A review by lalabristow
Minder by Kate Kaynak

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.