Ever read a book that had all the potential in the world... and then fell flat on its face? In every way? 
 That's exactly what "Mind Games" is. Kiersten White's fantasy-thriller starts off with plenty of promise -- an intriguing concept, moral ambiguity, and a seething rebellious teen assassin. But the writing is bland and colorless, and the constant time-jumping makes it impossible to really lose yourself in Annie and Fia's stories. 
 Fia and her blind sister Annie are both gifted with psychic powers -- Annie can see visions of the future, while Fia has perfect instincts. Unfortunately, they are both trapped by a powerful group that uses psychics to further their own ends. And in exchange for Annie's ongoing safety, Fia has to use her talents to kill anyone they tell her to. 
 Then she meets Adam, a teen doctor (no, he really doesn't come across as THAT smart) whom Annie inexplicably wants dead. Not only does Fia not want to kill him, but she's being pursued by mysterious men who try to kidnap her. Is there any way she can escape without abandoning her sister? And what will Annie do to save Fia in turn? 
 At first, I loved the concept of "Mind Games" -- I love moral greyness and anti-heroes, and the whole "psychic powers used for assassination/secret cabals" is a pretty awesome idea. For an author like Kendare Blake, Tessa Gratton or Maggie Stiefvater, it would be BRILLIANT. But it soon became obvious that this story is way beyond White's meager talents. 
 For one thing, the story leaps all over the place chronologically -- one minute we're following Fia's story, and then BOOM! We're reading Annie's recollections from two years ago. And the dual Annie/Fia perspectives just dont work. Some chapters are completely from the wrong perspective -- instead of SEEING Fia in her brutal, cruel training, we just have Annie finding out about it days later. 
 Also, White's writing is... not very good. It's stark and minimal, without a lot of descriptions or atmosphere -- and as a result, it feels half-baked. You never feel how the characters feel. When Fia gets shot, the only description of how she feels is, "I wish my left arm didn't hurt so much I want to die." Thanks, that really makes me feel it. 
 One good thing is Fia. She's a fierce, wild heroine who is trapped in a place that forces her to be a murderer, and she lashes out in every way she is able. But there was one thing about her that bothered me: she reminded me a little too much of Katsa from "Graceling." Too much. 
 Annie is a less likable protagonist, since she comes across as dim, naive and kind of sociopathic -- she doesn't really even feel bad about ordering a hit on a completely innocent person. The other characters tend to be pretty flat and undeveloped, and the most interesting ones -- like James -- are never explored enough. 
 "Mind Games" has too little mind and too few games -- it's a flat, underwritten story that has plenty of promise, but doesn't live up to much of it.