chllybrd's review
4.0
Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
Book One in the Ganzfield series was a fantastic read. The action starts in the first paragraph of the book and although the whole book isn't filled with action the story kept my attention throughout the entire book. I enjoyed reading and learning about all the abilities that are held by G-Positive people and how they train and learn to live in the real world. MINDER is a super fast read and not very long but it defiantly isn't lacking in detail and plot. I'm about to start ADVERSARY and I'm really excited to see where Kate takes us next.
Book One in the Ganzfield series was a fantastic read. The action starts in the first paragraph of the book and although the whole book isn't filled with action the story kept my attention throughout the entire book. I enjoyed reading and learning about all the abilities that are held by G-Positive people and how they train and learn to live in the real world. MINDER is a super fast read and not very long but it defiantly isn't lacking in detail and plot. I'm about to start ADVERSARY and I'm really excited to see where Kate takes us next.
cr6zym0nkeyiz's review
3.0
Minder reminds me x-men goes to school to learn more about their powers, which is actually kind of cool. The beginning of Minder was great. The book was really fast paced and I was amazed.
This book was really good, but the only thing was that I didn't really connect to the characters that well, like by the end of the book I actually did not care that much what happened to the characters, but I thought that the plot of the story was really action packed in way that I may just want to check out the next book.
I really liked at the house the tension between minders and charms. I liked how Maddie would not take any crap from them and was able to find a way to beat them at their own game. She has sort of become their savior.
I wasn't very convinced by the romance in the story between Maddie and Trevor because it was like they first looked at each other and they fell in love. I don't know about everyone else, but I would've liked a little more development between this romance. I believe in love at first site, but love at first site has a story to it, not just look at him and OMG. you are the one, and he is like, OMG. You are the one. I thought this could've been done a bit better.
Minder was good for a first book in a series and I think the other books really have the potential to become a series that needs to be read. I mean how cool is it to read about about a kids who have these mind powers that go to school to learn how to control it.
This book was really good, but the only thing was that I didn't really connect to the characters that well, like by the end of the book I actually did not care that much what happened to the characters, but I thought that the plot of the story was really action packed in way that I may just want to check out the next book.
I really liked at the house the tension between minders and charms. I liked how Maddie would not take any crap from them and was able to find a way to beat them at their own game. She has sort of become their savior.
I wasn't very convinced by the romance in the story between Maddie and Trevor because it was like they first looked at each other and they fell in love. I don't know about everyone else, but I would've liked a little more development between this romance. I believe in love at first site, but love at first site has a story to it, not just look at him and OMG. you are the one, and he is like, OMG. You are the one. I thought this could've been done a bit better.
Minder was good for a first book in a series and I think the other books really have the potential to become a series that needs to be read. I mean how cool is it to read about about a kids who have these mind powers that go to school to learn how to control it.
lalabristow's review
4.0
Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life
After a long hiatus from Y.A. Books, I have found recently I am in the mood for some Young Adult Paranormal. I think I just got tired of hot n’ heavy romances for a while and I need some of the “innocence” of Y.A. for a little while LOL. One of the first books I read on this new phase of mine was Minder and I really enjoyed it.
Maddie Dunn is special, but doesn’t know it yet. She is attacked by three boys from her school and the only thing that keeps her from being gang-raped is the fact that she fries the brains of her attackers with her Minder ability. The thing is that she has no idea how she did it, the only thing she knows is that three boys had their hands on her on minute and the next they were dead on the floor.
What’s worse, the next day the police comes looking for her because her fingerprints are all over the Van where they found the boys. Now, Maddie’s only chance is Dr. Williamson, a man that shows up right before she get interrogated and busts her out, with the help of a girl that seems to be able to hypnotize people.
Maddie then is goes to Ganzfield, a secret school for kids with powers, like Maddie herself. That’s where she finds out she is a Minder, able to read people’s thoughts and project her own and she also finds that there is such a thing as Movers, Charms, Sparks and RVs. The simple world she once knew is turned inside out and now she has to deal with her new reality.
I really enjoy Maddie’s story and her voice. I think she accepted her ability and other people’s thoughts in her head a little bit too fast, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I loved the world Kate Kaynak created, the abilities and the names/nicknames for them. I really liked that even though Maddie is still overwhelmed by all the changes in her life she is able to stand up to the Charms, who use mind control to do terrible things to the other students.
