| Title | : | Closed Hearts (Mindjack, #2; Mindjack: Kira, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published May 14, 2012 |
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. 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.
MINDJACK SERIES READING ORDER
Open Minds (Book 1)
Closed Hearts (Book 2)
Free Souls (Book 3)
Locked Tight (Book 4)
Cracked Open (Book 5)
Broken Wide (Book 6)
Mindjack Short Story Collection (Book 7)
Closed Hearts (Mindjack, #2; Mindjack: Kira, #2) Reviews
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I liked this one even better than the first book, Open Minds. Maybe it's because I understood the world a bit better, but I don't think so. It seemed like the action had been kicked up a notch in this one and maybe it was just a bit more fast-paced? Whatever the reason I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
Closed Hearts takes off a few months after the last book ended, and Kira is dealing with the aftermath of her decision to bring the secret world of mindjackers out in the open. The regular readers are afraid, and the government is taking full advantage of their fears. And while it sounds like he only wants to imprison jackers who break the law, Kira finds out how easy it is to end up on the wrong side of those laws.
Her only goal is to live a normal life, but the threats to her and her family's safety are coming from every side. A group of rebel jackers, led by the enigmatic Julian, want her to join them to save a group of their friends and family being held inside a secret jacker prison. Somehow they've teamed up with the Clann leader that Kira left to rot in prison in the last book, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get Kira on board with their plan. On the other side of the coin, a powerful politician is trying to blackmail Kira into publicly denouncing all jackers as unpredictable and dangerous. Unfortunately, Kira is afraid that he's partially right. On top of everything else, Kira knows that Agent Kestrel is still out there waiting for the opportunity to get his revenge.
The only bright spot in her life is Raf. He has remained faithfully in love with her throughout everything, and they've managed to stay together despite the fact that he's only a regular reader. When Raf is kidnapped by her old nemesis from the Clann, Kira is finally forced into action.
I loved the addition of Julian to the story. He brought a much needed sense of something to the plot. I never really felt any sparks when it came to Raf and Kira, so I'm hoping that after this book, Julian is going to slip into the role of love interest.
I ended up a little annoyed that Kira once again had to be forced into doing anything, but I'm hoping that because of the way this book ended, she's not going to be dragging her feet in the trilogy's conclusion.
I felt the same annoyance about her attitude towards Julian.
He's a good guy! Stop being such a whiny bitch to him already!
Still it was a really fun book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends up.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a digital copy of this book.
Also reviewed for:
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CAUTION: Long Review.
I really liked book 1 so I was excited when book 2 came out. Once I got my hands on it, I immediately read it. Wow, what a big disappointment book 2 turned out to be. The series was still well written, well edited, and fast-paced. So what was the problem with Closed Hearts, the YA novel of around 84,000 words? One word: Kira.
All the character development in book 1 that made Kira a kick-ass heroine was gone in book 2. Gone! She regressed back to her insecure, incompetent self. By the time she started kicking ass, it was too little too late and bam there was the ending.
The Beginning
The novel began with Kira working with her father to mindguard their rich client.The atmosphere was tense, the characters alert. The novel was off to a good beginning.
Till I read the first sign of trouble.It had been a while since I’d tangled with another jacker, and I was out of practice. I hoped to stay that way.
Uh what? Does your client knows you're out of practice? Does he know you're putting his life at risk with your atrophy? You're a mindguard, Kira. You should not be out of practice.
Thus it didn't surprised me when Kira encountered a mindjacker and even though he was weak she had trouble confining him. She needed her father's help. It was also not a surprise that after the guy was caught her father directed Kira to go home.
Everyone Hates Mindjackers
Kira went home and then she went out to began her second job as a waitress.
At the diner, we learn people did not take the sudden public revelation of mindjackers from book 1 well. Everyone is a mindreader, but only a few are mindjackers. It's one thing to read minds, it's another thing entirely to control (or "jack" as the story terms it) minds. Things pretty much went as expected when a society discover a certain minority. Paranoia. Prejudice. Let's legislate segregation!
Thus introduced the villain, Senator Vellus. However, he wasn't a big problem for Kira yet. Her boyfriend Raf was.
Dude In Distress
After book 1, Kira's family moved away and lived under new identities. Apparently, they didn't move far away enough because Raf and his family came into the diner where Kira worked to her surprise. We soon learn Kira and Raf have been meeting secretly behind their parents' back.
I liked Raf but I thought it was one of the stupidest things Kira could have done by keeping in contact with Raf. She put her sickeningly sweet love for Raf ahead of everyone's safety.
Raf was only a mindreader and thus had no resistance to being jacked. He didn't even have any of those anti-mindjacking tools that were suddenly (and conveniently) invented in the past 8 months between book 1 and 2 to protect himself. Therefore, I was not at all surprised to learn Raf was jacked to trap Kira. The both of them were then kidnapped by returning villain, mindjacker clan leader Molloy.
In the entire story, Raf played no other role than as a dude in distress. He was always being knocked out and held hostage. It was painful watching Kira being her pathetic self as she do everything the antagonists demanded so they'll keep Raf alive as they "promised." Yes, because bad people keeps their promises. (sarcasm)“Let Raf go.” I didn’t care that desperation crumpled my voice. “I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt him.”
She sooooo didn't.
“Hurt him?” Julian stopped mid-chew. “I don’t think you quite understand the situation you’re in here.”
I pitied Raf. It was a WTF moment that Kira objected to others jacking Raf but she had little objection to jacking Raf herself. What kind of girlfriend was Kira that she had little scruple erasing her boyfriend's memories without his permission, even if she thought it was for a good reason. She was doing the things the mindjackers-hating bigots accused her and her kinds of doing.
