Mind Blind

by Lari Don

Overview

Ciaran Bane is a criminal with a special talent: he can read minds. But his skill comes at a price. Lucy's sister is dead: killed for a secret Ciaran's family wants buried. Her blood is on Ciaran's hands. Only together can the unlikely allies discover the deadly secret. They can run but where can they hide if they aren't safe, even in their own minds? Award-winning author Lari Don skilfully weaves a fast-paced world of secrets, power and supernatural abilities in her first book for young teens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782500643
Publisher:	Kelpies
Publication date:	03/20/2014
Series:	KelpiesTeen
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	312 KB
Age Range:	12 - 15 Years

About the Author

Lari Don has worked in politics and broadcasting, but is now a full-time writer and storyteller. She grew up in the north-east of Scotland, and lives in Edinburgh. She is the author of the four Fabled Beasts Chronicles novels, Rocking Horse War, and Mind Blind for young teens. She is also a prolific writer of picture books, including The Tale of Tam Linn and The Secret of the Kelpie.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2014
Gr 7 Up—Ciaran Bane comes from a family of mind readers who work as a mercenary organization, specializing in kidnappings and interrogations. But Ciaran is disdained by his relatives, seen as the weakest of the group, since his powers are so sensitive he can barely tolerate being around other people, much less deliberately reading their minds. After he botches the kidnapping of Vivian, a teen his family has targeted for interrogation, and she is killed, Ciaran is determined to prove his worth by braving the outside world and satisfying his family's mission. When he breaks into Vivian's family's home to retrieve something she hid there, he's discovered by Vivian's sister, Lucy, and is forced to bring her along as he evades his family. One too-flat character mars an otherwise solid thriller. The prologue and first chapter will immediately grab readers, and Ciaran's backstory and motivations are solid. The way his family's mind reading works—some by touch, others by eye contact or tone of voice—is intriguing, and the connections between his family and Lucy's are revealed over the course of the story. But it's hard to believe Ciaran and Lucy's frenzied race from London to Edinburgh would even happen considering how he immediately confesses to her sister's murder. Her grief is also only present when it's convenient as part of Ciaran's character growth. Teens who want a thriller above all else will tear through this novel, but those who stop to think along the way will surely see where the pieces don't quite come together.—Gretchen Kolderup, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

'Don builds a slow but tightly constructed bond between Bain and Lucy, anchoring the action-packed plot with their relationship, detailed between alternating perspectives... Come for the mind-reading spies; stay for the unlikely duo that's unable to trust each other.'
– Kirkus Reviews

'Deceit, intrigue and mind-reading make up the basis of the plot for this exciting and fast paced novel... This book is a real roller coaster ride of emotions and plot twists.'
– The School Librarian

'Pacey, compelling and mind-bending in all the right ways as the deceitful truth gets unravelled.'
– The Scotsman

'Very, very exciting, and the reasons behind all this cloak and dagger stuff makes for good thinking material... This is your classical chase, but with a twist. It's weird and dangerous, and there can be no happy ending. You still hope, though. I'd happily read more like this.'
– Bookwitch

'The plot was often tense and some of the scenes had me on the edge of my seat... I will definintely read more books written by Lari Don because I really enjoyed this one.'
– Tahiya, Craigmount High School pupil, Teen Titles

From the Publisher

2014-08-12
A boy gifted with exceptional mind-reading abilities and the sister of the girl he helped murder form a tenuous alliance.Ciaran Bain comes from a line of mind readers who work as spies for hire, hiding their talents from the outside world. But he's the weakest of the fourth generation, because he's highly sensitive; crowds overwhelm him due to the flood of emotions, and when someone touches him, it's even worse. When his family enlists him and his cousins to kidnap a girl, Bain aims to prove himself but makes a dire mistake: The target ends up dead. In an attempt to salvage the mission, he searches the girl's home, only to be confronted by her younger sister, Lucy. Bain needs Lucy to find the information he seeks, and Lucy isn't going to let the possible killer of her sister out of her sight—not until she finds out more or takes revenge. Don builds a slow but tightly constructed bond between Bain and Lucy, anchoring the action-packed plot with their relationship, detailed between alternating perspectives. Though the pace is brisk and exciting, though, the reveal of the connection between their two families is clichéd. Ultimately, it's the tug-of-war relationship between Bain and Lucy that elevates this thrill ride. Come for the mind-reading spies; stay for the unlikely duo that's unable to trust each other. (Paranormal adventure. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews