WARNING: This book is intended for ADULT audiences. There are graphic scenes of rape and violence. Mind Games is the sequel to Survival Games. Set five years after the events of Survival Games, Mind Games continues the story of Jessica and Tom and their attempts to put their shattered lives together. They are doing well until a face from their past confinement shows up into their lives with a message. Ty, now known as Chris makes an appearance and their lives change.Mind Games is not as dark as its predecessor. This book was difficult for me to read. It is not a book that I would have actively sought out to read. Parts of the story were quite graphic and I had to step back and take a break. Yet, something compelled me to continue reading and to finish the book. Here’s what I liked:1) The paranormal elements – Jessica and her son Eric have a psychic ability. Jessica can heal and Eric can read minds. During her imprisonment in the previous book, a part of Jessica’s ability was transferred to Ty (who became Chris in this book).2) Chris’ use of his psychic ability. Chris really did some awful things in the previous book. Through Jessica, he got a second chance at life. He warned Jessica that her daughter was ill. Later on in the book he seeks to redeem himself by helping out others in trouble, vigilante style. Each time he helps someone out, his powers increase. I found it ironic that Chris became more and more of a superhero as the story progressed, whereas Tom who played a superhero on TV became less of a hero in Jessica’s life.3) The book read like a horror novel. It truly had some horrifying sequences involving mirrors. Scary!4) The author had the ability to make you despise a character, even when that character was a ghost. Likewise, the author had the ability to make me feel sympathetic to a character that I should have despised.5) An interesting ethical question arose – You and your wife were kidnapped and endured horrible things 5 years ago while being filmed and a reporter has gotten a hold of the video and has written a screenplay. She has asked you to play the villain (you were the victim). Do you? Would you do it for $30 million?I did not like the characters. I absolutely hated Jessica. I did not like her choices, even though I understood them. Yes, she was damaged. Yes, she was a victim. But really – have some sense of self preservation. I hated how she vacillated between the men in her life, her infidelity, and her reasoning. Jessica’s husband Tom was equally irritating. I was so disappointed in him. He should have protected Jessica. He should have fought for her. He should have taken care of Jessica and her children. Again, his choices were just plain wrong.The character that I should have detested – Chris – I ended up appreciating him the most. He had the ability to protect Jessica although at a price. I really did like his softer touches when he helped out a drug addict, even paying for the rehab. It seemed to me that he was trying to atone for his crimes.All in all, a compelling, suspenseful read, though difficult due to the subject matter.
