Minder (A Ganzfield Novel) by Kate Kaynak - Review

Minder is hypnotic, I felt as though I was under Kate Kaynak's spell while reading it, a guilty pleasure I kept running back to...not able to stop myself from wanting to dive further and further into this dynamic, rich and very original world.

My synopsis...
As Minder opens up, we are introduced to our protagonist, Maddie...a strong girl whom has never felt “at home” in her place in New Jersey; living with her mom, with a dad that was killed when she was little, it's all she's ever known...until...

One night, something happens and everything changes...people come to “rescue” her from the police station, minds are seemingly change, and Maddie herself sets forth on a journey to a new “school” or training facility....Ganzfield...

She has no idea why she trusts these people, but her internal “sense” about people has never steered her in the wrong direction, and ultimately she knows there was no alternative, not for her, not after what she's done...

So, she goes, blindly...willingly...having little idea of what to expect...and when she gets there, it's nothing like she could have prepared herself for...

Secrets fly, at one stray thought cloths set themselves on fire, mind control runs rampant, and Maddie's nightmares are no longer just her's to deal with, it seems she's casting them out to her classmates, somehow....

Strangely, Maddie feels more at home here than anywhere she's ever been in her life, no matter what she's determined to figure out what and who she is, and when she meets Trevor, thing's seem to get better for her...until the day everything changes...

Kate Kaynak's, Minder is like nothing I have ever read before, the original idea, and the way this world is shaped, molded, and developed; is nothing short of creative, unique, a one of a kind, cool drink on a hot Sunday afternoon. I was entranced, but the wonderful characterization; captivated by the story; and the whole way that Kate intertwined the scientific aspect into Minder, was nothing short of brilliant...to take something this obtuse, and make it sound totally plausible, is impressive.

The only real issue I had with minder, and I have to agree with Rebecca's of Elephants On Trapezes here, is that things seemed a bit to “easy” for Maddie, don't get me wrong, she has her challenges, but ultimately I thought she dealt with everything a bit to easily. Even things that might devastate someone else, rolled nearly effortlessly off her back. Not that I wanted her to suffer, I LOVE Maddie, as a character, but ultimately, I think, she would have been even more “real” if things would have been a bit harder for her, if she would have struggled, just a bit.

The pacing, I felt was good in Minder. The plot effortlessly flowed off the page, nothing seemed forced or rushed. Though some might call it slow, with little to no action (at least till the ending); they would be right, however with that being said, I think if more “action” were to be thrown in to early, we would have most certainty missed out on the little nuance's that gave Ganzfield it's enchanting ability to seduce the mind, captivate the heart and tempt the soul. I also think, the ending...offered a brilliant direction for Adversary (the 2nd Ganzfield Novel) which is set to be released in August of 2010..and after having read the “sneak peek” into Adversary, I am blown away...August can't come soon enough for me.

Bottom Line – Kate Kaynak has created, with her debut YA novel Minder, a start to a series that I most assuredly want to sink my teeth into. Minder is dynamic, original, thoughtful, and entrancing. Parts, of Minder, left me speechless, while others offered fits of what I call “the giggles,” yet still others offered pulse pounding action, where I forgot to breath. The romance between Maddie and Trevor is beautiful, eternal, and offered a “quiet place” when the world of Minder got to be to much (in a good way). I am thrilled to have embarked on this journey with Maddie, and I can't wait to continue! I give Minder a 4 mushrooms, and am counting the days down until Adversary is here!

Minder (A Ganzfield Novel)
By: Kate Kaynak
264 Pages
Published: June 18, 2010
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Received via Kate Kaynak, for my honest review. THANK YOU!