At one point, I thought it was better for Raf to die than to go through any more crap because of Kira's incompetence. If Kira had stopped meeting Raf, they wouldn't be in this stupid situation that was the entire book 2: rescuing Raf from the bad guys.
Talk About Stupid
Kira got kidnapped (and Raf held hostage) because the rebel mindjackers needed her strong mindjacking talent — a talent she was totally rusty on — to break innocent mindjackers out of Kestrel's prison. FBI Agent Kestrel was the second returning villain from book 1. He was another mistake — beside Molloy — Kira made because had she killed or at least completely incapacitated him things wouldn't have been so shitty for her, for Raf, and for all the innocent mindjackers.
By shitty, I mean they were captured and experimented on. Though I will admit I was a little gleeful watching Kestrel experimenting on Kira. Even when she was being tortured, she still annoyed me with her incompetence.“I’ll do whatever little demonstrations you want to prove it, but then you need to let us go—all of us.”
Kestrel never showed mercy and he wasn't going to start now. Was Kira so stupid that she didn't realize that her cooperation could possibly make thing worse? She had one of the most powerful minds in the world. If Kestrel could crack her mind, No One Will Be Safe.
I think maybe Kira was so mentally "talented" because she was literally that dense.
So frustrating it was for me to watch Kira failed again when she had the perfect opportunity to do so near the end of the novel. I could not believe she let her allies stopped her. Come on, the dude cruelly experimented on you all. Have some self-preservation instinct!
Mistakes after Mistakes
The plot had alot of action but it couldn't make it up for a pathetic protagonist. Kira got kidnapped three times. At least two of those times could have been avoided. Not meeting Raf for the 1st one. She should have at least scanned his mind and checked her surrounding before making out with him. Priorities, please! And not trusting strangers in a bad part of the town at night where everyone can jack your mind for the 2nd one. Seriously!
In a father-daughter talk, Kira didn't realize her father being an agent meant he could have killed people in the past. Her denseness astounded me. Did she not truly know what people in law enforcement do? Did she think her father carrying weapons and being all dangerous was just for look? Sweet Jesus Honeydews!
Speaking of weapons:“It’s a fast-acting dart gun with four rounds, effective at more than one hundred meters,” he said. “You should be able to keep it hidden under your clothes, unless you’re patted down. Or did you want a more deadly weapon?”
What, controlling people's mind isn't deadly? Really? Moreover, Kira should have demanded a more deadly weapon. They're breaking into what amounts to a dungeon where human experiments occur and shit. Four rounds is hardly enough, especially dart guns! Kira should have demanded a real gun, one with multiple rounds. When one is risking one's life, it's not the time to be queasy about arming oneself.
It felt cold and plenty deadly in my hand. Anything more and I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull the trigger.
The one thing that got to me was Kira's lack of concern for her mother, Xander the changeling her family adopted, and her brother Seamus. I understood Kira's need to rescue Raf and herself because they were the ones in the most danger at the present. Nonetheless, once she knew her family's cover was blown she should have notified everyone so that they could find another safe place.
It was a big plot-hole. Kira was too occupied with Raf being held hostage that she forgot to realize she had other loved ones that could be potentially held hostage too. Quite frankly, I'm surprised they weren't. It was mind-boggling to see that her family didn't do anything to protect themselves once they realized their cover was no more. I was most disappointed with Kira's father who was supposed to be the smart one, being a competent agent and such, because he didn't take any measure to protect his family other than forming some sort of unholy alliance with Senator Vellus — the jury is still out on whether that was a smart move.
Things I Had Mixed Feelings About
To be honest, I didn't know what to make of the relationship between Senator Vellus between Kira's father. I'm not sure who was using who but it looked like Vellus had the upper hand.
In the middle of the story, there was an attempt to make another love triangle with Julian, another mindjacker clan leader. Fortunately, nothing ever came out of it. I liked Julian. I liked him enough that I won't have mind if Kira died in the middle of book 2 and the story started in his PoV.
Only one of three villains were completely defeated. I was satisfied with how that villain met his end, yet I was dissatisfied with how it was only him. I wished the story had at least two villains meeting their end.
The ending wasn't bad but it wasn't what I wanted. Kira started the mindjacker revolution in book 1. In book 2, she hardly care about it. To be fair, I understood her desire for a peaceful life after what happened in book 1. At the end of book 2, she was back on the revolution wagon. I didn't know what to make of it really.
In Conclusion
I rate Closed Hearts 2-stars for it was okay. I think book 2 would have been better if Raf was done away and Kira voluntarily help Julian with his goal. Rather Kira working in secret as a waitress, she could have been working as a mindjacker rebel, propelling the mindjacker revolution with Vellus as the main villain instead of a big distraction.
Readers who greatly enjoyed book 1 will mostly likely continue that degree of enjoyment in book 2. Readers who didn't or mildly enjoy book 1 will most likely not enjoy book 2. My recommendation: do read book 2 if you got the spare change and time. The novel is worth a read. -
3.5/5 stars!
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After a promising first book in this dystopian series, I found the second book a disappointment. Mostly due to the constant adrenaline rush for most of the book. Little time spent on character or world development. Off and running, one crisis after another. Without breaks and story development, things get very old and tiring fast. Not sure if I will continue with this series that started out so well.
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Ever since I finished reading Open Minds I have been itching to read Closed Hearts. The world of mindreadering and mindjacking is an intriguing and compelling place that continues to call to me. From reading Open Minds I go into this novel with an understanding of Kira’s personality and drive. When the people she loves start being used against her Kira starts to comply to the demands of those who would use her. Will she be strong enough to get them all out alive?
