Minder by Kate Kaynak

Book: Minder

Author: Kate Kaynak

Release: out now

Source: Author

My Summary:

When Maddie Dunn starts hearing people's thoughts after a horrifying encounter, she doesn't know what to do. Luckily for her, she's come to the attention of Dr. Williamson, the man in charge of a school called Ganzfield.

Arriving at Ganzfield, it's nothing like she expected. Some students can literally "charm" their way through anything, controlling you completely. Others are quick to start fires in their sleep by accident. And almost everyone distrusts Maddie for her own mind-reading ability, right from the start.

It can't get any worse, until she meets the right guy for her, and then everything seems to be going perfect...At least, until everything goes wrong.

Review: Minder is an exciting debut, and an wonderful start to a series.

Starting off with a bang, Kaynak jumps right into the story with a very intense first chapter. Maddie, our protagonist, is the loner at her school. But after this frightening interaction, she taps into some special abilities that rightfully scare her. It was easy to sympathize with her in these beginning stages, and to really want her to be okay.

In Ganzfield, Maddie is a bit of an outcast still because of the rarity of having a "Minder" (minder-reader). Most of the students are "Charms", and with Maddie's addition to the school, they start to have a power struggle. The Charms are used to running the show, but Maddie is one pawn they can't control.

The description of the other abilities at Ganzfield had to be the best part, along with the ending chapters. The suspense really kicks into full gear, and once you reach the end, you'll be wishing for the sequel in hopes of discovering more about the questions it leaves you with.

Highlights: This story really is addictive, I could barely get enough of it. The abilities are all intriguing, and the overall story is very creative. Sure, a school for people with special abilities (Hello, X-Men) isn't entirely new, but the people and abilities Kaynak populated it with are all fresh and interesting.

Lowlights: The romance aspect felt very rushed. If "love" wasn't introduced quite as quickly, then it wouldn't have bothered me. It would have been nicer if such a declaration could have been saved for further in the series, especially considering how quick their relationship is. And at times, it felt just a touch too informative at times when explaining things (instead of feeling natural, these explanations could come across textbook-like).

Rating:    

Trailer: