PNR: Mind Games - Let's get this thing started!

SnShne322

So? Overall thoughts?

ewill7911

I found myself suspecting certain things right from the start, and I think she chose the wrong guy, but over all I liked it.

SnShne322

Word @ewill7911 I knew something was up with Otto.  He was into it somehow. She definitely picked the wrong guy, but I feel like that will sort itself out in the next couple books.

I think the ending was a little too tidy though.  I hope for some more explosions between Packard and Otto in the next book.

ewill7911

Yes, its like "Ok you locked me up for 8 years and now you want me to work for you- sounds great!"
I did really like the "squad" and how each person has a major character flaw, but that flaw is helping to "save the world"

sneetches

I was so excited to finally be able to contribute to the PNR discussion.  But no, it is still not to be.  I read Mind Games by Kiersten White, not Mind Games by Carolyn Crane.  I don't know who Otto and Packard are.

Fail.

ewill7911

@sneetches
Well how was Mind Games by Kiersten White? - I had to double check to make sure I had the right book, there are a lot of books called Mind Games!

EliStar

sneetches said:

I was so excited to finally be able to contribute to the PNR discussion.  But no, it is still not to be.  I read Mind Games by Kiersten White, not Mind Games by Carolyn Crane.  I don't know who Otto and Packard are.

Fail.

OMG. This made me LOL. 

I had to like triple check what book we were supposed to read because this has happened to me before. 

EliStar

As for my thoughts - when I first started this book I was rolling my eyes HARD. I just could not get behind her hypochondriac issues, I was all WTF is up with these names like Packard and Cubby (CUBBY, FFS?), and I really almost put it down a few times. 

Once the action started, it wasn't so bad. I actually got into it and once the whole mystery with Otto started, I was hooked. I wanted to know who she was going to pick so I had to keep reading. 

The world was unique. I like the whole energy dimension thing. 

I finished the second book last night and it delves much deeper into the whole Packard/Otto thing - and overall it was just much better! I finished it in like two hours. MAJOR cliffhanger so now I have to read the third one too. 

SnShne322

Oh, no! @sneetches

RevJen

I picked up on the whole Otto thing kind of early but it just sucked me right in.  She definitely picked the wrong guy but I don't know if I think that Packard is any better for her.  I listened to it rather than read it and the narrator was able to show just how bad the anxiety/hypochondria was.  It was the pacing, timing, etc.  It was really well done.

SnShne322

Yes, the hypochondriac thing in the beginning had me rolling my eyes too. It did get much better.

I can't believe you've already read #2, @elistar! 

SnShne322

tagging @Lauren620 @RevJen @duxcaelo

ETA: Rev's already here!

ewill7911

@EliStar
Does she get more into some of the other characters like Carter and Helmut? It almost seemed like they could have been interchanged,  there were a few times I just blurred their names together to make it one dude.

ewill7911

@RevJen
I listened to it too, and thought the same thing. I was able to grasp how bad the hypochondria and how it would affect someone.

EliStar

ewill7911 said:

@EliStar
Does she get more into some of the other characters like Carter and Helmut? It almost seemed like they could have been interchanged,  there were a few times I just blurred their names together to make it one dude.

Really? Hmm... they are barely in the second book but I had no trouble distinguishing them. Carter is young, sexy, Packard's watchdog, the one the Aggie case. Helmut is older, wiser, and he was only on the Otto case. 

EliStar

SnShne322 said:

Yes, the hypochondriac thing in the beginning had me rolling my eyes too. It did get much better.

I can't believe you've already read #2, @elistar! 

I liked it! The ending was CRAY. 

UFCasey

She talked about Otto so much from the beginning that I knew something was up with him and figured it out before she did.

I found her hypochondria to be over the top but that's probably only because I couldn't relate to it, maybe that was realistic. If so, that's sad for people who suffer from that, and I don't understand how anyone could be around someone like that.

The name Cubby irritated me every.single.time. I read it. I am so happy she broke up with him if for no other reason than not reading his name anymore.

ewill7911

UFCasey said:

She talked about Otto so much from the beginning that I knew something was up with him and figured it out before she did.