I would never survive in this world. I really don’t know how Kira does it! In a world of mind readers a mind controller shouldn’t be to abnormal or a cause for fear, but they are. Since I last left, Kira she has gone into hiding working as a mindguard for a prestigious client while avoiding everyone who would want to kill her. Until an old enemy kidnaps her and her boyfriend. Now she must test her abilities to their limits and find a way to save them all…
This book was not a let down from Open Minds in any way. Kira has changed a little from her time in hiding but her spark is still there and paves the way for many unique encounters. The thing I really admire about Kira in Closed Hearts it that, with the exception of those she loves, she doesn’t allow anyone to manipulate her. Pointed comments, glares, pleas to sympathy, she has a reaction to them internally but she doesn’t let that put her loved ones in harms way. She is fiercely loyal and I would love for her to be my friend.
I was very glad to see Raf again in Closed Hearts, if only for a little while. Raf has always had a special place in my heart for how he acted when Kira was a Zero. His compassionate ways make him easy to love and connectable. I have always thought Raf was in a awkward position, it would be easy to use him against Kira, so I’m not really surprised that he was… but I still didn’t like seeing it happen!
One thing that I think Quinn did REALLY well was make the transition between mindreaders to mindjackers seem believable. It was mentioned several times in Open Mind that the evolution of “normal” humans minds into mindreaders was a slow and hate filled process… and going from mindreading to mindjacking is no different. Quinn really captures well our human instinct to fear what we don’t know, as well as portray those who are accepting and stand up for those who are different. Seeing how peoples minds work, no pun intended, in situations like this really ties me to the story. The only thing that really bothered me was all the diversity in Mindjacking gifts that was revealed. Not that that’s a bad thing to have in the book, but it was overwhelming and hard to keep straight in my mind.
The Cover:
I was very confused with why the girl had a huge tattoo climbing up the side of her face, because no one I knew of had one… but within the first few pages it was explained and made sense. I LOVE the blue swirls in the top left corner and along the bottom… and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I see a DNA strand in the design work on the bottom… FANTASTIC COVER!!
I give Closed Hearts 4.5 out of 5 hearts: Very Highly Recommended! -
Open Minds (book one in the Mindjack Trilogy) was one of my favorite reads last year, so I was super excited to read Closed Hearts. Excited and a tiny bit nervous, worried that Susan Kaye Quinn would not be able to capture again the electrifying essence of the first book…I had nothing to be worried about! Not only does this second volume match the first in excitement, suspense, thought-provoking material and superb world-building, it goes beyond even the awesomeness of Open Minds.
It’s been eight months since Kira Moore revealed to the world the existence of mindjackers like herself. Her family has been forced to go into hiding as the mindreaders’ fears of mindjackers intensify. But Kira secretly continues to see her BFF and boyfriend Raf in secret. But when an old enemy shows up and Kira ends up in Jackertown among a group of mindjacking revolutionaries, Kira must go up against old and new foes to save the people she loves.
I had intended on reading Closed Hearts over the course of several days, but after muttering “Just one more chapter” after each chapter, I found that I had devoured the book in one sitting, simply unable to put it down. It’s THAT captivating and “I gotta know what happens next!” inducing.
In this volume, Quinn continues to expand and explore the frightening, yet completely intriguing world she has created. Kira finds herself in Jackertown, among mindjackers who have been run out of town by mindreaders and I loved this new setting. Quinn adds even more layers to her already intricate and well-developed world by introducing this setting and the complex social issues it brings to light.
And one of the things I find most compelling about this series is how relevant and fresh the social/cultural/political issues are. The world in this series is quite different than our world, but Quinn deftly explores hot topics that mirror many of the ones our society faces today; topics that are really quite relevant in any generation. The mindjackers, people who were born different than most others, are ostracized, feared and punished simply for the differences they have no control over and Quinn crafts a very palpable and realistic look at how this affects Kira’s society as a whole and how it affects people on a personal level.
The story itself continues to be very thought-provoking, but also immensely thrilling and suspenseful. I was completely enthralled by the difficult journey Kira must take in this book and all the unexpected places she ends up. There are quite a few exciting and well-written fight scenes and scenes of peril that had my heart racing.
Most of my favorite characters from the first book make an appearance in this one. Kira remains a very dimensional, engaging heroine who is easy to like and connect with. But as much as I love her, I really liked getting to know all the new characters Quinn introduces, especially the mindjackers in Jackertown. With these new mindjackers comes new and powerful jacking abilities, and I’m in complete awe of Quinn’s imagination and innovative-ness.
My favorite new character is Julian and I’ll admit that he has me all swoony! I love Raf, but there’s just something so intensely captivating and endearing about Julian. I’ll admit that when he was first introduced I feared that Quinn was setting up a love triangle between Kira/Raf/Julian, but it never felt like that. The feelings Kira experiences for both these guys come across has very natural and believable. She’s simply a girl who is in love with her BFF and best friend Raf, but can’t deny that she has a strong connection to Julian. There’s an absolutely heart breaking event that happens and I’m excited to see what effect this has on Kira’s love life.
I really love where Kira ends up by the end of this book, both the physical and mental/emotional place and I am dying to find out how this trilogy ends!
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Closed Hearts definitely does not suffer from any sequel slump or second book disappointment. Instead, it surpasses the awesomeness of the first book, making it and the Mindjack Trilogy MUST reads!
Merged review:
Open Minds (book one in the Mindjack Trilogy) was one of my favorite reads last year, so I was super excited to read Closed Hearts. Excited and a tiny bit nervous, worried that Susan Kaye Quinn would not be able to capture again the electrifying essence of the first book…I had nothing to be worried about! Not only does this second volume match the first in excitement, suspense, thought-provoking material and superb world-building, it goes beyond even the awesomeness of Open Minds.
It’s been eight months since Kira Moore revealed to the world the existence of mindjackers like herself. Her family has been forced to go into hiding as the mindreaders’ fears of mindjackers intensify. But Kira secretly continues to see her BFF and boyfriend Raf in secret. But when an old enemy shows up and Kira ends up in Jackertown among a group of mindjacking revolutionaries, Kira must go up against old and new foes to save the people she loves.
