Mind Games by Teri Terry
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian/Thriller
Goodreads Summary:
Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late?
Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer.
The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing..
RELEASE DATE: 05/03/2015
**Spoiler Free Review**
I was sent a copy of this book from Hatchette Children's Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. First thing's first, I absolutely love the cover of this book, it's beautiful. It also has a rather 1984-esque feel to it, which I'm not sure is intentional but, given what the book is about, it wouldn't surprise me.
Although nothing like it in terms of plot, I also definitely had a bit of a reminder of Ready Player One when I read this. Mostly because of the virtual reality world that existed and the way it was structured. However, this was a much darker and more dystopian storyline. Enough comparisons though, this book was so utterly unique and incredible that it doesn't need them! I love that it was set (mostly) in a futuristic England, something you don't normally see, and also that it didn't seem typically dystopian at first. In fact, it almost felt like maybe the future could be like this.
The characters were all brilliant, funny and felt so real. I really liked the main character in this; I felt she was very strong yet very naive which worked perfectly in the book. I also loved Gecko and Hex and all the other Hackers. (But especially Gecko) I thought the idea of the Hackers were such an interesting concept and also the way PareCo worked to let them see what they could do. The characters all felt so three-dimensional (absolutely all of them) and I loved the exploration into the virtual world. It was such a unique idea the way it worked and how it affected different people.
Also, I love stand-alone books. There just isn't enough of them in Young Adult literature these days, in my opinion; so it's great to find a stand-alone that manages to fulfil everything I'd usually expect from a series. This book had so much mystery and intrigue in it. It is partly a thriller and you definitely get that feeling when reading it.
And THE TWISTS! (Yes, plural)! They were brilliant! And I genuinely didn't see the last one coming at all. It was so dark yet so intriguing and I absolutely loved it. Although I own Slated by Teri Terry I've not actually got around to reading it yet but I certainly will be now, especially after the inclusion of her own book in this, which I loved. An entire world about her own book: genius!
I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys Dystopian fiction and is a bit bored of the same-old young adult dystopians going around, because this is so so different. Also if anyone out there is a fan of thrillers, Ready Player One or 1984 then this is most certainly a book for you. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy as soon as I can because I'll be giving it a re-read soon. (Also, like I said before, that's a beautiful cover and I need it on my bookshelf). Thank you Teri Terry for writing such a brilliant book.
Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late?
Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer.
The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing..
RELEASE DATE: 05/03/2015
**Spoiler Free Review**
I was sent a copy of this book from Hatchette Children's Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. First thing's first, I absolutely love the cover of this book, it's beautiful. It also has a rather 1984-esque feel to it, which I'm not sure is intentional but, given what the book is about, it wouldn't surprise me.
Although nothing like it in terms of plot, I also definitely had a bit of a reminder of Ready Player One when I read this. Mostly because of the virtual reality world that existed and the way it was structured. However, this was a much darker and more dystopian storyline. Enough comparisons though, this book was so utterly unique and incredible that it doesn't need them! I love that it was set (mostly) in a futuristic England, something you don't normally see, and also that it didn't seem typically dystopian at first. In fact, it almost felt like maybe the future could be like this.
The characters were all brilliant, funny and felt so real. I really liked the main character in this; I felt she was very strong yet very naive which worked perfectly in the book. I also loved Gecko and Hex and all the other Hackers. (But especially Gecko) I thought the idea of the Hackers were such an interesting concept and also the way PareCo worked to let them see what they could do. The characters all felt so three-dimensional (absolutely all of them) and I loved the exploration into the virtual world. It was such a unique idea the way it worked and how it affected different people.
Also, I love stand-alone books. There just isn't enough of them in Young Adult literature these days, in my opinion; so it's great to find a stand-alone that manages to fulfil everything I'd usually expect from a series. This book had so much mystery and intrigue in it. It is partly a thriller and you definitely get that feeling when reading it.
And THE TWISTS! (Yes, plural)! They were brilliant! And I genuinely didn't see the last one coming at all. It was so dark yet so intriguing and I absolutely loved it. Although I own Slated by Teri Terry I've not actually got around to reading it yet but I certainly will be now, especially after the inclusion of her own book in this, which I loved. An entire world about her own book: genius!
I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys Dystopian fiction and is a bit bored of the same-old young adult dystopians going around, because this is so so different. Also if anyone out there is a fan of thrillers, Ready Player One or 1984 then this is most certainly a book for you. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy as soon as I can because I'll be giving it a re-read soon. (Also, like I said before, that's a beautiful cover and I need it on my bookshelf). Thank you Teri Terry for writing such a brilliant book.
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