June 17, 2013
The fast-paced first volume in Korman’s Hypnotists series introduces some historical conspiracies worthy of Dan Brown. In Korman’s world, famous events from the Hindenberg disaster to the Lewis and Clark expedition were influenced by hypnotists, people with a genetic gift that allows them to control others’ minds. Twelve-year-old Jackson “Jax” Opus is starting to notice that people sometimes do what he says without thinking about it, and that he has strange visions when this happens. After a run-in with a stage hypnotist, he is recruited to the Sentia Institute, run by Dr. Elias Mako, friend to politicians and movie stars alike. Jax starts training his natural skills, but an encounter with another hypnotist, former con artist Axel Braintree, persuades him that there’s more to both his own family history and to Sentia. Korman (the Swindle series) delivers an entertaining mix of intense action and goofy fun; he isn’t afraid to raise the stakes when necessary, and he makes the moral murkiness of mind control apparent to characters and readers alike. The ending wraps up some loose ends, but leaves plenty for future books. Ages 8–12.
December 2, 2013
Twelve-year-old Jackson is accepted into a program at the Sentia Institute after an encounter with a stage hypnotistâand because he's actually the descendent of powerful hypnotists. At the institute, Jackson begins honing his skills, but soon realizes that hypnotism will be the key to his survival. Korman's novel is simply yet vividly narrated by Ramon de Ocampo in a subtle performance that allows the author's material to shine. de Ocampo's subtle shifts in tone give the characters original and unique voices. As Jackson, de Ocampo is an easygoing yet determined young man with an incredible gift, and when it comes time to use that gift, de Ocampo's delivery is pitch-perfect. Ages 8â12. A Scholastic hardcover.
June 1, 2013
An unsettling premise and wildly escalating threats jump-start Korman's newest series. Jackson Opus is uneasy about his ability to, sometimes, make people do exactly what he tells them to--until he's invited to join a training program at the mysterious Sentia Institute, where he learns that he's an uncommonly gifted member of a rare but not unknown breed of natural-born "mind-benders." Initially dazzled by the glittering promises of world-changing powers offered by Sentia's founder, Elias Mako, Jax soon gets the feeling that Mako has a hidden agenda. That feeling becomes a certainty after Jax meets the Sandman's Guild, an underclass of benders struggling with the ability's addictive lure, and records a video for, supposedly, experimental purposes that hypnotizes anyone who sees it. Despite such tongue-in-cheek highlights as a guild meeting modeled on an AA support group and a "Sorcerer's Apprentice"-style scene in the wake of a string of badly worded hypnotic commands, the story takes a suspenseful turn. Jax discovers that his own parents have been implanted with a deadly posthypnotic command to keep him in line and that Mako has "bent" the leading U.S. presidential candidate. There's action aplenty, and belly laughs too--though the implication that benders have played significant roles in history and are among us now may leave readers feeling queasy. (Suspense fantasy. 10-13)
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September 1, 2013
Gr 5-8-Twelve-year-old Jackson Opus knows that he is a little different and that people sometimes act odd around him. But when his New York City bus driver suddenly starts driving like a madman and his psychiatrist tries to jump out the window, Jax thinks it's more than a little strange. Turns out, Jax is a hypnotist, a person capable of capturing others' minds and bending them to suggestions. It's not an easy power to master. Fortunately, Jax is taken under the wing of Dr. Elias Mako of the Sentia Institute, where he, along with others with similar powers, learns how to control his ability. But with great power comes great responsibility, and his gift makes him a ripe target for those who want to use him to "bend" others. Can Jax determine who is friend and who is foe in a world in which his own mind can be used against him? Korman delivers a quick and thrilling adventure with accessible characters and a familiar urban landscape. While the overall story and world-building run thin at times, readers looking for an action-filled plot will enjoy this contemporary story of psychic powers and betrayal. The dramatic tone may be unexpected for fans who know Korman for high jinks and humor, but it should be a good fit for fans of his "Titanic" trilogy (Scholastic).-Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2014
When twelve-year-old Jackson Opus discovers that he's a hypnotist, he thinks his new ability is pretty cool. After the director of the shady Sentia Institute discovers that Jax's mind control powers are uniquely strong, however, Jax finds himself caught in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy. The mixture of humor, fast-paced action, and suspense adds up to solid, engaging middle-grade fare.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)