Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness
    Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness
    Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness
    Audiobook8 hours

    Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness

    Written by Suzy Favor Hamilton and Sarah Tomlinson

    Narrated by Suzy Favor Hamilton and Nan McNamara

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    The former middle distance Olympic runner and high-end escort speaks out for the first time about her battle with mental illness, and how mania controlled and compelled her in competition, but also in life. This is a heartbreakingly honest yet hopeful memoir reminiscent of Manic, Electroboy, and An Unquiet Mind.

    During the 1990s, three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton was the darling of American track and field. An outstanding runner, a major sports apparel spokesperson, and a happily married wife, she was the model for an active, healthy, and wholesome life. But her perfect facade masked a dark truth: manic depression and bipolar disorder that drove her obsession to perform and win. For years after leaving the track, Suzy wrestled with her condition, as well as the loss of a close friend, conflicted feelings about motherhood and her marriage, and lingering shame about her athletic career. After a misdiagnosis and a recommendation for medication that only exacerbated her mania and made her hypersexual, Suzy embarked on a new path, and assumed a new identity. Fueled by a newfound confidence, a feeling of strength and independence and a desire she couldn’t tamp down, she became a high-priced escort in Las Vegas, working as “Kelly.”

    But Suzy could not keep her double life a secret forever. When it was eventually exposed, it sent her into a reckless suicidal period where the only option seemed out. Finally, with the help of her devoted husband, Suzy finally got the proper medical help she needed. In this startling frank memoir, she recounts the journey to outrun her demons, revealing how a woman used to physically controlling her body learned to come to terms with her unstable mind. It is the story of a how a supreme competitor scored her most important victory of all—reclaiming her life from the ravages of an untreated mental illness. Today, thanks to diagnosis, therapy, Kelly has stepped into the shadows, but Suzy is building a better life, one day at a time. Sharing her story, Suzy is determined to raise awareness, provide understanding, and offer inspiration to others coping with their own challenges.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateSep 14, 2015
    ISBN9780062395337
    Author

    Suzy Favor Hamilton

    Suzy Favor Hamilton is a three-time Olympian for women's middle distance running. She is a sought-after public speaker—addressing eating disorders, mental illness, and the struggles that young athletes face—as well as a yoga instructor. Favor Hamilton lives in California and Wisconsin.

    Related to Fast Girl

    Related audiobooks

    Personal Memoirs For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Not That Story

      Oct 28, 2017

      Not That Story
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Man I Should Have Married

      Dec 29, 2019

      The Man I Should Have Married
      11 min read

    • Article

      Blonde BOMBSHELLS

      Feb 15, 2024

      Blonde BOMBSHELLS
      7 min read

    • Article

      Uncontrollable, Irrelevant

      Dec 6, 2022

      My sister called me the other day. She wanted to let me know that I had once more been merciless and cruel in my relations with our parents. “They say there’s a lot of anger in you,” she said. “It makes them mad. It hurts their feelings. They think y

      14 min read

    • Article

      Honeymoon

      Mar 15, 2019

      Honeymoon
      15 min read

    • Article

      The Missing Limousine

      Sep 28, 2021

      The Missing Limousine
      21 min read

    • Article

      A Dual Reckoning

      Mar 2, 2024

      A Dual Reckoning
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Dual Reckoning

      Mar 1, 2024

      A Dual Reckoning
      5 min read

    • Article

      Longer on Moon

      Sep 22, 2022

      Longer on Moon
      19 min read

    • Article

      Fashion Saved My Life

      Nov 9, 2019

      Fashion Saved My Life
      5 min read

    • Article

      Ladies’ Night

      Aug 15, 2023

      Ladies’ Night
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Joy Of Quitting

      May 19, 2019

      The Joy Of Quitting
      7 min read

    • Article

      Righteous

      Jan 22, 2019

      Righteous
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Duplex

      Jun 9, 2020

      I moved to Los Angeles to sing. When was this? August? June? I was twenty-nine, and those were shapeless months, when the days blended together and I refused to pull them apart. My landlord was unusually close to her adult son. His name was Jeffrey,

      21 min read

    • Article

      Vintage Femme

      Mar 20, 2020

      Vintage Femme
      5 min read

    • Article

      Deliverance Alley

      Mar 30, 2024

      Deliverance Alley
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Freshening

      Sep 15, 2018

      My cashier’s black hair was beautiful. Though not unlike mine, it was shinier and thicker, and hung glamorously down to her waist. It looked strong, too, like Christopher Reeve’s in the Superman movies. A strand of Superman’s silvery hair could hold

      21 min read

    • Article

      Surrender

      Aug 17, 2022

      IT WAS the late nineties. A kitchen floor upstairs in a place we rented on the corner of 53rd and San Pablo in Oakland. Days spent not giving up control, white-knuckling it, coming up with as many ideas, as many ways as I could to go visit my brother

      3 min read

    • Article

      ‘Lady in the Lake’: Featured Fiction from Laura Lippman

      Jul 23, 2019

      An excerpt from Lippman's latest, a sophisticated crime novel that captures the 1960s zeitgeist while painting a striking portrait of female ambition. The post ‘Lady in the Lake’: Featured Fiction from Laura Lippman appeared first on The Millions.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Dress Distress

      Jul 29, 2019

      i know some people dread shopping, but I’ve never been one of them. So when I got engaged and had both the reason and budget to buy myself a gorgeous gown, I was beyond ready. I never expected a fairy tale—I’d read stories of body shaming at posh bri

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Love Letter To My Queer Female Friends

      Apr 25, 2021

      I’m a sociable person. I have huge amounts of love for the people in my life; the ones I’ve known forever, the ones I’ve met this year, the ones I turn to for advice, the ones who lead me astray. The list goes on. Before corona (BC), it wasn’t unusua

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Fast Girl

    4/5

    124 ratings43 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      It wasn't what I expected. The author didn't take responsibility for her actions and I feel she wouldn't have stopped escorting if she wasn't caught. She's lucky to have an understanding and patient husband but I felt she was disrespectful to him and their marriage. But if he likes it, then I love it lol.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Not sure this is so much a story of a struggle with mental illness as it is a tribute and “brag” about the power and ego of a self proclaimed beauty. Lots of focus on how great she was at being an escort, and some forced remorse from being outed .
      Not what I expected at all.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I do wish it had been longer, but it was good overall. However, it is much darker than White's Paranormalcy series and doesn't have that same humor but that isn't a bad thing, just different.
    • 5/5
      Our battles are fought in many places, on the field, in our relationships, and in our minds. This autobiographical story let’s us into the mind of a woman who not only strives to be the best, but struggles with doubts and self talk that gives us all insight into how mental illness can effect anyone. I actually found myself wanting to know more about both mental illness and Suzy herself!!
    • 4/5
      This is a fast moving tale about two sisters, one a blind but gifted psychic (Annie) and the other a very well-trained spy (Fia). Neither had much of a choice--they have be abandoned by their family, and the "school" that they live at requires them to use their abilities to promote the unknown goals of the institution. As what is demanded of them becomes more dangerous and suspect, Fia uses her training to find a way out. There's a lot of pulse pounding action-- this book is a true psychological thriller that might surprise the fan's of the author's Paranormalcy series. This book has an edge, and I for one really enjoyed it.
    • 4/5
      Fia and Annie are sisters, both blessed (or cursed ?) with extraordinary abilities. Fia has strong instincts — able to feel out a situation and tell if it’s good or bad, right or wrong. Her intuition is so strong, she doesn’t even have to think about it before she knows. Annie is blind, but has the ability to see the future. These small snippets in time are both exciting and terrifying for her.Both of the sisters find themselves shipped off to a school for kids with special abilities. They think they can leave, but they’re wrong. The school uses their students to aid in corporate espionage, and Fia is their strongest weapon, but Fia wants nothing more than to get away. They’ve been using her for more dangerous tasks lately, and she’s mentally unbalanced because of it. She has to get away, but they’re holding Annie captive, threatening to harm, or even kill her, if Fia doesn’t cooperate. But Fia has a plan. She’s going to bring them all down if it’s the last thing she does.I really enjoyed the story that Ms. White constructed, and the world was intriguing. The settings were familiar, but the addition of the paranormal abilities added a new layer which made it feel fresh.The characters are all very well drawn, and while Annie is the more sympathetic of the two sisters, I found myself captivated by Fia. She was a mess with a capital “M”. The poor girl has endured so much at the hands of the people running the school. She’s completely frayed and straddles a fine line between keeping it together and totally losing it.The supporting characters are all just as strong and each of them held a very specific piece of the overall puzzle in their hands. I loved how they all came together, and I also loved that you never really knew which of them you could trust.The book alternates between Fia and Annie’s POV, and jumps between the past and the present so we get an overall view of the sisters and their story. The book is structured so that we only have as much information as we need to move forward. While it did get a bit confusing at times, it eventually all came together. The ending blew my mind. In fact, I had to read the last couple of chapters again just to make sure I hadn’t missed something.What I really liked about the book was the voice. Fia, as I mentioned earlier, is a mess. The poor girl has been forced to do some very questionable things (assassinations, etc) and her nerves are frayed. She is a bit OCD and the author captures her frantic state in a stream-of-conscious style of writing. In perfect contrast is Annie’s voice. She is calm and collected and her scenes told in a more structured way.I love a good secret-society/spy, good guy/bad guy story and this one had it in spades. It kept me guessing the entire time. It’s very fast paced, and the writing perfectly fits the state of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. I highly recommend this to fans of thrillers and the TV show, Alias. It’s a perfect blend of two things I love. As soon as I finished reading it, I pre-ordered a copy.Review based on an ARC courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      MIND GAMES was a heart-breaking yet hopeful story of two sisters—both with psychic gifts—who become the property of the Keane School where threats against each of them keeps the other bound. Annie is the older girl. She is blind yet she has a gift for seeing the future. It works best when she is seeing her sister Fia's future. She was eager to go to the school at first because they promised to educate her and possibly even cure her blindness. Her blindness to what is really going on at the school has less to do with her lack of vision and more to do with wishful thinking.Fia is the younger sister. She was tasked by her parents—before their deaths in a traffic accident—to take care of her sister. She has a much rarer and more desirable gift. When she is confronted with choices, she always picks the correct one. Fia is trained to be a killer and is used for corporate espionage and assassinations despite being only seventeen when the story takes place. The way she has been used has almost broken her mind. She is constantly angry and afraid for her sister. The third major character in the story is James who is the son of the Keane who is training and using the girls. James inherited the school from his mother who was the psychic who started the school in order to save psychic girls. She is dead now and James blames his father. At the same time, he seems to be a perfect son following his fathers. He is the most mysterious character in the book. Annie hates him and Fia is torn between hating him and loving him. The character who was the game changer was Adam. Fia was sent to kill him but couldn't follow through even though she knew it would likely cost Annie her life. When she found out that Annie was the one who targeted Adam in the first place, she felt betrayed. Annie had seen a vision that linked Adam with the deaths of some psychic girls. Adam was "rescued" by a group of people who were trying to save psychic girls before the Keane School acquires them. Adam is a brilliant young doctor and researcher who is studying brains to see if he can find out where psychic gifts come from. Fia likes him because he gives her a picture of what a normal life would be like.The style of the book required careful reading. The story was not told in a linear fashion. Each chapter jumped around in time and switched viewpoints between Annie and Fia. But every chapter helped build the sense of mystery and danger. Readers will engage with the characters and will want to follow along to see if Fia and Annie can ever have a happy ending.
    • 3/5
      When I found this book in my local library, I was very excited to read it. I'd heard plenty of glowing reviews about it, but what I got wasn't what I had been hoping for.

