Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Title: Mind Games

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 2.19.2013

Pages: 256

Genre: SciFi

Series: Yes (Mind Games #1)

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

James's frozen face melts into a smile. "Do you want to know the trick to getting in trouble under the watchful eye of a psychic?"

I think of the nailed-shut windows. I think of Clarice. I think of the two, the two, the two who are now zero. Tap tap. "Yes, I absolutely do."

"Don't plan it. Don't even think about it. The second you get an inkling of what you could do, do it then. Never plan anything ahead of time. Always go on pure instinct."

I smile. "I think I can do that.”

Review:

Can I just say I love Kiersten White? I mean, seriously. Thank you, Kiersten, for writing a novel with an original plot, intriguing characters, and a whole lot of action. Mind Games felt like such a cool break from everything else I’ve been reading lately. I read a ton and sometimes I get so bogged down with reading and reviewing that things start to run together. Mind Games stood out from the first chapter, and I love crawling back into this story.

I’m a romantic at heart and the love story told here worked my heart over good. No I’m not talking about Fia and James (yeah, I love these two), I mean the love between Fia and Annie. This story is very much the story of two girl who love each other and are willing to risk anything and everything for each other. While Fia may technically be the younger of the two, she comes off as the big sister because of Annie’s blindness and the role she has assumed to protect her sister. I love these two girls to pieces. Usually a book (especially a young adult novel) needs a romance to spark attention, but the heart of the story here is Fia and Annie. Anyone who has a sister knows it is a bond like no other. I would take a bullet for my sisters, and reading about Fia and Annie only strengthened that resolve.

The story alternates perspective between the sisters, and I loved that. Because these are two vastly different characters, it was essential to be able to get into both of their heads and see how they ticked. I will say I’m a bit more partial to Fia, but don’t discount Annie. I can’t wait to see how both of these characters grow in future books.

I was pretty surprised at how quick I blazed through Mind Games it isn’t a very lengthy read and at times I wished some things had been elaborated on a bit more, but White maintains a quick, brisk pace that really drives the plot and kept me entranced. This is definitely a book action and SciFi fans need to grab ASAP. I hear White has another series … Paranormalcy? Think I’ll check that out while wait for book 2. If it’s half as good as Mind Games then I know I’ll be thoroughly entertained.

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