Title: Mind Games {Dissillusionist Trilogy #1)
Author: Carolyn Crane
Publisher: Spectra March 23rd 2010
Sypnosis: Mind Games follows the adventures of Justine Jones, a hopeless hypochondriac who longs to be normal. Instead, she is recruited to join a psychological hit squad in a city terrorized by criminals with strange powers…only to fall for her most dangerous target!
Status: Read on November 12, 2010 — I own a copy
My Thoughts:
Carolyn Crane has taken the Urban fantasy genre and given it a shake with this creative trilogy debut.
Mind Games gathers a cast of psychically gifted neurotics who, under the leadership of the mysterious Packard disillusion their targets in order to remake them into better people. None of Crane’s characters are black and white, they all have an ambivelence in motivation and behaviour that is intriguing.
Justine Jones is a hypochondriac, convinced she will die of a burst anneurysm as her mother did. Unable to control her fears she lives a life of desperation, wanting nothing more than to be normal. Packard offers her an alternative to her suffering, and Justine unwillingly becomes involved his vigilante squad. Justine is hardly the traditional heroine of the genre, she has limited skills with both her power and the ability defend herself and her motivations are more self interest than altrusic. Her conflicted nature is fascinating though and it will be interesting to see how she develops.
Justine’s relationships with Cubby, Packard and Otto are equally discordant, her confusion is believable and plays well into the rather murky psychological maelstrom that Crane has created.
Though the story is quite dark and even brutal in places, there are lots of tongue in cheek references to comic book/super hero sterotypes which are both amusing and cheesy. It took me a while to recognise the gentle poking for what it was. I think at times it was pushed a little too far, for example the word ‘minion’ was repeated too often, so that the subtle humor of it was lost and I cringed each time it was used.
Mind Games is fresh and orginal and I am looking forward to reading Double Cross.
Oh and Carolyn Crane rocks!
Mind Games gathers a cast of psychically gifted neurotics who, under the leadership of the mysterious Packard disillusion their targets in order to remake them into better people. None of Crane’s characters are black and white, they all have an ambivelence in motivation and behaviour that is intriguing.
Justine Jones is a hypochondriac, convinced she will die of a burst anneurysm as her mother did. Unable to control her fears she lives a life of desperation, wanting nothing more than to be normal. Packard offers her an alternative to her suffering, and Justine unwillingly becomes involved his vigilante squad. Justine is hardly the traditional heroine of the genre, she has limited skills with both her power and the ability defend herself and her motivations are more self interest than altrusic. Her conflicted nature is fascinating though and it will be interesting to see how she develops.
Justine’s relationships with Cubby, Packard and Otto are equally discordant, her confusion is believable and plays well into the rather murky psychological maelstrom that Crane has created.
Though the story is quite dark and even brutal in places, there are lots of tongue in cheek references to comic book/super hero sterotypes which are both amusing and cheesy. It took me a while to recognise the gentle poking for what it was. I think at times it was pushed a little too far, for example the word ‘minion’ was repeated too often, so that the subtle humor of it was lost and I cringed each time it was used.
Mind Games is fresh and orginal and I am looking forward to reading Double Cross.
Oh and Carolyn Crane rocks!
Book’d Out 
I really loved this book. And Double Cross is Fan-freakin’-tastic!!! You’ll LOVE it!!!! Nice Review!
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This one certainly sounds different, with an unlikely heroine. I’ll be looking for your review of Double Cross.
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Heeh, i got my copy of the second book the other day and I think I will read this sereis next week! XD
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