Mind Games (The Disillusionists, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jun 11, 2012 D.G. rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, reviewed, urban-fantasy

What an original concept! A hypochondriac heroine that joins a psychological hit squad? You can definitely say I've never read anything even close to that before.

Justine is funny, caring and nice but she has a big problem: she's a hypochondriac and she's obsessed that a vessel in her brain will explode and kill her. She's constantly reviewing symptoms, going to the ER to get herself checked, discussing medical procedures and her 'condition' is advancing. Then she meets Packard, a man who offers What an original concept! A hypochondriac heroine that joins a psychological hit squad? You can definitely say I've never read anything even close to that before.

Justine is funny, caring and nice but she has a big problem: she's a hypochondriac and she's obsessed that a vessel in her brain will explode and kill her. She's constantly reviewing symptoms, going to the ER to get herself checked, discussing medical procedures and her 'condition' is advancing. Then she meets Packard, a man who offers a reprieve from her hypochondria and all the fear. She doesn't like what she has to do but she figures she can get out easily enough but that meanwhile, she'll have the opportunity to be normal, which is what she's always wanted to be in her life.

Although Justine has tons of great qualities, she's not very easy to like. The hypochondria would drive anybody up a wall - and has pushed all her boyfriends and friends away - but she's also too naive. She hasn't realized that everything in life has a price, and the more you want something or the rarer it is, the higher the price. Honest people look at the price tag beforehand, decide whether they are willing to pay the price and live with the consequences. But Justine, alas, likes to deceive herself into thinking that she can have it all. But how could she think she would get the thing she wanted most in her life without giving up something?

That's why I didn't feel bad for her when she realized what she gotten up and didn't blame Packard at all - I actually still liked him a lot and would have done the same thing. She should have realized that you don't get into such a dangerous profession without asking LOTS of questions but like most people, she's not honest with herself and prefers to blame others.

I was surprised how things turned out at the end because I really didn't trust she knew what she was doing. Although things worked out at the end for her, I still think she's being dishonest with herself and needs to be disillusioned from all her fairy tales. I really hope this is where this is going because otherwise, I'd be really mad! ...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Carolyn Crane has taken the Urban fantasy genre and given it a shake with this creative trilogy debut.
Mind Games gathers a cast of psychically gifted neurotics who, under the leadership of the mysterious Packard disillusion their targets in order to remake them into better people. None of Crane's characters are black and white, they all have an ambivelence in motivation and behaviour that is intriguing.
Justine Jones is a hypochondriac, convinced she will die of a burst anneurysm as her mother d ...more

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Dec 25, 2010 Thenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: r-ab, reviewed, paranormal, series, 2013

Very original!

The world the story is set in is interesting and so are the various characters' abilities, as well as the characters themselves.

The main heroine is a severe hypochondriac, but although that made her unique and not easy to relate to, it wasn't what made me dislike her. It was the constant whining about how Packard ruined her life, mostly, and her bullheadedness and know-it-all attitude and quick judgement about things and people she knew nothing about. While I was neutral about her ...more

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May 22, 2010 Laura Lulu rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, i-own

I had a hard time deciding what rating to give this book. There are some things I loved about it and others I wasn't crazy about. But I'm gonna throw it a bone and give it 4 stars instead of 3 just based on the premise--it was a breath of fresh air to read a new idea in urban fantasy. Sometimes it felt goofy, until you embrace the comic book, dark crime fighter aspect. Code names for the criminals (Silver Widow, the Alchemist, the Engineer, etc), lots of the word "nemesis", and a dark crime ridd ...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Deyara rated it really liked it

Interesting premise - extreme emotion is used as a "weapon" to force rehabilitation on criminals - finally a plus-side to hypochondria. Liked most of the minor characters, though I didnt warm to Packard or Otto. That was kind-of weird too, apart from Simon, the names were all weird or old-fashioned. Each time we met a new character it would jolt me out of the story for a moment just marvelling at the names! Good enough read to have me keeping an eye out for book 2. ...more

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Sep 09, 2010 Qylie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-group

I loved this urban fantasy for its original plot and lively characters. I found the book to be a page-turner, with its blend of riveting characters, danger, and light romance.

The Disillusionists are a hodgepodge of people selected by the group's leader (Packard) for their neuroses. Crane does a fantastic job of making each character's personality match their specific neurosis ( no easy feat). Character development was lushly descriptive; I could relate to the characters and sympathize with them ...more

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Jun 23, 2011 D rated it really liked it

A solid idea, a solid execution...but there is something missing in characterization. Where Packard is concerned, I feel like the problem might be telling, not showing.

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