Gr 7 Up—Fia, 17, has unerringly good instincts, but sometimes they are not good enough. They didn't prevent her parents from dying in a car crash when she was a child. They didn't keep her and her sister, Annie, out of a school administered by the sinister Keane Foundation, which has more than educational interests at its core. And they have not gotten the girls out of the hands of the organization that is now exploiting Annie's psychic abilities and training Fia to be the perfect assassin. When Fia is sent to kill a young man named Adam, her senses tell her that his death is the wrong outcome, but if she defies her employers, the consequences could be dire. Adam is linked to a group that could be major opposition for the foundation. Fia wants nothing more than to see Keane ruined-as long as the consequences of its downfall do not include Annie's death, or her own. This gripping, intense story is told from alternating perspectives, flashing back to key moments in the siblings' pasts. The plot moves quickly from the start, throwing readers right into the story. While some background is provided later in the book, full explanations of the nature of the Keane Foundation remain elusive. This book is sure to be popular with teens who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with paranormal elements.—Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH
Two narrators, a kaleidoscope of time snippets, the distortions of lies, memories, and precognition—White’s paranormal thriller is a tour de force of perspective and unreliability. Fia, 17, and her blind older sister, Annie, barely remember a time when they were not pawns of Keane, a shadowy man running an equally shadowy organization/boarding school (of sorts) for empaths, psychics, mind readers, and the like. The sisters’ talents will be nurtured and Annie kept alive, so long as Fia does as she is told, using her preternaturally perfect instincts. An assignment to kill Adam, a teenage research prodigy, throws Fia’s already tumultuous existence into further flux, testing her loyalty to her sister and those around her. The combination of supernatural abilities, clandestine organizations, sharply witty dialogue, and a supremely skilled heroine will be familiar to readers of White’s Paranormalcy books, but this story is very much its own, due in large part to Fia’s unpredictability, both as character and protégé (to the endless frustration of the higher-ups at Keane). A sequel is likely and would be welcome. Ages 12–up. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary Agency. (Feb.)
A tour de force of perspective and unreliability. The combination of supernatural abilities, clandestine organizations, sharply witty dialogue, and a supremely skilled heroine will be familiar to readers of White’s Paranormalcy books, but this story is very much its own.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Brilliant in both character development and narrative structure, this is a psychological thriller that will challenge readers even as it speeds them through the pages.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“A visceral thriller. White effectively captures Fia’s unpredictable, moment-to-moment existence, while Annie’s narrative is grounded but emotionally complex. White’s world building is as intriguing as her characters, making this a must-read series opener.” — Booklist
“Mind Games is a thriller of the best sort, one with many characters vying to have things their way, who will go as far as they need to get what they want—and a protagonist who will go even further. A brutal, exciting gem of a book.” — Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author
“You might think you know Kiersten White, but here is a darker, more dangerous Kiersten White. A sharp, heart-wrenching, lightning-fast, and fabulously fun read in which twining narratives weave a trap around two extraordinary sisters. Fia may be the angriest narrator I’ve ever loved. I bet you will too.” — Laini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke & Bone and National Book Award finalist Lips Touch, Three Times
“From the high-impact opening, White hurdles her story forward. A fast-paced, gripping plot, and genuinely interesting characters. White’s many fans will not be disappointed, and she is sure to gain many more.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Fans who love Evie’s signature style of butt-kicking, wise-cracking, headlong rushing into trouble, neatly mixed with her addiction to all things romantic and girly, will embrace every nerve-wracking moment. A sparkly gift tied-up with a pretty pink bow.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
From the high-impact opening, White hurdles her story forward. A fast-paced, gripping plot, and genuinely interesting characters. White’s many fans will not be disappointed, and she is sure to gain many more.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Fans who love Evie’s signature style of butt-kicking, wise-cracking, headlong rushing into trouble, neatly mixed with her addiction to all things romantic and girly, will embrace every nerve-wracking moment. A sparkly gift tied-up with a pretty pink bow.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
A visceral thriller. White effectively captures Fia’s unpredictable, moment-to-moment existence, while Annie’s narrative is grounded but emotionally complex. White’s world building is as intriguing as her characters, making this a must-read series opener.
You might think you know Kiersten White, but here is a darker, more dangerous Kiersten White. A sharp, heart-wrenching, lightning-fast, and fabulously fun read in which twining narratives weave a trap around two extraordinary sisters. Fia may be the angriest narrator I’ve ever loved. I bet you will too.
Mind Games is a thriller of the best sort, one with many characters vying to have things their way, who will go as far as they need to get what they want—and a protagonist who will go even further. A brutal, exciting gem of a book.
Brilliant in both character development and narrative structure, this is a psychological thriller that will challenge readers even as it speeds them through the pages.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
A visceral thriller. White effectively captures Fia’s unpredictable, moment-to-moment existence, while Annie’s narrative is grounded but emotionally complex. White’s world building is as intriguing as her characters, making this a must-read series opener.
"Brilliant in both character development and narrative structure, this is a psychological thriller that will challenge readers even as it speeds them through the pages."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
In this series opener from the author of the Paranormalcy trilogy, two strong-willed sisters struggle to free themselves from a sinister organization that grooms girls with paranormal abilities to serve twisted, illegal ends. Two years after their parents' deaths, the Keane School foundation offered to house and educate Annie and Fia. Sighted Fia--knowing their reluctant caregiver was attracted by the free ride and that Annie, blind, longed for educational opportunities--acquiesced, setting aside her suspicions about the foundation's hidden agenda. For five years the coldly manipulative staff has controlled the girls by holding each hostage against the other. Though Annie's clairvoyant visions interest them, Fia's gift for making successful choices is more valuable. Scarred and toughened by brutal conditioning, the girls fight back; their unwavering mutual devotion brightens the dark tale. Annie's a rounded, co-equal protagonist, not merely an extension of her disability. (Yes, she's magically gifted, but so are the disability-free female characters, and like them, she has flaws.) While she uses the prejudice blindness evokes in sighted people to gain unique access to Keane's powerbrokers, Fia, more damaged, is forced to serve its ends by the founder's handsome son, James, charismatic and equally damaged. The flashback-heavy narration, initially confusing, proves effective, constructing a temporal mosaic that holds readers' interest and builds suspense as events come into focus. An effective paranormal thriller, even in this crowded market. (Paranormal thriller. 12 & up)
