Closed Hearts Review + GIVEAWAY

Closed Hearts (Mindjacker Trilogy 2)

-       Susan Kaye Quinn

E-Arc Received Courtesy of the author – this did not influence my review!

When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.
Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber for jackers.

This book leaps straight into the action and barely pauses for breath throughout! Following on from Open Minds this sees how the world has reacted to the existence of Mindjackers – people who can control others in the world of ‘regular’ mind readers. Needless to say most people are paranoid and don’t trust others who can jack them and play with their memories. Kira struggles to continue a ‘normal’ life in the aftermath of the revelations she exposed and when Malloy, one of the mindjackers she betrayed in Open Minds returns, she finds herself swept up with revolutionary mindjackers, with abilities as powerful as hers and the government who want to crack down on all jackers.

Kira is in a difficult position – she doesn’t trust a lot of jackers, but she doesn’t believe the government should experiment on them either. This is  not an easy world with right and wrong clearly defined but with plenty of shades of grey which Kira finds herself struggling to balance. Yes, taking rights away from jackers is wrong, but should jackers be allowed to play with others? It’s a fine line and one that Kira waivers over throughout the book as she is pushed and pulled between jackers, government and her desire for a normal life with her family and the boy she loves, Raf.

There is plenty of double crossing as loyalties appear to be fluid with the betrayers betrayed and at times you never who to trust. All these events happen over a very short period – a week and the pace never lets up. Kira’s father places a bigger role this time round and there are plenty of intriguing new characters introduced – Julian and his sister Anna, particularly leave me wanting to know more about their past and what their plans are.

The writing is smooth and I was fully immersed in Kira’s world – one word of warning though, there is little introduction to the world. It is assumed that you know are aware of the events of Open Minds and have some idea of the world Kira lives in. Even the language like mesh, jack certainly gives this futuristic Chicago a different flavour but might confuse you if you aren't aware. It is a fun ride and I gobbled up the pages wanting to know what will happen next! Can't wait for the third book in thsi trilogy!

Recommended for fans of Veronica Rossi and Jeri Smith-Ready. 8.5 out of 10

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Do you fancy a copy of Closed Hearts for yourself? Or  have you yet to start the fabulousness of Open Minds? Susan has kindly offered me an e-copy to giveaway here  – winners choice of eitehr book + her short story prequel, Mind Games! All you need to do in fill in the form below! Open internationally and ends 9^th June 2012. Good Luck!

Open Minds Blog Tour: Author Interview + GIVEAWAY!

So this morning I raved about Open Minds, the first book in the Mindjack Trilogy and this afternoon as part of her Blog Tour I managed to corner the writer behind the book and interregrated her. She gave up all the details and has even generously offered an e-copy of Mind Games to one lucky reader!

So without further ado a big hello to Susan Kaye Quinn!

First thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions!
Thanks for having me on your blog!

 

First tell us a little about yourself...

My business card says “Author and Rocket Scientist.” This usually gets a laugh, but I really do have a Ph.D. in engineering and have done everything from work for NASA to study global warming (and yes, design rockets - I like stuff that goes boom). Now that I write novels, I use all that engineering to dream up slightly plausible inventions for my middle grade stories and alternate future-worlds for my young adult novels. I have three boys (ages 8, 10, and 13) who wish I would write more of those middle grade stories and less YA novels with kissing. But I like the kissing parts too. J

The first of a new series, Open Minds has just been released - how would you describe it to potential readers?

Open Minds is all about secrets and intolerance, and it’s a bit of a play on words—in the future world of the story, everyone reads minds, but their “open” minds are really very intolerant of anyone who is different in their world. Kira is different, she can’t read minds, which makes her an outcast. Eventually, she finds out that she’s a mindjacker, someone who controls the thoughts of others, which gives her the chance to finally fit in, but at the cost of lying to (and controlling) everyone she loves. The tag line—When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep—gives you an idea that it gets worse from there.

