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Mind Games #2
Perfect Lies
Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.
The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.
The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2014
About the author
Kiersten White
59 books12.8k followersKiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of many books, including the And I Darken series, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Star Wars: Padawan, the Sinister Summer series, and HIDE. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, where they obsessively care for their deeply ambivalent tortoise. Visit Kiersten online at KierstenWhite.com and follow @KierstenWhite on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 586 reviews
November 28, 2014
Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines
If you read (and liked) Mind Games, then you'll definitely want to pick this up. I'm not sure, but it seems to be the conclusion to Fia and Annie's story. There's no cliffhanger at the end of this one, at least. And everything seemed to be somewhat tidied up...
Again, the story is told between the alternating POV's of the sisters, but this time around Annie is not simply a bystander. In the last book Fia pretended to kill Annie, and left her on the sidewalk dazed and confused. That's exactly where Perfect Lies picks up.
Fia is back inside the Foundation working with James who supposedly has a plan to bring his father down. Unfortunately, because of the Readers, Seers, and Feelers they can't actually plan anything without someone in the Foundation finding out. In order to win they need to play a very dangerous game or secrets and lies...with each other.
Annie is now relatively safe, but her visions of Fia and what she's doing are becoming disturbingly darker. And since Annie is the only Seer who can get a read on what Fia might possibly so next, she might be her sister's only hope to get out of this alive.
The timeline for the story was confusing for me in the beginning (and actually toward the end, too), but it did help heighten the tension. Annie's POV is happening Months before Fia's POV, so you're never really sure what's going on. In the end it came together quite spectacularly, though.
Part of the fun of the story is not being sure who you can trust, so I don't even want to hint around at anything that could spoil it for you.
I will say that I think Fia has one of the coolest abilities I've ever run across, and I would gladly read more about her in the future.
If you read (and liked) Mind Games, then you'll definitely want to pick this up. I'm not sure, but it seems to be the conclusion to Fia and Annie's story. There's no cliffhanger at the end of this one, at least. And everything seemed to be somewhat tidied up...
Again, the story is told between the alternating POV's of the sisters, but this time around Annie is not simply a bystander. In the last book Fia pretended to kill Annie, and left her on the sidewalk dazed and confused. That's exactly where Perfect Lies picks up.
Fia is back inside the Foundation working with James who supposedly has a plan to bring his father down. Unfortunately, because of the Readers, Seers, and Feelers they can't actually plan anything without someone in the Foundation finding out. In order to win they need to play a very dangerous game or secrets and lies...with each other.
Annie is now relatively safe, but her visions of Fia and what she's doing are becoming disturbingly darker. And since Annie is the only Seer who can get a read on what Fia might possibly so next, she might be her sister's only hope to get out of this alive.
The timeline for the story was confusing for me in the beginning (and actually toward the end, too), but it did help heighten the tension. Annie's POV is happening Months before Fia's POV, so you're never really sure what's going on. In the end it came together quite spectacularly, though.
Part of the fun of the story is not being sure who you can trust, so I don't even want to hint around at anything that could spoil it for you.
I will say that I think Fia has one of the coolest abilities I've ever run across, and I would gladly read more about her in the future.
September 24, 2014
This is a great sequel to Mind Games.
Perfect Lies keeps up the fast-paced and twisted plot of the first book.
I still loved the two main characters, Fia and Annie. I really enjoyed seeing Annie develop and gain some confidence and strength. Fia's struggle with knowing the true difference between right and wrong is as intriguing as ever.
The most unique aspect of this book is the way it is told. There are two POVs, similar to Mind Games, but they are on two different time lines. We see from Annie's perspective and also from Fia's, but Annie's perspective takes place before Fia's. So we are constantly changing time periods. It made for a slightly confusing story, but by the end everything comes together. It's definitely an interesting way to keep the plot entertaining and keep the reader on their toes.
Each chapter is labeled with who's perspective we are reading from and then a number of months, days, or hours "before". The reader does not know what "before" is referring to. Before what? Therefore, the reader knows the story is building to something big. This keeps the anticipation high and made me want to continue reading so I could figure everything out.
There is a romance. Both on Annie's side and Fia's. They do not take over the plot, and I don't think either is very substantial. They are fun to read about, but mostly just help to thicken the plot.
I really think it is a solid sequel that's even crazier than the first!
Thank you to Edelweiss & HarperTeen for allowing me to read an eARC copy of this book. I was allowed to read this book in return for an honest review.
Perfect Lies keeps up the fast-paced and twisted plot of the first book.
I still loved the two main characters, Fia and Annie. I really enjoyed seeing Annie develop and gain some confidence and strength. Fia's struggle with knowing the true difference between right and wrong is as intriguing as ever.
The most unique aspect of this book is the way it is told. There are two POVs, similar to Mind Games, but they are on two different time lines. We see from Annie's perspective and also from Fia's, but Annie's perspective takes place before Fia's. So we are constantly changing time periods. It made for a slightly confusing story, but by the end everything comes together. It's definitely an interesting way to keep the plot entertaining and keep the reader on their toes.
Each chapter is labeled with who's perspective we are reading from and then a number of months, days, or hours "before". The reader does not know what "before" is referring to. Before what? Therefore, the reader knows the story is building to something big. This keeps the anticipation high and made me want to continue reading so I could figure everything out.
There is a romance. Both on Annie's side and Fia's. They do not take over the plot, and I don't think either is very substantial. They are fun to read about, but mostly just help to thicken the plot.
I really think it is a solid sequel that's even crazier than the first!
Thank you to Edelweiss & HarperTeen for allowing me to read an eARC copy of this book. I was allowed to read this book in return for an honest review.
December 29, 2016
I feel like Oliver Twist: "Please Ms. White, I want more."
4.5 stars and I can't believe it took me three years to finally get around to this! I LOVE them.
4.5 stars and I can't believe it took me three years to finally get around to this! I LOVE them.
January 8, 2014
Holy shit.
Let's take a minute to talk about how this writing is perfect, how passionate I feel about almost every single character, how badly I want to hug both Annie and Fia (and Pixie/Mae!!! Please!!!). Basically... Basically I love this. Its entered my list of Actual Decent Supernatural YA, and it's definitely become one of my favorite books/series. I hope to read more from the author in the future. Her writing is delicious and amazing.
I'd honestly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good literature. I'm struggling to come up with words that would do the book/series justice, but it's so good. You just have to check it out, I guess.
SO DO CHECK IT OUT PLEASE UGH I'M DYING HERE IT'S SO GOOD HELP SEND HELP
Let's take a minute to talk about how this writing is perfect, how passionate I feel about almost every single character, how badly I want to hug both Annie and Fia (and Pixie/Mae!!! Please!!!). Basically... Basically I love this. Its entered my list of Actual Decent Supernatural YA, and it's definitely become one of my favorite books/series. I hope to read more from the author in the future. Her writing is delicious and amazing.
I'd honestly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good literature. I'm struggling to come up with words that would do the book/series justice, but it's so good. You just have to check it out, I guess.
SO DO CHECK IT OUT PLEASE UGH I'M DYING HERE IT'S SO GOOD HELP SEND HELP
February 16, 2014
Perfect Lies was a great sequel which kept all the original intricacies of Mind Games while pushing these same details to the edge. While I enjoyed Mind Games a bit more than Perfect Lies I can still appreciate where Kiersten White took the story and how she built up the characters for the fantastical, yet anti climatic, ending.
Perfect Lies has the same great mood and easy dialogue of Mind Games. Finishing the novel was a breeze. The characters are the real centerpiece of this world. Annie changed and grew up in this title becoming more strong and independent while Fia slowly unraveled. Fia went real scary crazy, always trying to do the right thing while not knowing how to really get to doing the right thing in the end. Half the time I couldn't quite understand her reasoning when doing some choices, and I thought Kiersten White was just turning her into the real bad guy who thinks she is in the right path. Which would have been quite awesome. It seems her inner power is broken while Annie's begins to grow.
Annie is way more likable in this title than in Mind Games because she starts to take some of the responsibility off Fia's shoulders and starts trying to learn how to defend herself. Seeing how they grow in different directions is quite interesting and one of the best aspects of the title.
One thing to be aware before you read is that the story is told from not only to different points of view but two different points in time. Annie is 4 months behind Fia's timeline, which can get a little annoying but you will get used to it... hopefully. It is a hard pill to swallow but well worth the annoyance in order to see where the sisters' lives interconnect without them even quite knowing.
Perfect Lies could have been a great middle novel, but in my opinion it is does not a great ending make. It was just not what I expected to be quite honest, I felt it was rushed and way too easy. Fia really unraveled and didn't even feel like herself by the end. We didn't get to enjoy seeing both the girls coming into their own skin and getting some sort of closure. The ending would have also made a lot more sense if Perfect Lies had a sequel with a much better bad guy (James, perhaps?), one that we got to actually connect to in some sort of way and that put up a better fight.
But still, even though the ending wasn't my favorite part of the book it is still well worth reading. The way Kiersten White writes the relationship between Annie and Fia is terrific, they are my favorite part of the book. Fia is a little psychotic, but that's okay. Annie is sheltered yet at the end she ends up being strong enough for both her and her sister. Perfect Lies, the whole series actually, is strong and easy to read to the very end.
