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Mind Games #1
Mind Games
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...
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...
437 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2015
93 people are currently reading
5274 people want to read
About the author
Teri Terry
24 books2,177 followersTeri has lived in France, Canada, Australia and England at more addresses than she can count, acquiring three degrees, a selection of passports and a silly name along the way. Past careers have included scientist, lawyer, optometrist, and, in England, various jobs in schools, libraries and an audiobook charity. The footpaths and canal ways of the Buckinghamshire Chilterns where she now lives inspired much of the setting of Slated. She hates broccoli, likes cats, and has finally worked out what she wants to do when she grows up.
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/TeriTerryAuthor
Notes from the Slushpile: group blog on writing for children http://notesfromtheslushpile.blogspot...
**IMPORTANT: Please do not message me on Goodreads with requests for review copies, swag, interviews, or anything else. See the contact section of my website for that. Messages on Goodreads may (and probably will) go unanswered!**
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/TeriTerryAuthor
Notes from the Slushpile: group blog on writing for children http://notesfromtheslushpile.blogspot...
**IMPORTANT: Please do not message me on Goodreads with requests for review copies, swag, interviews, or anything else. See the contact section of my website for that. Messages on Goodreads may (and probably will) go unanswered!**
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 428 reviews
April 3, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hachette Children's Books and NetGalley.)
“Don’t let them notice you’re different.”
This was an interesting sci-fi/dystopian story, and I loved the twists.
I felt quite sorry for Luna at the start of this story. The way everyone treated her like a second-class citizen because she didn’t want to ‘plug-in’ to the virtual world was pretty bad. Especially considering that she hadn’t spoken to her father in weeks because he chose to be plugged-in all the time, and never came back to his body to see her.
“What were you thinking?” she says. “I’ve a good mind to get your father in here, and –”
I look up. I know an empty threat when I hear one. “Please do. I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
The storyline in this followed Luna as her plans to get expelled backfired, and she found herself being given the sort of assignment that she really didn’t want. There were so many twists in this story though! The pace itself was very slow in places, but thankfully the twists made up for it, especially the ones at the end. I also liked how the author managed to work her previous book ‘Slated’ into the storyline of this one!
“What is this fictional world, ‘Slated’? I’ve never heard of it,” I say out loud.
There wasn’t really any romance in this one, other than Luna stating categorically that she was not going to have a relationship with her best friend’s boyfriend, just because they were in the same place together.
The ending to this had lots of twists, and it was these that definitely bumped up the rating on this one for me. The slowness of this story made it a three, but the twists made it a 4.
“When I finally turn and meet their eyes I smile for the first time in a long while. I may seek the truth, but I still have my secrets.”
7.5 out of 10
“Don’t let them notice you’re different.”
This was an interesting sci-fi/dystopian story, and I loved the twists.
I felt quite sorry for Luna at the start of this story. The way everyone treated her like a second-class citizen because she didn’t want to ‘plug-in’ to the virtual world was pretty bad. Especially considering that she hadn’t spoken to her father in weeks because he chose to be plugged-in all the time, and never came back to his body to see her.
“What were you thinking?” she says. “I’ve a good mind to get your father in here, and –”
I look up. I know an empty threat when I hear one. “Please do. I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
The storyline in this followed Luna as her plans to get expelled backfired, and she found herself being given the sort of assignment that she really didn’t want. There were so many twists in this story though! The pace itself was very slow in places, but thankfully the twists made up for it, especially the ones at the end. I also liked how the author managed to work her previous book ‘Slated’ into the storyline of this one!
“What is this fictional world, ‘Slated’? I’ve never heard of it,” I say out loud.
There wasn’t really any romance in this one, other than Luna stating categorically that she was not going to have a relationship with her best friend’s boyfriend, just because they were in the same place together.
The ending to this had lots of twists, and it was these that definitely bumped up the rating on this one for me. The slowness of this story made it a three, but the twists made it a 4.
“When I finally turn and meet their eyes I smile for the first time in a long while. I may seek the truth, but I still have my secrets.”
7.5 out of 10
September 1, 2015
Hier gehts zur Rezension: https://youtu.be/1h7y6kjzM3o
Hier der Hangout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGvT3...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sefp...
Hier der Hangout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGvT3...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sefp...
September 21, 2015
Meine Rezension ist jetzt online:
http://bowsandbooks.de/mind-games-ter...
http://bowsandbooks.de/mind-games-ter...
July 4, 2017
5 Words: Family, love, virtual, conspiracy, control.
My mind is blown. I am now an empty shell of my former self. It may take a while for me to recover. So you'll have to come back later for my actual review.
Ok, so I'm back.
And this book was pretty awesome.
I got so caught up in the story. It just flowed so well and had such an incredible pace. It was supposed to be a 5-chapters-a-day buddy read, but we both pretty much raced through it.
Mind Games is set in a pretty twisted world, and I loved the conspiracy, the idea of free-choice and yet everyone being controlled or pressurised.
There is a hint of romance in the story, but it never over-takes the rest of the plot. It's just pretty natural feelings growing as two people spend time together.
And that ending was crushing.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
My mind is blown. I am now an empty shell of my former self. It may take a while for me to recover. So you'll have to come back later for my actual review.
Ok, so I'm back.
And this book was pretty awesome.
I got so caught up in the story. It just flowed so well and had such an incredible pace. It was supposed to be a 5-chapters-a-day buddy read, but we both pretty much raced through it.
