Mind Games (The Disillusionists, #1) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Oct 03, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-copy, vigilante, psychic, redhead, quirky-humor, favorites, 2011-reading, urban-fantasy, superhuman, hero-or-heroine-mentally-ill

With Mind Games, Carolyn Crane somehow manages to take the common tropes of female lead urban fantasy and turn them askew in a very appealing fashion. This book has no vampires, werewolves, or faeries. Nope. All humans here. Even if they are humans who can use their minds in ways that you didn't even really consider possible.

This book took a while to get going. I think it took me about 60 or more pages before I felt invested. After that point, I was engaged. Beforehand, I had to process Ms. Cran With Mind Games, Carolyn Crane somehow manages to take the common tropes of female lead urban fantasy and turn them askew in a very appealing fashion. This book has no vampires, werewolves, or faeries. Nope. All humans here. Even if they are humans who can use their minds in ways that you didn't even really consider possible.

This book took a while to get going. I think it took me about 60 or more pages before I felt invested. After that point, I was engaged. Beforehand, I had to process Ms. Crane's writing style and what she trying to accomplish with this book. However, I came out of this book so emotionally invested, my stomach was hurting.

Justine is like a modern girl in her 20s. Dealing with identity issues, trying to make her relationship work with her boyfriend that she feels can give her a normal life, and working a job to make a living. But on top of that, is Justine's uncontrollable hypochondria. She is convinced that she will succumb to the Vein Star syndrome that killed her mother, who was also a hypochondriac. When she meets an absurdly gorgeous red-headed man with green eyes in a restaurant called Mongolian Delites, she discovers that there is a way to deal with her crippling health anxiety. Pass it onto other people. The delish red-head is named Packard, and he runs a group of people with mental issues, or abilities, if you will, called Disillusionists. They help to reform criminals by passing on their mental issues until the criminal breaks down and reboots, becoming an effective member of society. Justine thinks it's a load of junk, but she notices that for the first time in her life, after sharing energy spheres with Packard, that she isn't weighted down by her health anxieties. She begins to crave that release, and before she knows it, she's in. That doesn't mean she wants to give up her ideas for the 'perfect normal life'. She's got her exit strategy firmly in mind. Little does she know that she won't easily be able to part ways from the Disilliusionist crew and Packard's sphere of influence.

This is one book that sure is hard to analyze and rate for me. First of all, with the slow start, it makes it hard to qualify for a five star rating. However, it was very fascinating once it got going. I also loved the quirky, odd humor, and the off-the-beaten path characters. I am quite fascinated with the exploration of powers of the mind, and I like the fact that Carolyn Crane wrote a story in the urban fantasy genre that lives in this sphere. I also liked the superhero-y vibe of the story. Not the cape-wearing types, but the idea of super-powered humans who can use their mind to accomplish a variety of tasks. The whole deal with Packard and his imprisonment was brilliant and novel. This element is what had me clicking in my seatbelt to hang on for the book ride. In other words, that switch got flipped and I was 'in.' I like that Justine is refreshingly human in her anxieties, fears, desires, and her convictions to do the right thing, the best way she can. She might come off as whiny, but people who struggle with anxieties will surely get her. I know I did.

On the downside, I am just not a fan of the love triangle, and Ms. Crane throws a whopper here. This element caused me the most of my emotional angst when I read this story, and was part of why I couldn't put it down. Packard is my man! He is the kind of guy that makes a girl want to fan herself. I have this deliciously mind-numbing image of him in my head that I can't shake. Normally, I am so not the date the boss girl, but I'd make an exception for this hottie. No question about it. For me, there was no dilemma on who she should choose. I knew who I wanted to be the main man for Justine. Even though Justine had the hots for Otto Sanchez, and intellectually he seems right for her, and they have some pretty intense passion between them, my heart doesn't feel it. I think Otto is a very charismatic guy, but maybe a bit too charismatic. I like Packard's messy energy, his slightly anguished mien, his insight into people, and his conviction in himself, his crew, and his mission. I like that he gets Justine in all her messiness. I don't think what he did was right, but that doesn't mean he can't be the right guy for Justine. To me, Otto is more of a wish fulfillment ideal. I liked how the love triangle tied into the story very intrinsically. Justine truly faced a moral dilemma here. Which man did she owe her loyalty to? It wasn't just about what she wanted for herself, and that was an effective way to handle the storyline, on the part of the author.

I feel that Ms. Crane has a very good concept here, and this book just touches the surface. I want to see where she goes with this series, because it has a lot of promise. The characters are quirky and engaging, the humor is witty and odd-ball, and at times just on the urbane side of raunchy, which really works for me. I had a lot of fun reading this, and it got me thinking about the idea of what superheroes and supervillains are. Also about how the world processes and addresses criminality and what can cause a truly bad person to seem like someone you could have sympathy for.