Perfect Lies has the same great mood and easy dialogue of Mind Games. Finishing the novel was a breeze. The characters are the real centerpiece of this world. Annie changed and grew up in this title becoming more strong and independent while Fia slowly unraveled. Fia went real scary crazy, always trying to do the right thing while not knowing how to really get to doing the right thing in the end. Half the time I couldn't quite understand her reasoning when doing some choices, and I thought Kiersten White was just turning her into the real bad guy who thinks she is in the right path. Which would have been quite awesome. It seems her inner power is broken while Annie's begins to grow.
Annie is way more likable in this title than in Mind Games because she starts to take some of the responsibility off Fia's shoulders and starts trying to learn how to defend herself. Seeing how they grow in different directions is quite interesting and one of the best aspects of the title.
One thing to be aware before you read is that the story is told from not only to different points of view but two different points in time. Annie is 4 months behind Fia's timeline, which can get a little annoying but you will get used to it... hopefully. It is a hard pill to swallow but well worth the annoyance in order to see where the sisters' lives interconnect without them even quite knowing.
Perfect Lies could have been a great middle novel, but in my opinion it is does not a great ending make. It was just not what I expected to be quite honest, I felt it was rushed and way too easy. Fia really unraveled and didn't even feel like herself by the end. We didn't get to enjoy seeing both the girls coming into their own skin and getting some sort of closure. The ending would have also made a lot more sense if Perfect Lies had a sequel with a much better bad guy (James, perhaps?), one that we got to actually connect to in some sort of way and that put up a better fight.
But still, even though the ending wasn't my favorite part of the book it is still well worth reading. The way Kiersten White writes the relationship between Annie and Fia is terrific, they are my favorite part of the book. Fia is a little psychotic, but that's okay. Annie is sheltered yet at the end she ends up being strong enough for both her and her sister. Perfect Lies, the whole series actually, is strong and easy to read to the very end.
December 22, 2015
Extremely repetitive and similar to the first book, I thought the characters hadn't developed between the two. People were being hunted and dying, but I didn't understand how it fit into the world. Still exciting, but lacked purpose.
August 21, 2018
Sadly, this one was on par with the first for me. I just didn't like it.
The problems that plagued the first one were still front and center here. I felt that the timeline was all over the place and I could never really get a feel as to what was going on and in what order. Every chapter started with "4 days before", "36 hours before", "20 days before" - all out of order and BEFORE WHAT??? Because of this, everything felt disjointed and chaotic.
Then there were the characters. I still didn't like Fia, nor did I root for her and Annie to succeed. I kind of thought they were both pretty horrible characters and neither of them actually thought about anything but each other and the heaven forbid there be consequences for anything. It was like they were above everything and everyone around them. I get sisterly love and a tight bond, but this just felt wrong. Also, neither of them grew. The characters were very stagnant - they were bossy, rude, complainy...just everything was a turnoff.
And I still don't understand what the overall premise of the book was. What was the point of the Keane Institute? How did any of this fit into the modern world? It felt almost like a parallel universe because nothing in the world that I know fit this. I still love Kiersten, but this was a disappointment for me.
The problems that plagued the first one were still front and center here. I felt that the timeline was all over the place and I could never really get a feel as to what was going on and in what order. Every chapter started with "4 days before", "36 hours before", "20 days before" - all out of order and BEFORE WHAT??? Because of this, everything felt disjointed and chaotic.
Then there were the characters. I still didn't like Fia, nor did I root for her and Annie to succeed. I kind of thought they were both pretty horrible characters and neither of them actually thought about anything but each other and the heaven forbid there be consequences for anything. It was like they were above everything and everyone around them. I get sisterly love and a tight bond, but this just felt wrong. Also, neither of them grew. The characters were very stagnant - they were bossy, rude, complainy...just everything was a turnoff.
And I still don't understand what the overall premise of the book was. What was the point of the Keane Institute? How did any of this fit into the modern world? It felt almost like a parallel universe because nothing in the world that I know fit this. I still love Kiersten, but this was a disappointment for me.
July 15, 2015
Perfect Lies, the final book in the Mind Games duology was a exciting read with a satisfying ending.
Like the first book we are still shown Fia and Annies point of views jumping back and forward in time but we are introduced to some new and exciting characters like Pixie. Along with these new characters we doubt who has sincere intentions and how the girls will react to these new relations. Both Annie and Fia are still trying to destroy the Keane Foundation in their own ways but there may be drastic consequences if they succeed.
I feel like this book focuses more on Annie, I actually preferred her in this book this may be because she now has a love interest! Cole was cute and really seemed to care for Annie, he did such a good job of protecting her without being demeaning to her disability.
Fia was pretty mental in this instalment, I liked her friendship with Pixie but I didn't like that she felt that she should not trust anyone, I felt really sorry for her. I'm still a little confused about her relationship with James and I think I would like to see another book about their development, if there is any.
The ending was pretty good actually and I'm glad that Annie took control of the situation and changed what could have been devastating. Although, I did think it was odd and unrealistic that she fought and succeed because she is at a major disadvantage.
I liked this duology but I wouldn't call it a favourite of mine, the characters are not developed enough for me to invest in the story but it was entertaining in places and the general plot is unique.
Like the first book we are still shown Fia and Annies point of views jumping back and forward in time but we are introduced to some new and exciting characters like Pixie. Along with these new characters we doubt who has sincere intentions and how the girls will react to these new relations. Both Annie and Fia are still trying to destroy the Keane Foundation in their own ways but there may be drastic consequences if they succeed.
I feel like this book focuses more on Annie, I actually preferred her in this book this may be because she now has a love interest! Cole was cute and really seemed to care for Annie, he did such a good job of protecting her without being demeaning to her disability.
Fia was pretty mental in this instalment, I liked her friendship with Pixie but I didn't like that she felt that she should not trust anyone, I felt really sorry for her. I'm still a little confused about her relationship with James and I think I would like to see another book about their development, if there is any.
The ending was pretty good actually and I'm glad that Annie took control of the situation and changed what could have been devastating. Although, I did think it was odd and unrealistic that she fought and succeed because she is at a major disadvantage.
I liked this duology but I wouldn't call it a favourite of mine, the characters are not developed enough for me to invest in the story but it was entertaining in places and the general plot is unique.
April 22, 2016
We need more books like this series. Honestly, I am crying with despair that this series is already over. I've fallen completely in love with it. Fia. Annie. Pixie. Cole. These characters have stolen my heart, and ripped it to pieces. I cannot believe how incredible this little duology turned out to be! It is completely underrated, and I really wish it wasn't. The writing is sensational - it sucks you in like nothing I've ever read before. The characters are 100% brilliant. The plot is so fast-paced and engaging. I just don't know what to say about this series accept: go out, grab a copy of Mind Games and read it. Now. I promise you won't be disappointed. I am going to picking up everything else of Kiersten White's as soon as I can.
April 16, 2018
5/5 ⭐
This was a really good action packed ending to the duology. I love Keirsten Whites writing.
This was a really good action packed ending to the duology. I love Keirsten Whites writing.
July 22, 2016
Why did everyone fail to inform me that Mind Games happens to be a duology? How cruel are you people? I was absolutely convinced more was yet to come, at least until I reached the last page and put my googling skills to good use. The sisters have found a place in my heart and I was devastated to learn that the time has come to part ways with Annie, and especially Fia.
From what I’ve noticed, Kiersten White seems to be a pretty polarizing author. People generally either love or hate her books and it mostly comes down to her writing style. Some find it bold and some find it too peculiar. If we somehow forget Supernaturally and Endlessly (and please, let’s), I think her books always push boundaries and that her writing is just interesting enough to be worthy of admiration.
Like Mind Games, Perfect Lies is divided between two narrators, Fia and her sister Annie. The sisters are mostly separated in this book, which makes their two points of view even more important. Even though they’re not together, their bond is extremely strong and they work hard to protect each other, no matter the cost. Fia is determined to keep pretending that she killed Annie, and Annie refuses to hide if that means staying away from Fia.
As impossible as this may sound, Fia is crazier and more vulnerable than ever. Separated from her sister, she only has James to rely on and she clings to him with all her might. James, being his usual morally dubious self, plays seven different games at once and no one quite knows where his loyalties lie. Fia got under my skin in Mind Games, but she flat-out broke my heart in Perfect Lies. She was lost, confused, scared, possibly more aggressive than ever – a wounded animal with nowhere left to run. From the start, I had the distinct feeling that she’d given up on herself, having achieved her only goal, which was to keep Annie safe. Her apathy made me hurt so much I almost couldn’t stand it.
”Do I look like I need protection?” I hold out my hands, one with streaks of blood on it, and give him my best crazy crazy crazy crazy grin. “You know, I like Dmitri. I crippled him, but I like him.”
Compared to Fia, Annie has always seemed almost bland. She does spread her wings a little bit in Perfect Lies when she’s forced to stop cowering behind Fia and to finally take some responsibility for her own fate. There is finally a romantic interest for her too, but like everything else with Annie, it’s pretty complicated and a tiny bit frustrating.
If there’s one thing that bothered me in Perfect Lies, it was the messed up timeline, the constant jumps back and forth in time, chapter after chapter, until I lost track of what had happened and what was yet to come. I suppose this was done to build up tension, but, while good, the idea wasn’t thought through. Instead of achieving the desired effect, it made me feel more than a little lost at times.
The ending, I must confess, was left a bit too open for my taste. If there was ever a book in desperate need of an epilogue, it’s this one. As it was, I can’t say I was satisfied with how things were left, and I even felt a bit cheated.
Be that as it may, I nevertheless strongly recommend this duology (!) to fans of peculiar stories and even more peculiar writing.
