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a_writer_guy's review against another edition
3.0
I absolutely love Psych. It's probably my favorite modern show. I loved the first Psych book Rabkin wrote. This one just fell short for me. There was plenty of the same thing that makes Psych such a great show, but for some reason it just didn't work for me the same way the first book did. I felt like there wasn't nearly enough of Shawn "seeing" here. It felt like I hopped from one scene to the next without any real progress and then all the sudden he's solving a murder. I don't know. It wasn't awful, and I'm going to read the rest because I love Psych that much. This just left something to be desired.
kate_has_book_thoughts's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
✨ Reviews are for Readers✨
Any spoilers are hidden!
Any spoilers are hidden!
I read this book as an ebook.
This book had a fun premise with Shawn and Gus investigating a magic trick gone wrong, but it had such a disappointing resolution that I was left annoyed. The mystery seemed fun at first, but it ended up being so contrived and unrealistic that any enjoyment I had disappeared.
"Mind Over Magic" is an improvement over the first book in the series, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read”, but that’s not saying much. I feel like this book could have been funnier than it was and the mystery could have been more satisfying. I also feel like we didn’t get enough moments with Shawn and Gus joking around together.
The book wasn’t as good as an episode of the show and just doesn’t have the charm and humour that I expect from a Psych story.
"Mind Over Magic" is an improvement over the first book in the series, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read”, but that’s not saying much. I feel like this book could have been funnier than it was and the mystery could have been more satisfying. I also feel like we didn’t get enough moments with Shawn and Gus joking around together.
The book wasn’t as good as an episode of the show and just doesn’t have the charm and humour that I expect from a Psych story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Blood
khlara's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent way to get a Psych fix if you're waiting for the next episode (or season). Has perfect characterizations, and feels just like the show.
madisenmc's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it, fans of the TV show will probably in joy the story. Shawns character was a little off from the show, he wasn't as out there as he is in the shows. The mystery was confusing, to say the least. I still have no idea who did what. But it was still a fun read.
smiles11's review against another edition
5.0
A masterpiece of a mystery that is true to the show! Loved it!
cadbury's review against another edition
5.0
I really like this series considering I love the show. You can hear the characters voices in your brain practically while you are reading this which is awesome.
Shaun and Gus are requested by his father to take a present to his friends bachelor party....at the fortress of magic. They see a big green giant perform the dissolving man trick. Which results in the martian missing, and a dead man floating in the tank where the martian once was. Shaun and Gus are hired by the martians boss Benny Fleck. They are invited to Vegas to investigate the martians apartment when Shaun comes to the idea the Martian is not real. Who killed this guy in the tank? How did it happen when the martian was just in there? Who is this dead guy anyways?
Shaun and Gus are requested by his father to take a present to his friends bachelor party....at the fortress of magic. They see a big green giant perform the dissolving man trick. Which results in the martian missing, and a dead man floating in the tank where the martian once was. Shaun and Gus are hired by the martians boss Benny Fleck. They are invited to Vegas to investigate the martians apartment when Shaun comes to the idea the Martian is not real. Who killed this guy in the tank? How did it happen when the martian was just in there? Who is this dead guy anyways?
minibookchats's review against another edition
4.0
I love these mysteries, they haven’t aged great but overall a fun read
harukoreads's review against another edition
3.0
I did not have high expectations for this at all, so I am very pleasantly surprised. If you aren't a fan of Psych to begin with, I don't know why you would pick this up, but I do NOT recommend this unless you are a pretty serious fan. As someone who's watched the show at least three times all the way through, I was delighted by how on-point some of the dialogue in this was. It was very easy to imagine Shawn and Gus saying these lines, which makes sense since the author worked on the show.
That being said, it's very clear why this story line wasn't used on the show - besides the fact that shooting this many locations, with this large a cast, would be pretty pricey (they go to Vegas for just two scenes! They would need to hire a child actor for one single gag! There's a seven foot tall martian and a lot of special effects!), it's also fairly long-winded in a way that makes sense for a ~300 page book that has more time to expand on ideas than a 45 minute episode would, but it does make some of the jokes more drawn out than they probably should be. Additionally, the final reveal is so ridiculous I think if it were committed to film this would be one of the worse-rated episodes of the show. That being said, there were still some moments that made me laugh, and that's really all I wanted out of this - it was a nice reminder of why this show is so fun.
That being said, it's very clear why this story line wasn't used on the show - besides the fact that shooting this many locations, with this large a cast, would be pretty pricey (they go to Vegas for just two scenes! They would need to hire a child actor for one single gag! There's a seven foot tall martian and a lot of special effects!), it's also fairly long-winded in a way that makes sense for a ~300 page book that has more time to expand on ideas than a 45 minute episode would, but it does make some of the jokes more drawn out than they probably should be. Additionally, the final reveal is so ridiculous I think if it were committed to film this would be one of the worse-rated episodes of the show. That being said, there were still some moments that made me laugh, and that's really all I wanted out of this - it was a nice reminder of why this show is so fun.