Woop! Another TLP Reads post! I picked up Mind Games by Kiersten White on a complete whim the moment I saw in over at the bargain books section at Chapters. There was no real, official blurb on the book, and I guess the mystery really sucked me in. And man, I was not kidding about the mystery, and this was a really nice surprise.
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Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each other - no matter the cost.
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Mind Games really throws you for quite the loop in the first few pages. You've got no idea what's going on, where the story is going, or what you're even doing with this book. It's as if the author is seriously playing a mind game on you. But regardless, you have to keep reading to figure out all the mystery and put everything together. And that's the fun part.
Sofia, or Fia as she's referred to in the book, is a nineteen year old assassin, bound by the promise of her sister's safety to the mysterious and powerful Mr. Keane. Her sister Annie is a Seer, someone who can see into the future - yet can never really figure out what it all means. Both sisters are determined to keep the other safe since they lost their parents at a young age, though their whole living situation makes it difficult. Annie can never leave the 'school dormitory' (I'll get to that in a minute), and Fia can't visit her unless she's given permission to. Fia's the puppet, and Annie's the leverage. Messed up, no?
Fia's the type of girl you'd want to have your back. She's super sassy, intuitive and caring - and it helps that she can kick some serious butt too. Despite being the younger sister, she's protective of Annie and, like the teaser suggested, she'd do anything for her. Even if it means killing people to keep her safe. She uses her assets to her advantage, and is unafraid to take risks - provided she doesn't think too much about it. And I love her comebacks. Regardless of who she's speaking to, she's got a witty, snarky remark ready. The minute she's introduced in the book, I loved her.
Annie, or Annabelle, has been blind since she was about four, and the visions didn't come until their parents' accident. But her 'sight' is anything but a gift, since it's what's holding her captive under the watchful eye of Mr. Keane and his minions. Like Fia, Annie is tough and thoughtful, though she lacks the drive and fearlessness that Fia's been taught to survive. Annie's not the lesser of the two, but unlike Fia, she doesn't have a clue as to what's really going on. At least, not until much later.
"I could still keep Annie safe and sound in her room where she sees nothing but fractured visions of life. Maybe she's already seen this, maybe she knows it ended for us the moment this boy helped that puppy and became a person to me.
That dumb dog has killed us all."
- Fia, pg. 4
There's somewhat of a love triangle going on here too. You've got James Keane, Mr. Keane's son, who seems to be just another pretty face and a good, charming liar. James manages all of Fia's operations, and seems to always have her back despite being quite cocky and secretive. It's insinuated in the first few pages when we meet him how he doesn't like working for his father, and I have to tell you, there's so much more to him than meets the eye. Perhaps he's not all ice cold. Then there's also Adam Denting - sweet and trusting - who was meant to die at the hands of Fia until she changed her mind last minute. There's not much that's revealed about him, except that he's super smart and instantly falls for Fia - despite you know, the whole meant to die thing. With Adam, Fia's got a shot at living a normal life. With James, she finds a comfort only they understand. Obviously, tough choice here for Fia, but all that's on her mind is Annie. Then again, that's not to say that she hasn't thought about kissing either suitor.
The ending, I must say, is what really gets you. At least, for me it did. There was so much already happening with secrets coming out, and with Annie's vision, I was left wondering 'WTF?' as I turned the last few pages. I had even more questions than I did from the start of the novel, but me oh my, it was perfect - at least for the circumstances all the characters found themselves in. The epitome of a bitter sweet ending I must say.
And because of the ending, it's got me hoping that there's a next installment to this story. I just cannot be content with having the ending as is. It's not a total cliffhanger, but it's got enough mystery interlaced within it that's got me wondering what happens next for Fia, Annie and James. Is it obvious I'm all for James Keane? Hah!
Perhaps a little struggle I found with Mind Games was the switch between Fia and Annie's narratives from years ago to present day. I definitely had to make sure that I read the chapter headings to make sure I was reading it from the right perspective! Not that it was difficult to figure out who was speaking, but in order to place the events chronologically on their timeline, you definitely need to be pretty alert on which version of Fia or Annie is telling the story. The somewhat confusing flip between the narratives is definitely something that hindered this story from being a complete thrilling page-turner in my opinion.
Mind Games is a story that highlights the need for sacrificing anything for the people you love when the situation requires it, and how nothing is ever as it seems. Intuition is a vital component to surviving, and as the story unravels, readers begin to really see who's life is more valuable and worth killing for.
If you're in the market for a puzzling yet thrilling story, then I'd say Mind Games should be your next read. It's got the right mix of mystery, family warmth and romance that it hits all the right spots. Mind Games definitely gets your mind running, and maybe you can even learn a few tricks from Fia while you're reading. As to what those lessons are, well, that's up to you.