Mind Games is set in a pretty twisted world, and I loved the conspiracy, the idea of free-choice and yet everyone being controlled or pressurised.
There is a hint of romance in the story, but it never over-takes the rest of the plot. It's just pretty natural feelings growing as two people spend time together.
And that ending was crushing.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
June 26, 2017
2,5 - 3 Sterne
Die Idee fand ich echt interessant und cool, es konnte mich allerdings nicht richtig packen, was auch daran lag, dass ich die Protagonistin nicht wirklich leiden konnte. Außerdem war es teilweise einfach zu wirr für mich.
Die Idee fand ich echt interessant und cool, es konnte mich allerdings nicht richtig packen, was auch daran lag, dass ich die Protagonistin nicht wirklich leiden konnte. Außerdem war es teilweise einfach zu wirr für mich.
March 30, 2016
Mich konnte die Geschichte leider überhaupt nicht packen, sodass ich das Buch nach über der Hälfte abgebrochen habe. Vielleicht bin ich auch mit falschen Erwartungen an das Ganze herangegangen ...
March 29, 2015
*I received an ebook copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Mind games has a quite interesting premise. Luna is a Refuser, a girl who refuses to plug into the virtual world in which most people spend their life now. By doing this
she has become a social pariah and has little hopes for her future. Suddenly one day she's given a chance, a test that will define her future.
The plot is really similar to other dystopian books. At first I was quite enjoying reading Mind games to be honest, even if it wasn't the most original read, it was quite entertaining. However at some point I started noticing all its flaws.
The world-building is poorly done in my opinion. We are thrown into this world but we never receive an explanation as on why things are this way, why people live in this virtual world and this was a disappointment.
The characters were extremely flat and their relationship were quite ridiculous. I mean, Luna falls for a boy three days after she met him. The secondary characters are quite stereotypical.
After the first half things started to go downhill fast. The plot didn't make much sense anymore and the pace of the book became so fast that it wasn't even that easy to follow the story.
The ending didn't make much sense honestly.
Mind games had a good premise but in my opinion the book as a whole didn't live up to it.
Mind games has a quite interesting premise. Luna is a Refuser, a girl who refuses to plug into the virtual world in which most people spend their life now. By doing this
she has become a social pariah and has little hopes for her future. Suddenly one day she's given a chance, a test that will define her future.
The plot is really similar to other dystopian books. At first I was quite enjoying reading Mind games to be honest, even if it wasn't the most original read, it was quite entertaining. However at some point I started noticing all its flaws.
The world-building is poorly done in my opinion. We are thrown into this world but we never receive an explanation as on why things are this way, why people live in this virtual world and this was a disappointment.
The characters were extremely flat and their relationship were quite ridiculous. I mean, Luna falls for a boy three days after she met him. The secondary characters are quite stereotypical.
After the first half things started to go downhill fast. The plot didn't make much sense anymore and the pace of the book became so fast that it wasn't even that easy to follow the story.
The ending didn't make much sense honestly.
Mind games had a good premise but in my opinion the book as a whole didn't live up to it.
July 30, 2019
I am such a mess right now and it's this book's fault. I really wish the book didn't end the way it did goshdamnit.
I didn't even know Gecko that well, but damn do I wish I could meet one in reality. Hands down my favorite character.
Virtual Reality. Like reality, but without the physical pain, physical restrictions and the unlimited possibilities. Everything that one can do in reality has been transferred to VR, and only a couple people resist it. You have your medical, religious exemptions, and Luna.
This book was coated in paranoia, which perfectly suited the novel, not to mention helped up the ante. The plot got a little bit confusing at times, and I wish there was a little more detail behind the mechanics of the silver spinning and the genetics.
But overall, Terry's writing was great, the story was equally great. I really enjoyed the book. Not to mention, hats off to Terry for fitting what could easily be a trilogy in a standalone.
...this time I'm going under the bed
I didn't even know Gecko that well, but damn do I wish I could meet one in reality. Hands down my favorite character.
Virtual Reality. Like reality, but without the physical pain, physical restrictions and the unlimited possibilities. Everything that one can do in reality has been transferred to VR, and only a couple people resist it. You have your medical, religious exemptions, and Luna.
This book was coated in paranoia, which perfectly suited the novel, not to mention helped up the ante. The plot got a little bit confusing at times, and I wish there was a little more detail behind the mechanics of the silver spinning and the genetics.
But overall, Terry's writing was great, the story was equally great. I really enjoyed the book. Not to mention, hats off to Terry for fitting what could easily be a trilogy in a standalone.
...this time I'm going under the bed
February 10, 2015
Luna lives in a world where the majority of the population has an implant allowing them access to a virtual world. Everyone learns, lives, plays and interacts in this virtual world. Luna is one of few “Refusers”, who choose not to have an implant and do things the old way, like learn in a physical classroom with physical teachers. When she does enter the virtual world, we discover that she has a dangerous secret: she is aware of both the virtual world and the real world around her.
This book reminded me of a few others due to similarities in the story. The fact Luna has a dangerous secret that she can’t tell anyone else, for fear of the PareCo corporation finding out and controlling her, is like Divergent. The most promising teenagers in schools being chosen to take part in tests to establish where they belong in society is like The Testing. The implant technology and how everyone in society chooses, and prefers, to interact virtually rather than in reality, is like Glaze. I really enjoyed elements from all of these novels being brought together in Mind Games.
I liked the writing. I think it flowed really well. I also enjoyed the world building and I was able to really picture the world that Luna was living in. One small gripe I had is that Luna doesn’t really have any flaws. She can quickly learn how to do things that have taken other hackers years to master. There isn’t anything that she can’t do. This is somewhat explained by the fact she was but it was a little tiresome at times.
The idea of the implant technology is creepy because it’s really not hard to imagine that it could happen in our society in the future. The thought of being able to attend school whilst actually chilling at home in pyjamas, being able to alter how you look, visit different worlds, it all sounds great, right? Considering the speed at which technology advances nowadays, it’s not difficult to envision a future with this kind of technology. The thought of a corporation like PareCo controlling and tracking us is what makes it scary.
If you like YA dystopian fiction and you liked Divergent then this is a must-read book for you.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley.
This book reminded me of a few others due to similarities in the story. The fact Luna has a dangerous secret that she can’t tell anyone else, for fear of the PareCo corporation finding out and controlling her, is like Divergent. The most promising teenagers in schools being chosen to take part in tests to establish where they belong in society is like The Testing. The implant technology and how everyone in society chooses, and prefers, to interact virtually rather than in reality, is like Glaze. I really enjoyed elements from all of these novels being brought together in Mind Games.
I liked the writing. I think it flowed really well. I also enjoyed the world building and I was able to really picture the world that Luna was living in. One small gripe I had is that Luna doesn’t really have any flaws. She can quickly learn how to do things that have taken other hackers years to master. There isn’t anything that she can’t do. This is somewhat explained by the fact she was but it was a little tiresome at times.
The idea of the implant technology is creepy because it’s really not hard to imagine that it could happen in our society in the future. The thought of being able to attend school whilst actually chilling at home in pyjamas, being able to alter how you look, visit different worlds, it all sounds great, right? Considering the speed at which technology advances nowadays, it’s not difficult to envision a future with this kind of technology. The thought of a corporation like PareCo controlling and tracking us is what makes it scary.
If you like YA dystopian fiction and you liked Divergent then this is a must-read book for you.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley.
February 2, 2015
| ARC kindly provided by Orchard Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you a lot! |
En un mundo donde sólo lo virtual es realidad, Luna es diferente.
En un mundo donde todos aceptan mentiras, Luna ve la verdad.
En un mundo donde la tecnología se respira, Luna se rehúsa a ahogarse.
Luna deberá mantener en secreto sus habilidades si quiere sobrevivir, sólo ella ve la verdad de lo que está ocurriendo. ¿Podrá Luna esconder su secreto de PareCo?
Realidad virtual ataca de nuevo.
Desde que leí la sinopsis simplemente quedé encantada, además de que la simpleza de la portada me enamoró.
Veamos, el plot fue bastante intrigante y la manera en como Terry describía los sucesos y Luna fue un personaje muy completo a mi parecer. La verdad es que puedo ver esto pasando en unos años más; la tecnología es llevada a niveles más altos y los hackers son tomados de una manera diferente y refrescante.
Eso es.
A pesar de ser un libro inteligente, rápido e intenso, es muy refrescante.
Es el primer libro que leo de Teri Terry y me ha fascinado por completo. ¡Estoy ansiosa de leer más!
En un mundo donde sólo lo virtual es realidad, Luna es diferente.
En un mundo donde todos aceptan mentiras, Luna ve la verdad.
En un mundo donde la tecnología se respira, Luna se rehúsa a ahogarse.
Luna deberá mantener en secreto sus habilidades si quiere sobrevivir, sólo ella ve la verdad de lo que está ocurriendo. ¿Podrá Luna esconder su secreto de PareCo?
Realidad virtual ataca de nuevo.
Desde que leí la sinopsis simplemente quedé encantada, además de que la simpleza de la portada me enamoró.
Veamos, el plot fue bastante intrigante y la manera en como Terry describía los sucesos y Luna fue un personaje muy completo a mi parecer. La verdad es que puedo ver esto pasando en unos años más; la tecnología es llevada a niveles más altos y los hackers son tomados de una manera diferente y refrescante.
Eso es.
A pesar de ser un libro inteligente, rápido e intenso, es muy refrescante.
Es el primer libro que leo de Teri Terry y me ha fascinado por completo. ¡Estoy ansiosa de leer más!
Want to read
May 23, 2014AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I WANT IT!!!!! O:
Release date?? Cover???
Oh, Teri, please!!! Just give me something! U_U
February 18, 2019
Eigentlich liebe ich Bücher, in denen es um Digitale Welten geht (der Gruselfaktor ist enorm hoch). Dieses Buch war die ersten 200 Seiten lang auch keine Ausnahme. Dann jedoch driftet es leider in eine Richtung ab, die mir nicht mehr so sehr zusagt. Und das Ende schien mir einfach sehr überstürzt und ich kam zwischenzeitlich nicht mehr mit... Schade.
September 15, 2023
3,5 Sterne. Hat mich ab ca. 70% leider irgendwie ein bisschen verloren.
April 25, 2018
Luna is an outcast, identifying as a Refuser, someone who doesn't plug into the virtual world that surrounds her. There is something strange happening to Luna though, a realisation that she is different and she may not need the Implant to see both the worlds around her.
The story is quick paced, surprising given the size of the book. The best part of the book is the world building within the virtual reality. They are described so vividly that you feel genuine fright at some points and awe in others.
The story propels you into the anti establishment rebellion fighting against PareCo. But in a world run by the companies in control of the very reality people live in, can you ever win?
Recommended for fans of Ready Player One and Warcross.
The story is quick paced, surprising given the size of the book. The best part of the book is the world building within the virtual reality. They are described so vividly that you feel genuine fright at some points and awe in others.