I had intended on reading Closed Hearts over the course of several days, but after muttering “Just one more chapter” after each chapter, I found that I had devoured the book in one sitting, simply unable to put it down. It’s THAT captivating and “I gotta know what happens next!” inducing.
In this volume, Quinn continues to expand and explore the frightening, yet completely intriguing world she has created. Kira finds herself in Jackertown, among mindjackers who have been run out of town by mindreaders and I loved this new setting. Quinn adds even more layers to her already intricate and well-developed world by introducing this setting and the complex social issues it brings to light.
And one of the things I find most compelling about this series is how relevant and fresh the social/cultural/political issues are. The world in this series is quite different than our world, but Quinn deftly explores hot topics that mirror many of the ones our society faces today; topics that are really quite relevant in any generation. The mindjackers, people who were born different than most others, are ostracized, feared and punished simply for the differences they have no control over and Quinn crafts a very palpable and realistic look at how this affects Kira’s society as a whole and how it affects people on a personal level.
The story itself continues to be very thought-provoking, but also immensely thrilling and suspenseful. I was completely enthralled by the difficult journey Kira must take in this book and all the unexpected places she ends up. There are quite a few exciting and well-written fight scenes and scenes of peril that had my heart racing.
Most of my favorite characters from the first book make an appearance in this one. Kira remains a very dimensional, engaging heroine who is easy to like and connect with. But as much as I love her, I really liked getting to know all the new characters Quinn introduces, especially the mindjackers in Jackertown. With these new mindjackers comes new and powerful jacking abilities, and I’m in complete awe of Quinn’s imagination and innovative-ness.
My favorite new character is Julian and I’ll admit that he has me all swoony! I love Raf, but there’s just something so intensely captivating and endearing about Julian. I’ll admit that when he was first introduced I feared that Quinn was setting up a love triangle between Kira/Raf/Julian, but it never felt like that. The feelings Kira experiences for both these guys come across has very natural and believable. She’s simply a girl who is in love with her BFF and best friend Raf, but can’t deny that she has a strong connection to Julian. There’s an absolutely heart breaking event that happens and I’m excited to see what effect this has on Kira’s love life.
I really love where Kira ends up by the end of this book, both the physical and mental/emotional place and I am dying to find out how this trilogy ends!
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Closed Hearts definitely does not suffer from any sequel slump or second book disappointment. Instead, it surpasses the awesomeness of the first book, making it and the Mindjack Trilogy MUST reads! -
**Review in Progress**
The first part of this book I was a bit unsure of. Things had changed for Jackers and the world was different and I felt it could have been explained better, especially with any gap between book reading. So I felt a bit lost and off balance at first. But then things got better, the pace picked up and the world-building grew so far beyond the first book that I began to really enjoy it. I also enjoyed several of the new characters and learning about special jacker traits and skills. -
A revolution is beginning. As much as Kira would like to forget the last year of her life and begin anew she can’t, because everywhere she turns people recognize her. Kira, the one who began the revolution. Even with a new name and a new place to call home she can’t escape what she’s done by sharing the news of jackers in society. What’s worse than not being able escape her past though is how it may affect those she loves, her mindreader boyfriend Raf most of all.
Reading a sequel in a series is often difficult for me, because no matter how good the writing or the characters the second book never seems to live up to the connection with the first book. In fact that’s why I tend to avoid book series as much as possible. Of course, after reading Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn I couldn’t resist reading Closed Hearts, the second book in the Mindjack Trilogy. And now…there is absolutely no way I can resist reading the third book, Free Souls, when it is released. Closed Hearts completely tore through my expectations of sequels and is now my favorite book in the series to date.
From the start a big concern I have with sequels is the lack of information from the previous book or the never ending rehashing of all the events you’ve already read about. That was simply not the case with Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn. Again, in Closed Hearts Quinn has proven that she knows how to write and that she’s an author worth reading. If I hadn’t read Open Minds I have no doubt I would have enjoyed Closed Hearts just as much as I did reading it through this time. Quinn’s characters are so beautifully crafted with a range of emotions and characteristics that each individual character stands out, making them memorable beyond the pages of the story. Beyond the characters it was the blending of past information with what was to come including some fantastic action and adventure that made the pacing perfect and had me flipping page after page.
In Closed Hearts Kira is back but with a variety of names and working new jobs with her Dad who is also a jacker. At first I was surprised that the story started in such a different place than where the previous one had, but as the story progressed I found I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of the new setting with the past creeping back in around the characters. One of the other aspects that I loved that also surprised me in a very good way was the introduction of such a large number of new characters. The vast majority of the new characters were mindjackers like Kira, but there was also the introduction of a big new bad guy, Vellus, who I’m certain isn’t done with Kira just yet. I was also thrilled to see Raf back in the story, Kira’s boyfriend from the previous book, but I’m also intrigued by new guy, Julian. All of these pieces fit together so nicely, from the new setting to the new characters, making this a story I couldn’t put down.
In a stunning turn of events, Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn has proven to me that a sequel can be every bit as good as the first book in a series and potentially even better than it’s predecessor. With
Open Minds I was completely shocked by how it exceeded my expectations of what I’ve come to expect from self-published novels. Now with Closed Hearts I’ve been entirely blown out of the water with it’s rich cast of characters and action packed situations. The Mindjacker trilogy is one to put on your to-read lists, now; a series to wait for with bated breathe as Quinn crafts next and final book, and is certainly one sci-fi dystopian fans should have already read. Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn begins with the rumblings of a mindjacker revolution, takes you through an action packed invasion and breaks your heart. Do not miss this series that is now on my “Top Reads” list for the indefinite future.
Originally reviewed at my book review site,
There's A Book. -
Original-Rezension:
The emotional life of books
Meine Meinung:
Bevor ich Closed Hearts gelesen habe, steckte ich in einer kleinen, immer schlimmer werdenden Leseflaute. Ich habe für wirklich gute Bücher Ewigkeiten gebraucht! Dass es dann Closed Hearts geschafft hat, mich da wieder raus zu holen, sagt an sich schon sehr viel über das Buch aus!
Es ist ja schon ein bisschen her, seit ich Open minds gelesen habe. Aber da ich unbedingt die deutsche Übersetzung lesen wollte (was für mich ja an sich schon etwas Seltsames ist), musste ich eben ein wenig warten.Trotz der kleinen Pause habe ich wieder gut in die Geschichte hinein gefunden. Das ist sowieso so eine Spezialität der Autorin: direkte Einstiege ohne viel Erklärung drum herum und trotzdem versteht man sofort alles.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin lässt sich darüber hinaus auch wirklich angenehm und vor allem schnell lesen. Ich bin nur so durch die Seiten geflogen! Abgesehen von ein paar Begriffen, zu denen ich gleich etwas sagen werde, gibt es keinerlei „Stolpersteine“.
Teilweise habe ich mich jedoch an der ein oder anderen Begrifflichkeit etwas gestört. So finde ich den Begriff „dement“ in dem Kontext bzw. der Bedeutung, in welchem/welcher er in dem Buch benutzt wird, etwas befremdlich. Da aber solche Begriffe nicht dauernd vorkommen, stört es beim Lesen weniger. Ich bin bloß immer etwas verwirrt, weil ich unter dement etwas anderes verstehe als die Protagonisten in dem Buch.
Wirklich schade fand ich aber, dass die Charaktere noch stereotypischer sind als in dem ersten Band. Man hat das Gefühl, als würde man ständig mit dem klassischen Schurken, dem klassischen Held usw. zu tun haben, was auf die Dauer wirklich nervt, da die Personen so den Leser nie überraschen können, weil sie immer an ihrem Stereotyp verhaftet sind. Dabei haben die einzelnen Personen wirklich Potential, das aber leider nicht bzw. nur geringfügig genutzt wurde.
Das Ganze hat der Spannung jedoch keinen Abbruch getan. Permanent hat man den Drang, weiterlesen zu müssen. Nie ist es auch nur ein bisschen langweilig. Immer passiert etwas Neues und Aufregendes!
Sehr gut gefallen hat mir darüber hinaus auch die wirklich originelle Idee. Wenn die Charaktere auch eher Stereotypen sind, so ist die Handlung einzigartig und facettenreich. Vorher habe ich noch nie über etwas ähnliches wie Mindjacking gelesen. Natürlich ist Gedankenlesen ja nichts Neues, aber Mindjacking verleiht dem Ganzen dann noch einmal etwas ganz eigenes, denn es ist eben weit mehr als „nur“ Gedankenlesen! Wie ich schon in meiner Rezension zu Band 1 geschrieben habe, sollte man fast alleine deshalb schon das Buch lesen!
Das Ende ist übrigens relativ offen. Auch wenn die Handlung an sich ein Ende findet, merkt man eben doch, dass es noch einen Folgeband geben wird, da etliches unbeantwortet bleibt.
Mein Fazit:
Alles in allem lässt sich also sagen, dass Closed Hearts ein spannendes Buch ist mit einer originelle Idee, dem es leider an nicht-stereotypischen Charakteren mangelt. Nichtsdestotrotz hat es mir wirklich sehr viel Spaß gemacht, das Buch zu lesen, was auch wirklich schnell ging aufgrund des Schreibstils der Autorin. Weiterempfehlen kann ich die Reihe an jeden, der mal eine tolle und einzigartige Idee kennenlernen möchte, sich jedoch nicht an zu stereotypischen Charakteren stört! -
I was excited to obtain an eARC from Susan Kaye Quinn in order to help her proofread! I was eager to discover the continuing story of Kira and her intriguing mindjacking abilities, and enjoyed this novel as I combed through it. Interesting new characters are introduced, most of them mindjackers of varying talents who live in the dangerous area of Jackertown. Political storms begin to brew. Kira has daunting/challenging tasks to perform, and a number of people to protect--such as her boyfriend Raf.
The twists and turns kept me guessing and chuckling; I love to be surprised. Kira is forced to come to grip with some heavy issues in this book, and she has to make hard choices. I especially liked the characters of Julian, Anna, and Ava.
Here's a nice image/line: Thinking about that made a scream start to crawl up my throat…
I appreciated that Kira's victories were hard-won, and that she had setbacks. There are no easy escapes or rescues here, and that makes the story more realistic and exciting. -
CLOSED HEARTS (YA) by Susan K Quinn
CLOSED HEARTS is the second novel and May 23, 2012 release in Susan K Quinn’s Young Adult Mindjack Trilogy.
PREVIOUSLY: In a world where mindreading is the norm (due to decades of contaminated water) those without the ability are known as zeroes, but there are a few who possess a power greater than most, and Kira will learn first hand, just how different is she. Discrimination and stereotyping will force the mindjackers into hiding-fearing for their lives.
Kira Moore is a mindjacker. It has been 8 months since Kira revealed to the world that Agent Kestral and the FBI were performing illegal experiments on changelings. With her family now secluded and hiding under false names, Kira and her father are working for a powerful man thought to be on their side. But waking up in Jackertown amongst strangers wasn’t part of her plan. Complicating matters, Clan leader Molloy appears to have aligned himself with other mindjackers in the hopes of finding his brother.
