Forbidden Mind: When reading thoughts can get you into more trouble than planned

Review: Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

This is a very intriguing story and really pulls you in with interesting characters and a unique story world that is portrayed realistically. It makes you think about what could possibly be going on that we do not know about in our own world.

Sam is the main character and she is almost 18, which is important to note as this means she will be free of her “job.” She works for an agency that houses and employs kids with paranormal abilities. She and the other kids there refer to it as “Rent a Kid.” All of the paranormal kids live on campus together, go to school and go on assignments in which they use their powers that are required, usually for spy work. Sam has the ability to read minds, which is very useful for assignments.

This world reminds me of the television show, Dollhouse, which although short lived, was a great show about young people whose memories were wiped and who were given new identities for assignments in which they were rented out to people. They were given abilities that they would need for the tasks required. Forbidden Minds has that same pull with independent characters that fight back against this world that tries to take advantage of them and their abilities.

Sam sees a boy brought into the clinic that she has never seen before and who calls for help. She hears his plea for help in her mind, that is.  She tries to ignore it, knowing the rules of not getting involved. She is so close to being free of this place that she does not want to start to break the rules now, as she has been waiting so long to be able to have control of her own life. But when she hears him again, she finds out more. This boy, Drake, was kidnapped and is being held there, unable to use his power. He has the ability to convince people to do things based on planting thoughts in their heads, so they think it was their idea.

He also tells her that they are not really the “good guys” that saved them as they claim to be. And that they may not really free her. She is disturbed by
this and determines to find out the truth. She tries to learn the truth by reading the staff’s minds, but finds that they have anticipated this. Then she learns that they have taken Drake somewhere else and everything starts to change for her. With some searching and help from her friends, she learns a whole lot fast. But when she gets sick, her departure for freedom gets delayed. She is taken to another location “to get better” and learns that this is the same place Drake is. This begins the start of finding out what is really going on behind the scenes and what plans they really have for her and Drake.

The whole story is fast paced and I enjoyed reading it. The only part that I did not like as much was the ending, I felt it was not as strong as it could have been. It could have been better if the characters were more realistic with each other at the very end. But overall, it is a great story and is worth the read. I would love to hear more about these characters and I am glad I will be able to find out what happens next in their exciting and dangerous world, as there will be more to come!

Click below to read a sample or purchase on Amazon.

Grave Robbers,Trains & Ghosts: No falling off until the very end!

Review: Grave Robbers by Samantha Jillian Bayarr

Grave Robbers is a fast paced read that has characters jumping off trains, being thrown into graves and possible visions of people that have died, so the action is non-stop and makes for an exciting read that you will not want to leave behind until you finish. It also has deeper stuff with more marrow: characters make mistakes, shows weaknesses, but also have hopes of transforming. If you love a thrilling pace along with in depth characters who will do anything to go after their goals, this book is for you.

The main character pulls you in from the beginning and makes you want to read more. The story itself is a riveting and tense train ride that grabs you along with fears of falling off and crashing throughout the story- you need to know what happens next even though each lurch of the train makes your heart rate go up and sends your emotions scattering. You hold your breath for the characters as you come to care about them, no matter what they do or have done.

Charlie, a young girl does not come across as your average heroine right away. But she is a character that you will want to keep reading about; she is very much alive (unlike all of those around her) and jumps off the page. Her father is a grave robber. His official job title is grave digger, but he robs them of any valuables before he puts them into the ground. He does this in order to provide for Charlie, as her mother ran off right after she was born.

Charlie is full of spunk and not afraid to rob jewels from a dead lady.  Well, okay, maybe she is a little afraid. But she doesn’t let this or anything stop her. Charlie is a girl who is determined to carve out a path for herself and she lets nothing get in the way of her goals. More than anything, she wants to find her mother. Charlie had no idea of her whereabouts until now. She finds out where her mother may be and even though there is a chance she won’t find her, she comes up with a plan to try.

She convinces herself that she needs the lady’s jewels more than the dead lady does, as she will be six feet under and takes them herself, before her dad can touch them. Her moral dilemma is described very realistically and you understand where she is coming from and her reasoning for her actions, as well as her doubts and fears. She thinks she sees things that may not be there and might be a result of her fear and guilt (or are they?).  All this and she still doesn’t know if she will meet her goal. But she clings to the belief that this is the most important goal and she will not look back, even if her life is on the line.  And her life is indeed on a very thin line while she tries to go through with her plan. This plan is not as safe as she thought, as there are even more dangers lurking around from where she may not have expected. This is one train ride that you need to stay on until the very end.

Charlie is one of those characters that you would not mind jumping off a train with to hear more about, if you can survive the crash landing.

Click on the picture below to get the book on Amazon.