The story propels you into the anti establishment rebellion fighting against PareCo. But in a world run by the companies in control of the very reality people live in, can you ever win?
Recommended for fans of Ready Player One and Warcross.
August 3, 2017
Anfang war stark, Ende leider nicht.
August 19, 2015
Das Buch ist wirklich nicht schlecht, aber so richtig gepackt hat es mich leider nicht. Das hat mehrere Gründe.
Mein Hauptproblem war, dass ich mir trotz diverser Beschreibungen, die virtuellen Welten und wie sie funktionieren einfach nicht vorstellen konnte. Dies kreide ich nicht der Autorin an, sondern meiner fehlenden Intelligenz in dem Bereich. Mathe, Technik etc. war noch nie meins.
Ein Spannungsbogen ist zwar vorhanden, aber dieser fällt doch eher gering aus und es gab nur wenig überraschende Momente.
Zum Ende hin wurde mir zu viel zu schnell aufgeklärt, aber trotzdem habe ich das Gefühl, dass nicht alles erklärt wird. Da es sich beim dem Buch um ein stand-alone handelt, wird da also nichts mehr kommen.
Die Charaktere waren zwar sympathisch, aber mir nicht wirklich nahe, so dass ich hier nicht mitfiebern konnte. Ich fand auch, dass die Personen alle etwas blass geblieben sind.
Es gab aber auch positives an dem Buch, so hat mir der Schreibstil der Autorin, von den vielen technischen Beschreibungen mal abgesehen, sehr gefallen.
Die Idee hinter dem Buch und auch die Aktualität des Themas hat mir ebenfalls gut gefallen. Die Art und Weise wie die Autorin die verschiedenen virtuellen Welten beschrieben hat, ist mir ebenfalls positiv aufgefallen.
Insgesamt bleibt mir leider eher der Knoten im Gehirn in Erinnerung als eine spannende und rasante Geschichte.
Mein Hauptproblem war, dass ich mir trotz diverser Beschreibungen, die virtuellen Welten und wie sie funktionieren einfach nicht vorstellen konnte. Dies kreide ich nicht der Autorin an, sondern meiner fehlenden Intelligenz in dem Bereich. Mathe, Technik etc. war noch nie meins.
Ein Spannungsbogen ist zwar vorhanden, aber dieser fällt doch eher gering aus und es gab nur wenig überraschende Momente.
Zum Ende hin wurde mir zu viel zu schnell aufgeklärt, aber trotzdem habe ich das Gefühl, dass nicht alles erklärt wird. Da es sich beim dem Buch um ein stand-alone handelt, wird da also nichts mehr kommen.
Die Charaktere waren zwar sympathisch, aber mir nicht wirklich nahe, so dass ich hier nicht mitfiebern konnte. Ich fand auch, dass die Personen alle etwas blass geblieben sind.
Es gab aber auch positives an dem Buch, so hat mir der Schreibstil der Autorin, von den vielen technischen Beschreibungen mal abgesehen, sehr gefallen.
Die Idee hinter dem Buch und auch die Aktualität des Themas hat mir ebenfalls gut gefallen. Die Art und Weise wie die Autorin die verschiedenen virtuellen Welten beschrieben hat, ist mir ebenfalls positiv aufgefallen.
Insgesamt bleibt mir leider eher der Knoten im Gehirn in Erinnerung als eine spannende und rasante Geschichte.
March 20, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley.
Think of Mind Games as a blend of Divergent meets Ready Player One meets Corruption.
It’s some time in the distant future and the vast majority of the world’s population is plugged into a virtual world. The few that aren’t are considered “Refusers”, most of which are Medical Exemption as they have a medical condition that disqualifies them from being able to use the technology, or Religious Exemptions because of their religion (duh). Our MFC Luna is neither of these, yet she still Refuses to use the tech, making life very difficult for her. As a small child, when she would plug in to the virtual world, she would get debilitatingly nauseas. Not only that, but something else happens - something she is determined to keep secret.
As a result, she goes through life trying to be mediocre, despite her intelligence. She aims to keep to the bottom of the pack so that she doesn’t get picked for a special exam at the end of her schooling which would ultimately end in a prized internship with PareCor - the company in charge of this whole virtual reality. The jokes on her though when she gets an invitation anyway.
The plot was gripping and super intriguing, yet sometimes I kept getting pulled out of the story. Mostly this had to do with the fact that I’m still not clear on what this whole virtual thing is. Like, what is it that goes into these games that allows someone to die in real life? Is it your consciousness? I’m still not clear on that and it kept pissing me off. I couldn’t figure out the connection between the body and this virtual reality, and it made it hard for me to enjoy and even understand certain bits of the storyline. That being said, what I could understand was fabulous.
Luna, named after my beloved Luna Lovegood (for real), is a pretty cool character, yet a little passive at times. I felt like throughout most of the book she just let things happen instead of actively trying to do things. It took a while but she did get there in the end. Oh yes, and she’s a “special snowflake” and is actually described as being special a couple times throughout the book .
Some of the secondary characters were awesome as well. I thought Marina was a fantastic character and would’ve loved to get to know her better, as well as Rachel and Melrose. Gecko was interesting and so was Hex. Unfortunately, I feel as though these characters weren’t really well rounded enough. Even the “villain” of this book, , felt kind of one dimensional.
Overall, while the storyline was interesting and I really liked the concept, I was confused for a fair bit of the book. I feel like the story could have benefitted with a little more world-building and a better thought out ending.
