Customer Reviews

Mind Games (The Disillusionists Trilogy: Book 1)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I resisted buying this book because I didn't think I'd like a heroine who is so obsessed (a hypochondriac) that she's likely to wind up in a straightjacket if her syndrome continues to take over her thoughts. However, the good reviews this book received on Amazon convinced me to give it a try. Well, I just finished the book, and I'm a bit in shock. What an excellent book. The premise immediately grabs your attention; it's different from anything I've read. What would it be like, if you had the power to untwist messed-up people by destabilizing the mind games they use to convince themselves of the rightness of their perceptions? The heroine was very likable; I sympathized with her problems and the dilemmas she was forced to face. Even the secondary characters were created well, with distinct personalities that made them come alive. I enjoyed discovering that people I initially thought were "bad" were not so easily described. All in all, the book was very satisfying. I'll be sure to buy the next book in the series, due out in September 2010. Carolyn Crane. I'll remember that name.

So many urban fantasy novels nowadays are exactly the same. When I stumble across an author who bucks the trend, it's like winning a scratch ticket. Carolyn Crane is a fantastic writer; has created truly memorable characters; pulls together a top notch story; and is damn, damn funny. I cannot give these books a stronger recommendation. Buy them!

Mind Games isn't just good, it's diabolically good. It's fresh, it's surprising, and it's an awful lot of fun to read. In short, it really stands out in the urban fantasy genre.

When I was reading reviews of Mind Games before I bought it, I got confused. I kept reading that these neurotic people were drafted into a group called the Disillusionists, and then they discover that they can transform their crippling mental problems into superpowers of some kind. And I kept thinking, well, that's cool but I don't get it. How is hypochondria a superpower? Well, here's the answer: it's not. The Disillusionsts rally around a "highcap" - a guy with actual paranormal abilities - named Packard, who enables them to transfer all their negative thoughts, feelings, and fears into another human being...but there's a cost, and it's pretty intense.

So Justine really is just a girl with severe hypochondria. It's only by hitching a ride with Packard that she can do anything more, and her abilities remain incredibly limited. But for all that, Mind Games felt more magical to me than most books I've read in the past year about werewolves or vampires or fairies. There's no whizz-bang, but the Disillusionists are all about getting maximum impact from the abilities they have. They cooperate, they strategize, and they get results. Scary, mind-boggling results.

The worldbuilding was great too. Exactly what an urban fantasy ought to be: the city environment was ordinary but unsettling, the characters familiar but ultimately so bizarre. I don't want to say a whole lot more, because one of the awesome things about Mind Games is how unpredictable it is - at NO point did I guess how this book would end - and I don't want to inadvertently spoil anything.

`Mind Games' is, hands down, one of the best books I've read all year.
I know Carolyn Crane is friend to many on the book blogosphere, but I've never visited her blog and I have no blogger camaraderie with her... so this review is wholly unbiased, based purely on the merit of the work. And with that in mind... this is *definitely* one of the best books I've read all year.

Justine Jones is going to die. She can feel it. It starts with a tingling in her cranium and builds to a pinpoint of pulsing pain. Justine has vein star syndrome - and a deadly attack can come on unexpectedly, just as it did to Justine's mother who died from the syndrome when Justine was a girl. The threat of vein star is heightened by anxiety - which is a guarantee considering Justine is a hypochondriac.

Justine's life seems to be all about waiting for vein star to kill her. She's dating a guy named Cubby, but he's at the end of his tether with Justine and her trips to the ER and constant worry - she knows it's only a matter of time before Cubby leaves her. But that's okay; she's going to die anyway....
And then she meets Sterling Packard who promises Justine a cure. Packard is a `highcap' - a citizen of Midcity who has higher mental capacity. Highcaps can take the form of telekinesis, telepathy or in Packard's case; he can see a person's psychological structure. In Justine he has a clear visual of her hypochondria and knows that in a few years her fear will see her institutionalized. So Packard offers Justine an out - in joining his `psychological hit squad'. Packard has gathered a group of neurotic individuals - those who specialize in ennui, self-doubt etc. Packard's `squad' push their fears into other people, called a `zing'. When they zing they lose their neuroses and give them to other people, bad people and criminals who deserve self-doubt and a lack of confidence to become disillusioned by the abundance of negativity. From disillusionment these criminals are able to be re-built and reformed and made to see the error of their ways;

I was sucked into this book from page one. Justine is an endearing and fascinating protagonist, and her first-person narrative is a wonderful peek into the world of a hypochondriac. Her mind and inner workings make for truly disturbing reading, but like a car crash you can't look away. Justine lives in constant fear of the most miniscule, unsubstantiated things. It's hard to understand, but Crane makes it easy to sympathize. Especially because Justine is very aware of her neuroses, she's even embarrassed by it. But like an addiction she can't stop; she can hear herself annoying those around her with incessant worries, but she can't stop articulating her fears. I really felt for Justine, but as much as I was given to empathy for her it was her wry sense of humour that really endeared me.

Everything about `Mind Games' worked for me. The plot is an especial joy ride. I loved the concept of neurotic superheroes - it gave me visions of Superman using his X-ray vision to check for fissures and busted hips. And the idea of rehabilitating criminals with disillusionment is inspired. This is also quite a dark Urban Fantasy - a nittier-grittier fare than the genre is used to. But Crane works well to keep things dark and reader's a little bit squeamish. A grimmer tone is expected for a book about fatalist superheroes and reformed criminals; for instance, Carolyn Crane has totally put me off ants forever - *forever*!
But at the end of the day `Mind Games' is so good because Crane has woven together a thrilling story. Her plot takes so many twists and turns, especially toward the end when I was thrown for several loops and knocked off balance. I loved every second of this book because it kept me on my feet and I was constantly trying to figure out the mystery. I really didn't know how the book would end, but I trusted in Crane and she delivered on a fulfilling ending ten-fold.

This book also has a tricky romance. Justine is drawn to Packard, as her saviour and teacher and they have real chemistry and heat. But toward the end a second romance enters and a triangle is created. I think the romantic entanglements of `Mind Games' are mysteries unto themselves, so I don't want to give anything away. Only to say that I was very conflicted by book's end - I was all set to be smitten with Packard, but then I found myself rooting for the second romance. Urgh! Even now, having finished the book, I still don't know who I want for Justine. I only hope Crane has lots more books in store for Ms. Justine Jones so that all these questions can be explored and resolved in depth (and with many more smutty scenes).

I adored this book, it is hands-down one of my favourite 2010 reads.

Always on the lookout for new, exciting Urban Fantasy material, I came across MIND GAMES by Carolyn Crane. It's the start to a new urban fantasy series that also includes superhero comic and science fiction elements. The concept promises an exceptional read: a hypochondriac heroine reforms criminals by pumping them full with her fear.

Vein star syndrome - those three little words have ruined Justine Jones' life. She's aware of being a hypochondriac, but in her darkest moment nothing matters but her fear. Panic attacks, countless hospital visits, enormous debts and broken relationships are the result.
A visit to a Mongolian restaurant offers her a chance to turn her life around.
Sterling Packard is a High Cap, who uses his dangerous power for the greater good (or so he says). He reads people, knows their darkest secrets, desires and fears. Breaking people is his specialty, reforming criminals his goal. Packard has taught a group of psychopaths how to pump their violent emotions into others. They whittle away at their targets until they break and start a new life. In exchange the psychopaths are freed of their dangerous emotions.
Packard could use a hypochondriac like Justine, but the young woman mistrusts his intentions.

MIND GAMES is an exceptional read, unfortunately that's not always to its advantage. Let's get the negative out of the way first.
From the first sentence, I knew something was off. Blame the undeniable skill of the author, the interesting concept that pulled me in or my obliviousness, but I didn't notice until page 70 that the story is written in present tense. That's an odd choice, a risky one to boot. And to be perfectly honest, even after discovering the fact, the feeling of offness never completely left me. I contacted the author and she told me the reason for her choice lies in the second book and present tense was the only way pull off that part of the story. Now I can't wait to see whether the risk pays off. An interview at the end of the book or an afterword addressing this issue (and other interesting facts) would have been a good idea in my opinion.
Keeping up the flow and tension is not an easy thing to do in present tense. Crane does a good job. Only in the middle I wish she had tightened things up a bit more. After we got to know the most important characters and the basic concept there's a bit of a lull, while Justine tries to adapt to the new situation. What happens is necessary, but I wish Crane had combined some scenes and cut some of the more gratuitous erotic scenes.
Enough with the negative, let me tell you why MIND GAMES is an entertaining book and definitely worth a second look. Concept, characters and plot are exceptional in a good way.
Despite it being hard for me to connect with her (in part I blame the present tense), I love the heroine. Yes, Justine is a hypochondriac and she spends a lot of time worrying about her health (which is completely out of my range of experience), but she never wallows in self-pity. The young woman might wish she was normal, but she does her best to enjoy her life as it is. I admire that. Justine is a good person, but not a saint. When faced with difficult moral decisions, she tries to do the right thing, but acknowledges her weaknesses and failures. That makes her very human and very likable.
Other characters move between shades of grey, too. There are no obvious bad or good guys - or you discover that there's more to them than you previously thought. I love being able to argue from (almost) every character's point of view, to ask myself what I would do in their situations. It shows that the author has put a lot of thought into building her cast and that she didn't want to take the easy route out.
Apart from the concept and the heroine, I truly love, love, love the ending. It's brilliant, though I suspect that some people might be put off by it. It's unusual for the genre, surprising, completely true to the setting and the characters and best of all, it gives Justine a chance to shine. The more urban fantasy I read the more I find endings to be interchangeable or clichéd. This ending, however, could be carried out by no one but Justine Jones. She puts all of her strengths and weaknesses into it, and everything she has learned through the course of the story. Love it.