      Nothing really took hold of me and begged me to continue reading. The writing was simple - which is never really a bad thing, but there are books where I wish the writing was a little more descriptive and complex, and this was one of them - and the characters didn't feel very fleshed out.

      If a little more time had been given to this book, I know it would have been amazing.
    • 4/5
      Kiersten White's Paranormalcy books missed the mark for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by her newest offering, Mind Games. I think it was actually the UK title, Sister Assassins, that really caught my attention - because I'm obsessed with assassins, especially female assassins - though, after reading, I feel that Mind Games is a more fitting title.A detail that I feel I should touch on is that the book has been marketed as an "intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other," and while this may be technically true, I felt that the older sister, Annie, wasn't focused on nearly as much as Fia. I knew she was there in the plot, doing things, but I simply wasn't as concerned about her and I certainly wasn't as invested in her character.However, I really enjoy Fia as a character. She's a dangerously broken individual that has the potential to turn dark, but she's inherently good. Because she sometimes lapses into immaturity and shows unexpected emotion, emotion that is the very opposite of the cutthroat assassin she's been trained to be, it's easy to see the Fia she could have been if her life hadn't been hijacked by the mysterious group that runs the "school" she and Annie attend.The atmosphere of this novel (i.e. Fia, her boss, love interest, and the group that controls the sisters) are reminiscent of the characters and plot of shows like Alias and Nikita, which I think has a lot to do with why I liked Mind Games as much as I did. So many of the characters are more than they seem, hiding something, or have the potential to give into the power they yield and use it for evil rather than good. I feel that Mind Games is a great introduction to the world of Fia and Annie. The action had really picked up by the end of the novel, which I think bodes well for the next installment.
    • 5/5
      A uniquely different story, this intense thriller swept me off my feet. What I enjoyed most about this story is the way the plot is twisted. Firstly, it's told through two sisters caught in a web of deceit and power. These sisters carry a very powerful secrets that certain people would kill for. They had puppets being control by the ones they trust. To break out of their hold, these sisters fight against everything they have been taught and start playing a deadly game. The mind can be a very powerful weapon if you know how to use it. And this folks if why I fell hard for this book. The plot gripped me from the first page, my eyes scanning every word wanting more.There love interest is well not too developed yet. That's okay. There are so much lies on top if lies, the reader can't tell who to trust just yet. Still these sisters have a bond that is undestructible. The coolest part is when these sisters start to play they game, they are right on target with every move, sacrificing for one another.The other thing about this book that can be a bit confusing is the going back and forth between sisters and time. At first, I didn't think I could handle it but after reading more into the story and allowing myself to be comfortable with it, I got it. Ms. White did a fantastic job in getting the reader to see where she is going. You have to know the past to see the future. And yes, this too hook me in real quick.Mind Games is an awesome story that falls together beautifully. The thrill of playing a game and feeding lies, fuels my excitement even more. These sisters deliver a successful tale that kicks off the series with a bang. Nothing short of spectacular, Mind Games is stunning!
    • 5/5
      Amazing story. I finished this book so fast! I'm sad it's over. Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      Excellent. Sexy. Shocking. Truth. Whoa. Our MINDS are a crazy and complex thing!
    • 3/5
      In short: Mind Games by Kiersten White was too underdeveloped to reach its full potential.If the majority of the book blogging community tells me a book and author are good and well worth the read, I listen. Such is how Paranormalcy by Kiersten White came to be on my TBR. While I haven't actually had the time yet to read Paranormalcy, it was made evident to me that Kiersten White has a talent for writing fun and engaging stories. So when the opportunity arose to read Mind Games, I was very eager. And who wouldn't be? Kiersten White had shown again that she can come up with entertaining concepts with her assassinating-sisters-with-superpowers storyline. But while I found the premise of Mind Games to be very exciting, my first experience with Kiersten White's writing wasn't ideal.Told through alternating and indistinguishable first person points of view between sisters Fia and Annie, as well as alternating past and present time periods, I found Mind Games to be pretty confusing at times. The sisters have the same random and scattered kind of voice that was difficult to differentiate. The flashbacks take up a considerable portion of the book and seemed to be largely unnecessary and lacked any real cohesion to the plot at hand. I am a bit conflicted about Kiersten White's writing. It was incredibly disjointed and while I thought that worked quite well as a reflection of Fia's deteriorating mental stability, it wasn't the nicest to read. More often than not, it was just annoying.I was excited to read a book where the main relationship would be based on the sisterly bond between Fia and Annie. The problem was, while we were told time and time again that the sisters have such a strong bond and would do absolutely anything to protect each other, I saw little actual evidence of that in Mind Games. On the romantic side of relationships in Mind Games, there is a love triangle and it was as lacklustre and