Think of Mind Games as a blend of Divergent meets Ready Player One meets Corruption.
It’s some time in the distant future and the vast majority of the world’s population is plugged into a virtual world. The few that aren’t are considered “Refusers”, most of which are Medical Exemption as they have a medical condition that disqualifies them from being able to use the technology, or Religious Exemptions because of their religion (duh). Our MFC Luna is neither of these, yet she still Refuses to use the tech, making life very difficult for her. As a small child, when she would plug in to the virtual world, she would get debilitatingly nauseas. Not only that, but something else happens - something she is determined to keep secret.
As a result, she goes through life trying to be mediocre, despite her intelligence. She aims to keep to the bottom of the pack so that she doesn’t get picked for a special exam at the end of her schooling which would ultimately end in a prized internship with PareCor - the company in charge of this whole virtual reality. The jokes on her though when she gets an invitation anyway.
The plot was gripping and super intriguing, yet sometimes I kept getting pulled out of the story. Mostly this had to do with the fact that I’m still not clear on what this whole virtual thing is. Like, what is it that goes into these games that allows someone to die in real life? Is it your consciousness? I’m still not clear on that and it kept pissing me off. I couldn’t figure out the connection between the body and this virtual reality, and it made it hard for me to enjoy and even understand certain bits of the storyline. That being said, what I could understand was fabulous.
Luna, named after my beloved Luna Lovegood (for real), is a pretty cool character, yet a little passive at times. I felt like throughout most of the book she just let things happen instead of actively trying to do things. It took a while but she did get there in the end. Oh yes, and she’s a “special snowflake” and is actually described as being special a couple times throughout the book .
Some of the secondary characters were awesome as well. I thought Marina was a fantastic character and would’ve loved to get to know her better, as well as Rachel and Melrose. Gecko was interesting and so was Hex. Unfortunately, I feel as though these characters weren’t really well rounded enough. Even the “villain” of this book, , felt kind of one dimensional.
Overall, while the storyline was interesting and I really liked the concept, I was confused for a fair bit of the book. I feel like the story could have benefitted with a little more world-building and a better thought out ending.
March 30, 2015
More reviews on my blog, Exploring Pages.
Thank you Orchard Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy for review.
DNF at 50 %
I wonder if I was fooled by the gorgeous cover, or the premise of Mind Games. As with so many books these days, a synopsis can be either exactly what you think it is, or turn out to be something entirely different. It's sad to say that Teri Terry's novel falls into the last category.
Throughout my reading experience, it was required to read this book with all the attention and focus I could get. Most of the times it's not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't like how Mind Games played with my mind. I had to read every single word with care and attention, in order to follow along and understand both the story and the world building. Nonetheless, I still got very confused along the way. Mind you, I don't hold a single grudge against being thrown into the world of a book without any explanations. It's mostly a lot of fun because I have to figure out what is going on all on my own, but not in this case.
There was an overload of unknown terms, combined with such little explanation. The only choice I had was to continue anyway and hope that I would be less confused as I go on. None of that happened. Once I started to get a hold of the story, so many other aspects turned my knowledge into chaos. A lot of that had to do with Terry's futuristic world full of technology. This is where a certain aspect I adored jumps in: the virtual reality. It was my ultimate main reason for requesting the book in the first place, and also what made the book so fascinating. It was so different from any other dystopian I've read before. How could I not be excited about that? However, things started to take a turn when I that aspect fell flat. In my opinion, there wasn't much world building to be found. I felt like a lot was just thrown in my face, and I had to deal with it. I couldn't connect to anything and because of the lack of world building, I never understood how it all worked or how some things were even possible.
The vague plot dragged immensely, and at some point I had no desire whatsoever in picking it up again, ultimately resulting in a DNF. As sad as I am to admit it, Mind Games was all in all, a boring read which could have been so much more.
"Five minutes of Realtime, and it is nearly two hours before I stop being sick. That's a pretty good reason to be a Refuser, isn't it?"
― Teri Terry, Mind Games
Thank you Orchard Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy for review.
DNF at 50 %
I wonder if I was fooled by the gorgeous cover, or the premise of Mind Games. As with so many books these days, a synopsis can be either exactly what you think it is, or turn out to be something entirely different. It's sad to say that Teri Terry's novel falls into the last category.
Throughout my reading experience, it was required to read this book with all the attention and focus I could get. Most of the times it's not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't like how Mind Games played with my mind. I had to read every single word with care and attention, in order to follow along and understand both the story and the world building. Nonetheless, I still got very confused along the way. Mind you, I don't hold a single grudge against being thrown into the world of a book without any explanations. It's mostly a lot of fun because I have to figure out what is going on all on my own, but not in this case.
There was an overload of unknown terms, combined with such little explanation. The only choice I had was to continue anyway and hope that I would be less confused as I go on. None of that happened. Once I started to get a hold of the story, so many other aspects turned my knowledge into chaos. A lot of that had to do with Terry's futuristic world full of technology. This is where a certain aspect I adored jumps in: the virtual reality. It was my ultimate main reason for requesting the book in the first place, and also what made the book so fascinating. It was so different from any other dystopian I've read before. How could I not be excited about that? However, things started to take a turn when I that aspect fell flat. In my opinion, there wasn't much world building to be found. I felt like a lot was just thrown in my face, and I had to deal with it. I couldn't connect to anything and because of the lack of world building, I never understood how it all worked or how some things were even possible.