From what I’ve noticed, Kiersten White seems to be a pretty polarizing author. People generally either love or hate her books and it mostly comes down to her writing style. Some find it bold and some find it too peculiar. If we somehow forget Supernaturally and Endlessly (and please, let’s), I think her books always push boundaries and that her writing is just interesting enough to be worthy of admiration.
Like Mind Games, Perfect Lies is divided between two narrators, Fia and her sister Annie. The sisters are mostly separated in this book, which makes their two points of view even more important. Even though they’re not together, their bond is extremely strong and they work hard to protect each other, no matter the cost. Fia is determined to keep pretending that she killed Annie, and Annie refuses to hide if that means staying away from Fia.
As impossible as this may sound, Fia is crazier and more vulnerable than ever. Separated from her sister, she only has James to rely on and she clings to him with all her might. James, being his usual morally dubious self, plays seven different games at once and no one quite knows where his loyalties lie. Fia got under my skin in Mind Games, but she flat-out broke my heart in Perfect Lies. She was lost, confused, scared, possibly more aggressive than ever – a wounded animal with nowhere left to run. From the start, I had the distinct feeling that she’d given up on herself, having achieved her only goal, which was to keep Annie safe. Her apathy made me hurt so much I almost couldn’t stand it.
”Do I look like I need protection?” I hold out my hands, one with streaks of blood on it, and give him my best crazy crazy crazy crazy grin. “You know, I like Dmitri. I crippled him, but I like him.”
Compared to Fia, Annie has always seemed almost bland. She does spread her wings a little bit in Perfect Lies when she’s forced to stop cowering behind Fia and to finally take some responsibility for her own fate. There is finally a romantic interest for her too, but like everything else with Annie, it’s pretty complicated and a tiny bit frustrating.
If there’s one thing that bothered me in Perfect Lies, it was the messed up timeline, the constant jumps back and forth in time, chapter after chapter, until I lost track of what had happened and what was yet to come. I suppose this was done to build up tension, but, while good, the idea wasn’t thought through. Instead of achieving the desired effect, it made me feel more than a little lost at times.
The ending, I must confess, was left a bit too open for my taste. If there was ever a book in desperate need of an epilogue, it’s this one. As it was, I can’t say I was satisfied with how things were left, and I even felt a bit cheated.
Be that as it may, I nevertheless strongly recommend this duology (!) to fans of peculiar stories and even more peculiar writing.
January 12, 2014
I loved this! Not only was this book exactly what I needed to kick off 2014, but it totally got me out of a reading slump that I felt coming on. Woot!!
Perfect Lies takes off where Mind Games left us. Fia made a HUGE decision at the end of Mind Games and this is the aftermath. We get to see both Fia and Annie's POVs again which I loved and this story in my opinion was so much more dark and twisted. Fia is really broken, she is being used by everyone and she doesn't know who to trust. For someone who has perfect instincts it sure makes things all complicated when she can't decide who is right and who is wrong. It feels like everybody has their own agenda even James her love. Annie on the flip side of this is trying to believe in the chaos that Fia has created and keep safe everyone she can. Talk about a crazy ride!
This book showed just how broken Fia was. She was not all together in the first book, but in this one she truly is completely broken. I felt so bad for her and I just wanted to scream at everyone to leave her alone. She needed to get away from everyone including James. If the tapping got on your nerves in the first one then you will be happy to know that it is somewhat toned down in this one and we get an explanation for it that really blew my mind. If the explanation was in the first one I didn't remember so it was a huge revelation to me in this one. All her taping is still there, but to me it felt totally different and didn't take away from the storyline. I think Fia is one of my favorite characters ever and she is one kickass girl.
I felt for Annie in this one, but not as much as I did in the first one. Her part was a little different to me, she was trying to get in touch with Fia and at the same time she had this whole other storyline about her finding love. It felt a little out of place and honestly I don't think the romance added to the story at all. Fia and James was a romance with an agenda so it fit, but Annie's just didn't fit for me. Her part in the story came alive in the end and I did see it coming which did disappoint me. The major reason why I love these books is because of the shock factor and I felt let down that I figured out what would happen in the end. I think if the author had toned down a certain scene then I wouldn't have guessed it, but I did and so it was kind of anticlimatic.
That being said though I still totally loved this book. The back and forth with the POVs and the timeline really screwed with me and I can see that annoying people, but for me it worked. I liked seeing the overlapping and how one thing influenced another. It was beyond mind twisty and just awesome. I really hope that this author writes more in this style!
Perfect Lies takes off where Mind Games left us. Fia made a HUGE decision at the end of Mind Games and this is the aftermath. We get to see both Fia and Annie's POVs again which I loved and this story in my opinion was so much more dark and twisted. Fia is really broken, she is being used by everyone and she doesn't know who to trust. For someone who has perfect instincts it sure makes things all complicated when she can't decide who is right and who is wrong. It feels like everybody has their own agenda even James her love. Annie on the flip side of this is trying to believe in the chaos that Fia has created and keep safe everyone she can. Talk about a crazy ride!
This book showed just how broken Fia was. She was not all together in the first book, but in this one she truly is completely broken. I felt so bad for her and I just wanted to scream at everyone to leave her alone. She needed to get away from everyone including James. If the tapping got on your nerves in the first one then you will be happy to know that it is somewhat toned down in this one and we get an explanation for it that really blew my mind. If the explanation was in the first one I didn't remember so it was a huge revelation to me in this one. All her taping is still there, but to me it felt totally different and didn't take away from the storyline. I think Fia is one of my favorite characters ever and she is one kickass girl.
I felt for Annie in this one, but not as much as I did in the first one. Her part was a little different to me, she was trying to get in touch with Fia and at the same time she had this whole other storyline about her finding love. It felt a little out of place and honestly I don't think the romance added to the story at all. Fia and James was a romance with an agenda so it fit, but Annie's just didn't fit for me. Her part in the story came alive in the end and I did see it coming which did disappoint me. The major reason why I love these books is because of the shock factor and I felt let down that I figured out what would happen in the end. I think if the author had toned down a certain scene then I wouldn't have guessed it, but I did and so it was kind of anticlimatic.
That being said though I still totally loved this book. The back and forth with the POVs and the timeline really screwed with me and I can see that annoying people, but for me it worked. I liked seeing the overlapping and how one thing influenced another. It was beyond mind twisty and just awesome. I really hope that this author writes more in this style!
July 17, 2014
e-Arc provided from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have read the first book, Mind Games, pretty recently and really liked it. It was different, original, so I couldn't wait to start the sequel, Perfect Lies, to see what was going to happen next with all my favorite characters.
Perfect Lies was not a great book, oh no, it was a fantastic book! I was entertained right from the start and ended up liking it even more than Mind Games. A sequel of a book is either hit or miss and this book was absolutely a hit!
The story in Perfect Lies gripped me even more than with Mind Games. I guess the reason to that was that this time I wasn't confused with what was going on. I knew what is was about and could follow it without any doubts. It was all more dangerous and excited to read about for some reason.
A lot of the characters stood out way more now, while other characters I liked before moved down on my favorite list.
Fia is still amazing and kind of scary to read about. I love how she's still willing to do anything to protect her sister, even if it is destroying her inside.
I didn't particulary liked or hated Annie in Mind Games. It's not that she was annoying or anything, I just couldn't connect with her character and she was always so good and sometimes even boring. But now? Now I think she's pretty badass. She grows a lot during this book and even her blindness doesn't stop her from learning to defend herself and kicking some butt.
James on the other hand, I'm so frustrated with. I used to love him. He was my favorite male character and now he's way down on the list due to some events that happened in Perfect Lies. I came to dislike him quite a bit.
Some characters we met in the previous book we came to learn more about now like Sarah, Cole and Rafael... and boy do I love Cole! He is amazing. *swoons* I just know I want to read a whole lot more about him. Him and Annie together... Can I just say, adorable! But of course this book isn't all about love, naturally. It's more about the powers of the girls and the Keane foundation. The big boss, Mr. Keane is still an asshole, no surprise there. He's still doing awful things but now he has Fia joining him. Together with James she wants to try to take him down from the inside. Will it work or not? If you want to know, read the book!
Overall, Perfect Lies was even better than Mind Games. It has more of everything. More danger. More excitement. More romance. More death. It's a must-read for fans of this series, fans of Kiersten White or just anyone who loves a good psychological paranormal thriller! Just read it.
I have read the first book, Mind Games, pretty recently and really liked it. It was different, original, so I couldn't wait to start the sequel, Perfect Lies, to see what was going to happen next with all my favorite characters.
Perfect Lies was not a great book, oh no, it was a fantastic book! I was entertained right from the start and ended up liking it even more than Mind Games. A sequel of a book is either hit or miss and this book was absolutely a hit!
The story in Perfect Lies gripped me even more than with Mind Games. I guess the reason to that was that this time I wasn't confused with what was going on. I knew what is was about and could follow it without any doubts. It was all more dangerous and excited to read about for some reason.
A lot of the characters stood out way more now, while other characters I liked before moved down on my favorite list.
Fia is still amazing and kind of scary to read about. I love how she's still willing to do anything to protect her sister, even if it is destroying her inside.
I didn't particulary liked or hated Annie in Mind Games. It's not that she was annoying or anything, I just couldn't connect with her character and she was always so good and sometimes even boring. But now? Now I think she's pretty badass. She grows a lot during this book and even her blindness doesn't stop her from learning to defend herself and kicking some butt.