unnecessary as most love triangles are. I wasn't really a fan of the characters themselves either. Like I mentioned earlier, their narratives were pretty indistinguishable from each other and I never formed any sort of connection with either of them. If there had been more differentiation and more development in their characterization however, I think I could have come to like them as I can see potential there.And that's the thing: I could see a lot of untapped potential in Mind Games. The plot would have been pretty awesome had it been more fleshed out and not relied on all those unnecessary flashbacks. The characters' abilities were actually really interesting, but I don't believe they were used to their full potential. At 250 pages - a good chunk of which were the aforementioned pointless flashback scenes - I believe Mind Games was too short and sorely underdeveloped. I read in an interview with Kiersten White that she wrote the first draft of Mind Games in nine days and - very sorry to say this - but it kind of showed. I'm still committed to trying out Paranormalcy at some point though and I hope I respond more positively to Kiersten White's writing then!
    • 5/5
      Sisters Annie and Fia couldn't be more different. Annie, who lost her sight when she was young, is mild mannered and sweet. Her visions of the future allow her glimpses of sight. Fia is fiery and impulsive. Her ability is having perfect intuition. All of her gut feelings and first impressions end up being correct. So, when the Keane Institution offers Annie a full scholarship and tempts her with the possibility of restoring her sight, Fia knows something is wrong. Of course, Fia is right and, after her own ability is discovered, the Institute focuses their attention on her, using Annie and her safety as leverage to manipulate Fia. Fia will do everything and anything to keep Annie safe, including picking stocks and planting bombs, effectively trapping them both as pawns for the Keane Institute. She will have to do something drastic and completely unexpected to get out from their influence or she and Annie will do their dirty work for the rest of their lives.I didn't expect a lot from Mind Games, but it surprised me. The cover doesn't really represent the story very well, so it is much darker and more intense than it appears. The Keane Institute is an ominous and frightening place that at first appears so welcoming and warm to the young people that come to them for education or an escape from their lives. After it ensnares the unsuspecting prey, they drop the facade and use immoral tactics to get their subjects to do whatever they want. These subjects have special powers, split into three categories of Seers, Feelers, and Readers, that can be used to further the Keane Institutes influence in big ways with acts of murder, espionage, and manipulation. As the novel moves along, the Institute reveals itself to reach further than Annie and Fia thought possible. That place is horrible and so easy to hate. The book is frustrating in a good way because these two girls are trapped so perfectly and I just want them to have normal lives away from the evil clutches of megalomaniac corporations. The characters are vibrant and realistic. Fia is my favorite character by far. She is so broken and hurt, yet incredibly dangerous. She's an orphan who has only Annie as family, so she's fiercely and sometimes violently protective of her sister. Fia has been manipulated into committing the most heinous acts and lied to for years, so her mental state is not the best. Kiersten White does a wonderful job of capturing her frenetic and unfocused mental state through stream of consciousness writing during her chapters of the novel. Her relationship with Annie is complex. They obviously love each other, but resentment festers because Annie ignored Fia's misgivings about the Institute. Annie, although very sweet and much more mild than her sister, has a manipulative streak. She desperately wants to get her and her sister free from the Institute, but she's willing to allow her sister to be used as a pawn and others to be hurt and even killed to do it. She isn't all sweetness and light like she appears. Mind Games is a fast paced paranormal read with an ending I didn't see coming. The narration jumps between the past and present and between the two sisters' point of view. I liked piecing together the whole picture bit by bit until everything became clear. The romance and small love triangle are surprisingly enjoyable and didn't detract from the main focus of the story. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next.
    • 5/5
      I was really excited about the book when I first heard about it. But then the reviews started to come in, and a lot of them weren't so good. But I'm very happy that I decided to read it because I loved it. First off, White gets bonus points for having some of the setting in St. Louis. That never seems to happen, so that was really fun to read for me. I really liked how the story alternated between Fia and Annie and between the past and present. I went into the book knowing that this could possibly get confusing, but it wasn't at all. I really liked that something would be brought up during the present, and then it would switch to the past to explain what they just brought up. Like, Fia would mention a character was dead during the present, and then it would switch to the past and explain how the character died. It was very interesting because it's not something I see in books often. Fia is such a messed up character, it was fascinating to read about. There's such a big difference from the way Fia acts and thinks to the way Annie does. It really shows just how messed up Fia really is. Especially with all the tap tap taps. That's another think I was worried about. I knew there were a lot of tap, tap, taps and repitition of words, that I was afraid it would get on my nerves. But it didn't, it made Fia that much more interesting. Also, THE ENDING, I think I know what happened, but then... WHAT?
    • 5/5
      I love Mind Games!