Regular people or Readers broadcast their thoughts in Open Minds: What secret would you most like to hide from everyone else? J

Great question! Now I’ll just mindjack you into forgetting that you asked. Oh wait, this is online. Drat. Um, what was the question? Right. What secret would I most like to hide from everyone else? If I was a reader, I would think it would be painfully embarrassing to have the little thoughts escaping all the time. The nasty things you think, but would never say. The unkind thoughts or words that polite society has trained you to never let loose through your lips—and that you probably don’t really mean, if you thought for two seconds about it. But in a world where everyone reads minds, those things are broadcast for everyone to hear, all the time. I think it would be more comfortable to walk around in your underwear.

Have you ever had a telepathic experience?

No, but I’d really like to. And Morgan Freeman has just about convinced me that it’s possible. I’ll just keep practicing with my Jedi Force Trainer.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Definitely the power to heal. Or, if it was really a SUPER power, to bring people back from the dead. But only if they don’t look like zombies when they come back.

What have you got coming up next?

I’m busy working on Closed Hearts, the sequel to Open Minds. And I have a couple middle grade projects in the works, including a fantasy called The Faery Swap. But mostly, I’m intent on getting the Mindjack Trilogy written and released as soon as possible.

Finally a 60 second, quick question quiz

- Favourite Book you’ve read?

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

- Favourite Book you’ve written? <Cruel question I know!>

Yikes! Like picking between my children! I’m going to have to say Open Minds, although Closed Hearts is looking like a close second.

- Favourite food?

Anything with cheese.

- Favourite film?

Star Trek, the Reboot. Genius! Really couldn’t love that movie anymore than I do. (I love that film too!)

- Favourite music?

Green Day and Plain White T’s fight it out on my iPod for top billing on the “Most Played” playlist.

- Favourite authors?

Scott Westerfeld, Holly Black, Suzanne Collins

- Any pets?

Two cats, one of which has excessive toes, just like Hemingway’s cats. She’s very dexterous.

- Favourite saying/quote?

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Robert Frost I believe writers have to put their whole emotional selves into a story to bring it to life.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog! 

Susan, thank you so much - I love your answers!

And thaks to Susan's generosity, one lucky person will get an e-copy of Open Minds, just fill in the form below:

Rules: (without which there will be chaos!)

- Open Internationally

- Closes at Midnight 18th November 2011

- Fill in the form below

- You don't have to be a follower, but I won't object if you are! :)

Open Minds Review

Open Minds (Mindjack Trilogy 1)

-       Susan Kaye Quinn

Kindle Book

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.
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...

Wow – just when I was getting a little bored of YA a book like this comes along and just woes me back! What I loved was that at first I thought I was reading a typical story of a teen girl who discovers she has extra-ordinary powers, and while that is the starting point the story then moves rapidly changing direction and leaving me twisting in the gale like a wind chime.

When we first meet Kira, she is a zero – someone who neither projects her thoughts or receives others and is rapidly passing the age when she should have changed. And in this brand new world where everyone can read each other’s thoughts, this means she is isolated and without a future. This world building and what that means for family, technology and society might feel a little slow paced at first but it does ground you in the world and helps to connect to Kira so that when events start to move I was already on her side. Kira is feisty and has a strong moral core but at the same time the isolation she felts at being a zero means she is desperate to fit in. 

There are a number of supporting characters which help and hinder Kira – all of which feel complex and full rounded personalities. I loved Raf who was so fiery and sweet without any ulterior motive – I’d love to have a Raf in my life! There are a few occasions though when I didn’t agree with Kira decisions, but I could completely understand why she made them. The second half of the story moves rapidly with some truly shocking turns that continually surprised me. I was so annoyed when my station arrived as I didn't want to get off the train!

The writing is easy to fall into and flowing allowing quick immersion in this fascinating world. I was holding my breathe right up until the last page. I was drawn into the story and characters and I’m now desperate to know what impact Kira’s actions will have on her world and how she manages to adapt.

Recommended for fans of Suzanne Collins and Julie Kagawa. 9 out of 10

And check back this afternoon for an interview with the author herself, Susan Kaye Quinn and one lucky person will win a copy of Open Minds!