Mind Games (Kiersten White)

Title: Mind Games

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen

Length: 241

Rating: 4.5/5

Fia does everything they tell her to, because if she doesn’t, they’ll kill her sister Annie, and probably her as well. Fia is the ruthless hands—killing, stealing, deceiving—of an organization that uses women with special brain powers to their own secretive ends. Both sisters are being used, and both are tired of it. Because they’ll do anything to protect each other, will they ever escape?

First of all, thanks to Epic Reads for the chance to win an ARC of this book. If you’re not following Epic Read’s Ustream of #TeaTime every Wednesday, you should start now!

I couldn’t put this psychological thriller down! It was like that time sophomore year of college where I watched the entire series of Alias. Fia was like an early, angrier Sydney Bristow, and I loved her for it. It takes a certain amount of authorial skill for me to love angry, messed up characters, and Kiersten White gets it just right. Both Annie and Fia have done some awful things, but you like them, despite it all.

Another thing I loved about this book was the power that women held. Yeah, many of them were being ruthlessly used by a male-dominated evil corporation, but the real power (as Fia proves) lies with the women. Here, natural “womanly” traits, such as the ability to feel emotion and to trust instincts and intuition are actual brain powers.

And instead of the typical YA male-female relationship driving the plot, it’s the relationship between sisters that drives everything Annie and Fia do. Of course there are boys (good-looking boys) along the way, but everything comes down to the powerful bond between sisters, something which anyone with a sibling can get behind.

If you like a good mystery/thriller, this book is for you.

Watch author Kiersten White tell you about her favorite Kick Butt Girls! Here's one of my favorites, Shannon Hale: http://www.epicreads.com/blog/kick-butt-girls-with-kiersten-white-5-shannon-hale/

And more! Including Sydney Bristow! And Veronica Mars! http://www.epicreads.com/blog/tag/kick-butt-girls/

ARC GIVEAWAY!! Mila 2.0 (Debra Driza)

Welcome to this stop on the YA Giveaway Hop!

What book can you win? An Advanced Reader's Copy of Mila 2.0!

Title: Mila 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)

Length: 470

Rating: 2.5/5

Mila thinks she’s an ordinary teenage girl who has recently moved into a small Minnesotan town after a fire left her father dead. But when the military comes looking for her, she discovers that she’s actually part of a secret government experiment that her “mother” stole from the science lab. Talk about life-changing.

Things I loved:

1. The cover is gorgeous, and fits the story perfectly.

2. Even though the back cover hinted at what Mila is, I was still taken by surprise at what exactly she is. Plot twist!

3. Mila is such a kick-butt girl narrator who can handle just about anything.

Things I didn’t love:

1. While I loved Mila’s abilities, I didn’t love her as a narrator because it took her so long to accept herself for what she is.

2. The boys in this book seemed a little too convenient to the plot.

3. This trilogy is called the “Bourne Identity” which does not seem terribly creative.

If you like spy books, give Mila 2.0 a try and let me know what you think. It doesn't come out until March 12, 2013! (Thanks to Epic Reads for this copy of the book- sharing the love!)

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Find a list of ALL the blogs participating the in the YA Giveaway Hop HERE!