Book Review: Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: February 2014
Pages: 240
Source: e-book from Library
For: Fun
Series: Mind Games, Book 2

Summary (from goodreads): *Spoilers from the first book are inevitable*

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.

Things I Liked:
I'm pretty sure I started this book previously and only read half of it, because it was really familiar in the beginning.  This is an intense and really strange book.  I love the way the characters seem to be inevitable in the choices they make, but they aren't really.  Fia is such a crazy and difficult to understand person.  I don't know how to describe this book or how I felt while reading.  It was intense and even though I had a hard time getting into it at first, I thought it was good. 

Things I Didn't Like:
Yeah, second time through and I still thought it was hard to get into.  There were times when I was just tired of them going around and around the same things.  The jumping back and forth in time and perspective was also annoying at times, but quite clever too.  I figured out the ending before it happened, which made me feel all kinds of awesome. 

Read-alikes:
Well, I recommend more Kiersten White books, but they are all SO different!

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few

mrg-factor: X
some rather intense emotions

v-factor: ->->
definitely some crazy stuff happening

Overall rating: ***

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Book Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: February 2013
Pages: 256
Source: e-book from Edelweiss
For: Review
Series: Mind Games, Book 1

Fia has an uncanny ability to make the right decisions. Annie sees visions of the future. The two sisters, left orphans at a young age, are taken into an unusual school for girls with their kinds of talents. What they little expect is for that school to use their talents for their own purposes. Now Fia is trying to protect Annie, no matter the cost.

Things I Liked:
What a crazy ride this book was!  I got really immersed in Fia's mind, though it was not a place I wanted to hang out.  I loved that we got to see from Annie's point of view too, because she made it more palatable to be with Fia.  I could only handle so much of Fia's stream of consciousness style.  The book has a twisty plot and crazy ideas and is not a happy ending kind of story.  Which made me like it even more.  Also, it felt like a stand alone, which also made me happy, though I understand there are to be sequels.  I loved trying to figure out what was going on, who was doing what, and why it was all happening.  I got answers to most of those questions.

Things I Didn't Like:
It got a bit confusing with all the stuff going on - the multiple perspectives and the mysteries.  At times I was completely lost, but I think I mostly just enjoyed the ride.  I was swept up in the action, in broken Fia and I especially liked the ending, which seemed just about right, if a bit sad.  Really interesting, but hopefully will get a touch more polish in the final version.

Read-alikes:
Honestly, not sure I've read anything like it.  Maybe a little like the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
no f-bombs that I recall, but some swearing

mrg-factor: none
though some sensual moments

v-factor: ->->
Fia does fight and kill and she is ruthless

Overall rating: ****

What did you think of this unusual book?

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