James on the other hand, I'm so frustrated with. I used to love him. He was my favorite male character and now he's way down on the list due to some events that happened in Perfect Lies. I came to dislike him quite a bit.
Some characters we met in the previous book we came to learn more about now like Sarah, Cole and Rafael... and boy do I love Cole! He is amazing. *swoons* I just know I want to read a whole lot more about him. Him and Annie together... Can I just say, adorable! But of course this book isn't all about love, naturally. It's more about the powers of the girls and the Keane foundation. The big boss, Mr. Keane is still an asshole, no surprise there. He's still doing awful things but now he has Fia joining him. Together with James she wants to try to take him down from the inside. Will it work or not? If you want to know, read the book!
Overall, Perfect Lies was even better than Mind Games. It has more of everything. More danger. More excitement. More romance. More death. It's a must-read for fans of this series, fans of Kiersten White or just anyone who loves a good psychological paranormal thriller! Just read it.
January 20, 2014
2.5 Stars
I don't know what I was expecting from this. More action? Less romance? More assassinations? Less whining about having to save each other? Whatever it was, I didn't get it. What I didn't get in Mind Games are almost all here in this one. And I don't mean that in a good way. The relationship between Kiersten White and I is so iffy that I'm scared to read her other series for the sake that I will hate it more than I do this one.
In Perfect Lies Fia's once odd yet exciting mind turns for the worst. Instead of sounding unique and enticing, I found that Kiersten White tried too hard and made her extremely unstable and even worse, annoying. Three taps is fine, it sticks and things usually go better in three but four sounds awkward and I found myself having to slow down while reading one of Fia's repetitions just so that I got it right (It was annoying annoying annoying ANNOYING to do so.) On another note, I still had a hard time with the characters except for Annie. The rest felt flimsy and pathetic, not adding anything to story but take up space. A relationship that I used to enjoy (Fia's and Adam's) is completely disregarded and is just non-existent in this one.
The only that stayed the same for the best are the short chapters. I flew through this novel in less than a day. And I actually liked the idea of the setting because it's exotic and dangerous and a little intense unfortunately, the execution of it is sloppy at best. Like I said before, Annie is the only character that I liked. I liked her because, even though she's still a whiny little brat, she's grows a little and her chapters are well described and I had a much easier time connecting to her than I would have imagined. While reading, I found myself skimming Fia's chapters just to read about Annie and her life.
All in all, Perfect Lies is an odd book. Hell, this series is odd and definitely not in a good way. I don't recommend this to anyone unless you don't mind a series that doesn't make too much sense, weirdly entertaining but too annoying to care writing, and sloppily done execution for just about everything then maybe you'll enjoy this novel. If not, stay far far far FAR away from this series. Just stare at the beautiful covers from a distance.
December 9, 2013
3.5 stars
Surprised by my rating? So am I.
White's books and I don't have the best of relationships. I tolerated Paranormalcy because I thought it was fun and silly and insubstantial and didn't claim to be anything besides just that. Mind Games, however, was an entirely different story. The themes were darker, and so the narrative needed to be complex and layered, the characters far more profound and morally ambiguous than they ever were in Paranrmalcy, and the story also needed to have a bigger impact on the reader. I don't think White managed to do any of those things in Mind Games, so I had decided to leave it at that and not come back for Perfect Lies. Now I'm glad I did. Perfect Lies is not a perfect novel by any means, but it is such an impressive improvement on its predecessor, that that alone made me want to give it this rating. White learned from the mistakes of Mind Games and fixed pretty much every complaint I had about it with Perfect Lies. The plot flows far more smoothly, the twists are far more enjoyable, and the events far more engaging than Mind Games ever was. Fia and Annie's narrations could easily be told apart this time around, and more than that, they were unique. I finally got a sense of who Annie was and I finally believed Fia's fragile mental state. The stream of consciousness feel to Fia's narration was toned down to a more believable and far less irritating level that actually worked in favor of her character and her conflicts and her development. The romance was handled better and it was far more engaging. The biggest thing with Perfect Lies is that, though it is not a particularly impressive book when it comes down to it, it is very, very entertaining. Granted, it is a very short book, but even a short book can feel eternal when it is done wrong, but with Perfect Lies I was never bored and I rarely felt the pages flying by.
This one has to be my biggest surprise of the year. I went into it with very low expectations, and while the book is not fantastic, it was so entertaining and such a vast improvement on its predecessor, that my expectations were shattered. Like the rest of White's books, this book is just fun and entertaining, but it is made of better quality than the others I've read by her. I had some issues with some parts, but I'm too surprised right now to care about them or give them any further thought. And no Justin Bieber references this time, which was a great plus.
Surprised by my rating? So am I.
White's books and I don't have the best of relationships. I tolerated Paranormalcy because I thought it was fun and silly and insubstantial and didn't claim to be anything besides just that. Mind Games, however, was an entirely different story. The themes were darker, and so the narrative needed to be complex and layered, the characters far more profound and morally ambiguous than they ever were in Paranrmalcy, and the story also needed to have a bigger impact on the reader. I don't think White managed to do any of those things in Mind Games, so I had decided to leave it at that and not come back for Perfect Lies. Now I'm glad I did. Perfect Lies is not a perfect novel by any means, but it is such an impressive improvement on its predecessor, that that alone made me want to give it this rating. White learned from the mistakes of Mind Games and fixed pretty much every complaint I had about it with Perfect Lies. The plot flows far more smoothly, the twists are far more enjoyable, and the events far more engaging than Mind Games ever was. Fia and Annie's narrations could easily be told apart this time around, and more than that, they were unique. I finally got a sense of who Annie was and I finally believed Fia's fragile mental state. The stream of consciousness feel to Fia's narration was toned down to a more believable and far less irritating level that actually worked in favor of her character and her conflicts and her development. The romance was handled better and it was far more engaging. The biggest thing with Perfect Lies is that, though it is not a particularly impressive book when it comes down to it, it is very, very entertaining. Granted, it is a very short book, but even a short book can feel eternal when it is done wrong, but with Perfect Lies I was never bored and I rarely felt the pages flying by.
This one has to be my biggest surprise of the year. I went into it with very low expectations, and while the book is not fantastic, it was so entertaining and such a vast improvement on its predecessor, that my expectations were shattered. Like the rest of White's books, this book is just fun and entertaining, but it is made of better quality than the others I've read by her. I had some issues with some parts, but I'm too surprised right now to care about them or give them any further thought. And no Justin Bieber references this time, which was a great plus.
March 30, 2015
I received a copy of Perfect Lies in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley. A copy of this review is also on my blog: www.bookblogbird.weebly.com
This is book two in the ‘Mind Games’ duology. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Mind Games, but it was still a good read.
The story is told from alternating POVs of sisters Annie and Fia and picks up where Mind Games left off. It’s very tense because Annie’s POV is happening before Fia’s, so it gets a bit mind-boggling at times, but it does come together well at the end.
I really liked Annie and Fia as characters: Annie gets a lot stronger in Perfect Lies and Fia still struggles to know right from wrong.
“Sometimes you scare me.”
“That’s because you don’t really know me yet.” I hold out my hand to her. “When you really know me, I’ll scare you all the time.”
Kiersten White’s writing is kind of austere and you are left to fill in a lot of gaps in description yourself. I quite liked this, though as I think some books can go overboard on cinematic descriptions.
All in all this was a satisfying conclusion to Annie and Fia’s story.
This is book two in the ‘Mind Games’ duology. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Mind Games, but it was still a good read.
The story is told from alternating POVs of sisters Annie and Fia and picks up where Mind Games left off. It’s very tense because Annie’s POV is happening before Fia’s, so it gets a bit mind-boggling at times, but it does come together well at the end.
I really liked Annie and Fia as characters: Annie gets a lot stronger in Perfect Lies and Fia still struggles to know right from wrong.
“Sometimes you scare me.”
“That’s because you don’t really know me yet.” I hold out my hand to her. “When you really know me, I’ll scare you all the time.”
Kiersten White’s writing is kind of austere and you are left to fill in a lot of gaps in description yourself. I quite liked this, though as I think some books can go overboard on cinematic descriptions.
All in all this was a satisfying conclusion to Annie and Fia’s story.
January 18, 2015
Una resolución satisfactoria para esta bilogía. No fue una de las mejores lecturas del 2014, pero es muy entretenida, graciosa y el suspenso te mantiene atrapado durante todo el libro.
Reseña completa en Gracias a los Libros.
Reseña completa en Gracias a los Libros.
July 9, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars
This was a decent ending to this series. I’m glad that I listened to it and know what happens. It was a very quick read. The characters were super interesting and I loved getting into their heads and seeing how they made their decisions. I loved the sisterly bond in this series, and really felt the connection between the two sister. I thought the narrator did a great job, and enjoyed the book overall. Definitely recommend if you enjoyed book one.
This was a decent ending to this series. I’m glad that I listened to it and know what happens. It was a very quick read. The characters were super interesting and I loved getting into their heads and seeing how they made their decisions. I loved the sisterly bond in this series, and really felt the connection between the two sister. I thought the narrator did a great job, and enjoyed the book overall. Definitely recommend if you enjoyed book one.
May 1, 2015
This review was originally posted on my blog, Kittens and Books.
This review contains spoilers for those who have not read the first book, Mind Games. If you want to know more about Mind Games, see my spoiler-free review or the Mind Games Goodread's page.
If you have read Mind Games, but not Perfect Lies, don't worry! There are no spoilers for book 2 in this review.