Minder was a very fast read for me and for a long part of the book is pretty action-less, but not boring by any means. I liked the adjustment period and the more “normal” high school conflict that is the first 75% of the book. I really loved the romance between Maddie and Trevor, the only Mover/Telekinetic at Ganzfield.
The action comes late but it was awesome to read, specially since it foreshadows what we can expect from the rest of the series. I plan to read Adversary really soon and I’m looking forward to it. I loved Minder and I can’t wait to find out more about Maddie and her world.
After a long hiatus from Y.A. Books, I have found recently I am in the mood for some Young Adult Paranormal. I think I just got tired of hot n’ heavy romances for a while and I need some of the “innocence” of Y.A. for a little while LOL. One of the first books I read on this new phase of mine was Minder and I really enjoyed it.
Maddie Dunn is special, but doesn’t know it yet. She is attacked by three boys from her school and the only thing that keeps her from being gang-raped is the fact that she fries the brains of her attackers with her Minder ability. The thing is that she has no idea how she did it, the only thing she knows is that three boys had their hands on her on minute and the next they were dead on the floor.
What’s worse, the next day the police comes looking for her because her fingerprints are all over the Van where they found the boys. Now, Maddie’s only chance is Dr. Williamson, a man that shows up right before she get interrogated and busts her out, with the help of a girl that seems to be able to hypnotize people.
Maddie then is goes to Ganzfield, a secret school for kids with powers, like Maddie herself. That’s where she finds out she is a Minder, able to read people’s thoughts and project her own and she also finds that there is such a thing as Movers, Charms, Sparks and RVs. The simple world she once knew is turned inside out and now she has to deal with her new reality.
I really enjoy Maddie’s story and her voice. I think she accepted her ability and other people’s thoughts in her head a little bit too fast, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I loved the world Kate Kaynak created, the abilities and the names/nicknames for them. I really liked that even though Maddie is still overwhelmed by all the changes in her life she is able to stand up to the Charms, who use mind control to do terrible things to the other students.
Minder was a very fast read for me and for a long part of the book is pretty action-less, but not boring by any means. I liked the adjustment period and the more “normal” high school conflict that is the first 75% of the book. I really loved the romance between Maddie and Trevor, the only Mover/Telekinetic at Ganzfield.
The action comes late but it was awesome to read, specially since it foreshadows what we can expect from the rest of the series. I plan to read Adversary really soon and I’m looking forward to it. I loved Minder and I can’t wait to find out more about Maddie and her world.
ghumpherys's review
3.0
3.5 stars. This was a fun story (and my first Kindle book!) about a girl who discovers she has telepathic abilities and is sent to a special training school. Makes you think about the ethics involved in reading other people's thoughts or planting "suggestions". The instant-soulmates romance was a bit over the top at times.
mferber's review
5.0
This young-adult supernatural romance novel was written by a friend of mine, so I'm not entirely objective; on the other hand, I don't normally go in for young-adult supernatural romance novels, so I wouldn't likely have read it otherwise. But it's a really good read, and people in the audience it's written for especially should absolutely devour it.
This is the first book in a series about a teenager who learns she has special powers, placing it squarely in a subgenre that I couldn't get enough of when I was a kid. The teenager is 16-year-old Maddie Dunn from New Jersey, and the power is telepathy, with various fringe benefits that aren't all nice. As soon as she discovers her ability, in the surprisingly dark scene that opens the book, she's whisked off to Ganzfield, a secret school and training ground for teenagers like her (yes, there's an obvious debt here to the Xavier Institute from "X-Men," but it's a conscious debt and one the characters even comment on). There she meets other students with their own various powers. We meet especially the pyrokinetics, or "sparks," and the ominous "charms," who can compel people to do things against their will. (The sparks and the charms take on a pleasantly familiar sort of Gryffindor/Slytherin dynamic.) "Minders" such as Maddie herself are very rare, making Maddie somewhat special even at Ganzfield.