The vague plot dragged immensely, and at some point I had no desire whatsoever in picking it up again, ultimately resulting in a DNF. As sad as I am to admit it, Mind Games was all in all, a boring read which could have been so much more.
March 10, 2019
5 stars
I have heard many great things about this book and it has been on my want to read list for a while now and so I thought I should give it a try. When I was starting to read this book I never thought I would be so addicted to a book but when I started reading this book, I just could not put it down because it was so good and it got my attention by all means. I would definitely read this again and maybe more than one time even. I would recommend this book to anyone out there because it is a really good book and you probably won't be able to put it down when you start reading this book.
I have heard many great things about this book and it has been on my want to read list for a while now and so I thought I should give it a try. When I was starting to read this book I never thought I would be so addicted to a book but when I started reading this book, I just could not put it down because it was so good and it got my attention by all means. I would definitely read this again and maybe more than one time even. I would recommend this book to anyone out there because it is a really good book and you probably won't be able to put it down when you start reading this book.
January 7, 2020
War Anfangs schwer in die Story herein zukommen, aber war man drin war es wirklich spannend.
Hätte nie vermutet was dahinter steckt.
Hätte nie vermutet was dahinter steckt.
![Profile Image for Tina [kupfermuenze].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1735673938i%2F63316474._UY200_CR20%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 14, 2018
Ein tolles Buch, welches ein wenig gebraucht hat, bis es in Schwung kam. Das Ende hat mir irgendwie nicht sooooo gefallen, aber das ist ja Geschmackssache. 😉
August 18, 2015
England in der Zukunft, im digitalen Zeitalter nach dem dritten Weltkrieg: Aus Angst vor einer wiederholten Machtübernahme, die zu einem Krieg führen könnte, werden Intelligenz gepaart mit Rationalität über alles gestellt. Vor allem, wer irrational ist, ist gefährlich. Das Leben spielt sich in der virtuellen Welt ab: Der Unterricht, die Freizeit, ja selbst Dates sind sicherer, wenn sie online passieren. Die siebzehnjährige Luna jedoch verweigert; ein Implantat, mit dem sie sich jederzeit einloggen kann, möchte sie nicht haben. Dafür nimmt sie jede Menge Unannehmlichkeiten in Kauf, aber sie hat ihre Gründe und die müssen geheim bleiben. Völlig unverständlich erscheint ihr daher die Einladung des Konzerns PareCo, der mittels Tests den Weg in die Elite ebnet. Luna ahnt, dass mehr dahinter stecken muss, schließlich war ihre Mutter Astra eine berühmte Hackerin. Doch wie gefährlich es wirklich wird, kann sie nicht erahnen.
Eine Welt, in der sich die Menschen fast nur noch in virtuellen Räumen aufhalten, ist mir bereits bei “Ready Player One” von Ernest Cline begegnet. Das Thema ist insofern ähnlich als in beiden Romanen eine alles kontrollierende Firma den Zugang zur Virtualität schafft und die Welten und damit auch deren Nutzer kontrolliert. Während bei “Ready Player One” jedoch die Jagd nach dem wertvollsten Easter Egg aller Zeiten im Vordergrund steht, beschäftigt sich “Mind Games” mehr damit, wie Macht erworben, ausgebaut und manipuliert wird. Wie Konzerne sich Menschen untertan machen, ohne dass es jemand bemerkt.
Teri Terry schafft wie bereits in ihrer “Slated Trilogie” eine düstere Zukunftsvision. Über das Leben in dieser Zeit erfährt man nur wenig, gerade so viel, wie Luna es als Ich-Erzählerin in ihrem eigenen Erleben erfährt. So wird bei einer Fahrt mit der Fahrradhochbahn klar, dass es Bereiche gibt, in denen sich besser Gestellte abschotten. Da es für Lunas Situation nicht wichtig ist, wird auch im Weiteren nicht näher darauf eingegangen. Dadurch hungert man als Leser zwar durchaus nach mehr Hintergrundinformationen, aus der Sicht Lunas ist es jedoch wiederum verständlich, dass nicht alles lang und breit erklärt wird.
Mit Luna, benannt nach Luna Lovegood aus der Harry-Potter-Welt, in der sich ihre Eltern kennengelernt haben, hat Teri Terry eine starke Protagonistin geschaffen, die einerseits manchmal etwas blauäugig durchs Leben geht, allerdings immer bereit ist, etwas zu tun und zu verändern, wenn es nötig scheint. So fällt bei ihr der Groschen zuweilen sehr langsam, aber wenn er dann fällt, dann klimpert es gewaltig. Auch die Nebenfiguren sind authentisch und lebendig. Nicht immer ist klar, was sie unter Umständen im Schilde führen, nie weiß man, wem man vertrauen kann. Das macht auch einen Teil der Spannung aus, und spannend ist das Buch auf jeden Fall!
Die sieben Kapitel werden mit sehr passenden Zitaten eingeleitet, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Teri Terry schreibt gewohnt ausdrucksvoll, in kurzen Sätzen und schnellen Dialogen. Wieder einmal gelingt es ihr, Gefühle dezent zu beschreiben und dieses Mal eine Liebesgeschichte nur anzudeuten.
Mir hat “Mind Games” richtig gut gefallen und ich habe mich sehr gut unterhalten gefühlt. Natürlich ist das Buch ziemlich dicht an der “Slated-Trilogie”, die ich für eine der besten aktuellen Jugend-Dystopien halte. Terry spielt (und kokettiert) auch ein wenig damit – lasst euch überraschen!