Kira soon meets the other housemates who are hiding in Jackertown. Julien, their leader, is hoping that Kira will help find and rescue his sister, who has been taken prisoner by Agent Kestral to another mindjacker experimental facility. But it is Julien’s references to Kira as a keeper that have everyone hoping she is their answer to freedom. As a keeper, Kira has the ability to keep others out of her mind, but even Kira is not strong enough to break through the newly established mindguard security. With the revelation that mindjackers exist, security is tight, and government officials are hoping to round up everyone perceived as a threat.
Kira is introduced to several variations on the mindjacker phenomenon. Julien explains that those with enhanced abilities beyond the normal mindjacking are considered mage-they perform ‘magic’ and are able to control others in varying degrees. It is the mage more than anyone that the FBI fear. If the mindjackers are able to control one’s mind, are they able to control the body as well? But it is Sasha that will truly scare Kira-as a scribe, Sasha has a special ability that could easily make him a weapon in the war against the others.
Kira’s boyfriend Raf falls prey to Molloy’s tricks and deviance. Not originally part of Julien’s plans, Raf is now a pawn in a new game of search and rescue between Kira and Molloy. But there is more to Molloy’s plans than the rescue of his missing brother- and it is Kira who will become the ultimate prize for Agent Kestral and the FBI.
Kira’s love for Raf will force her to make choices and her decisions could ultimately cost Raf his life. Molloy’s schemes will find Kira imprisoned in a mindjacker facility, but with the help of a few new friends, Kira discovers that it is no longer (just) about her. Security becomes a necessary evil, but detection and discovery will result in lives lost and the loss of a friend. But the biggest loss for Kira will be her heart, when the one person she loves most in this life, is the one person who is no longer himself.
CLOSED HEARTS is a wonderful second instalment in the Mindjack trilogy. The story is fast paced, the characters are real, and the discrimination against those that are different is a definite possibility in the world in which we live. The premise will make you think ‘what if’ and your heart will break for a love now lost. Susan K Quinn writes a thought provoking series that can easily reflect the mindset of many countries, groups and faiths.
see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com -
There's nothing like finding an author whose books are so exciting you hate to put them down. Meet Susan Kaye Quinn, who mindjacked me with the awesome opening book of the Mindjack Trilogy, Open Minds. The follow on, Closed Hearts, is a keeper, a fully fleshed out story with plenty of page turning excitement. I love how it treated me to more cool technology along with the action. Susan Kaye Quinn is now my favorite author and her Mindjack books are my favorite reads both last year and this one.
Closed Hearts opens with Kira and her dad hiding in plain sight, working as mind guards for a wealthy businessman. Then it becomes even more of a future political thriller than book one when a politician, Senator Vellus, stirs up public sentiment against the jackers. Since Kira couldn't let go of Raff, they're an easy target. Raff makes the easiest target of all after they end up in Jackertown.
The jackers have a new leader, the hottie Julian. He's an enigmatic mage, a jacker with special talents, but is he good or bad? It's certain he wants something of Kira's, her hard head. Although he doesn't appear to hate Kira for outing their kind, he controls a large group of jackers. And they use Raff to cause her heartbreak.
By the end of Open Minds, we knew Kestrel wanted all jackers as guinea pigs for his laboratory/torture chamber. Molloy also had to show up for revenge, but how these things happen makes for some tense and scary moments. Julian is surprised when Kira doesn't want to use her talent to rescue Kestrel's jacker captives, and so was I. But her priorities are protecting Raf and her family--even when her dad's loyalties are thrown into question. Except she can't protect Raff from jackers who consider him an inferior pet.
Kira ends up forced to rescue the captives to save Raff and proves she's not strong enough to beat Kestrel. She does better fighting him mentally than physically, but she weakens. Suffering under Kestrel's torture, she would be lost if not for Julian, his sister, and jacker help. Given the chance at freedom, Kira again acts like the heroine from Open Minds. Many mages look to her as their savior, someone to lead a jacker rebellion, but there's another that seems more capable. And it's not who you might expect.
Of course, Kestrel gets away. There is no complete victory in a middle book. The battles are tough, the losses are devastating, and the victories are bittersweet. There's a terrible surprise at the end where the heartbreak happens. I'm too altruistic to hope a mindreader and jacker stay together in a society like theirs. I grew to like Julian during the course of the book, and he may have feelings for Kira. His name for her, keeper, might mean more than what he says.
I hope the de facto jacker leader inspires Kira to toughen up for the final battle. I doubt she would act like Katniss and betray her beliefs by taking revenge on children or stand around snarling at the enemy like Bella. Not that I want gore. I don't. I want the smart kind of futuristic thriller written by a real rocket scientist like Susan Kay Quinn. In her hands, the future is sure to explode with excitement. -
Closed Hearts starts in a time period shortly after Open Minds ended. Kira and her Father are working together to mind-guard a rich client. I thought the first book of the Mindjack series was a decent start and laid a good foundation for an interesting trilogy so I was anxious to read the second book in the series. However, even though I’d read the first book just a couple of months ago, I felt completely lost through the first few chapters. Once I finally figured out Kira was working with her father and what they were doing, I felt more comfortable forging ahead with the story.
The story itself seemed to be fairly fluid and action-packed, so I’m unsure why it fell flat with me. I don’t know if I had my expectations built too high for the sequel, if it was the over-use of the word "mesh" - or if it just seemed like I was reading something partially written in a foreign language with the mind-jacking terminology more familiar to me 2 months ago, but something prevented this story from resonating with me until the last few chapters. Kira, who was an average girl in the last book, evolved into a real kick-ass heroine in Open Minds. However, in this sequel, Closed Hearts, Kira seemed like she did not resemble the same strong person and wanted to run from any challenge coming her way. This was both confusing and disappointing.
I mostly listened to this on audio but also had the ebook which I would switch too at times. The narrator spoke fast and monotone which also didn’t help. At times I found myself listening for her to take a breath rather than concentrating on the story and would have to rewind.
Without giving too much away, there were some twists and turns towards the end of the story that increased the enjoyment value of this book. However, the very end lost me again as I could not follow Kira’s reasoning which lead to her actions at the conclusion. I was just left scratching my head, thinking, ‘huh?’ when all was said and done.
Book Rating: ☆☆☆
Narration Rating: ☆☆ -
I really enjoyed reading the previous instalment, Open Minds, and when the author contacted me regarding reviewing Closed Hearts and to join in the blog tour I jumped at the chance. So today will be my review, but check back on 1st June for my post as part of the blog tour.
The first thing that grabs my attention is the cover, Susan has lucked out for both of her books in this series, having fantastic covers for them both. Closed Hearts picks up straight where Open Minds finished, Kira is hiding out with her family to avoid the attention from previous publicity surrounding the revelation of jackers. But living a life of secrecy doesn't always work out as planned and soon Kira is discovered when old enemies are back for revenge.
It was so easy to fall back into Kira's world of Readers and Jackers and I really enjoyed following her as she learns more things about herself, her abilities, and also others that are like her. We get to learn of Kira's struggle to fit in even more than before and how she is always thinking of her family and keeping them safe. Kira is only a teenager, but acts so much older than her years that I actually forgot how old she was until it's later mentioned. New twists are introduced for Jackers, and we learn Kira is a keeper, a Jacker who can keep their thoughts, whose mind barrier is impenetrable.
Susan has added more things into Closed Hearts that I really wish were real. Tattoos that stay on your skin for six months, perfect for if you wanted to try one out before getting a real one, nano colour as hair dye. In fact I would just be happy with their gadgets.
Closed Hearts was a gripping read and I never knew what would happen next, I was hooked from the moment I started reading. I love the futuristic world that Susan has created with all its gadgets to go along with it, although I am not too keen on the whole mind reading things, some thoughts are meant to be private. ;) The last few chapters were heart breaking and deep down inside I want it to be fixed and for things to work out, but I have doubts whether it will or not and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment in this series to find out what happens. -
Closed Hearts was a good follow-up to the first, but it some ways it was sort of frustrating, because it felt like it used a lot of the same plot devices. She again feels like she can't love Raf--this time to protect him, but of course, she does it anyways. Again, she doesn't want to be involved in world-changing events, but she gets dragged into them (I suppose at least he stays true to character?). She gets lugged off to another secret government facility and AGAIN is shocked by the scope of it. Except this time, she gives in more easily to what happens to her. Maybe because she expects it at this point? I'm not entirely sure, but it's sort of frustrating. It made me want to shake her!
Essentially, I sort of wish that Kira would take less time to make the decisions we all know she eventually has to make. She seems to be in a state of denial, masquerading as a normal mindreader, pretending her family isn't in danger, and fooling herself into thinking she can take a job as a mindguard without practicing mindguarding/jacking (oh, and her employer is some kind of benevolent, protective grandfather type?).
It was decently action-packed, added to the world-building, and kept me entertained though, so three stars! -
An interesting development of the 'Open Minds' world.
The impossible situation with Raf at the end made me too sad. Of course, I understand that this was done mostly to clear him out of the way for impending romantic possibilities with Julian. To the same end must have been used the constant innuendo of '...Raf is weak... needs protection... plaything...' I only wish that the situation with Raf reverses itself to a happy end in the 'Free Souls'. Eh... if wishes were horses... -
The action continues. In this book we're introduced to other jackers that have special abilities, which was interesting. There were definitely twists and turns and surprises throughout the book. I'm curious to see what happens in the last book of the trilogy!
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OMG I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS!!! I read this in one sitting and wished there was more . Fantastic story -
Ihr erstes großes Abenteuer als Mindjacker hat Kira glücklicherweise überlebt, doch nun muss sie um ihre Familie fürchten. Unter einer neuen Identität, im Zeugenschutzprogramm, hat sie eine neue Anstellung gefunden. Doch schon bald soll sich ihr ruhiges Leben erneut verändern. Aber nicht nur sie, sondern auch ihr Freund Raf und ihr Vater schweben in Gefahr. Alles nur, weil sie einer neuen Crew helfen soll, sich mit dem FBI anzulegen und erneut in Kastrels Lager einbrechen soll. Wird es dieses Mal für Kira gut ausgehen?
„Closed Hearts – Gefährliche Hoffnung“ ist der zweite Teil der Mindjacker-Reihe aus der Fedr von Susan Kaye Quinn. Nach dem versöhnlichen Abschluss des Auftakts „Gefährliche Gedanken“ wartet nun eine weitere Herausforderung auf die junge Protagonistin.
Im Mittelpunkt dieser Erzählung steht Kira, die nun unter dem Namen Lucy einer neuen Beschäftigung nachgeht. Getarnt versucht sie ein weitgehend normales Leben zu führen, doch ihre Prominenz macht es ihr nicht allzu leicht. Vielmehr muss sie immer damit rechnen, dass jemand sie erkennt.
Als es zu einem erneuten Übergriff kommt, will sie sich und ihren Freund Raf retten, reitet sich dadurch aber immer weiter hinein in die Gefahr.
Susan Kaye Quinn schreibt einfach fantastisch, denn sie verfügt über die Gabe, durch einen aufregenden und lebendigen Erzählstil den Leser mitzureißen. Nur kurz hineinlesen funktioniert einfach nicht, denn wenn einmal mit dem Buch begonnen worden ist, muss der Leser einfach wissen, wie es weitergehen wird. In einem Rutsch kann dieses Werk verschlungen werden, denn ein spannender Moment folgt auf den nächsten.
Was macht dieses Werk so reizvoll?
Es ist das Gesamtpaket, was fesselt und zum Weiterlesen animiert. Hier wird sowohl der fantasievolle Aspekt, genauso wie der dramatische Teil perfekt miteinander kombiniert. Hinzu kommt das Thriller-Feeling, was für ein unglaublich hohes Spannungsniveau sorgt. Kira ist ein sympathischer Charakter, der bereit ist, für Freunde und Familie alles zu geben. Sie wächst auch hier über sich hinaus und erweitert ihre Fähigkeiten immens.
Eine grandiose Fortsetzung!
Mein persönliches Fazit:
Ich liebe diese Reihe, das kann ich ganz ehrlich sagen.
Schon nach wenigen Seiten war ich wieder ganz in der Handlung gefangen und konnte ideal den Sprung zwischen Band eins und zwei bewältigen. Obwohl die Geschichte ein paar Monate später einsetzt, hatte ich nicht das Gefühl, etwas verpasst zu haben. Der Autorin ist es einfach perfekt gelungen, den Übergang zu gestaltet und uns Leser mitzunehmen.
Die Erzählung ist sowohl aufregend, als auch fantasievoll und emotional gestaltet worden. Kira muss erneut ein paar sehr schwere Aufgaben bewältigen, die mich richtig begeistert haben. Ich habe das Buch in einem Schwung verschlungen und freue mich nun schon sehr auf die Fortsetzung. Deshalb kann ich dem Werk auch gerne meine vollste Leseempfehlung aussprechen. -
Im zweiten Buch geht die Geschichte von Kira nahtlos weiter, nachdem sie der Welt offenbart hat, dass es Jacker unter ihnen gibt, die Menschen mit Gedankenkraft kontrollieren können. Seitdem ist ein Politiker auf der Bildfläche erschienen der gegen die Jacker ist. Viele, wie auch Kiras Familie, sind geflohen.
Zu Anfang der Geschichte wird es schnell rasant und es kommen nicht nur neue Charaktere hinzu, die Geschichte wird komplexer und konnte mich zu Anfang gut packen. Danach wurde es zu einem Wechsel zwischen spannenden Momenten und langen Dialogen/Monologen. Es war noch in Ordnung gewesen, hatte mich aber immer wieder beim lesen abgebremst.
Die Protagonistin Kira wird wie eine typische Heldin dargestellt und macht eine langsame Entwicklung durch. Mir schien es auch, dass sie ein Charakter ist, der sich von seinen Emotionen leiten lässt, daher für mich nicht sehr nachvollziehbar handelt und ich hatte es somit nicht leicht mit ihr. Die Nebencharaktere gefielen mir da besser, aber es wird nicht viel Bezug auf sie genommen und sie bleiben eher blass.
Die Darstellung von Kiras Kräften fand ich fraglich, einerseits wird sie als stark beschrieben, ein Genie und anderseits schafft sie es einfach nicht in den actionreichen Situationen die Oberhand zu gewinnen. Was ist sie nun?
Der Schreibstil ist toll, flüssig, leicht zu lesen, gute Beschreibungen, die schnell im Kopf aufleben und es gibt einige spannende, rasante Stellen im Laufe der Handlung.
Der zweite Band der Mindjack Reihe konnte mit dem ersten Teil der Trilogie nicht ganz mithalten, aber es sind einige gute Ansätze da und es endet mit vielen offenen Fragen. Da ist der letzte Band ein Muss! -
I loved this series more than Divergent. In fact, I love all of Susan Kaye Quinn's books. She has well-crafted characters, fascinating story worlds, and plots that keep you on the edge of your seat. All six books in the Mindjack series, her Debt Collector series and her bollypunk Royals of Dharia were all devoured in one day, two at most. She has excellent story worlds, strong character, and plots that keep you turning pages. In Mindjack there is a world where everyone can read minds and communicate telephathically, but Kira is a zero, one who seemingly can't communicate, but she finds out she is something far more powerful - a mindjacker who can not only enter another person's mind, but control them. Wonderful dystopian novel. Read them all. Mind Jack 1 Open Minds, 2 Closed Hearts, and 3 Free Souls. Then move onto 4 Locked Tight, 5 Cracked Open, 6 Broken wide which follows Zeph, who can break open the toughest minds—or lock the weakest—which only means every Clan leader wants to own him. Buy them all and enjoy the binge. There are related Novellas as well.
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Excellent
The action and intensity were disarming and totally unexpected. I devoured this book in a few hours. The one thing that I hoped for that didn't happen was Kiras abilities didn't become more intense. But, they did curve in a direction that was unexpected and forced me to read this straight through. Highly recommend this to anyone that likes action, drama, love, twists and turns and is well crafted and actually plays a visual movie in your mind. -
"En résumé, malgré les quelques longueurs que j'ai trouvées par moment, j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture. Retrouver Kira et cet univers si atypique était vraiment chouette et les retournements de situation nous prennent vraiment par surprise !"
http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/dy... -
YA science fiction with a dash of dystopian adrenaline and a little wide eyed romance for spice. I enjoyed it a lot, it moves really fast and Kira's adventures make you want to read just ONE more page before you turn the lights out. I usually don't read much romance or YA. so when/if I do you know its special. I'm hooked! Currently reading the next book in the trilogy.
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Interesting
Pretty interesting plot line. I’m curious to see what happens next. I like that the author takes you on so many turns throughout the story and lead is not suspiciously lucky every time. -
Really good
This book was every bit as good as the first one. Poor Kira, I feel so bad for her. I can't imagine how this will all work out in the end, but I look forward to finding out. -
compelling story story
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This second book is definitely so so much better than the first book. I actually felt some connection to Kira this time around and could not put the book down. Still not a full five stars though because I still think there are some parts that need cleaning up or better explanation.
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Die Story hat mich einfach nicht erreicht.