That's the setup. Friendships and enmities are made; an intense romance is had; dark pasts and hidden agendas are hinted at; some bad things happen and derring-do ensues. There's a lot of room here to be developed in the remaining installments. It's a good ride: a lot of fun, and just disturbing enough when it needs to be. Looking forward to the next part already.
This is the first book in a series about a teenager who learns she has special powers, placing it squarely in a subgenre that I couldn't get enough of when I was a kid. The teenager is 16-year-old Maddie Dunn from New Jersey, and the power is telepathy, with various fringe benefits that aren't all nice. As soon as she discovers her ability, in the surprisingly dark scene that opens the book, she's whisked off to Ganzfield, a secret school and training ground for teenagers like her (yes, there's an obvious debt here to the Xavier Institute from "X-Men," but it's a conscious debt and one the characters even comment on). There she meets other students with their own various powers. We meet especially the pyrokinetics, or "sparks," and the ominous "charms," who can compel people to do things against their will. (The sparks and the charms take on a pleasantly familiar sort of Gryffindor/Slytherin dynamic.) "Minders" such as Maddie herself are very rare, making Maddie somewhat special even at Ganzfield.
That's the setup. Friendships and enmities are made; an intense romance is had; dark pasts and hidden agendas are hinted at; some bad things happen and derring-do ensues. There's a lot of room here to be developed in the remaining installments. It's a good ride: a lot of fun, and just disturbing enough when it needs to be. Looking forward to the next part already.
casreads's review
4.0
Excerpt: "Maddie Dunn has always had strong flashes of insight into the thoughts and feelings of those around her, but she never dreamed it was anything more than intuition - until the day she fights her way out of the most horrifying situation imaginable brandishing no weapon but her mind. The power that erupts in Maddie is not mere thought power, but a physical forcefield of energy that rises from her in an unconscious response to her sheer terror. The aftermath of this phenomenon has the police asking a few too many questions, but before Maddie finds herself in jail two mysterious figures swoop in and spirit her away to Ganzfield, a school for teens who, like Maddie, have special and potentially dangerous abilities. Maddie soon finds herself caught up in a familiar social hierarchy, but with a twist; at Ganzfield there are charms (who can compel others to obey their every command), telepaths, healers, remote viewers (who can mentally view anyone, anywhere), pyrokinetics, and even a telekinetic. A telekinetic who, Maddie soon learns, she can connect with on an unfathomable level. However, just as Maddie dares to hope that she might get a happy ending in spite of her traumatic past, the sadistic enemies of Ganzfield rear their ugly heads - leaving the teenage heroine no choice but to push her new-found powers to their limit and take matters into her own hands, even if it costs her her life."
To read the rest of this review, please visit: http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/2010/07/minder-by-kate-kaynak.html
To read the rest of this review, please visit: http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/2010/07/minder-by-kate-kaynak.html
kameo9's review
4.0
This books is more of a 4 1/2 star book.
I loved the character development, and how the different "abilities" were grouped together by "class". But then Maddie, a telepath, joins the school and throws a wrench into the hierarchy.
There is a great romance, and Trevor is on my list of fictional crushes, and good action. And the kids work great together when they have to go out on their own to rescue one of their own.
Everything seemed too good to be true for me though. Maddie liked Dr. Williamson, and he seemed to be a good guy, and felt bad for not knowing everything that was going on at the school, but I kept waiting for something bad to happen. Like he was not what he seemed, and the school was more than just a place where the kids could further study their abilities. I am still not completely charmed by them all, and am looking forward to reading Adversary to find out what happens next.
I loved the character development, and how the different "abilities" were grouped together by "class". But then Maddie, a telepath, joins the school and throws a wrench into the hierarchy.
There is a great romance, and Trevor is on my list of fictional crushes, and good action. And the kids work great together when they have to go out on their own to rescue one of their own.
Everything seemed too good to be true for me though. Maddie liked Dr. Williamson, and he seemed to be a good guy, and felt bad for not knowing everything that was going on at the school, but I kept waiting for something bad to happen. Like he was not what he seemed, and the school was more than just a place where the kids could further study their abilities. I am still not completely charmed by them all, and am looking forward to reading Adversary to find out what happens next.
foreveryoungadult's review
Graded By: Jenny
Cover Story: The Shadow Knows
BFF Charm: Finally!
