Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Review: Mind Games

Reviewed by Jen
 
Do you have any idea how hard it is to look at a book's big picture when all you want to talk about is the end? Indulge me for just a moment as I get this out of my system: Where the hell did that ending come from? This book took me on a ride to places I never thought I would go --and it was an unexpectedly entertaining journey.

I'll admit that, for me, it was a rocky start. Our heroine, Justine, is a neurotic hypochondriac, who is bordering on a mental breakdown. She is convinced she has a rare neurological disease and her fear is taking over her life. Until she meets a mysterious man in a restaurant. Packard tells her that he can take her fear away --and ultimately proves that he can-- at a cost.

Packard has a special ability that allows him to understand people on a very deep level. And he can help siphon off negative energy. But ultimately, Justine must go to work for him, among his team of Disillusionists. They go after evil people and hoist their various mental or emotional damage upon them... to break them down... in some cases for vengeance, in others rehabilitation. But either way, the results are twofold: 1) Justine purges herself of the fear for weeks at a time; and 2) she must put herself in the path of danger to complete her missions.

There is a great attraction between Justine and Packard, but their relationship is a rocky one. This is due in part to the fact that she already has a boyfriend, and in part because she is constantly learning about information he has kept from her. It's obvious he has a bigger plan for her, but it takes a long time before we see what it is.

I found Justine to be very off-putting at first. (And I also had trouble with the fact that the book is written in present tense.) But the more I read, the more I became complete wrapped up in the story. Not only did I have no idea what would happen with Justine's personal relationships, I was also kept on the edge of my seat by her psychotics marks and Packard's end game. I'm not generally a fan of love triangles, but there is a good one here --and in the interest of full disclosure, it wasn't even the triangle I expected.

There is moral debate, action, excitement, misdirection, betrayal, and some pretty good sex before all is said and done. I can't wait to see what happens next. 4 stars.

Click to purchase: Amazon
Mind Games
by Carolyn Crane
Release Date: March 23, 2010
Publisher: Spectra

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10 Comments:

At Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 9:03:00 AM CST , Blogger Cayce said...

Thank you for the review. I loved all 3 books of The Disillusionist Trilogy :) Enjoy the other 2 books!

 
At Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:54:00 PM CST , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I ended up really loving this series. Crane really knows how to throw some curve balls!!

 
At Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 6:00:00 PM CST , Blogger Karen said...

I love this trilogy so much. I HATE love triangles but I liked this one. It's done perfectly. I'm glad you ended up enjoying it as much as you did.

 
At Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 6:07:00 AM CST , Blogger Brenda Demko said...

Thanks for the review. I've seen this book before but didn't pay much attention to it despite the cover. It sounds intriguing and it seems like everyone else enjoyed it too. I'll be putting it on my wishlist for sure.

 
At Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:33:00 AM CST , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I agree. I thought she did such an amazing job with the triangle... I kept going back and forth over who I wanted her to be with!

 
At Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:33:00 AM CST , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

Yay!! Let me know what you think.

 
At Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:33:00 AM CST , Blogger Twimom227 said...

And now I'm finally at the first book, lol. *sigh* such an amazing series. I've written all my reviews, but have only posted this one. I agree with you on the triangle issue. I hate them, but Carolyn wrote this series in such a manner that I was always right there with Justine and who she wanted to be with. LOVE IT!

 
At Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:36:00 AM CST , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I have to go check out your review now!

 
At Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 1:28:00 AM CDT , Blogger Ms Michelle said...

Thank you for this review... I had started reading Mind Games some time ago, but obviously didn't give it enough of a chance. I will have to try again :)

 
At Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 7:22:00 AM CDT , Blogger Jen at Red Hot Books said...

I hope you do! It took me a little while to get into it, but it gets better and better. Definitely worth trying again.

 

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