Happy discovering!
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Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each other - no matter the cost.
---
Mind Games really throws you for quite the loop in the first few pages. You've got no idea what's going on, where the story is going, or what you're even doing with this book. It's as if the author is seriously playing a mind game on you. But regardless, you have to keep reading to figure out all the mystery and put everything together. And that's the fun part.
Sofia, or Fia as she's referred to in the book, is a nineteen year old assassin, bound by the promise of her sister's safety to the mysterious and powerful Mr. Keane. Her sister Annie is a Seer, someone who can see into the future - yet can never really figure out what it all means. Both sisters are determined to keep the other safe since they lost their parents at a young age, though their whole living situation makes it difficult. Annie can never leave the 'school dormitory' (I'll get to that in a minute), and Fia can't visit her unless she's given permission to. Fia's the puppet, and Annie's the leverage. Messed up, no?
Fia's the type of girl you'd want to have your back. She's super sassy, intuitive and caring - and it helps that she can kick some serious butt too. Despite being the younger sister, she's protective of Annie and, like the teaser suggested, she'd do anything for her. Even if it means killing people to keep her safe. She uses her assets to her advantage, and is unafraid to take risks - provided she doesn't think too much about it. And I love her comebacks. Regardless of who she's speaking to, she's got a witty, snarky remark ready. The minute she's introduced in the book, I loved her.
Annie, or Annabelle, has been blind since she was about four, and the visions didn't come until their parents' accident. But her 'sight' is anything but a gift, since it's what's holding her captive under the watchful eye of Mr. Keane and his minions. Like Fia, Annie is tough and thoughtful, though she lacks the drive and fearlessness that Fia's been taught to survive. Annie's not the lesser of the two, but unlike Fia, she doesn't have a clue as to what's really going on. At least, not until much later.
"I could still keep Annie safe and sound in her room where she sees nothing but fractured visions of life. Maybe she's already seen this, maybe she knows it ended for us the moment this boy helped that puppy and became a person to me.
That dumb dog has killed us all."
- Fia, pg. 4
There's somewhat of a love triangle going on here too. You've got James Keane, Mr. Keane's son, who seems to be just another pretty face and a good, charming liar. James manages all of Fia's operations, and seems to always have her back despite being quite cocky and secretive. It's insinuated in the first few pages when we meet him how he doesn't like working for his father, and I have to tell you, there's so much more to him than meets the eye. Perhaps he's not all ice cold. Then there's also Adam Denting - sweet and trusting - who was meant to die at the hands of Fia until she changed her mind last minute. There's not much that's revealed about him, except that he's super smart and instantly falls for Fia - despite you know, the whole meant to die thing. With Adam, Fia's got a shot at living a normal life. With James, she finds a comfort only they understand. Obviously, tough choice here for Fia, but all that's on her mind is Annie. Then again, that's not to say that she hasn't thought about kissing either suitor.
The ending, I must say, is what really gets you. At least, for me it did. There was so much already happening with secrets coming out, and with Annie's vision, I was left wondering 'WTF?' as I turned the last few pages. I had even more questions than I did from the start of the novel, but me oh my, it was perfect - at least for the circumstances all the characters found themselves in. The epitome of a bitter sweet ending I must say.
And because of the ending, it's got me hoping that there's a next installment to this story. I just cannot be content with having the ending as is. It's not a total cliffhanger, but it's got enough mystery interlaced within it that's got me wondering what happens next for Fia, Annie and James. Is it obvious I'm all for James Keane? Hah!
Perhaps a little struggle I found with Mind Games was the switch between Fia and Annie's narratives from years ago to present day. I definitely had to make sure that I read the chapter headings to make sure I was reading it from the right perspective! Not that it was difficult to figure out who was speaking, but in order to place the events chronologically on their timeline, you definitely need to be pretty alert on which version of Fia or Annie is telling the story. The somewhat confusing flip between the narratives is definitely something that hindered this story from being a complete thrilling page-turner in my opinion.
Mind Games is a story that highlights the need for sacrificing anything for the people you love when the situation requires it, and how nothing is ever as it seems. Intuition is a vital component to surviving, and as the story unravels, readers begin to really see who's life is more valuable and worth killing for.
If you're in the market for a puzzling yet thrilling story, then I'd say Mind Games should be your next read. It's got the right mix of mystery, family warmth and romance that it hits all the right spots. Mind Games definitely gets your mind running, and maybe you can even learn a few tricks from Fia while you're reading. As to what those lessons are, well, that's up to you.
Happy discovering!