Swoonworthy Scale: 4 or 6
Talky Talk: 2 Legit 2 Quit
Bonus Factors: Boarding School, World Building, Fireball
Relationship Status: Looking Forward To Our Second Date
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: The Shadow Knows
BFF Charm: Finally!
Swoonworthy Scale: 4 or 6
Talky Talk: 2 Legit 2 Quit
Bonus Factors: Boarding School, World Building, Fireball
Relationship Status: Looking Forward To Our Second Date
Read the full book report here.
weeshubbasworld's review
4.0
When I first got this book I was really excited to start reading it. I had never heard of it so I decided to not read any reviews on it before hand and when into reading very opened minded, and what an amazing read this is.
Minder is the first in the Ganzfield series and an excellect first opening book. First from the first page is fast paced that really grips you. It really captured my imagination from the event revolving around our main character Maddie. She really is a breath of fresh air. She is strong, stands up for what is right and just a little bit scary really wouldn't want to get on her bad side. I feel we finally have a positive roll model in Maddie.
Maddie is just one of the characters in the Minder and what an interesting bunch of characters Kate has created. There are a few that really stand out for me in this book apart from Maddie; and they are Trevor and Rachel. Trevor, oh Trevor, he is strong, protective and very much in love with Maddie. Rachel at the start of the story is quiet and shy but her character develops and I am sure will evolve even more in the next installement.
The thing I really loved about all characters and the world the Kate has created is that there is no vampire, werewolves, or angel in sight. I think this is the reason why I really loved it so. All the characters have mental powers that are being used for good as well as bad.
This would have got a full 5 star rating. However, there was a few small little things thats brought it down. I didn't really believe that Dr Williamson (the head of Ganzfield) would easily let Maddie and Trevor (Two Teenagers) live together in school. And I didn't think that after one day of knowing each other Maddie and Trevor just knew that the loved each other was very realistic. However, as the story progressed its was very easy to how much they loved each and how easy is was for them
So apart from those little things I have to say if you are looking for a story that is totally unique, thrilling and mind blowing then this is the book for you.
Minder is the first in the Ganzfield series and an excellect first opening book. First from the first page is fast paced that really grips you. It really captured my imagination from the event revolving around our main character Maddie. She really is a breath of fresh air. She is strong, stands up for what is right and just a little bit scary really wouldn't want to get on her bad side. I feel we finally have a positive roll model in Maddie.
Maddie is just one of the characters in the Minder and what an interesting bunch of characters Kate has created. There are a few that really stand out for me in this book apart from Maddie; and they are Trevor and Rachel. Trevor, oh Trevor, he is strong, protective and very much in love with Maddie. Rachel at the start of the story is quiet and shy but her character develops and I am sure will evolve even more in the next installement.
The thing I really loved about all characters and the world the Kate has created is that there is no vampire, werewolves, or angel in sight. I think this is the reason why I really loved it so. All the characters have mental powers that are being used for good as well as bad.
This would have got a full 5 star rating. However, there was a few small little things thats brought it down. I didn't really believe that Dr Williamson (the head of Ganzfield) would easily let Maddie and Trevor (Two Teenagers) live together in school. And I didn't think that after one day of knowing each other Maddie and Trevor just knew that the loved each other was very realistic. However, as the story progressed its was very easy to how much they loved each and how easy is was for them
So apart from those little things I have to say if you are looking for a story that is totally unique, thrilling and mind blowing then this is the book for you.
andye_reads's review
4.0
Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn has special abilities, when her emotions get out of control, she has the power to hurt people with her mind. After a very traumatic incident, she is approached by a man who speaks to her in her mind, and claims he can help her control her gift and even make her more powerful. But she has to leave her life behind and go with him to Ganzfield. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, people that have all kinds of abilities. But it's not exactly a nurturing place. The "Charms", with their ability to use the power of persuasion, have been reeking havok on the other students. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought from a "Spark" can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets Trevor, the man of her dreams...