I found her hypochondria to be over the top but that's probably only because I couldn't relate to it, maybe that was realistic. If so, that's sad for people who suffer from that, and I don't understand how anyone could be around someone like that.

The name Cubby irritated me every.single.time. I read it. I am so happy she broke up with him if for no other reason than not reading his name anymore.

This.

EliStar

UFCasey said:

She talked about Otto so much from the beginning that I knew something was up with him and figured it out before she did.

I found her hypochondria to be over the top but that's probably only because I couldn't relate to it, maybe that was realistic. If so, that's sad for people who suffer from that, and I don't understand how anyone could be around someone like that.

The name Cubby irritated me every.single.time. I read it. I am so happy she broke up with him if for no other reason than not reading his name anymore.

Ditto. 

CUBBY, FFS. 

duxcaelo

I thought it was interesting and that the resolution of things was much speedier than I would have liked. There were parts that were so slow and so detailed and yet the ending just felt slapped together.  

I felt there were a ton of moral and ethical issues within the squad (like Packard not telling her about the zapping thing) and their assignments tearing people down, even though those people had done awful things.  Otto was also doing the same kind of thing.

I don't think she shouldn't have picked either guy.  One lied to her and the other she lied to just as egregiously.  I think she should have taken some space and sorted things out for herself first.

I was also expecting more of a challenge between Packard and Otto, but think Packard held a lot of it back since it was probably his once-in-a-lifetime shot to leave the restaurant.

Mrs.GinTN

I think I'm like most of you.  I really expected more between Packard and Otto.  I also agree that she chose the wrong guy.  I think I"m going to put the second book on my kindle as soon as I get home now!

fabk

I am going to finish listening to this today! So far I am enjoying it. I agree with the name cubby.

RevJen

EliStar said:

UFCasey said:

She talked about Otto so much from the beginning that I knew something was up with him and figured it out before she did.

I found her hypochondria to be over the top but that's probably only because I couldn't relate to it, maybe that was realistic. If so, that's sad for people who suffer from that, and I don't understand how anyone could be around someone like that.

The name Cubby irritated me every.single.time. I read it. I am so happy she broke up with him if for no other reason than not reading his name anymore.

Ditto. 

CUBBY, FFS. 

I chose to think of it as a nickname.  It helped a bit.  At one point, I thought he was going to be a target for her.

EliStar

@nocturnalintimacy read these too

nocturnalintimacy

Hi guys! Sorry I'm late for the party. Yesterday was a ridiculous day at work.

Overall thoughts:
At first, I hated Justine. I couldn't relate to the hypochondriac issues, and the book was so focused on it, I thought this was going to be a dud.

But then...we meet Packard, and I fell in love. And then, Justine meets Otto and falls in love with him (WTF???). I don't like him. I don't get it. WHY?! But alas, I digress.

One thing that I appreciated about this book was that (more so than other PNR that I've read), there's a morality issue. Do you feel that disillusionment is morally justified?There's this one part where Jordan, (the therapist) said something to the effect of "When is good not good?" It stuck with me, because I felt like forcing people to turn over a new leaf is sort of wrong.

Lauren620

Sorry I am late!  I was in meetings the past two days and have been swamped at work.

I also wasn't really into it in the beginning.  Like others have mentioned, the hypochondria was over the top and obnoxious at times and the name Cubby was so weird!  

I liked how different the idea of this story was.  It was really original to me and I want to see where the series is heading.  

I listened to the audio and there were times when the narrator would annoy me, but for the most part I really liked it.  

SnShne322

Lauren620 said:

Sorry I am late!  I was in meetings the past two days and have been swamped at work.

I also wasn't really into it in the beginning.  Like others have mentioned, the hypochondria was over the top and obnoxious at times and the name Cubby was so weird!  

I liked how different the idea of this story was.  It was really original to me and I want to see where the series is heading.  

I listened to the audio and there were times when the narrator would annoy me, but for the most part I really liked it.  

The Silver Widows voice got to me a bit.

nocturnalintimacy

UFCasey

The name Cubby irritated me every.single.time. I read it. I am so happy she broke up with him if for no other reason than not reading his name anymore.

LOL. Yes! I can't respect a grown man named Cubby.