In Mind Games, Annie and Fia are separated. They are on two different teams working towards the same goal: To bring down the school that has caused them, and other girls, so much grief. Annie has joined Lerner, where they are still doing research that will enable them to find girls with psychic abilities. And Fia is with James, who she knows is keeping secrets.
Fia's instincts don't feel so spot-on anymore. While Annie is having visions, they aren't necessarily helpful in telling her who is wrong or right. Neither sister knows who to trust, and they're finding it difficult to look out for themselves - yet alone each other.
I found this book quick to read and full of action, but I can't say I enjoyed it like I did the first. It was great to see what happened to the sisters and I really enjoyed the romance aspect of the story, but I felt as though something was missing. Fia's perspective, compared to book one, felt a bit lacking, although Annie flourished as a character and it really added to her point of view.
The romance was also fantastic. As in book one, it did not take over the plot, but it was there. I liked Fia's struggle, and the strength that Annie found with the help of Cole. The ending seemed to fit just right, and it was nice to see hope despite the awful situation and everything that happened at the end.
I think this book really gave Annie her chance to shine, and I'm very glad to have read it. I do wish there had been a bit ... more, where Fia was involved, although I have to admit that I'm not sure what was missing there. Still, I would definitely recommend this one and the duology as a whole. They are both great, quick reads with excellent characters.
This review contains spoilers for those who have not read the first book, Mind Games. If you want to know more about Mind Games, see my spoiler-free review or the Mind Games Goodread's page.
If you have read Mind Games, but not Perfect Lies, don't worry! There are no spoilers for book 2 in this review.
In Mind Games, Annie and Fia are separated. They are on two different teams working towards the same goal: To bring down the school that has caused them, and other girls, so much grief. Annie has joined Lerner, where they are still doing research that will enable them to find girls with psychic abilities. And Fia is with James, who she knows is keeping secrets.
Fia's instincts don't feel so spot-on anymore. While Annie is having visions, they aren't necessarily helpful in telling her who is wrong or right. Neither sister knows who to trust, and they're finding it difficult to look out for themselves - yet alone each other.
I found this book quick to read and full of action, but I can't say I enjoyed it like I did the first. It was great to see what happened to the sisters and I really enjoyed the romance aspect of the story, but I felt as though something was missing. Fia's perspective, compared to book one, felt a bit lacking, although Annie flourished as a character and it really added to her point of view.
The romance was also fantastic. As in book one, it did not take over the plot, but it was there. I liked Fia's struggle, and the strength that Annie found with the help of Cole. The ending seemed to fit just right, and it was nice to see hope despite the awful situation and everything that happened at the end.
I think this book really gave Annie her chance to shine, and I'm very glad to have read it. I do wish there had been a bit ... more, where Fia was involved, although I have to admit that I'm not sure what was missing there. Still, I would definitely recommend this one and the duology as a whole. They are both great, quick reads with excellent characters.
January 12, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This is book 2 in the ‘Mind Games’ series, and kicks off where book 1 ‘Mind Games’ AKA ‘Sister Assassin’ left off.
**Warning – some unavoidable spoilers for book 1 ‘Mind Games’ (AKA ‘Sister Assassin’)**
Having pretended to kill Annie, Fia has returned to Keane, and told him that Annie is dead, and that she is now choosing to work with him, all the time trying to look for a way to destroy him.
Annie meanwhile has ended up with Lerner, and is frustrated that her visions don’t show her more about what Fia is up to.
Can Fia find a way to destroy Keane? Will Annie’s visions ever show her what she really wants to know? And how many innocents will lose their lives before Keane is stopped?
This was an interesting second instalment, and it didn’t play out quite as I expected.
Fia was once again a big mess in this book. Her secrets that she was trying to keep in her head only kept accumulating and accumulating, and I really wasn’t sure how she was able to hold herself together. Being around people who can see inside your head all the time must be seriously stressful, especially when you’re hiding the kind of secrets that Fia is hiding!
Annie still had very little control over her life, and I understood her frustration over how powerless she felt. It was nice how she tried to take some of that control back though, and tried to act like the big sister for once.
The storyline in this was full of surprises, and it was really difficult to know what was going to happen next and to whom. There was tension and suspense all the way through this book, it wasn’t quite the adrenalin rush that the first book was, but there was still plenty of action.
I wasn’t really all that appreciative of the romance in this one, as it felt a bit unnecessary, especially the sort-of love-triangle that Annie somehow found herself in.
The ending was quite surprising, and managed to wrap pretty-much everything satisfactorily, I was quite surprised by the way things ended between Fia and Annie though.
Overall; an interesting sequel, with plenty of twists, turns and surprises!
8 out of 10.
This is book 2 in the ‘Mind Games’ series, and kicks off where book 1 ‘Mind Games’ AKA ‘Sister Assassin’ left off.
**Warning – some unavoidable spoilers for book 1 ‘Mind Games’ (AKA ‘Sister Assassin’)**
Having pretended to kill Annie, Fia has returned to Keane, and told him that Annie is dead, and that she is now choosing to work with him, all the time trying to look for a way to destroy him.
Annie meanwhile has ended up with Lerner, and is frustrated that her visions don’t show her more about what Fia is up to.
Can Fia find a way to destroy Keane? Will Annie’s visions ever show her what she really wants to know? And how many innocents will lose their lives before Keane is stopped?
This was an interesting second instalment, and it didn’t play out quite as I expected.
Fia was once again a big mess in this book. Her secrets that she was trying to keep in her head only kept accumulating and accumulating, and I really wasn’t sure how she was able to hold herself together. Being around people who can see inside your head all the time must be seriously stressful, especially when you’re hiding the kind of secrets that Fia is hiding!
Annie still had very little control over her life, and I understood her frustration over how powerless she felt. It was nice how she tried to take some of that control back though, and tried to act like the big sister for once.
The storyline in this was full of surprises, and it was really difficult to know what was going to happen next and to whom. There was tension and suspense all the way through this book, it wasn’t quite the adrenalin rush that the first book was, but there was still plenty of action.
I wasn’t really all that appreciative of the romance in this one, as it felt a bit unnecessary, especially the sort-of love-triangle that Annie somehow found herself in.
The ending was quite surprising, and managed to wrap pretty-much everything satisfactorily, I was quite surprised by the way things ended between Fia and Annie though.
Overall; an interesting sequel, with plenty of twists, turns and surprises!
8 out of 10.
September 17, 2021
Perfect Lies is the second part of this dystopian duology that started with Mind Games. This second book was ever more useless than the first, if that’s even possible.
Why was this split into two books? These books are so short they literally could have been put into one book. I genuinely don’t understand what the purpose was to make this into a duology, other than cash in on the Dystopian craze and make some money, like I mentioned in my review of the first book. Absolutely nothing happens in this book. I’m not even joking. We’re at the conclusion of this stupid duology and whole chapters are dedicated to Fia just dancing in a nightclub which doesn’t progress the plot at all and is just there to add some angst to her stupid romance.
The romance made zero sense, especially the one Fia has with a character whose name I genuinely can't even remember. These books make me so angry because there genuinely seems like zero effort was involved in writing these. It’s got the bare bones of a novel without any of the extra work and that is so evident when you’re skimming the second book of a dulogy when it is isn’t even that long to start with.
Overall, Perfect Lies was far from a perfect lie. It was a bad second book to what was a bad first book and I genuinely don’t understand the point of this duology. What was the point of any of it? This book has also kinda made realise that I'm sorta over reading Dystopian books. I joined the craze late and was sort of catching up to everyone and now I’m over it as well, later than everyone else. If there are Dystopian books that catch my attention and genuinely sound good, I will read them, but I’m over reading these kinds of books that were written during that craze. They always fall short.
Why was this split into two books? These books are so short they literally could have been put into one book. I genuinely don’t understand what the purpose was to make this into a duology, other than cash in on the Dystopian craze and make some money, like I mentioned in my review of the first book. Absolutely nothing happens in this book. I’m not even joking. We’re at the conclusion of this stupid duology and whole chapters are dedicated to Fia just dancing in a nightclub which doesn’t progress the plot at all and is just there to add some angst to her stupid romance.
The romance made zero sense, especially the one Fia has with a character whose name I genuinely can't even remember. These books make me so angry because there genuinely seems like zero effort was involved in writing these. It’s got the bare bones of a novel without any of the extra work and that is so evident when you’re skimming the second book of a dulogy when it is isn’t even that long to start with.
Overall, Perfect Lies was far from a perfect lie. It was a bad second book to what was a bad first book and I genuinely don’t understand the point of this duology. What was the point of any of it? This book has also kinda made realise that I'm sorta over reading Dystopian books. I joined the craze late and was sort of catching up to everyone and now I’m over it as well, later than everyone else. If there are Dystopian books that catch my attention and genuinely sound good, I will read them, but I’m over reading these kinds of books that were written during that craze. They always fall short.
June 10, 2014
Thoughts about half way through:
"I don't think it's possible for me to accurately express my feelings for Perfect Lies at the moment. Because it runs deeper than words. It runs deeper than feelings, or thoughts. It's an understanding, so pure and complete I find myself devouring each word written across the page as though I've stumbled upon a passage detailing the essence of my own soul.
I don't want this book to end.
Ending thoughts:
How am I going to recover from this book. Where am I even going to begin? Seeing that there is no following book to this makes me want to curl up somewhere and sob myself dry.
