Book Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Book: Mind Games by Kiersten White
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating:★★★★☆
For: Review
From: Edelweiss (released next week Feb. 19)

While this author is not officially local, she has local ties, so I sort of count her that way! Which is why I jumped at the chance to get the eARC from Edelweiss (my first one from them!) Thankfully, they approved me! Yay! (I'm thinking it's harder to be approved there than at NetGalley? I don't know, maybe it's just me.)

Anyway, this book was completely different from her other books (Paranormalcy, Supernaturally, Endlessly.) Those are sort of a tongue in cheek, satire on all things paranormal. They are very fluffy, and funny and even a bit light (despite all the monsters!)

This book has a much darker feel. It's about two sisters who were orphaned at a young age. One of them is blind, and so the other feels this overwhelming need to take care of her sister. In so doing, they end up at what appears to be a perfect school for the blind sister, and a not-so-bad one for the other sister too! Of course, as we all know when a school looks perfect (especially in books!) it probably isn't.

Well, this school REALLY isn't! In fact this school searches out kids (always girls) that have special mind powers. And then they use them to their advantage. They things they use them for are brutal. So brutal, in fact, that the one sister (Fia, the not-blind one) is on the verge of totally losing her mind. And the blind one, Annie, is not far behind!

Everything changes though, when one day, Fia meets a guy that she is especially drawn too, and she makes a decision that could make or break them all.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of these two sisters, and then it also bounces back and forth from present moment, to years past, so we slowly get the back story.

I really enjoyed this one! Much more, I think, then even the author's previous books. I guess I liked this deeper darker story.  I found it very engaging and exciting and a little bit scary. It's written in a borderline stream of conscious which might put some people off, but I found it be that much more effective considering what's going on the brains of these girls.

The ending is crazy! Pay close attention!

Bottom line: I really enjoyed it a lot!

Other Reviews:

The plot gripped me from the first page, my eyes scanning every word wanting more. From Books with Bite

Like I was putting together the pieces of a puzzle while I read. And then when they all got into place it was just like, “Oooooh…NO WAY!” From Anna Reads

Think Nikita for Teens! From YA Book Nerd

It was definitely a psychological thriller which kept me glued and on edge all the time. From Bewitched Bookworms

There's an awesome book trailer for this one: