Mind Games is set in the near future and tells the story of Luna, one of the few people who are unable to access the virtual world offered by PareCo (Woop! Woop! Evil Corporation Alert!) that the rest of the population spend their education and leisure time in.
Thinking that her future will be limited to the dead-end jobs offered to those who refuse virtual life, everyone is astonished when Luna is offered a space in the PareCo tests which will give her the opportunity of an amazing future at university or even at PareCo’s Think Tanks, developing new virtual worlds. When she arrives it’s the start of a huge voyage of self-discovery.
I thought Mind Games was an all-round good book, with some aspects that were just excellent. The baddies have their evil lair in a hollowed-out volcano and I don’t care which way you turn it: baddies in hollowed-out volcanoes are awesome. The characters are ace and you really end up caring about them. Luna was a super protagonist and it’s really interesting to read all the different ways her friends and family use virtual worlds.
The world has been built with a lot of thought to detail. It’s very recognisable and scarily believable as a future London where people just spend all their time in virtual reality. Teri Terry hasn’t made PareCo too crazy-evil and that just makes them all the more creepy and sinister.
I felt the pace of the story slowed down a bit in the middle after a nice, action-y start and the end felt a tiny bit rushed, but this wasn’t enough to put me off and I was glad it didn’t because the finale is electric with a couple of truly ‘No-o-o-o-o-o!’ moments.
I was really looking forward to Mind Games, and I have to say it didn’t disappoint.
Recommended for: anyone who likes techno-future dystopias and The Matrix.
8/10