Perfect Lies, was perfect. My mind feels tortured, webbed between a life compressed onto paper and the one I have to live each morning. I feel like these characters gently lifted themselves from the page and pressed themselves into my bones, soaking into the marrow that keeps me whole. I felt so much reading this book, and now that it's over everything that remains feels empty. Annie, James, Sofia, Cole, Pixie, Eden, Raphael, Sarah- I just can't take this! Each of these characters was so different, so ALIVE and real to me.
I wish it had been longer, I'm DYING inside that there isn't another book to follow.
The wording, plot, tension, emotions... everything was perfect.
Oh, and though I still love James, Cole is suddenly a serious competitor.
"I don't think it's possible for me to accurately express my feelings for Perfect Lies at the moment. Because it runs deeper than words. It runs deeper than feelings, or thoughts. It's an understanding, so pure and complete I find myself devouring each word written across the page as though I've stumbled upon a passage detailing the essence of my own soul.
I don't want this book to end.
Ending thoughts:
How am I going to recover from this book. Where am I even going to begin? Seeing that there is no following book to this makes me want to curl up somewhere and sob myself dry.
Perfect Lies, was perfect. My mind feels tortured, webbed between a life compressed onto paper and the one I have to live each morning. I feel like these characters gently lifted themselves from the page and pressed themselves into my bones, soaking into the marrow that keeps me whole. I felt so much reading this book, and now that it's over everything that remains feels empty. Annie, James, Sofia, Cole, Pixie, Eden, Raphael, Sarah- I just can't take this! Each of these characters was so different, so ALIVE and real to me.
I wish it had been longer, I'm DYING inside that there isn't another book to follow.
The wording, plot, tension, emotions... everything was perfect.
Oh, and though I still love James, Cole is suddenly a serious competitor.
Want to read
March 12, 2013First book I gave four stars. It was alright. Not awesomely amazing, but still pretty good.
ARE YOU GUYS TEAM ANNIE OR TEAM FIA?
I think I'm with Fia; she's crazy, but smart. Annie is soft haha.
Anyway,
What I really want to know:
How did Fia manage to "kill" her sister without killing her?
Where exactly did the other girls go?
What is Fia? What is her paranormal ability?
James: good or evil? I still can't decide.
Next book: written in who's perspective?
What I really want to happen:
Annie gets cured! (not sure if all Seers are blind, since they never mentioned anything about Clarice being blind).
Annie goes with Adam. I know Adam and Fia have a thing, but Fia wanted Adam to take care of her sister so maybe something will grow between the two of them.
We get to see a bit more of James' character.
What will probably happen:
Useless info, useless info, Adam does some research thing, Fia kills some more people, James' father finds out about their plan, Fia + James flee to the other side. One of them gets taken hostage?
Waiting for 2014!
ARE YOU GUYS TEAM ANNIE OR TEAM FIA?
I think I'm with Fia; she's crazy, but smart. Annie is soft haha.
Anyway,
What I really want to know:
How did Fia manage to "kill" her sister without killing her?
Where exactly did the other girls go?
What is Fia? What is her paranormal ability?
James: good or evil? I still can't decide.
Next book: written in who's perspective?
What I really want to happen:
Annie gets cured! (not sure if all Seers are blind, since they never mentioned anything about Clarice being blind).
Annie goes with Adam. I know Adam and Fia have a thing, but Fia wanted Adam to take care of her sister so maybe something will grow between the two of them.
We get to see a bit more of James' character.
What will probably happen:
Useless info, useless info, Adam does some research thing, Fia kills some more people, James' father finds out about their plan, Fia + James flee to the other side. One of them gets taken hostage?
Waiting for 2014!
May 25, 2014
*I received a free ARC of Perfect Lies from Harper Collins UK, Children's via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
I only have one word. A single word for now: AMAZEBALLS!
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
I only have one word. A single word for now: AMAZEBALLS!
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
December 18, 2014
Noooooo I want a 3rd book! I don't want this series to end. **tears** This series was beyond amazing. Super fast I never wanna put this book down read! The characters were kick ass awesome and I seriously want to be part of their world. Now I have to pick myself up and stop crying that the series is over..... Boooo
February 25, 2018
I love love love love this book.
xD
Pun intended.
xD
Pun intended.
August 30, 2018
Worse then the first book!
I only finished it because I was reading it during the teen reading challenge and I needed pages.
This book was Borrrrring! I just couldn't get into it. #Blahh
I only finished it because I was reading it during the teen reading challenge and I needed pages.
This book was Borrrrring! I just couldn't get into it. #Blahh
Read
April 28, 2016Blog | Pinterest | Twitter | Booktube | Booklikes | Instagram | Google+ | Tumblr
No doubt that Mind Games was a highly polarizing novel. Most of my blogger friends disliked it, but it seemed like literary publications generally praised Mind Games (I believe one publication had called it a tour de force), and I personally liked it and was curious as to where White would take the plot. So, when I saw Perfect Lies on Edelweiss, I decided why not.
I nearly cried reading this novel. Me! Maybe in my entire life, I've cried like three times when reading books, and one of them even felt like I was squeezing stuff out just because everyone else had (yes, I'm looking at you, The Fault in Our Stars). But Perfect Lies was sad and built on the emotional intensity of its predecessor. I'm a firm believer that writers who take risks come out with better work, and it's clear that White has taken a lot of risks with this... and yes, they worked.
Ten Likes/Dislikes:
1. (+) Fia, a protagonist - Fia was always my favorite of the two girls mostly because she was off the rocker. I loved how her neurotic perspective, her fragile balance on reality and her "perfect" instinct (and thus ability to physically survive) meshed with something so simple: her love for her sister. She was half a femme fatale, and half a confused teenager who's not entirely sane because people are constantly trying to take advantage of her and her abilities. And she's that way again, except getting much worse in the head as she gets deeper into the Keane school and conspiracy. Also, this is random, but it gets explained why she does that specific number of taps. I don't know if that was in the previous novel, but that made me happy.
2. (+) Annie, a protagonist - YES! This is what I wanted. In Mind Games, Annie frustrated me because she let other people take care of her and wasn't as active a character as Fia was. I wanted her to have more agency, and that's what happened. Mind Games was Fia's novel; Perfect Lies was Annie's. Her stable, loving, accepting perspective balanced out Fia's chaotic one, and Annie learns to fight for what she wants and becomes as fierce and competent and action oriented as her sister. Here's a perfect line for her growth in this novel (p. 74 in the e-ARC; can change in final copy): "I've spent most of my life feeling helpless. Being made to feel helpless. I'm done feeling like that."
3. (+) Plot - Here's where I have a question for you: can you just go with a novel? Mind Games and Perfect Lies rely on alternating perspectives and alternating timelines. As with Mind Games, at first, I tried keeping track of the time frame but knew that I would just get myself confused and continued to read without thinking of the time, trusting that White and her editor had chosen these chapters to be aligned in a specific way. And letting go of my attempts to orient myself in the time frame undoubtedly helped with my understanding of what was going on, and allowed me to notice the logical pattern for why things were arranged the way they were. Like if you're shown that Annie has a vision and someone new is here, Kiersten White will explain why that person is there in the next chapter, even if it means jumping to three weeks prior to the climax. The little reminders of the time mostly serve as a good reminder of the fact that the climax is coming; that the tension is building toward that final moment. And oh, the beauty of an unreliable narrator and unreliable paranormal powers (well, in the sense that Annie's visions may or may not change...). Kiersten White takes full advantage of that. This is cleverly plotted and executed, and it's been a long time since a thriller has managed to surprise me with its twists, but White's novel sure did just that.
4. (+) Romance - Down below you'll read about the parallels in this book, and the romance was definitely one of the ways this was showcased. The dark v. light romance was shown in the last novel with regard to Fia and her choices for the future, but in this novel, Annie gets to have her chance at some romance... And it's adorable. I'm a fan of how White developed the romance between the two characters in question, allowing them to get know each other before revealing all, and there's no doubt it makes for great comparison to Fia's romance and to the bloody action of the novel.
5. (+) Parallels - Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this novel was noting how clearly everything in this novel was paralleled and made perfect for comparison. Annie and Fia - Annie's steadier inner voice, growing stronger as Fia begins to spiral out of control; the friendships and romances each girl has and the way they both neatly and messily align; the fact that Annie is blind and able to see visions of future that she can't change, and the fact that Fia is the only one who can change the future but who doesn't always change things for the better, no matter how much she might believe otherwise, etc. etc.
6. (+/-) Characters - This is where I'd suggest the publisher put these novels into an omnibus. It's been over a year since I read Mind Games, and starting out Perfect Lies, I no longer remembered who all the characters were. Some of them were involved in key plot twists, and though White refers to some of those twists to remind readers of what happened, I still didn't quite remember who certain characters were. These novels are heavily plot-oriented, minus their focus on Fia and Annie, so other characters falling into the background is not entirely surprising, but can be combated by selling the novels together. (PS - if you're going to read this novel, you may want to skim either your copy of Mind Games or your review as a refresher because this novel wastes no time before moving forward with its plot.).
7. (+/-) The Ending - This is my main issue with the book. It felt like I'd just started to accept what had actually happened and then the novel was over. The ending works with the thriller feel and with everything else that happens, especially the fast-paced action, but I just wanted a little more... resolution? Slowing down of the pace just for a bit?
8. (+) The Writing - There were a few moments when I thought eh, that sentence wasn't necessary, but otherwise the writing is kept very tight, sharp and fast-paced. It's not typically beautiful, but it's practical and purposeful, and works really well with the dark thriller vibe. Kiersten White also does a good job differentiating Annie and Fia's voices.
