Review: Perfect Lies (Mind Games #2) by Kiersten White

Goodreads Summary:

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

Publication Date: February 18, 2014

I was very excited to have an ARC of Perfect Lies because it allowed me to jump right into the continuation of Annie and Fia’s story after finishing Mind Games. I enjoyed Perfect Lies and finished it in a couple of sittings because I was eager to see if the sisters would be able to bring down Keane Industries.

Perfect Lies is again told from the Annie and Fia’s point of views with the timeframe of their two stories jumping back and forth. The chapter headings indicate a countdown is happening and the reader gets a sense of time running out for the characters.

Annie grew in this book and it was great to see her become a stronger character. I think the addition of a love interest for her, Cole, was a good idea on the part of an author. Cole pushed her and didn’t allow her to wallow and think of herself as weak. Fia really unraveled in this book and her narrative showed the tenuous grip she had on reality.

The pace is quick in Perfect Lies and the action is almost non-stop. Like the first book, you never know the characters’ true intentions and it keeps you guessing on whom the sisters should trust.

There was a lot of unanswered questions and from what I’ve read is sounds like this is the final installment. I would’ve liked more development of the main baddie of the book Mr. Keane, James’ father. Adam’s part wasn’t fleshed out either, a disappointment since Annie’s vision of him was what started the series.

The ending was bittersweet and I wanted a different ending for one of the sisters. Overall, I really did find this book as much of a page-turner as Mind Games and really enjoyed the characters and suspense of the series.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Goodreads Summary:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Publication Date: February 19, 2013

I’ve heard a few mixed things about Mind Games and it made me wary at the start. I’m pleased to say I really loved the story and I’m excited to read the author’s other books now including the popular Paranormalcy series.

Mind Games had an interesting setup: young girls with psychic abilities are being recruited for nefarious purposes. Twins Annie and Fia have their own unique powers and are being used by a company to commit crimes. In the opening scene, Fia goes against the company wishes and it puts her and her sister in danger.

I really loved the dual point of views in Mind Games. From early on, you can see Annie is the steady sister, albeit naïve, while Fia is the volatile one who is beginning to unravel. They both have a fierce love for one another and will go to great lengths to protect each other, even at the expense of their own morals and sanity.

The book jumps around in time periods and really added to the overall suspense of the story. I also liked how difficult the author made it for the reader to try and figure out who were good and bad. The one character I really hated was James, one of Fia’s love interests and I really wanted her instincts to kick in and for her to stay away from him.

The ending was great and an awesome setup for the next book. It was a quick read and once I started the book, I couldn’t stop reading. There were a lot of questions left unanswered and I can’t wait to read more about these intriguing characters.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!