Posted by Lauren in Book Reviews, Featured, Paranormal | 5 Comments
Mind Games by Kiersten White
Mind Games by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: February 19, 2013
Pages: 256
Summary: Fia has perfect instincts, which make her a great assassin. Except she’s being controlled by a man she’s never met, and that makes the killing no fun at all. If Fia wasn’t so concerned about her sister Annie’s safety, she would have no problem walking away. But Annie means the world to her.
My thoughts: Mind Games is bam-bam-bam fast. I was initially overwhelmed by the whirlwind: the writing style (run-ons and onomatopoeia) was almost a bit much for my tastes. But then I adjusted and found myself having a lot of fun. Mind Games is tricky like that, see: it makes you think that it’s all fight scenes and tough chicks, but then you realize oh, it’s more. It’s about loyalty and learning to be selfish—about making choices that you don’t think you have. And that’s pretty cool.
Mind Games has two narrators—Fia and Annie—and it’s easy to pick a favorite. While Annie falls into the stereotype of a “blind seer,” Fia is strange and completely unpredictable. Her voice is erratic, echoing the little bit of crazy inside her head. Kiersten White’s portrayal of a psychologically damaged teen is interesting because it’s unexpected. Fia is a wild card, and it’s obvious in the way she tells her story.
My only gripe with Mind Games lies in the timeline. The chapters occasionally jump to random moments in the sisters’ lives, and though this kind of helps the story progress, it messes with the flow of the novel.
Fans of lady assassins, thrillers, and mental superpowers, you’ll love Mind Games. It’s very different from Kiersten White’s other books, but in a good way.
4/5 stars
Comment question: Do you have siblings? Would you do anything for them, like Fia?
I’m glad to see that people are really enjoying this book. I had a hard time with it with the way it went back and forth. I couldn’t connect to the characters at all. I also didn’t really like Annie at all. I also wished there had been more action in it. There’s a little, but it never really felt like it was an exciting adrenaline inducing thing to me. Great review!!
Amy @ Book Loving Mom recently posted..Blog Tour: Pieces by Michelle Davidson Argyle- Reviews
I have to agree with Amy – I wasn’t a really big fan of this novel – It was my first Kiersten White book and after hearing about her Paranormalcy series, I guess I just went into it with the wrong expectations. Also, I did not like Annie at all and I had a hard time with the narration from Fia’s point of view. Anyway, the ending was really well done, I think, and I’m also excited to see where the story goes in the next book :)
I’ve been excited about this book for a while now. After enjoying her other work, I can’t wait to see how this works out. Fia sounds like a pretty good character. Despite the jumping, I think it sounds very good :) Great review.
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted..Review 110. Gail Carriger – Soulless.
I’m always hesitant towards double narration since I always feel like the character development isn’t as strong as a one narration but I’m glad this one worked out for you. I did hear that the writing style was different so I’m going to have to read it to see how I like it.
kailia Sage recently posted..I Need a Man to Make Me Happy…Not
I’ve been seeing some mixed reviews on this one. But I love kick-ass characters so I would give this book a shot. Thanks for the cool review :D
-Dannielle