9. (+) Pacing - If you're going to read this novel, clear out a few hours to read the entire thing without stopping. Perfect Lies is short but a perfect length because the pacing is quick and the book entirely taut with tension to keeps things moving.
10. (+) The Cover - Although I am more of a fan of the Mind Games cover, this one is still striking to me, and I like that it gives more of a "thoughtful" feel than the sort of desperation in the previous photograph (interpreting too much? Perhaps. Whatever, they're beautiful covers, and I have no idea how else the publishers would have portrayed the duology).
Action and thriller oriented readers should definitely pick up Perfect Lies. As a fast-paced paranormal thriller, Perfect Lies distinguishes itself from all the others that I've read. If you're a more character oriented reader or get frustrated with sometimes simplistic or repetitive writing (Fia likes to repeat things over and over in her head), you might not like this novel. But if you're looking for something that's got a lot of clever plot twists and manages to make you care about twin sisters who really would do anything for each other...well, give this one a chance, even if you weren't a fan of Mind Games.
No doubt that Mind Games was a highly polarizing novel. Most of my blogger friends disliked it, but it seemed like literary publications generally praised Mind Games (I believe one publication had called it a tour de force), and I personally liked it and was curious as to where White would take the plot. So, when I saw Perfect Lies on Edelweiss, I decided why not.
I nearly cried reading this novel. Me! Maybe in my entire life, I've cried like three times when reading books, and one of them even felt like I was squeezing stuff out just because everyone else had (yes, I'm looking at you, The Fault in Our Stars). But Perfect Lies was sad and built on the emotional intensity of its predecessor. I'm a firm believer that writers who take risks come out with better work, and it's clear that White has taken a lot of risks with this... and yes, they worked.
Ten Likes/Dislikes:
1. (+) Fia, a protagonist - Fia was always my favorite of the two girls mostly because she was off the rocker. I loved how her neurotic perspective, her fragile balance on reality and her "perfect" instinct (and thus ability to physically survive) meshed with something so simple: her love for her sister. She was half a femme fatale, and half a confused teenager who's not entirely sane because people are constantly trying to take advantage of her and her abilities. And she's that way again, except getting much worse in the head as she gets deeper into the Keane school and conspiracy. Also, this is random, but it gets explained why she does that specific number of taps. I don't know if that was in the previous novel, but that made me happy.
2. (+) Annie, a protagonist - YES! This is what I wanted. In Mind Games, Annie frustrated me because she let other people take care of her and wasn't as active a character as Fia was. I wanted her to have more agency, and that's what happened. Mind Games was Fia's novel; Perfect Lies was Annie's. Her stable, loving, accepting perspective balanced out Fia's chaotic one, and Annie learns to fight for what she wants and becomes as fierce and competent and action oriented as her sister. Here's a perfect line for her growth in this novel (p. 74 in the e-ARC; can change in final copy): "I've spent most of my life feeling helpless. Being made to feel helpless. I'm done feeling like that."
3. (+) Plot - Here's where I have a question for you: can you just go with a novel? Mind Games and Perfect Lies rely on alternating perspectives and alternating timelines. As with Mind Games, at first, I tried keeping track of the time frame but knew that I would just get myself confused and continued to read without thinking of the time, trusting that White and her editor had chosen these chapters to be aligned in a specific way. And letting go of my attempts to orient myself in the time frame undoubtedly helped with my understanding of what was going on, and allowed me to notice the logical pattern for why things were arranged the way they were. Like if you're shown that Annie has a vision and someone new is here, Kiersten White will explain why that person is there in the next chapter, even if it means jumping to three weeks prior to the climax. The little reminders of the time mostly serve as a good reminder of the fact that the climax is coming; that the tension is building toward that final moment. And oh, the beauty of an unreliable narrator and unreliable paranormal powers (well, in the sense that Annie's visions may or may not change...). Kiersten White takes full advantage of that. This is cleverly plotted and executed, and it's been a long time since a thriller has managed to surprise me with its twists, but White's novel sure did just that.
4. (+) Romance - Down below you'll read about the parallels in this book, and the romance was definitely one of the ways this was showcased. The dark v. light romance was shown in the last novel with regard to Fia and her choices for the future, but in this novel, Annie gets to have her chance at some romance... And it's adorable. I'm a fan of how White developed the romance between the two characters in question, allowing them to get know each other before revealing all, and there's no doubt it makes for great comparison to Fia's romance and to the bloody action of the novel.
5. (+) Parallels - Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this novel was noting how clearly everything in this novel was paralleled and made perfect for comparison. Annie and Fia - Annie's steadier inner voice, growing stronger as Fia begins to spiral out of control; the friendships and romances each girl has and the way they both neatly and messily align; the fact that Annie is blind and able to see visions of future that she can't change, and the fact that Fia is the only one who can change the future but who doesn't always change things for the better, no matter how much she might believe otherwise, etc. etc.
6. (+/-) Characters - This is where I'd suggest the publisher put these novels into an omnibus. It's been over a year since I read Mind Games, and starting out Perfect Lies, I no longer remembered who all the characters were. Some of them were involved in key plot twists, and though White refers to some of those twists to remind readers of what happened, I still didn't quite remember who certain characters were. These novels are heavily plot-oriented, minus their focus on Fia and Annie, so other characters falling into the background is not entirely surprising, but can be combated by selling the novels together. (PS - if you're going to read this novel, you may want to skim either your copy of Mind Games or your review as a refresher because this novel wastes no time before moving forward with its plot.).
7. (+/-) The Ending - This is my main issue with the book. It felt like I'd just started to accept what had actually happened and then the novel was over. The ending works with the thriller feel and with everything else that happens, especially the fast-paced action, but I just wanted a little more... resolution? Slowing down of the pace just for a bit?
8. (+) The Writing - There were a few moments when I thought eh, that sentence wasn't necessary, but otherwise the writing is kept very tight, sharp and fast-paced. It's not typically beautiful, but it's practical and purposeful, and works really well with the dark thriller vibe. Kiersten White also does a good job differentiating Annie and Fia's voices.
9. (+) Pacing - If you're going to read this novel, clear out a few hours to read the entire thing without stopping. Perfect Lies is short but a perfect length because the pacing is quick and the book entirely taut with tension to keeps things moving.
10. (+) The Cover - Although I am more of a fan of the Mind Games cover, this one is still striking to me, and I like that it gives more of a "thoughtful" feel than the sort of desperation in the previous photograph (interpreting too much? Perhaps. Whatever, they're beautiful covers, and I have no idea how else the publishers would have portrayed the duology).
Action and thriller oriented readers should definitely pick up Perfect Lies. As a fast-paced paranormal thriller, Perfect Lies distinguishes itself from all the others that I've read. If you're a more character oriented reader or get frustrated with sometimes simplistic or repetitive writing (Fia likes to repeat things over and over in her head), you might not like this novel. But if you're looking for something that's got a lot of clever plot twists and manages to make you care about twin sisters who really would do anything for each other...well, give this one a chance, even if you weren't a fan of Mind Games.
January 6, 2014
Wow, this was much better than the first book. I actually read this in one day! Review to come in a bit!
I want to thank the publisher, HarperTeen, for supplying me with an eARC through Edelweiss to read and review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered or influenced my opinion or review.
Blurb from Goodreads:
Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.
The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.
So, I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting all that much from this book. A friend sent me a copy of the first book to read, telling me it was one of her favorite books. I was super excited to open it and see what was inside, then I read it and I was disappointed. It's not that the story line wasn't good, it's just that I didn't feel a connection. So, given the chance to read this book, I wasn't sure what I would even get out of it. I thought for sure I would trudge through and then end up feeling blah. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the first book, this one is so much better. I can't pinpoint it exactly. It's not just one thing, it's a slew of things. So read on and I'll explain.
WARNING: If you have not read the first book in this series, STOP HERE! There will more than likely be spoilers from that book and I wouldn't want to ruin the series for you!
I'll start with the cover. Wow! I loved the cover of the first book. The colors jumped right off the page. And the face of the model, so hauntingly beautiful. So, I'm not surprised that this cover is just as beautiful. I was not disappointed when this one was revealed for sure.
Fia, she really didn't grow as much as I would have liked to see in this book. As a matter of fact, it was all the other characters that grew around her that really helped her get through this book. She still has her OCD tendencies that got on my nerves in the first book. All the tapping and the repetitiveness of her speech. But seriously, this girl is all kinds of messed up and I can see how she would never be able to be right in the head with the training she's gone through and the things she has had to do. She so unstable it's sad to watch her break apart. So it's really the other characters around her that carry her through this book. That make her look stronger than she really is, that make her look like she knows what she is doing. I still could not emotionally connect with her in this book. As a matter of fact, my disconnect may be what White intended, but I'm not in her head so I'm just not sure. I can see that Fia's stream of consciousness is toned down in this book, very much more believable than it was in the first book, although still a bit irritating.
Annie is the one with the most growth in this book. She went from this recluse of a girl who was dependent on everyone to the hero. Seriously, this girl grew some true grit during this book. Not only does she break out of the shell that has been holding her in but she learns to defend herself and takes chances you never thought you would see her take. You forget that she's supposed to be dead to everyone and could just move on and become someone who blends in with the crowd never to be seen again and watch as she takes control of her life, and Fia's. And she doesn't let her "handicap" define her by any means. As a matter of fact, she still sees thinks despite the fact that she is blind. Her ability to flesh people out and understand situations is even more heightened because she is blind. It's an amazing transformation. And this is really what made this book for me.
And I loved getting to know more about Cole. This guy that we thought at first was supposed to be all bad turns into someone we grow to love and someone Annie learns to rely on and trust. I would love to see his story as a novella. And my distaste for James grew more as I read through this book. I still have no idea what his motives or agenda were, I still am not sure if he truly feels love for Fia or if it's just him using her to get what he wants. Even at the end, I don't feel like there is closure in their relationship, and this bothers me. I need to know if it's over, if Fia moves on, or if she remains in her same rut with him.
The pacing of this book is much quicker than the first book. I think for me it was because the story was so much more interesting and captivating. Kiersten still has the same style, but it seems to be much more grounded and tight than in the first book. it's a peculiar style that you will either love or hate. I can say I disliked it in the first book, but found it much more enduring in this book. I felt like I was all over the place in the first book, not quite sure what she was trying to achieve with how addicted Annie is to Fia or how crazy Fia seems to be. But in this book the cadence helped me really fall into how the book was supposed to flow. I was surprised when I realized I was 75% through with the book and had really just started to read it!
I will say that at times the chronolgy confused me. The fact that the book was from two different POVs may have added to this. There were a few areas where is seemed Fia and Annie's stories overlapped, but things happened differently for them. The one scene that stands out in my mind is when they find Sadie. Fia sees things happen one way, while Annie sees them happen another way. Now, it could be that originally Annie had a vision of what happened and my mind went to that instead of what actually went down. But either way, I had to reread the section and it was still confusing to me.
Another thing that helped me like this book so much more were the motives of the characters. While we are well aware of what Keane wants to accomplish, we are torn with what Fia wants to do and not sure if she can trust that James is on her side. Then we see Annie pop out of her shell and watch as her motive becomes keeping her sister safe, no matter what the circumstance. But it's not just Fia that she wants to help, it's all the girls that Keane has exploited for his purposes. She wants to become the savior for them, and she has many backers (Cole, Mae, Eden, and Sarah to some degree). I do think that White could have fleshed out a few characters more, particularly Sarah and Raphael. And I would have liked to see a bit more from Adam, after all, he is really what started the ball rolling in this series, the reason that Fia and Annie started their fight in the first place. But White puts him a bit on the back burner and I feel like he should have had more interaction to show why he was of such importance to the story.
There is no question that White creates a story of characters who have extreme baggage. Do they come out unscathed, no way. And I truly don't think this would even be possible with the things they have experienced. But, they do take control of their lives and they do turn things into what they need to survive. I'm not sure if White will write another book in this series as I see this has been set as a duaology, there is certainly so much more that can be explored. I am satisfied with Annie's ending, but I still need to know more about how Fia's life will fall in line (or not). And the book is filled with non-stop action that drags you right into every scene wondering what will happen next. Watching as the visions Annie and the other Seers play out, watching as they don't happen exactly as they were seen, this is what makes the action so interesting and what really kept me reading. I had to know if things would go as they were seen or if other forces would counteract what I truly thought would be fate!
Overall this was a fantastic read. And, despite me being hesitant to take it on because of my feelings for the first book, I'm really glad I stuck with it. If you weren't a fan of Mind Games, I do beg you to give this one a try as it has a different feeling and the connections you feel with the characters you thought were not important will surprise you!
I want to thank the publisher, HarperTeen, for supplying me with an eARC through Edelweiss to read and review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered or influenced my opinion or review.
Blurb from Goodreads:
Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.
The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.
So, I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting all that much from this book. A friend sent me a copy of the first book to read, telling me it was one of her favorite books. I was super excited to open it and see what was inside, then I read it and I was disappointed. It's not that the story line wasn't good, it's just that I didn't feel a connection. So, given the chance to read this book, I wasn't sure what I would even get out of it. I thought for sure I would trudge through and then end up feeling blah. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the first book, this one is so much better. I can't pinpoint it exactly. It's not just one thing, it's a slew of things. So read on and I'll explain.
WARNING: If you have not read the first book in this series, STOP HERE! There will more than likely be spoilers from that book and I wouldn't want to ruin the series for you!
I'll start with the cover. Wow! I loved the cover of the first book. The colors jumped right off the page. And the face of the model, so hauntingly beautiful. So, I'm not surprised that this cover is just as beautiful. I was not disappointed when this one was revealed for sure.
Fia, she really didn't grow as much as I would have liked to see in this book. As a matter of fact, it was all the other characters that grew around her that really helped her get through this book. She still has her OCD tendencies that got on my nerves in the first book. All the tapping and the repetitiveness of her speech. But seriously, this girl is all kinds of messed up and I can see how she would never be able to be right in the head with the training she's gone through and the things she has had to do. She so unstable it's sad to watch her break apart. So it's really the other characters around her that carry her through this book. That make her look stronger than she really is, that make her look like she knows what she is doing. I still could not emotionally connect with her in this book. As a matter of fact, my disconnect may be what White intended, but I'm not in her head so I'm just not sure. I can see that Fia's stream of consciousness is toned down in this book, very much more believable than it was in the first book, although still a bit irritating.
Annie is the one with the most growth in this book. She went from this recluse of a girl who was dependent on everyone to the hero. Seriously, this girl grew some true grit during this book. Not only does she break out of the shell that has been holding her in but she learns to defend herself and takes chances you never thought you would see her take. You forget that she's supposed to be dead to everyone and could just move on and become someone who blends in with the crowd never to be seen again and watch as she takes control of her life, and Fia's. And she doesn't let her "handicap" define her by any means. As a matter of fact, she still sees thinks despite the fact that she is blind. Her ability to flesh people out and understand situations is even more heightened because she is blind. It's an amazing transformation. And this is really what made this book for me.
And I loved getting to know more about Cole. This guy that we thought at first was supposed to be all bad turns into someone we grow to love and someone Annie learns to rely on and trust. I would love to see his story as a novella. And my distaste for James grew more as I read through this book. I still have no idea what his motives or agenda were, I still am not sure if he truly feels love for Fia or if it's just him using her to get what he wants. Even at the end, I don't feel like there is closure in their relationship, and this bothers me. I need to know if it's over, if Fia moves on, or if she remains in her same rut with him.
The pacing of this book is much quicker than the first book. I think for me it was because the story was so much more interesting and captivating. Kiersten still has the same style, but it seems to be much more grounded and tight than in the first book. it's a peculiar style that you will either love or hate. I can say I disliked it in the first book, but found it much more enduring in this book. I felt like I was all over the place in the first book, not quite sure what she was trying to achieve with how addicted Annie is to Fia or how crazy Fia seems to be. But in this book the cadence helped me really fall into how the book was supposed to flow. I was surprised when I realized I was 75% through with the book and had really just started to read it!
I will say that at times the chronolgy confused me. The fact that the book was from two different POVs may have added to this. There were a few areas where is seemed Fia and Annie's stories overlapped, but things happened differently for them. The one scene that stands out in my mind is when they find Sadie. Fia sees things happen one way, while Annie sees them happen another way. Now, it could be that originally Annie had a vision of what happened and my mind went to that instead of what actually went down. But either way, I had to reread the section and it was still confusing to me.
Another thing that helped me like this book so much more were the motives of the characters. While we are well aware of what Keane wants to accomplish, we are torn with what Fia wants to do and not sure if she can trust that James is on her side. Then we see Annie pop out of her shell and watch as her motive becomes keeping her sister safe, no matter what the circumstance. But it's not just Fia that she wants to help, it's all the girls that Keane has exploited for his purposes. She wants to become the savior for them, and she has many backers (Cole, Mae, Eden, and Sarah to some degree). I do think that White could have fleshed out a few characters more, particularly Sarah and Raphael. And I would have liked to see a bit more from Adam, after all, he is really what started the ball rolling in this series, the reason that Fia and Annie started their fight in the first place. But White puts him a bit on the back burner and I feel like he should have had more interaction to show why he was of such importance to the story.
There is no question that White creates a story of characters who have extreme baggage. Do they come out unscathed, no way. And I truly don't think this would even be possible with the things they have experienced. But, they do take control of their lives and they do turn things into what they need to survive. I'm not sure if White will write another book in this series as I see this has been set as a duaology, there is certainly so much more that can be explored. I am satisfied with Annie's ending, but I still need to know more about how Fia's life will fall in line (or not). And the book is filled with non-stop action that drags you right into every scene wondering what will happen next. Watching as the visions Annie and the other Seers play out, watching as they don't happen exactly as they were seen, this is what makes the action so interesting and what really kept me reading. I had to know if things would go as they were seen or if other forces would counteract what I truly thought would be fate!
Overall this was a fantastic read. And, despite me being hesitant to take it on because of my feelings for the first book, I'm really glad I stuck with it. If you weren't a fan of Mind Games, I do beg you to give this one a try as it has a different feeling and the connections you feel with the characters you thought were not important will surprise you!
August 4, 2022
“Once upon a time, I was a little girl with a mom and a dad and a sister, and the only monsters in the world were imaginary.
Then I became one of the monsters.”
I didn’t realize this was a second book in a series when I picked it up, so I was a bit lost right off from the start. I also didn’t realize this was a Young Adult book, which is another issue for me.
Will not be reading any more in the series.
Then I became one of the monsters.”
I didn’t realize this was a second book in a series when I picked it up, so I was a bit lost right off from the start. I also didn’t realize this was a Young Adult book, which is another issue for me.
Will not be reading any more in the series.
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