© Tintenelfe
www.tintenhain.de
Eine Welt, in der sich die Menschen fast nur noch in virtuellen Räumen aufhalten, ist mir bereits bei “Ready Player One” von Ernest Cline begegnet. Das Thema ist insofern ähnlich als in beiden Romanen eine alles kontrollierende Firma den Zugang zur Virtualität schafft und die Welten und damit auch deren Nutzer kontrolliert. Während bei “Ready Player One” jedoch die Jagd nach dem wertvollsten Easter Egg aller Zeiten im Vordergrund steht, beschäftigt sich “Mind Games” mehr damit, wie Macht erworben, ausgebaut und manipuliert wird. Wie Konzerne sich Menschen untertan machen, ohne dass es jemand bemerkt.
Teri Terry schafft wie bereits in ihrer “Slated Trilogie” eine düstere Zukunftsvision. Über das Leben in dieser Zeit erfährt man nur wenig, gerade so viel, wie Luna es als Ich-Erzählerin in ihrem eigenen Erleben erfährt. So wird bei einer Fahrt mit der Fahrradhochbahn klar, dass es Bereiche gibt, in denen sich besser Gestellte abschotten. Da es für Lunas Situation nicht wichtig ist, wird auch im Weiteren nicht näher darauf eingegangen. Dadurch hungert man als Leser zwar durchaus nach mehr Hintergrundinformationen, aus der Sicht Lunas ist es jedoch wiederum verständlich, dass nicht alles lang und breit erklärt wird.
Mit Luna, benannt nach Luna Lovegood aus der Harry-Potter-Welt, in der sich ihre Eltern kennengelernt haben, hat Teri Terry eine starke Protagonistin geschaffen, die einerseits manchmal etwas blauäugig durchs Leben geht, allerdings immer bereit ist, etwas zu tun und zu verändern, wenn es nötig scheint. So fällt bei ihr der Groschen zuweilen sehr langsam, aber wenn er dann fällt, dann klimpert es gewaltig. Auch die Nebenfiguren sind authentisch und lebendig. Nicht immer ist klar, was sie unter Umständen im Schilde führen, nie weiß man, wem man vertrauen kann. Das macht auch einen Teil der Spannung aus, und spannend ist das Buch auf jeden Fall!
Die sieben Kapitel werden mit sehr passenden Zitaten eingeleitet, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Teri Terry schreibt gewohnt ausdrucksvoll, in kurzen Sätzen und schnellen Dialogen. Wieder einmal gelingt es ihr, Gefühle dezent zu beschreiben und dieses Mal eine Liebesgeschichte nur anzudeuten.
Mir hat “Mind Games” richtig gut gefallen und ich habe mich sehr gut unterhalten gefühlt. Natürlich ist das Buch ziemlich dicht an der “Slated-Trilogie”, die ich für eine der besten aktuellen Jugend-Dystopien halte. Terry spielt (und kokettiert) auch ein wenig damit – lasst euch überraschen!
© Tintenelfe
www.tintenhain.de
June 3, 2016
"Det kan godt være, at det er virtuelt, men det føles rart, varmt, virkeligt.
Jeg tager en dyb indånding og holder fast i dette øjeblik, dette minde, og lader det fylde mig."
Jeg ved ikke helt præcist, hvad jeg havde forventet af denne bog, men jeg havde i hvert fald forventet mindre, end det den gav mig.
Teri har bygget denne imponerende dystopiske verden op, samt skrevet en virkelig spændende historie, som var smækfyldt med overraskelser og chokerende afsløringer.
Jeg kunne virkelig godt lide hovedpersonen Luna, der på trods af presset fra alle leder og kanter, virkelig holder godt fast i det hun tror på og gør det hun kan, for at bibeholde det der gør hende til den hun er - noget der virkelig gør hende til en dejlig person at følge.
""Stol ikke på nogen. Stol kun på dig selv. Du er noget helt specielt. Du kan ændre tingenes gang.""
Tempoet i bogen svingede en del, hvilket gjorde læseoplevelsen til lidt af en rutsjebanetur. Selvfølgelig er det ikke altid nemt, at holde et stabilt tempo hele bogen igennem, men her var der punkter, hvor jeg enten var så forvirret eller kedede mig så meget, at jeg havde lyst til at lægge bogen fra mig. Dog var der til gengæld alle disse overraskende og chokerende tvists i historien, der bestemt vejede op for den langsommelige del!
Men så spændende som bogen nu engang var, var den også en smule skræmmende. Den her verden med denne her virtuelle levemåde, virker ikke så umulig og urealistisk som den burde og dystopiske bøger som denne, er altid lidt svære at sluge.
Slutningen var til gengæld barsk og uforudset og jeg vil så gerne kunne sige, at det gjorde bogen hammer god og fantastisk, men faktisk var det så chokerende, at jeg måtte lukke bogen i og tage et par dybe vejrtrækninger før jeg kunne fortsætte - så vær forberedt...
""Hvad tænker du dog på?" spørger hun. "Det er lige før, jeg henter din far og...."
Jeg ser op. Jeg genkender en tom trussel, når jeg hører den. "Ja, vil du ikke nok, for jeg har ikke set ham i ugevis.""
Jeg tager en dyb indånding og holder fast i dette øjeblik, dette minde, og lader det fylde mig."
Jeg ved ikke helt præcist, hvad jeg havde forventet af denne bog, men jeg havde i hvert fald forventet mindre, end det den gav mig.