Kit's Review:
My mom actually got this ARC in the mail for review but she was reading some other books so I stole it :) I LOVED this book, and I know I say that a lot but I really, really mean it this time! It only took me 2 days to read and that's only because we went to DC all day on Thrus. (I SO could have finished it in 1 day) I loved how the conversations she had with people in their heads flowed so well with the normal conversations, it wasn't hard to follow at all. I did think it had some X-men-ish qualities but I still enjoyed it immensly (and honestly I thought it was better than X-men). The whole abilites/powers thing could have been really cheesy but the way she wrote it made me think it could actually happen. Now I'm just waiting for Dr. Williamson and Cecelia to show up at my house, charm my parents, and I'd go in a heartbeat! Absolutely flawless! Now I just have to figure out how I can get my hands on the second one... Maybe I'll have to settle for reading it again.
~Kit
Andye's Review:
I really enjoyed this book as well, but maybe not quite as much as Kit! :) I thought it was a great story, and I love X-Men, so that aspect was right up my alley. There were Charms (people who can make you do what they want by the power of suggestion), Sparks (people who can control fire), Healers (obvious), Minders (people who can read minds), and Telekinetics (people who can move objects with their mind). I love the idea behind this book, and I thought the storyline was really fun and exciting. Maddie was a fantastic character. She was strong and kind, and she wanted to use her ability to help improve the school and stand up to the Charms. Trevor was so sweet and good to Maddie, always putting her first. I love seeing a relationship that is built on unselfishness, and truely knowing each other for who they are, not just how they look.
The problems I had with Minder were pretty minor. I thought that the relationship between Maddie and Trevor was way too fast. I wish there had been a little more build up, because that's half the fun of a romance. They fell so quickly that the majority of the book they were just staring at each other thinking how in love they were. So, that made it a little slow in the middle for me. I also wasn't crazy about how much sex was talked about. Maddie can hear people's thoughts, and there were a LOT of sexual ones. I know that teenage boys think about sex a lot, but that's all Maddie seemed to "hear" in anyone's mind, and it seemed like there could've been a little more being thought about by the students than sex :)
Otherwise, I thought this was a really great book. It was a lot of fun to read, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next books, Adversary(8/20) and Legacy (2011) take us!
Kit's Review:
My mom actually got this ARC in the mail for review but she was reading some other books so I stole it :) I LOVED this book, and I know I say that a lot but I really, really mean it this time! It only took me 2 days to read and that's only because we went to DC all day on Thrus. (I SO could have finished it in 1 day) I loved how the conversations she had with people in their heads flowed so well with the normal conversations, it wasn't hard to follow at all. I did think it had some X-men-ish qualities but I still enjoyed it immensly (and honestly I thought it was better than X-men). The whole abilites/powers thing could have been really cheesy but the way she wrote it made me think it could actually happen. Now I'm just waiting for Dr. Williamson and Cecelia to show up at my house, charm my parents, and I'd go in a heartbeat! Absolutely flawless! Now I just have to figure out how I can get my hands on the second one... Maybe I'll have to settle for reading it again.
~Kit
Andye's Review:
I really enjoyed this book as well, but maybe not quite as much as Kit! :) I thought it was a great story, and I love X-Men, so that aspect was right up my alley. There were Charms (people who can make you do what they want by the power of suggestion), Sparks (people who can control fire), Healers (obvious), Minders (people who can read minds), and Telekinetics (people who can move objects with their mind). I love the idea behind this book, and I thought the storyline was really fun and exciting. Maddie was a fantastic character. She was strong and kind, and she wanted to use her ability to help improve the school and stand up to the Charms. Trevor was so sweet and good to Maddie, always putting her first. I love seeing a relationship that is built on unselfishness, and truely knowing each other for who they are, not just how they look.
The problems I had with Minder were pretty minor. I thought that the relationship between Maddie and Trevor was way too fast. I wish there had been a little more build up, because that's half the fun of a romance. They fell so quickly that the majority of the book they were just staring at each other thinking how in love they were. So, that made it a little slow in the middle for me. I also wasn't crazy about how much sex was talked about. Maddie can hear people's thoughts, and there were a LOT of sexual ones. I know that teenage boys think about sex a lot, but that's all Maddie seemed to "hear" in anyone's mind, and it seemed like there could've been a little more being thought about by the students than sex :)
Otherwise, I thought this was a really great book. It was a lot of fun to read, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next books, Adversary(8/20) and Legacy (2011) take us!