Book Review: The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

from amazon.com

Who doesn’t want Freebies?

I downloaded this short story from amazon.com for free! Yes, so if you want to do something in your spare time do visit amazon.com because every now and then you can download ebooks without paying a single cent (just download the free kindle app in order for you to read the ebook).

Spoiler Alert (You’ve been warned)

depicting Chapter One, by nun ya of youtube.com

So this is the gist of the story: Cameron Winters can read minds, but her grandmother (who is also a mind reader) prohibits her to involve herself in saving other people with their gift because they might be found out by the people who are interested in their powers. Until one day a murder happens, the “gorgeous” Lewis Douglas (also a mind reader) shows up, and Cameron’s world came tumbling down after telling her friend she can read minds. Because she is now treated a pariah in school and that she thinks grandma is selfish, she leaves her for a mesmerizing hot dude—I mean, to go to some rich guy’s mansion, as the hot dude tells her, to harness her hidden potential. This rich guy, who by the way goes by the name of Aaron, becomes his father-figure throughout the story. And yet, the heroine finds out secrets that made her want to get out of the place. It ends with her forgetting all that have ever happened and settling in a hotter part of United States, because y’know that’s how her grandma always rolls.

Dramatis Personae (need I to be oh-so formal?)

Cameron “Cam” Winters – she’s the protagonist of The Mind Readers. At first you see her as coward because she doesn’t give a d@mn about other people’s welfare, yet you’d understand later that grandma only tells her so. I can’t exactly pinpoint her characteristics because she usually goes with the flow, but one thing that stands out in her is her sympathy towards those in need. She goes to help her friend, then a young girl, and even one of their enemies.  She is adamant about whether her actions are right or wrong, to the point that she argues with the love of her life over this. She is also told that she has the ultimate power against the S.P.I., their enemy.

Lewis Douglas – Cam’s love interest. I kind of like this guy when he was introduced in the story (until he fetches Cam to go to Aaron’s mansion. I think it ended there). In the first parts of the story, I admire his sense of protecting Cam, and his little gestures of calming her and reassuring her that everything will be OK. Yet, as the story progressed, I find him a little unlikable because of his obsession to their cause. Aside from mind reading, his forte is telekinesis and influencing someone’s emotions (which Cam find deceiving as she reflects on her real feelings to Lewis).

Aaron – friend of Cam’s father and acts as her father-figure. He has a mansion in an island somewhere around Maine where he keeps other mind readers from the outside world to train (and hide). Aaron is a calm, preppy, middle-aged man who is stern about teaching his “adopted children” against the S.P.I. We see him as the mentor in the monomyth, and yet as the story progresses, he becomes villainous. He is able to erase people's memories. When I was reading the book, I imagine Aaron to be Damien Darhk. Yeah, this guy:

 from arrow.wikia.com

Cam’s Grandma – I can’t remember if she gets to have a name or she’d been simply called grandma. Anyway, I find Cam’s grandma narrow-minded at first, but I just get to love her because when Cam returned, she received her willingly as if Cam didn’t runaway. As another character said, there are two kinds of mind readers after the fall took place: those who hid and those who rebelled. Grandma became the former. She has few parts in the story, but I put her as fourth because I simply love this no-nonsense granny.

Maddox – an S.P.I. agent with a griffin tattoo on his arm. He is captured by Aaron and interrogated. As an agent, Maddox has a chip in his brain so that mind readers won’t be able to access his thoughts. Yet, Cam manages to infiltrate his thoughts, even memories, because she is that good. He acts like a jerk, but teamed up with Cameron to escape the island.

from wikipedia.org">commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1063759">wikipedia.org

Caroline – the little girl who Cameron helped to escape. She is a shy but a powerful mind reader, because she was the first to be used to get inside Maddox’s head (mentally, of course). She often hangs out at the attic, secretly. She has a little brother, Sam, who is also at Aaron’s manor. Caroline is an innocent young girl who also hopes to get outside the mansion because she misses her parents in Ohio. I like this girl because of her innocence and hopefulness.

Olivia – the gloomy kid who Cam thinks is jealous of her. Olivia and Cameron have an edgy relationship because Olivia often taunts Cam that she’ll be forgotten soon by Aaron as he finds another powerful mind reader. Still, Olivia tells the truth about the children and even helped Cam get to Maddox to clear Cam’s conscience.

Emily – Cam’s B.F.F. and your typical miss popular in high school who wants all the attention (just because she doesn’t have one at home). She is only included in the first few parts of the story.

Annabelle – another one of Cam’s friend who is deemed a loser but has an old boyfriend. Cam later finds out that her boyfriend is the murderer, tells her so, until everyone finds out about it and she is left demoted to being the school’s untouchable. Because of Cam’s sympathy, she tells Anna about her mind reading gift but Anna used it to humiliate Cam to regain her rep in school.

Frankly Speaking…

This, I think would be in the genre of paranormal romance, because the heroine mostly thinks about her relationship with Lewis. Nonetheless, I find their relationship realistic as it’s not all "butterflies and kittens." They get into verbal fights for what they believe in, and yet set them aside because they love each other. It’s realistic but a bit hard to admire (because of their mistrust for each other).

As for the concept, I think it’s quite good. Mind reading is serious business. You get to listen to everyone’s thoughts, their deepest secrets, their lies, who they truly are and how they become the way they are. It is stressful stuff because sometimes you won’t be able to listen to your inner voice, or explain yourself why you know something for a fact. You’ll mentally get to have a messiah complex because you’ll be able to get inside a criminal’s mind and have the power to stop their plans. And at the same time, a personal crisis, because you’ll question your morals and actions whether it’s OK to fit in with people, who constantly lie, or be a loner for life.

Frankly, even though it’s free, this isn’t a disappointing read. Sure, there are boring parts but I managed to read ‘til the end (and I hope you reach the end because that’s where to good twist comes out). The story is narrated by the 18-year old heroine so it is her point-of-view, and you’d find that it’s easy to follow because the vocabulary and manner of writing is smooth and simple. Lori Brighton isn’t perfect as an author, grammar-wise and technical-wise, but she sews words that would make you want to reach to the end. The author will get you hooked at the first few lines because it’s as straightforward as it gets.

Lori Brighton, from theromancedish.com

If I’d rate this book, I’ll give it a passing mark, plus good remarks on the ending.

 

Disclaimer: Photo and Video not mine. Written in my own words.