Review: Perfect Lies (Mind Games #2) by Kiersten White

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

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Source: Own

Review:
The Mind Games duology has a lot of flaws (next to zero world building, odd structure and dialogue) yet I’m totally captivated by the characters and want to know more about them.

There are a lot of series out there that say they are about family or that they don’t focus on the romance...but let’s face it – it’s about the romance. But Mind Games, & now Perfect Lies, truly is about two sisters who will do anything to save each other. There is a romantic element, and it drives many of the characters decisions, but it never overwhelms the story. At the heart of this series is Fia and Annie's relationship.

You do need to read Mind Games first. Perfect Lies isn’t a book you can jump into cold turkey. Even having read the first book last year, I had forgotten things and it took me about 50 pages to come up to speed. A re-read might be in order if you’re forgetful like me.

Annie plays a bigger role this time. I found her a little boring in Mind Games but it was nice to see her come into her own this time. I had thought the romance was going to head in one direction with her but it didn’t and I loved how it turned out. Very sweet.

Fia. She’s still hanging by a thread. Being in Fia’s head is nerve wracking and intense. She is one step away from being completely unhinged and you’re right there with her. Her nervous tapping and tics are a little less prominent this time around but if they annoyed you before, that will probably still be the case here. It’s very similar to Juliette in Shatter Me. But where I find Juliette self absorbed and thinking mostly of herself, I feel empathy for Fia. Everything is about Annie’s safety. EVERYTHING. If all her sacrifices don’t keep Annie safe, then what was it all for? Has she turned into a monster for nothing?

Her intense feelings for James are both sad and scary. If he lets her down, who will be her anchor? I was torn between wanting love to overcome all and yelling at Fia to get away from him.

There are several new characters that add depth to Fia and Annie. It allows us to see another side of them. A softer side of Fia - a stronger side to Annie. James is still… unapologetically James.

I love how this series walks that line of morality. There is a lack of background to anyone who is not Annie or Fia – that’s a major flaw – but it also allows you the moral ambiguity to shift your opinion of the characters actions. They all do bad things but is it for good reasons? Only you can decide because honestly it could go either way. Another author might have let you off the hook but White doesn’t.

Final thoughts: There were shifting time lines that confused the crap out of me, there isn’t really much in the way of world building or back story for the supporting cast. It’s frustrating and was one of my big complaints with Mind Games too. If you can handle it or enjoy that type of book then I still highly recommend this duology.

I LOVED the ending. It’s so perfect for both girls and not something that usually happens in YA.