There is a lot to like here with this book, and it is a fresh, interesting offering to the urban fantasy genre. That's why I would give it 4.5 stars. ...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Colette rated it it was amazing

I love it when I'm proved wrong by a book. When I first saw this book reviewed by Mandi at Smexybooks I thought, no this isn't the book by me. I said the same thing after I read Donna's review at Fantasy Dreamer Ramblings-but her review was so convincing that I thought I had to give this book a try. I'm so glad that I did. I found a great new author in Carolyn Crane.

Justine Jones is a hypochondriac whose biggest fear is that she'll get what's called the vein star syndrome, and that fear is contr I love it when I'm proved wrong by a book. When I first saw this book reviewed by Mandi at Smexybooks I thought, no this isn't the book by me. I said the same thing after I read Donna's review at Fantasy Dreamer Ramblings-but her review was so convincing that I thought I had to give this book a try. I'm so glad that I did. I found a great new author in Carolyn Crane.

Justine Jones is a hypochondriac whose biggest fear is that she'll get what's called the vein star syndrome, and that fear is controlling everything in her life. It's also causing trouble with her boyfriend and makes it hard to work at her boring retail job. While she is out to dinner with her boyfriend, she meets the mysterious Packard. He offers her a chance for normalcy-all she has to do is join his group of disillusionists who work to disillusion criminals, and in around about way make them better.

Justine has her doubts about joining, but knows she can't continue the way she is. She finds herself joining Packards group, and for the first time has a group of people she fits in with. She has her doubts, but figures that they are helping the dashing Police Chief Otto Sanchez keep criminals off the street just in a different way, and that soothes her doubts somewhat. Then, suddenly she finds herself torn between three very different men and her doubts about her new job begin to surface and she finds that she is trapped and has been lied to her by someone close to her.

Words can not describe how much I loved this book! I loved Justine-she's one of the most likable UF heroines I've come across in a long time. I find myself totally getting her, and understanding where she was coming from with her fears, and being torn between the very different men in her life. I have to admit that I had my doubts about reading a book about a hypochondriac, but it totally worked with the story, and made Justine that much more likable.

Have I mentioned Packard yet? ::dreamy sigh:: One of my favorite lines in the book comes from him: "That's why I want you to be wild and free-because this is where your heart wants; this is where your home is." How can you not love a guy that speaks like that?

There were also a couple of scenes that made me go "oh my!" One was the hot tub scene mentioned in KCs review over at Smokin Hot books (I won't mention who it's with) and then there is the under the table foot scene that was totally shiver worthy while being as innocent as something like that can be. :)

This book has a little of everything in it, and if you're a fan of Urban Fantasy, I have this to say: Read this book now! Seriously, you'll really love it-even if you're afraid that you'll wind up having all the symptoms of the vein star syndrome. (I will not google it, I will not google it, I will not...) I almost forgot-the whole time I was reading this I was wondering what kind of disillusionist I'd be and if I'd join Packards group or not. Which I totally would, because who wouldn't want to work with Packard?? ...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, crane

Justine, Packard and Otto

I need more. Now.

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Mar 09, 2011 Cindi rated it liked it

An unusual read, more gritty urban fantasy than PNR. Ms. Crane's world is ours but I think slightly in the future; some humans have a mutant strain (of something) that affects the mind, thereby creating "highhats" with
psychic skills such as telekinesis, telepathy, and more horrible skills that have brought a new crime wave to Milwalki (sp?). Justine is a major hypocondriact (sp?) who is obsessed with neurological diseases and "vein star syndrome". She is becoming worse as time goes by, losing f ...more

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Jul 13, 2011 A book away from an episode of hoarders rated it really liked it

Shelves: pnr-uf-fantasy, first-in-series, read-in-2012, book-boyfriends

Oh my...

First of all I adored this book. I loved all of the neurotic characters. It really felt like I was IN the book, rather than just reading it. I could actually feel the tension.

I like the idea of disillusioning criminals so that they reform on their own. Its clever and original, especially in the dense forest of Urban Fantasy/PNR plots.

I never did care for Cubby but I think it was because Justine didn't really care about Cubby either. I love LOVE Packard. Even if, or especially because, h ...more

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Jul 04, 2010 Michelle Gilmore rated it really liked it

It took me a a little while to get to get into this one, but once I did it was hard to put it down. At first, I had some trouble wrapping my mind around the heroine Justine's "superpower." Justine is a severe hypochondriac, and I just didn't see how that could be useful fighting crime. With Packard's help, the head of the disillusionists, she can project her fears into criminal targets in need of mental rehabilitation, causing them to have a better appreciation for life etc. That said, this was ...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Cindyg rated it liked it

An okay read that got better the farther I got in to it. 3 1/2 stars.
Liked Justine, Packard and Otto...look forward to reading the next book in the series...Double Cross...
I'll also decide then if I'll continue to read the series.
...more

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