      It was action-packed from start to end. I read it in one sitting, never wanting to put the book down until I finish it. I liked Fia and I like the author's writing style. I will definitely get the next book!
    • 2/5
      Ugh, you guys. I was so excited for this pretty much until I started reading it. I mean, that cover! Also, I enjoyed the first two Paranormalcy books, though in Endlessly Lend and Evie went way over my sap-tolerance. Here's the thing: the best part of Paranormalcy is the humor; it may not be good literature or amazing writing, but Evie is funny. Neither Fia nor Annie has a sense of humor, and, without it, the book relies heavily on White's writing and plotting, which turns out not to be a great thing.

      Sometimes when a book disappoints me, I leave feeling angry. I am pissed off for days that the marketing tricked me into reading something so awful. In this case, I really do not have any bad feelings towards Mind Games at all. This may be, in fact, the most meh I have ever felt upon finishing a book. I can almost feel the novel draining out of my head as I type this, so I should probably type with alacrity. Basically, this book bored me, from beginning to end (with brief breaks to annoy me). Despite its brevity, it took three days for me to finish because any distraction would be more interesting.

      On the plus side, Mind Games starts off with a bang. Fia is an assassin, sent to complete a mission. Unfortunately, her mission turns out to be a cute guy who likes puppies, so she cannot follow through. This would be cheesy, except that saving him writes a death warrant for herself and her blind sister, Annie, with her employers. Even worse, three goons are chasing her and the guy, Adam. The opening scene catches the readers attention and creates a lot of curiosity about what precisely is going on.

      Honestly, I'm torn on the writing. Personally, I really do not like it, because repetition and simplistic sentences bother me. However, I do give Kiersten White full credit for writing two disparate, easily-distinguished two person narratives. What really irritates me about the writing, primarily Fia's narrative, is the repetition. This done stylistically, though, so, if this does not bother you, then I suspect you will enjoy the writing. Here are a couple of samples from the ARC, so you can see what I mean, though note that they could be changed before publication:

      "He's still helping the puppy, untangling the leash from a tree its owner tied it to outside the bar. And he's not only setting it free, he's talking to it. I can't hear the words but I can see in the puppy's tail that, however he's talking, he's talking just right, all tender sweet cheerful comfort as his long fingers deftly untwist and unwind and undo my entire day, my entire life."

      "Oh no. Oh no, oh no. I didn't do it. I didn't kill Adam. He's sitting next to me, driving (I let him drive? Why did I let him drive?) and very much alive."

      The plotting and world building confound me at many points, which is not something I say often. Two main things I really do not get: the school and the seers. First off, we've got these people with powers (like seers and readers), and some evil dude is collecting them into this school so he can use them for his nefarious purposes. We learn nothing about how this school started or where the powers came from. Perhaps more frustrating, Fia has a unique power, perfect instincts, but we never learn if there are other rare powers or if she's just that special.

      Throughout the novel, much is made of the seers and how Fia is the only one who can possibly do anything they cannot see in advance. She has this capability because she acts on her perfect instincts. Since she acts impulsively, they cannot ever see her future, since it is not set. That sort of makes sense, except that she makes longer-range plans all the time. Maybe one instinctual decision in the middle prevents the seers from picking up on her endgame? I mean, in the, admittedly surprising, conclusion, she had a plan and they would have seen it; that was not instinct. This whole thing reminds me a lot of Minority Report. All of this might not bother people who do not feel the need to focus so much on nitty gritty details. For me, nothing made any sense, though I may be trying to apply logic where it's not meant to be.

      Mind Games would benefit from characterization. Fia is the only one I know too much about, and the only one to really receive any back story, despite the fact that the flashbacks should give a lot more of a view into Annie and James, too. Fia never coalesces into a distinct person. She does a lot of things and feels a lot of things that never really seem to add up the way one might expect. Her motivations are often unclear, such as why a certain incident made her start tap tap tapping. I do like Fia's love of dancing, and that no one ever shames her for loving that or wearing sexy clothes. However, I do not care for Fia's desire to belong to James, like a pair of headphones or something; this seems both out of character and really backward. Everyone else is one-note. James is sexy and dangerous. Annie is blind and helpless. Cole has stubble. Eden is awful. Adam is sweet and loves puppies.

      The portrayal of Annie upsets me the most. For all that the book should be equally about her (the UK version is even titled Sister Assassins), she has no role in the novel but to be the albatross around Fia's neck. Every single horrible thing in Fia's life happens because she has to watch out for Annie. Both of them feel this. Annie never does anything; even when she makes up her mind to make a change, her role in that change is entirely passive. Her visions of the future, too, should give her some power, but she always messes up, never leverages them properly. Characters should not exist solely to be a burden. The portrayal of Annie's character depresses me.