If I were Carolyn Crane's publisher, I probably wouldn't have introduced her with this novel. Crane is a good author with great potential and that's obvious in her debut. However she's made some risky choices that might not work for everyone. I know that some didn't work for me.
That being said, I believe in this series and can't wait to see how it pans out.

4.5 stars. This is such a unique series! I had so much fun reading Mind Games. It is literally laugh out loud funny. The main character, Justine, is a hypochondriac and Ms. Crane writes her in a very sensitive but undeniably amusing manner. Despite her neurosis (and this is an area where it might be a tad bit annoying to read - however it never is), Justine is likeable. In Mind Games, readers get a heroine that is ... well ... real, she is worried about money, her boyfriend and her health. Justine is a very cute girl and likes to dress nicely. But somehow, despite these very real world characteristics, Justine gets caught up in a supernatural struggle.

The book begins with the heroine trying desperately to be normal. She hides her neurosis and her fear; she does not want others in her life to fully understand how scared she is about her health. This desire seems so relatable, despite not being a hypochondriac, who doesn't want to bury their faults? I too want to bury my own perceived defects. Justine is pretty, Justine is weird, but she is also very honorable and this is what makes her stand out among other heroines and as a character in Mind Games.

The setting of the book is a metropolis on Lake Michigan, but the metropolis is not Chicago. Ms Crane has created a fictional city with fictional problems. The premise is so out of the ordinary that it could have utterly failed in the hands of the wrong author. Luckily, Carolyn Crane wrote this book and she really hits her mark! Being an urban fantasy fan, I have read the full range that books in this genre have to offer - vamps, were creatures, angels, demons, witches, fae, skin walkers, ancient gods, the ability to see dead people and well, if you read a lot in this genre then you know the themes. And I am not criticizing those themes, I love to read them too but it is nice to read something so new and different. So, Mind Games is none of that - not any of that; what it is, is completely unique. There are a team of people - the disillusionists - who have the power to alter the way other people feel and think simply by touching them. I do not want to spoil the details of how, because discovering the how of the supernatural power is very fun.

Having now read and completed the trilogy, I highly recommend it. It is a fun series, with an interesting cast of characters whose personalities are well developed. The dialogue between the characters is often funny and/or insightful. There is a love triangle, but it such a unique triangle and it is done in a way without jealousy, without the over bearing possessiveness and male territorial marking that is present in so many paranormal books. Once you finish this book, you will be rushing to get #2 in this series - Double Cross.

Miss Crane has created a completely original heroine in an engrossing new world. Midcity comes alive in this first book as we are introduced to Justine Jones,a super hypochondriac who has spent her whole life obsessed with her fear of dying of a vein star (like a brain aneurysm). When she meets Packard, Justine is introduced to a whole new Midcity, one where her greatest fears can be used as a weapon and people called "HiCaps" have unparalleled powers. However, as she draws deeper into this new world, startling revelations threaten her new happiness and have Justine questioning all she has ever known about herself and Midcity.

This Book stayed with me for a while after I read it and just struck me as so different and awesome. I loved all the characters and the way Midcity felt so real and so twisted. I recommend this book, as it has some great plot twists and really draws the reader in. I'm looking forward to the 3rd in the trilogy!

That was my reaction to bizarre premise of this book. I'll admit to buying and reading is a little bit out of curiousity....and i loved every minute of it!
Justine jones, whose life is consumed by health fears, makes a bargain with this shady mutant hero Packard-he'll teach her to "project" her fears outward-on supposed criminals, helping his band of misfits destabilize them-and she'll be free and normal. Think emotional projection on steriods.
It turns out that Justine's bargain is more Faustian than she'd like, so she has to come to terms with that, and a lot of other hard truths as this twisted plot unwinds in startling ways. Meanwhile, all around, high capacity mutants (aka highcaps) are bringing Midcity to its knees. She strives to do the right thing, even though it's not always obvious what that is. And just when you think you understand the world and its operations, entire new dimensions appear. Psychological drama up the wazoo.
My only problem is I thought the romance could've been fleshed out more between Packard (who i love) and justine-but thats minor. Toward the end, their stage time just crackles. Give me more!!
I also enjoyed the 'band of misfits fighting crime' parts, especially Justine's best friend, Shelby-a Russian girl whose "power" is a depressing outlook on life, and Carter, the rage-a-holic. Though some reviews have complained about the ending, i thoutht it made perfect character logic. Also, i just loved the way it completed the episode, but a larger darker arc is looming. I say, bring on Double Cross, the second installment. I'm looking for this love triangle to BLOW UP! I am looking forward to Packard kicking some serious ass.

What I Loved: I never knew what was coming! It was truly like being on a roller coaster without knowing which way you are zig zagging. The last 15 chapters were fantastic and very well written!

What I Liked: I really liked the interactions between all the characters. I felt that Justine's journey was both real and well paced. I never felt like I was missing part of the story even though there was a lot going on.

What I thought was So-So/Didn't Like: Not a darn thing. It delivered from start to finish. If I can make a request: MORE SIMON!

Why I gave it a 4: This is one of those books that was almost a 5 for me. I think the only reason I held back were Packard and Cuddy. I won't say what 2 scenes because of spoilers but that was just a personal thing.

Who I would recommend this too: PNR, UF, and Mystery/Thriller readers who don't mind a little suspension of reality

Reviewed for [...]

I can't say that I am a particular fan of Urban Fantasy, but I have to commend Carolyn Crane for the sheer ridiculousness of the premise. I doubt anyone reading the back cover of this book wouldn't be curious. In terms of setting, I truly appreciated the Gotham City-esque feel of Midcity. Apparently murdering psychopaths are a dime a dozen in this city.

The fantasy elements of the novel are particularly creative. Packard is a highcap, that is, a person with a mutation that leads to heightened mental powers. Packard's particular ability allows him to read people's psychological structures. He senses and enlists neurotics that dine at his Mongolian Restaurant and teaches them to unload their own neuroses on selected criminals, essentially pumping them so full of fear that they eventually break down and reform. WTF, I know.

I have read a few reviews that dismiss the heroine, Justine Jones, as yet another urban fantasy neurotic. I would add that she is a hilarious urban fantasy neurotic. Her narration is never self-pitying, she never broods and she is a bit of a wise-ass. I suppose for marketing purposes she is shown holding a knife on the cover, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Justine isn't a kick-ass fantasy heroine, but rather, she thinks on her feet, which is eminently more interesting. Though a few of her more gratuitous scenes near the end did skeeze me out, I appreciated that Justine contemplates her decisions and tries to do the right thing. At times she is rather deliberately clueless, but really aren't we all? Of the secondary characters, Packard is the most well drawn. He is manipulative yet charismatic and his particular situation is both sad and hilarious.

Now, I always loathe when someone warns me that a book has plot twists, as once I am warned of the fact I tend to predict all that twists. Nevertheless, I won't ruin any of the particulars, but be assured the plot is twisty and slippery although it does sag a bit in the middle. There are some very funny moments in the novel as well as some very tense sections towards the end. The ending itself is very well paced and oddly satisfying despite the fact that this is the first novel in a trilogy.

As far as the writing, Mind Games is written in first person and I am not sure how to class this, but it has a definite Urban Fantasy feel. It isn't gritty per se, but there is a definite graphic novel flair to the setting, descriptions and narration.

And of course the romance. Justine has several love interests and the ending leaves room for more developments, but Justine's interaction and chemistry with Packard is rather good. However, I can't say that I saw the attraction of her other love interest who is introduced through the latter half of the novel. I suppose further installments in the series will lead to the obligatory love triangle.

For me, as far as missteps go, I would have appreciated some of the more gratuitous erotic scenes near the end be cut, particularly as the situation was a tad disturbing. Further, I felt that Justine's idolization of the Police Chief was rather odd and unexplained. Lastly, I suppose the plot could have been tightened a bit further through the middle section of the novel, particularly as the ending advances at breakneck speed.

All this being said, Mind Games is definitely worth a read. Though this is a bit of a popcorn novel, there are no cut and dry characters or situations in this novel. It has been a long time since I was this thoroughly entertained by a novel.