Novel Review: Mind Games (Mind Games, #1) by Kiersten White

Genre: YA Supernatural Thriller/Psychological/Romance

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: HarperCollins/Teen

Spoilers?: Some, yes.

Buy it here: Amazon.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Something Specific:

Quotes:

• "And I am so sick of feeling sick all the time." (Hardback, pg. 46) I just liked this quote, how it was said, and the impact it had when it was said.
• "I had forgotten to miss blue. Blue!" (Hardback, pg. 63) I found this interesting, and something that I hadn't thought of before. The fact that you could forget to miss something, and how when you don't have it all the time, like how you rarely ever see color like Annie does, that you could suddenly be reminded and the whole idea could brought back to you.

Review:

A lot of people (at least, a lot of my friends/follows on Goodreads) have not really enjoyed this book. At first, that made me a little wary, even if I was still sure I would enjoy it at least somewhat. But then I realized that most of the people who didn’t like this book, also didn’t like the Paranormalcy series, and thus just wasn't a fan of Kiersten White, and that reassured me a whole lot, because I really liked that series and I love White.

I’d had this book on my list, but wasn’t sure if I was going to get it soon, but then found out than White was going to be having a book signing near me, and thus I had to get it. And I’m really glad that I not only pre-ordered it, but I also read it before going to the signing. Because I really liked this book. Like, a lot.

Sofia (also known as Fia) has perfect instincts and Annie is blind but can see the future. After their parents’ death, they moved into this boarding school, where Annie is learning how to control her power, and Fia is being used to kill people. Then there’s Adam, the good, genius boy who doesn’t quite understand, and James, who’s trying to secretly get a hold on things while his father is trying to use him.

This story is told in alternating points of view, from Fia to Annie, as well as going back and forth from the present to the past. I love it when stories do both of these things—have flashbacks and alternating points of view—so I was excited about this, and I thought it was done really well. I’ve also heard people online say that it was hard to follow, which I didn’t quite understand, because every chapter is clearly labeled. Did they read an ARC of the book, and it wasn’t clearly labeled in those?

I think that both characters had a definite voice, a different pattern of thinking, and I liked that. Annie is rather clear headed, while Fia is fast and repetitive and run-on sentence-like, and the styles work really well for their character. Annie is somewhat labeled as the good girl, which she was in the past, but I didn’t really think of her like that in the present. I honestly think that she could get quite underhanded and devious, in a mastermind kind of way, even if she’s not quite there yet. Fia, on the other hand, is damaged and broken and impulsive and wants to take down the people that are making her do this.

I preferred Fia, all the way. Her chapters had more action, was more interesting, and I just liked her personality more. I didn’t enjoy Annie’s as much, but they always ended up being very interesting, and they gave the inside information that was needed at times. The reader needed to see what was happening on both sides, and that was done really well.

The love interests: Adam and James. I like Adam, and I’m wary of James, but I kind of like James more. Adam is the naïve one, new to what is happening, and he’s tall and a genius. He’s sweet. And usually the one that I’d prefer. But James is the one that’s working in the system, that’s trying to underhand his father, and while I think that he should have done something more by now, and I do think he has the potential to turn really bad, I like him. I find him more interesting and I’m looking forward to finding out more about him. At the beginning of the book, I was all set to really dislike him, too, but then we saw him in a flashback and my feelings changed. Don't get me wrong, though, I do like Adam as well. Just, not as much, I don't think.

It seems like they’re both liking Fia, but I feel like Adam might develop feelings for Annie. I’m not sure how I feel about Adam and Annie being together, mostly because I feel like Annie’s going to turn darker, but I am really leaning toward the side of Fia and James. I can see the potential of Fia and Adam, but at the moment I like her and James more.

Now, the bad guy. We didn’t get to see much of him in this book, just glimpses and hints, and while I know I’m not going to like him, I’m looking forward to finding out more about him. There are a lot of other people within the system that are not-very-good as well, and I’m interested to see what side each of them is going to be on, and what they’re going to do.

There were several moments in this book that I didn’t really see happening, including a couple of deaths, and that really helped excite the book. One of those moments included the ending. It wasn’t expected, and confused me, but now I see what’s happening, and I’m really excited for the next book. It seems like the story is just getting started, and I really want to know what happens next.

This was a really fast read, especially since it’s rather short, and it’s really exciting. At this point, I just really want the next book, and am upset that I have to wait about a year for it.