REVIEW: Open Minds (Mindjack Trilogy #1) by Susan Kaye Quinn

Author: Susan Kaye Quinn

Series: Mindjack Trilogy

Pages: 326

Genre: Young Adult / Sci-Fi / Dystopian

Publisher: CreateSpace

Amazon: Open Minds

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn, the first book in the Mindjack Trilogy.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is what is known as a zero, someone who can’t read minds or be read by others; she is low in the social rankings and not considered trustworthy or befitting of any important roles within society.

Her only friend is Rafael Santos, who has already gained his reader ability but when she inadvertently controls his mind and almost kills him, their relationship changes and she is shocked by her new found, scary ability.

Thinking she is alone in what she is going through, she is surprised when Simon Zagan befriends her and ‘knows’ her secret, for he too is what is known as a Mindjacker (a person who can more or less control someone’s mind) but has learnt to fit in with other readers. When he tries to recruit her into a group of Jackers known as the Clan, Kira’s life becomes completely unraveled.

I really enjoyed Kira as a main character, she was fiercely loyal to those she loved but was really torn with what she was learning; I truly felt for her. Raf was dreamy and Simon a bit of a mystery, I wasn’t too sure of his intentions; whether he was sincere in his feelings for Kira or using her to learn more about her unusual ability.

The journey Kira undertook to save others like herself was certainly noble and outing the baddies knowing what the possible consequences would be to not only herself but also to those she loved showed the strength she had as a character, she always thought before she acted which I liked, I am keen to see what comes of the Jackers now the readers know of their existence.

Open Minds was a page turner, I was constantly surprised by what was happening; the world which Ms Quinn has created is fascinating yet also terrifying; imagine your every thought and emotion available to everyone – scary!

Open Minds is certainly a unique and intriguing story, Ms Quinn’s writing was engaging and  entertaining and I am quite eager to learn more about Readers/Jackers in the next installment.

All in all, Open Minds is a wonderful YA with a futuristic setting that would certainly appeal to anyone who enjoys Sci-fi with a touch of romance.