can say is that Kiersten White has only begun to play mind games with her readers. It is evident by this unique, exciting and riveting book that Whi...more

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Who really liked this book	8	57	May 03, 2013 10:10pm
Huntsville-Madiso...: Staff Picks: Mind Games by Kiersten White	1	7	Apr 07, 2013 07:54am
Challenge Reading...: Mind Games by Kiersten White	2	1	Mar 10, 2013 10:47am
?	2	28	Jan 03, 2013 04:43am

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