Mind Games

~4(4.5)/5[Also available on my blog.]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.

Fia and Annie are sisters, both blessed (or cursed ?) with extraordinary abilities. Fia has strong instincts — able to feel out a situation and tell if it’s good or bad, right or wrong. Her intuition is so strong, she doesn’t even have to think about it before she knows. Annie is blind, but has the ability to see the future. These small snippets in time are both exciting and terrifying for her.Both of the sisters find themselves shipped off to a school for kids with special abilities. They think they can leave, but they’re wrong. The school uses their students to aid in corporate espionage, and Fia is their strongest weapon, but Fia wants nothing more than to get away. They’ve been using her for more dangerous tasks lately, and she’s mentally unbalanced because of it. She has to get away, but they’re holding Annie captive, threatening to harm, or even kill her, if Fia doesn’t cooperate. But Fia has a plan. She’s going to bring them all down if it’s the last thing she does.I really enjoyed the story that Ms. White constructed, and the world was intriguing. The settings were familiar, but the addition of the paranormal abilities added a new layer which made it feel fresh.The characters are all very well drawn, and while Annie is the more sympathetic of the two sisters, I found myself captivated by Fia. She was a mess with a capital “M”. The poor girl has endured so much at the hands of the people running the school. She’s completely frayed and straddles a fine line between keeping it together and totally losing it.The supporting characters are all just as strong and each of them held a very specific piece of the overall puzzle in their hands. I loved how they all came together, and I also loved that you never really knew which of them you could trust.The book alternates between Fia and Annie’s POV, and jumps between the past and the present so we get an overall view of the sisters and their story. The book is structured so that we only have as much information as we need to move forward. While it did get a bit confusing at times, it eventually all came together. The ending blew my mind. In fact, I had to read the last couple of chapters again just to make sure I hadn’t missed something.What I really liked about the book was the voice. Fia, as I mentioned earlier, is a mess. The poor girl has been forced to do some very questionable things (assassinations, etc) and her nerves are frayed. She is a bit OCD and the author captures her frantic state in a stream-of-conscious style of writing. In perfect contrast is Annie’s voice. She is calm and collected and her scenes told in a more structured way.I love a good secret-society/spy, good guy/bad guy story and this one had it in spades. It kept me guessing the entire time. It’s very fast paced, and the writing perfectly fits the state of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. I highly recommend this to fans of thrillers and the TV show, Alias. It’s a perfect blend of two things I love. As soon as I finished reading it, I pre-ordered a copy.Review based on an ARC courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