Teri har bygget denne imponerende dystopiske verden op, samt skrevet en virkelig spændende historie, som var smækfyldt med overraskelser og chokerende afsløringer.
Jeg kunne virkelig godt lide hovedpersonen Luna, der på trods af presset fra alle leder og kanter, virkelig holder godt fast i det hun tror på og gør det hun kan, for at bibeholde det der gør hende til den hun er - noget der virkelig gør hende til en dejlig person at følge.
""Stol ikke på nogen. Stol kun på dig selv. Du er noget helt specielt. Du kan ændre tingenes gang.""
Tempoet i bogen svingede en del, hvilket gjorde læseoplevelsen til lidt af en rutsjebanetur. Selvfølgelig er det ikke altid nemt, at holde et stabilt tempo hele bogen igennem, men her var der punkter, hvor jeg enten var så forvirret eller kedede mig så meget, at jeg havde lyst til at lægge bogen fra mig. Dog var der til gengæld alle disse overraskende og chokerende tvists i historien, der bestemt vejede op for den langsommelige del!
Men så spændende som bogen nu engang var, var den også en smule skræmmende. Den her verden med denne her virtuelle levemåde, virker ikke så umulig og urealistisk som den burde og dystopiske bøger som denne, er altid lidt svære at sluge.
Slutningen var til gengæld barsk og uforudset og jeg vil så gerne kunne sige, at det gjorde bogen hammer god og fantastisk, men faktisk var det så chokerende, at jeg måtte lukke bogen i og tage et par dybe vejrtrækninger før jeg kunne fortsætte - så vær forberedt...
""Hvad tænker du dog på?" spørger hun. "Det er lige før, jeg henter din far og...."
Jeg ser op. Jeg genkender en tom trussel, når jeg hører den. "Ja, vil du ikke nok, for jeg har ikke set ham i ugevis.""
April 6, 2015
I received a copy of this in exchange for review from netgalley, thanks!
Mind Games was a really interesting sci-fi/dystopian book, it took me a little while to get into it but in the end I definitely enjoyed it. I liked Luna, her refusal to get the implant for the virtual worlds was intriguing. I really felt sorry for her at times though, her mother is dead, her step mum doesn't really seem all that bothered, her dad is constantly 'plugged in' to the virtual world, and her nanna is dying. Its all a bit tough for her.
I liked the idea of the virtual worlds and the hacking, it was a little complicated and confusing at times but still interesting. The book was a bit slow in parts but I thought the big twists made up for that
Definitely an interesting read!
Mind Games was a really interesting sci-fi/dystopian book, it took me a little while to get into it but in the end I definitely enjoyed it. I liked Luna, her refusal to get the implant for the virtual worlds was intriguing. I really felt sorry for her at times though, her mother is dead, her step mum doesn't really seem all that bothered, her dad is constantly 'plugged in' to the virtual world, and her nanna is dying. Its all a bit tough for her.
I liked the idea of the virtual worlds and the hacking, it was a little complicated and confusing at times but still interesting. The book was a bit slow in parts but I thought the big twists made up for that
Definitely an interesting read!
Read
July 18, 2016This was like nothing I've read before, set in a high-tech world where most living is done in virtual realities. People take virtual vacations, go to school virtually, have virtual relationships. Luna is a Refuser -- she rejects an implant because when she enters the virtual worlds, she can still sense the body she leaves behind, and the connection makes her sick. Her nanna warns her of the dangers, never to tell anyone, but doesn't give away much more, meaning once Luna finds a way to overcome her nausea, the virtual world is her oyster.
If there's one thing I know I'll get from a book by Teri Terry it's genius world-building, and this delivered on that as much as the Slated trilogy. We see multiple virtual spaces, a closed-off mysterious island, and a futuristic real world, all incredibly well shaped. The story takes surprising turns that racks up the tension from start to finish, and the questions pile up to an exciting conclusion. What is PareCo, and what really goes on on Inaccessible Island? Play their game and find out...
If there's one thing I know I'll get from a book by Teri Terry it's genius world-building, and this delivered on that as much as the Slated trilogy. We see multiple virtual spaces, a closed-off mysterious island, and a futuristic real world, all incredibly well shaped. The story takes surprising turns that racks up the tension from start to finish, and the questions pile up to an exciting conclusion. What is PareCo, and what really goes on on Inaccessible Island? Play their game and find out...
May 19, 2015
Initial thoughts:
1. Luna was a great main character. Loved her!
2. This virtual world was mesmerizing.
3. I loved the world building, although it did frighten me a bit.
4. The writing flowed and the story was fast-paced.
5. I couldn't deal with the big reveal at the end. There were some scenes that were truly gruesome, but made total sense. It definitely gave this book more boom.
Check out my full review on my blog!
1. Luna was a great main character. Loved her!
2. This virtual world was mesmerizing.
3. I loved the world building, although it did frighten me a bit.
4. The writing flowed and the story was fast-paced.
5. I couldn't deal with the big reveal at the end. There were some scenes that were truly gruesome, but made total sense. It definitely gave this book more boom.
Check out my full review on my blog!
February 4, 2017
It's scary accurate book about what the future probably will look like.
July 8, 2018
Full review to come!
July 9, 2024
This book had an interesting story and I really enjoyed it till the 90% mark. But the end? It was soo rushed and it felt like the author just wanted to wrap everything up as quickly as possible. I can’t even express how disappointed I was :(
October 28, 2017
Eine sehr sehr spannende und durchdachte Geschichte. Hat mir gut gefallen und war mal was anderes. :}
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