(Goodreads)
When Sydney Porter transfers to Northern University, she’s ready to put her past behind her. Landing a job on campus as an irreverent radio personality, she uses the anonymity to air all the campus dirty laundry—earning the infamous Sunday Lane more than a few enemies. But her true passion is spinning records, even if Drunk Earl is her biggest fan.
Sydney’s junior year kicks off with the promise to be amazing. Or at least it does until Gray Peters, hotshot quarterback, unexpectedly reenters the scene. His presence threatens to destroy everything she has going, as well as resurrecting a night Sydney never wants to remember or repeat. She’d run away like a coward, but this time she's determined to stay and fight.
A twisted battle of wit and trickery ensues, with one common goal—vengeance. Sydney and Gray set out to make each other miserable. But misery loves company, and soon, walls are destroyed and truths are revealed that could change their future forever.
Thank you to The Hype PR at NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!
When I first started this book, at about 30 pages or so, I couldn't decide if I liked Sydney Porter or not. I knew Sydney Porter was a badass, a tough chick with a very independent mindset. But what I couldn't figure out was if she was all bark and no bite. While she used her anonymity as a campus radio host to expose dirty laundry and act as a "cheeky, no-filters personality who picked apart university flaws and campus morons," (7) she also simultaneously used words like 'she-male" (28) and slut-shamed other girls for sleeping around.
Devious Minds alternates each of its 50 chapters between Sydney and Grey Porter (the object of Sydney's revenge), which I really enjoyed. The alternating chapters often told me more about the other character than themselves. While I found Sydney problematic, I continued reading in hopes that she would redeem herself. And despite the alternating points of view, I would say that this is absolutely Sydney's book.
Gray is...well I called Gray a lot of things before calling him 'sweet' and unexpectedly so. I was impressed by the level of pranks that he pulled on Sydney, they were definitely clever and honestly funny (I'll just throw it out there: XL child size Iron Man costume; I was telling all my friends about it). I found their back and forth prank war honestly refreshing and funny and I almost wish it lasted throughout the entire book.
I have to give KF Germaine a thumbs up for her side characters, they were fleshed out, believable, and my heart went out to them because they reminded me of dear friends I've had. About a quarter of the way through the novel, I did find myself on #teamSydney because there's more to her than her tough exterior. Getting to know her as Gray did allowed me to understand why she wore that hard armor (although still side-eyeing the 'she-male' comment and slut shaming, it's 2015!)
Without a doubt, Devious Minds is funny and relatable. It does contain sexual content, but nothing too extreme that I felt myself needing to put my iPod touch away on public transit in fear that someone was reading over my shoulder. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a light and humorous read.
Memorable Quote:"Peters was an ass, and he just made a very lame joke (which I could appreciate), but still, I was standing outside a club at one in the morning, on my twenty-first birthday, with the first boy I'd ever slept with." (86)
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