      Much as this book bores me, I have no doubt that other readers will squee all over it. If you like the writing samples above and will not be digging around looking for plot holes, you can probably sit back and be entertained. If you're more like me, read a sample before spending your hard-earned money.
    • 5/5
      I am so glad I was willing to look past many of the negative reviews of thus book as I found it lovely. It was an amazing book about one individual's journey through life as a very high profile athlete and mental illness. I too suffered from bipolar and fortunately I never went undiagnosed as long as she did. I loved how blunt she was about everything. This was one of the most real stories about mental illness that I have come across in a long time........ If you are looking for your typical story about a celebrity suffering from mental becoming a damsel in distress begging for everyone's forgiveness then this might not be the book for you. Some say she comes off cold, making excuses, thinking she is the worse mother & wife ever but those who say this are clearly very judgmental. Have no idea what it's like to live with mental illness, could clearly never survive a day in her shoes. So glad I didn't take most of the reviews of this book at face value. That I chose to read this and or, ,y own thoughts!!!! Loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who would like a very honest view of whet it's like to live with untreated bipolar! I Thank you for writing this book, not holding back. I also thank your family for sharing their side of this journey with you/ with us
    • 5/5
      Oh… I’m mad. I was not ready for this book to be over. I was just catching up to speed… This is going to take some time. I can’t just exit this book and live my life. I keep trying to pick it back up again. Maybe I can read it again right away? No… it would be a totally different experience. Rats.This book is called Mind Games. Be warned. It messes with your head. It’s told from two different perspectives and hops through time all over the place. I learned to pay attention to the title headings. Just ‘cause we get to hop back in time 10 years and see why Fia or Annie is about to make a choice I would not have understood otherwise... does not mean I could let go of the current story. White had me keeping my place… all over. By the time everything began clicking into place, I had all ten fingers holding important mental notes. Argh!!! I am so invested in these girls!!!! It’s not fair this book ends!!!Don’t get me wrong. It ends absolutely perfectly. I just… I just didn’t see it coming.Let me back up a bit.I started this book (thank you to Edelweiss) on my Nook at night. I read a chapter here, a chapter there… a paragraph here, a kiss there… and then it starts picking up speed. The weight of every new thing I learned doubled the intensity of the moment until I was snowballing downhill and could. not. stop. I could not put this book down. Which reminds me… I had to when it ended. WHY DID IT HAVE TO END?!?! Darn it. I am not ready to move on, yet.Fia is… well, she has my heart completely. She is so kick-butt awesome for reasons that unfold slowly, so I can’t say, but she’s not someone to mess with. Only she’s disturbed, twisted, mentally ill… unhealthy. She hates doing anything that is wrong and I could FEEL it when I read from her POV. The “wrong” rubbed me backwards, too, until I was squirming in her head. The most destructive wrong is the one she won’t let go of… her blind sister, Annie.Annie seems so much more stable at first. Her unhealthiness is revealed in spoon-size bits. I was so ready to trust Annie when Fia turned out so upside-down, but I was quick to grasp at Fia’s sanity after seeing more of Annie’s ‘cause… OMG… Annie is just as strong as her sister, but she’s willing to go places… that just… OMG.And yet… I love, LOVE both of them. A lot. So much. And I can’t believe the book ended!!!!!!There are two great guys. Adam is amazing right from the first pages.Whereas James is a magnet – either impossible to resist or completely repulsive. Most often both at the same time through alternating sister’s perceptions. I can’t think of another guy in fiction who I have felt so strongly towards on both extremes. I wanted him as far away as possible… and then I needed to see him again.*snort* Mind Games.I suppose the title is appropriate, although it just doesn’t hint at the greatness inside. “Games” implies light-heartedness, even if the face looks dead serious. The colors, too… don’t trust the pretty colors. Don’t start this book unless you have time to read it, ‘cause it… demands your emotions and chess-playing skills. It’s like a cross between Shatter Me and Graceling. Only beautifully unique. I am throwing myself at the pedestal of Kiersten White… she has a new devoted (slightly insane) fan for life whether she likes it or not.But why did it have to end?!?!
    • 3/5
      The Good Stuff Fascinating and unique premise Enjoyed the bond between the sisters, both of them wanting to protect the other was a nice change of pace for someone who spends her day trying to keep her kids from killing each other White's delightfully snarky sense of humour (wish there was so much more) Liked the ending (may check out the sequel) James is an intriguing character - want to know more about him The Not So Good Stuff I wanted so much to love this, as the premise was intriguing and I love Kiersten, but just couldn't get into this one Repetitive - this might have worked better as a short story This could be a fantastic book with more time and energy - think it was churned out too fast Didn't feel connected to any of the characters Jumpy and vague Almost gave up on this one on many occasions Favorite Quotes/Passages "I'd really like to look at your brain," Adam says.I snort. "That has got to be the weirdest thing anyone has ever said to me."“Their smiles are lies.Most smiles are.” “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does anyone give a crap?" I mutter.” 2.5 Dewey's I won this from HarperTeen on Twitter - Sorry guys I really, really, really wanted to love it. Don't worry Kiersten, I will still scoop up your next book, this one just wasn't my cup of tea.
    • 3/5
      This is one of those books that I find so hard to review and rate. I adored the first book in Kiersten White's other series. It is quite obvious that this author has a brilliant mind brimming with great plot ideas and "Mind Games" did indeed have a wonderful premise. She is also a fine writer but the style she used for "Mind Games" just didn't work. Not only does the story alternate between the viewpoints of two sisters, Fia and Annie, but it also jumps time frames. Sometimes the chapters are told in the present and then it jumps to years in the past, then it jumps to 15 months ago and so on. Basically the reader has to try to keep the timeline straight as the read and it was more difficult to do so than it should have been. Had the story all taken place in the present and maybe had a brief synopsis of their backstory I believe this would have been a stronger novel. If more back story was needed, it could have been issued as one of those short extra books that are all the rage in the digital book world right now. The basic concept is that Annie is blind but gets flashes of visions where she can see people and events. Fia gets hunches that tell her what to pick when choices are available and the girl is practically never wrong. When their parents pass away the girls find themselves being offered placement in a school for girls which supposedly will help Annie with her blindness but really the school is very sinister. What they force Fia to do to protect her sister is positively shocking. So yes, the story is there and it is interesting but the executiion was off. I don't think that I would continue this series.
    • 4/5
      Highly Recommended Mind Games is the first of a two book series. Sophia (Fia) and Annie are the main characters in this story and the tag line totally sums of the feeling of the book “They stole her past. She won’t let them take her future.” Fia and Annie’s parents died, leaving them with an Aunt who did not want them. A representative from a school for disabled girls comes with promises of a free education, a free place to live and free college. It is too good to be true. But Annie really wants to go because she is blind and has not had very many opportunities. Fia gets a bad feeling, but goes because it will make Annie happy. Annie sees visions of the future and it’s discovered that Fia can make the right choice in most situations. Because of this, she is trained to be a spy and an assassin. She is deeply unhappy and only doing it to protect Annie because they are both being blackmailed by the Keane Corporation. The shocking ending leaves you wanting more.I thought this was a stand alone book at first, until I read the author’s website. This book has elements of paranormal thriller, romance and mystery. James and Fia have a thing going, even though Fia believes he is a puppet for his father. Fia loves to go clubbing because the loud music lets her be free and not worry about the outside world and having to protect her sister. There is drinking, drugs, non-detailed sex and murder scenes in this novel. I think it’s fine for a high school library, but middle school librarians need to make the decision based on their population.I like how the author used Fia’s and Annie’s voice in alternating chapters. The time also bounces around from past and present. It might be difficult for some struggling readers to keep that straight. My thoughts were that this could be a good book for a high school book club. It has the potential for good student led discussions. It’s definitely a good addition to the paranormal collection. It would also make a good cross curricular connection with Visual Arts and English classes in that the mosaic of the chapters/writing are very nicely illustrated on a mosaic on the book cover.
    • 4/5
      So I'm not going to write a full review for this one since a lot has already been said and I'm behind the times, however here are some thoughts:

      -Fia's narration is very stream-of-consciousness and I think that will bother some people, but I loved it.
      -Fia is quite broken and I'm a fan of anti-heroes and liked her a lot.
      -The world-building is a little weak since we don't find out where the powers come from, but it felt natural to me since Annie and Fia had a lot of other things to worry about. I could see this being developed in future books. There is an explanation for how the school came to be, even though it's brief ;-).
      -I loved Annie and Fia's relationship, both because it was nice for a sisterly relationship to be the driving factor in a story and because Annie's blindness added a whole new protective dynamic that pulled at my heart.
      -There is kind of a love triangle, but it worked for me which is rare. The two guys are very different and reflect the two people Fia could be: the ruthless killer she is now or the sane girl she used to be and wants to recover.
      -I liked the time jumps and perspective switches that kept some of the mystery but slowly filled things in. It was a lot better than the characters just rehashing the past in order to let the reader in on it.

      And now I must go read Perfect Lies!
    • 3/5
      I know a lot of reviews said that they didn't care for the switching back and forth between annie and fia and the the constant past experiences but i loved how that was set up. I adore Fia and feel sorry for her for all she has been through but man she is one crazy chick..
    • 5/5
      I love a good sister story. Especially one as crazy and intense as MIND GAMES, the latest from Kiersten White. MIND GAMES is the story of two orphaned girls, who lost their parents at a young age and have since been at an exclusive boarding school where older sister Annie is getting special treatments for her blindness and younger sister Fia is, well, mostly miserable. But she'll do anything for Annie, which is what the folks running the school are counting on.Now a trained assassin, Fia is on what should be a simple mission. Take out some guy, go back home to Annie, and hopefully not have to get blood on her hands again any time soon. But things get complicated when she accidentally warms up to the target, saves him from a couple other thugs, and tells him to go into hiding. Meanwhile, Annie is doing her best to stay under the radar back at the school, where the powers that be are doing everything they can to exploit her talent. Annie is a seer, and, surrounded by girls with other talents, there aren't a lot of secrets she can keep. Which is why she and Fia have never been able to escape. But now that the game has changed, they may have no choice. They'll have to befriend the boss-man's son, subvert the Readers, and maybe even lie to each other if they want to survive.MIND GAMES is a fun, fast-paced read, elegantly written and absolutely thrilling. This is the kind of book that you can't put down not only because of the suspense, but because of the delicious language and fantastic characters. I'm looking forward to further books in this series. These sisters will not soon be forgotten.
    • 2/5
      This book was not what I expected...I couldn't relate to any of the characters and I found myself annoyed at many spots in the book. The novel has two POVs and it switches from past to present, which made everything very confusing. I think that the concept is interesting, but it wasn't developed well. I will not be reading the sequel.My Goodreads: fantasticalcatherine
    • 4/5
      Plot: 4 stars
      Characters: 3 stars
      Style: 5 stars
      Pace: 4 stars

      There's something about the voice in this one that had me from page one. It made for a VERY quick read, maybe 2 hours total start to finish, but delicious anyway. Cotton candy with complexity, it sucked me in and made me want more. That's really all I ask of YA these days.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: Two sisters, both broken and fighting for each other’s well being, are controlled by a company that uses girls like them as spies. A nonstop action fantasy that will have your mind reeling.Opening Sentence: My dress is black and itchy and I hate it.The Review: This psychological thriller is cleverly written from the conscious of a girl who has perfect instincts and her blind sister that can see the future. Fia and Annie are each other’s weaknesses. Fia can’t escape the so called school that uses her ability as a spy because her sister is stuck at the school. Annie can’t leave the school for fear they might do something even worse to Fia. Both depend on each other, but both can’t live freely unless the other one is gone. Narrated from both Fia and Annie’s point of view in the past and present, this story has everything you could ever want in a paranormal book.Kiersten White’s style can only be described as the actual thoughts of a teenage girl. No average person speaks to themselves in complete sentences, so neither does Fia. Our minds repeat things unconsciously. So does Fia’s. Annie’s mind goes a mile a minute worrying over her sister, and so does the text. This is what I loved about White’s writing. It’s similar to Tahereh Mafi’s style of writing, although not always so broken.Not only is the writing superb, but the plot is intricate and you will never see the end coming. Fia is so much more than the girl in the very first chapter. She’s broken and torn and tired, but she refuses to leave her sister behind, even if it will be the end of her. With perfect instincts, Fia can be used to choose the best stocks, fight (and always win) and even kill. Her ability allows her to escape the sight of those who can see the future, and she uses that to her advantage. Fia is well developed and usually is the one that gives you no clues into what will happen next.Annie, on the other hand, gets on my nerves. Everything she did in the past was for herself and not even thinking about Fia. As someone who is blind, but can still see what the future gives her glimpses, Annie isn’t as useful has Fia. She may be the only one who can see her sister every now and then, but she’s also the leverage the school has over Fia. Although she tries to fix what happened in the past, everything she does seems to contradict whatever Fia does to protect them. By the end of the book, I appreciate her, but it takes some time for me to not want to scream at her to wake up to her surroundings.Overall, I loved this book – from the characters to the plot to the clever writing. BUT there is a cliffhanger at the very end that I am very frustrated with, but it isn’t quite torture. Yet another year to wait for the next installment…Notable Scene: “You’re okay,” I say, my shoulders slumping with relief. No, not relief yet. I turn and Sandy blond has his phone out, so I use the stun gun on him too. He goes down faster than Cole. Dark hair is pale and vacant with shock, holding his leg, totally unaware of anything around him. He needs better training.I drop that stun gun into my purse and pick it up off the ground, then turn back to Adam. He’s staring at me funny. Well, why wouldn’t he be? I’ve shown him what my hands can do, and a small, worn-down part of me mourns that he won’t think he wants to hold them anymore. I feel like I’ve lost something, but that’s stupid. I lost it all a long time ago.“I thought he shot you,” I say.“Fia,” he says, his voice strangled. He’s not meeting my eyes, looking down instead. “He shot you.”I look down, too, and he’s wrong, there are no holes in my body, but then I look to the left and my blue sleeve is soaked dark with blood and then burning (Horrible ripping tearing burning) comes, focused where the bullet went through my upper arm but radiating out through my whole left side.Well, crap.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Mind Games. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 2/5
      I couldn't finish this novel. There are other books by White that I really like, but this one just falls short. I've read almost half of the book, and most of it has been spent describing two girls who are sisters, each with their own unique mental ability. The girls are being kept at a "school" where they were sent after their parents died. Constant flashbacks throughout the book tell the backstory of how and why they ended up as slaves for an organization that uses both girls to meet their own needs. There seems to be no way out for these girls, and even if there is, the possibility of a normal or even happy life seems impossible. I'm not particularly fond of either main character or the boys that are becoming part of their lives. It is simply an unhappy story about unhappy people living in an unhappy world. Very depressing and not much fun to read.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant ???????
      Bold
      Brave
      Beautiful
      Engaging
      Well written
      Well read