Title: Mind Games
Author: Kiersten White
Pub Date: December 3rd, 2013
Publisher: HarperTEEN
Page Count: 237
Fronted by a strong female lead who can hold her own, Mind Games was an interesting read that however, flattened out due to excessive background information. - Nova @ Out of Time
First and foremost, the time in the story is something I didn't expect. This story, if I'm not mistaken, goes over the course of two days. Yep, you heard me. It starts Monday and ends Tuesday. [Or maybe it's a week, but still.]
What White does, is jump intervals of time to carry the story and let the reader comprehend what is going on. She'll be going from present to six months past, to a few years back and then back to the present. Initially, I thought it was going to be hard to understand but actually, it was really easy to follow.
The problem was something else entirely. While that was interesting idea, I found myself drowning in background info that didn't help the present plot. In fact, by the end of the book, I was confused. It felt like it was half missing. If you plan to read this, I recommend having the second one within arms reach because you're going to want to keep going!
Also, despite what the synopsis suggests, this story has very little action and a lot of retelling.
Despite the lack of satisfaction, I found myself really enjoying the main character. Fia has such a strong personality; she's been through so much. I found her complexity refreshing and very alive. She was also very relatable, with her kickass attitude and sharp tongue.
Annie was a whole other story. I had such issues with her and I'm so glad she wasn't the main character. I felt like she was so stupid and by the time she woke up, it was already too late. She was also pretty selfish for a lot of the book and even though she grew, I don't find it redeeming enough.
The other characters seriously needed work. This book was "The Fia Show" and I felt like all the other characters were so useless because of how tightly wrapped the plot was. Aside from Fia, I don't think there were any characters I liked. This isn't because they're terrible, it's because I never got a real feel for them.
However, their relationship with each other was great. The fact that White tackles the idea of sister love above romantic love raised my level of respect. A lot of books have good themes but are ultimately drowned out by a cheesy romance. Mind Games didn't really have that, which I appreciated. There was a few hints of a possible romance, but nothing definitive and gag-worthy.
I really do like the idea, I just don't think this book had enough. I'll for sure be reading the second one and hopefully, the real story will start to take form.
Author: Kiersten White
Pub Date: December 3rd, 2013
Publisher: HarperTEEN
Page Count: 237
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.
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Fronted by a strong female lead who can hold her own, Mind Games was an interesting read that however, flattened out due to excessive background information. - Nova @ Out of Time
First and foremost, the time in the story is something I didn't expect. This story, if I'm not mistaken, goes over the course of two days. Yep, you heard me. It starts Monday and ends Tuesday. [Or maybe it's a week, but still.]
What White does, is jump intervals of time to carry the story and let the reader comprehend what is going on. She'll be going from present to six months past, to a few years back and then back to the present. Initially, I thought it was going to be hard to understand but actually, it was really easy to follow.
The problem was something else entirely. While that was interesting idea, I found myself drowning in background info that didn't help the present plot. In fact, by the end of the book, I was confused. It felt like it was half missing. If you plan to read this, I recommend having the second one within arms reach because you're going to want to keep going!
Also, despite what the synopsis suggests, this story has very little action and a lot of retelling.
Despite the lack of satisfaction, I found myself really enjoying the main character. Fia has such a strong personality; she's been through so much. I found her complexity refreshing and very alive. She was also very relatable, with her kickass attitude and sharp tongue.
Annie was a whole other story. I had such issues with her and I'm so glad she wasn't the main character. I felt like she was so stupid and by the time she woke up, it was already too late. She was also pretty selfish for a lot of the book and even though she grew, I don't find it redeeming enough.
The other characters seriously needed work. This book was "The Fia Show" and I felt like all the other characters were so useless because of how tightly wrapped the plot was. Aside from Fia, I don't think there were any characters I liked. This isn't because they're terrible, it's because I never got a real feel for them.
However, their relationship with each other was great. The fact that White tackles the idea of sister love above romantic love raised my level of respect. A lot of books have good themes but are ultimately drowned out by a cheesy romance. Mind Games didn't really have that, which I appreciated. There was a few hints of a possible romance, but nothing definitive and gag-worthy.
I really do like the idea, I just don't think this book had enough. I'll for sure be reading the second one and hopefully, the real story will start to take form.
Yes! I think this book had a great premise, intriguing characters (since they have powers! That's awesome) BUT it felt lacking. I'm not really sure what I did not like about this book since I've read it a long time ago, but I do remember that the book felt draggy for me. What made me dislike this book even more is that it was a short book but it felt like I was reading a book with a thousand pages. I just hope the sequel's better... I keep putting it off b/c I'm afraid the story will be dragged again.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! I'm the type who takes chances on books because I know how a lot of books end up surprising me in the long run.
DeleteTWO DAYS WHAT??? White's stories tend to be a hit and miss for most people, more so the latter, tbh. Which I'm always confused about but technically, I've only read one (that one about Fate LOL) A lot of retelling? Yeah that doesn't seem like something that I'll be too keen on. And I like it when the secondary characters are well developed so it's a shame to see that this one focused a lot on the protagonist. Lovely review, Nova! x
ReplyDeleteWhen I figured it out, I thought it was completely insane! I was alright with her Paranormalcy series, though that had its faults too. And Fate? I don't remember that one.
DeleteIt's so hard to find that balance between giving enough background information and giving too little. I tend to prefer too little because I have so little patience xD At least the book is somewhat sort! Shame the other characters weren't that developed either. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteOh no, this book doesn't sound like something I'll enjoy. :( I mean, the premise sounds interesting, but the other factors are already putting me off. I *love* supporting characters that add to the richness of the book, and not just "Omg look at the main character and see how AWESOMEEE they are." I dislike info dumps or books that are basically tons of background info with little bits of actual story inbetween. :/
ReplyDeleteMight have to give this one a pass. But still, I enjoyed reading your review! Your line about "The Fia Show" made me laugh. :P
I love supporting characters too! They're the brains of the whole operation. And I made you laugh. This is the start to a bootiful friendship.
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