BuchgestaltungNajaaaaaa…ich weiß gar nicht, was ich großartig dazu sagen soll. Das Cover gefällt mit NICHT. Der Titel passt NICHT. Beides zusammen ist NICHTSsagend.MeinungKiersten White wurde mit ihrer Paranormalcy Reihe zur einer New York Times Bestseller Autorin – verdient, wie ich finde. Ich war Fan der ersten Stunde. Daher hatte ich mir natürlich erhofft, auch von Mind Games sagen zu können, dass es mir gut gefallen hat. Leider kann ich diesen Satz nicht mal mit viel gutem Willen über die Lippen bringen. Das Buch hat mich nicht nur enttäuschend, es war…schlecht.Zunächst ist mir die Dünne des Hardcovers aufgefallen. Das Buch nur 256 Seiten, die dazu noch übergroß formatiert wurden, sodass nach fast jedem Satz ein Absatz folgt. Wenn ich das Buch auf die Geschichte reduzieren müsste, wären das in „Wirklichkeit“ weniger als die 200 Seiten. Das kurze Bücher schlecht sind, ist natürlich ein doofes Klischee, aber hier trifft das einfach zu.ZU WENIGE SEITEN FÜR…Die CharaktereFia und Annie sind das, zudem die Autorin sie macht. Bedeutet, in wenigen Sätzen werden beiden Charakteren Eigenschaften zugeschrieben, die sie eigentlich nicht verdienen. Weder durch ihre Handlungen oder ihre Gedanken werden diese nämlich begründet. Das Buch ist aus beiden Perspektiven geschrieben, wobei die Kapitel so kurz sind (meistens bis zu 5 Seiten) das man sich schlecht ein richtiges Bild von irgendetwas machen kann. Nur ganz grob, weiß man um das Leben der Schwestern, das in kurzen Rückblicken etwas unterfuttert werden sollte, was hier aber nicht im Mindesten gelungen ist. Stattdessen zeigen die Rückblicke nichts, dass für den Plot wirklich nützlich wäre. Höchstens liefern die kurzen Sequenzen, die Bestätigung der Klischees, zu denen Kiersten White ihre Charaktere macht. Fia = taffe Kämpferin, Annie = schüchterne, Intelligente.Die HandlungIch muss sagen, die ersten 20 Seiten haben mich in ihren Bann geschlagen! Es war aufregend, ich wollte wissen, was genau mit den Schwestern passiert und warum sie diese paranormalen Kräfte haben und für die Keane Organisation arbeiten. Leider wurde keine meiner Fragen beantwortet. Hier werden Handlungen in den Raum gestellt, die sehr gradlinig auf eines aus sind: die zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen. So bandelt Fia mit dem Sohn ihres Chefs an, der wie aus dem Nichts sagt, er würde sie lieben und Annie erzählt etwas über ihre beste Freundin. Die Idee damit etwas Tiefgang zu schaffen war eine gute, die Umsetzung wieder schlecht. Fia kommt durch die oberflächliche Beziehung zu Person X, die sich innerhalb eines Kapitels entwickelt wie eine absolute 0/8/5 Zicke rüber und Annies Gefasel über Eden war einfach seltsam…Im Buch türmen sich die Ereignisse zu Beginn und dann passiert eigentlich nicht wirklich etwas. Die wenigen Wendungen waren sehr vorhersehbar und einfach nichts Neues. Würde ich jetzt mal ganz böse sein, könnte ich sogar behaupten, das kenne man schon aus ihren alten Büchern. Viele Szenen waren sich ähnlich.Das Buch hat durch die absurde Geschwindigkeit in der alles abgeharkt wird, absolut keinen Raum für die Entwicklung der Charaktere, für Spannung oder etwas mehr Logik, um viele der offenen Fragen zu begründen. Wie z.B. die oben genannten, aber auch noch mehr. Mich wurmt es immer unglaublich, wenn ich nichts erfahre, wo es doch so offensichtlich ist, das Erklärungsbedarf besteht. Vor allem da die Autorin doch weiß, wie es geht! Sie kann doch schreiben. Das witzigste fand ich noch, das sie in ihrer Danksagung schreibt, wie toll es von ihrer Agentin wäre, ein Buch zu vermarkten, was sie eigentlich niemals hätte schreiben dürfen…ehm, was?! OoDie Geschichte wird übrigens nicht nur aus zwei Sichtweisen erzählt, sondern auch noch in verschiedenen Zeiten. Diese sind nicht datiert oder dergleichen und man weiß eigentlich nie genau, in welche Lebensphase der Schwestern man da reinrutscht. Meiner Meinung nach liest sich das Buch wie etwas, das Kiersten White mal eben in ein paar Stunden aus Jux und Dollerei auf die Seiten geklatscht hat :/Das EndeDurch den mangelden Platz wird es knapp in weniger als 4 Seiten abgeharkt. Das Gefühl eines Höhepunkts kommt gar nicht erst auf. Ich fand das Ende auch seltsam…so schrecklich seltsam. Fia dreht gelinde gesagt durch und es wird ebenfalls nicht geklärt, was genau mit ihr passiert und wo Annie hingeht. Ich saß da wirklich mit offenem Mund und dachte nur: hääääääääh??? Ich finde es unfair, dass die Geschichte an diesem Punkt endet und die Autorin es nicht für nötig gehalten hat, wenigstens so etwas wie einen Epilog zu schreiben.FazitKiersten White hat es nach der Paranormalcy Reihe nicht geschafft mich erneut zu überzeugen. Das was ich an ihren Büchern so mochte: der Humor, die Action und der süße Charme, fehlen hier gänzlich. Stattdessen bekommt man Einheitsbrei mit einer Ladung Kopfschmerzen serviert, den ich niemanden empfehlen werde.

I really enjoyed reading "Mind Games" and I'm really looking forward to the next installmente in the series.I really like Fia because she is a strong character and she can handle herself in various occasions. On the contrary I kind of dislike Annie for his meddling in other people's life.The love story is a bit confusing to tell the truth and at the end of the book I was left a bit disappointed by the way the story end abruptly because I think that the it's a bit weak to stand by itself.I know it seems that I'm contradicting myself by saying this, but the book is really slim and so fast to read that really it shouldn't have been divided in installments.Anyway, really looking forward to see how it ends.