The Hypnotists by Gordon Korman
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: middle
grade, fiction, supernatural
In the beginning
of his new series, Gordon Korman introduces readers to a young man whose color changing
eyes can make others do anything. Jackson “Jax” Opus is an ordinary twelve year
old boy who learns he is a descendant of a long line of hypnotists after he
accidentally hypnotizes those around him. As soon as he discovers this, Doctor
Elias Mako, the head of the Sentia institute, contacts him with an invitation
to join their groundbreaking research. At an institute where Jax is surrounded
by mindbenders like himself, he soon discovers that everything is not as it
seems. Sentia has a much darker purpose, and Jax is the key to its success.
Soon, Jax has to use his power to protect himself and those he loves from
people who will do anything to possess his power.
This book is
for middle grade readers. The science behind the hypnotism is not explained,
and many of the characters are very one dimensional, especially the other hypnos
at the Sentia institute. The institute has petty bullies, overachievers, and
class clowns, but the audience does not get to learn more about them, because
they disappear about two thirds of the way through the novel. Although, there
is room for them to reappear in future books, the relationships between them
could have been fleshed out a lot more. The story itself is fast paced, and held my interest once I got about a third
of the way through. The book is meant to be the first in a series, and this is
clear since many questions are left unanswered and the story itself ends on a
cliff hanger of sorts. Also, the one dimensional characters and their
unrealistic reactions to the events require the reader to suspend disbelief.
The main
redeeming quality of this book was the main character, Jax. He was a likable
main character who I felt a lot of sympathy for, mainly because his attitudes
and reactions were appropriate for his age. By the end of the book, he has been
forced to grow up too fast, yet I still found myself rooting for him.
By: Daniel Lyerly
