Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Release Date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Mind Games, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

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.

Wow, this one went all over the place. Mind Games was suspenseful, deadly, completely mind bogglingly perplexing. I seriously had no idea what to expect, other than a couple of mixed reviews, but I genuinely enjoyed this one. I haven't been so swept away and caught up with a paranormal for ages, so much that I had to keep reading into the night. If you keep attention to details, then it's one gorgeous thriller.
I must say, this concept is DEFINITELY original. I thought that this would be a dystopian looking at the blurb, but when supernatural abilities and a contemporary world come together, you know something's gonna be good.

The story alternates between two perspectives: Fia's and Annie's. It was an interesting change up though, with two perspectives, because the time "period" kept changing. It went from the present to something that happened a couple of years ago, and then a few years before, and then back to the present– it was like a time machine, flittering to the past and the present repetitively. Annie can see the future, so have that thrown in, and you have the whole time scale.

I really enjoyed both the contrasting personalities of Fia and Annie. Fia reminded me of Evie from White's Paranormalcy. She's hilarious, sharp and totally kick-ass! I had a laugh during her narration when she's being snarky, or trying to get around the teachers. She really brought a lot of the humor to this story.
Annie however, was more calm, quiet and reserved. It was definitely interesting to "see" what was happening through her view, when she can't see anything except visions, and can only hear what's going on. Undoubtedly an fascinating change when it comes to perspectives. From this, it was also easy to empathize with her, through her limitations due to the disability, and I admired her bravado in standing up to those who had the advantage over her. 

There is a love triangle in this story, and I'm still confused as to who I should root for, because both are really yummy. Seriously, yummy. Like, oh-my-god-why-do-fictional-guys-like-these-exist yummy. We again have the bad boy versus good guy situation, but jeez, I fell hard for the both of them. Sweet, cute and loyal, against bold, sexy and dangerous– while reading it was a really hard time for me to choose. I'll just have to decide in the later books in this series!

For roughly 250 pages, this book was PACKED with twists. Mind Games was a challenging puzzle to complete, but one that I enjoyed thoroughly and now wish that I didn't rush through it. Kiersten White has done it again, bringing humor, danger and paranormal elements together to bring to life this breathtaking adrenaline-rush of a story. Can't wait for book 2!

If you like this, try...

• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White ● Goodreads
• I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter ● Goodreads

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