The Hypnotists (The Hypnotists #1)

Author: Gordon Korman
Goodreads Rating: 3.8
Page: 232
Format: ARC

Jackson Opus has always been persuasive, but he doesn't know that he's descended from the two most powerful hypnotist bloodlines on the planet. He's excited to be accepted into a special program at the Sentia Institute -- but when he realizes he's in over his head, Jackson will have to find a way to use his powers to save his friends, his parents, and his government.

 This was a very interesting and quick read. Though being only 232 pages long, that's not saying much in it's self. I could have honestly read this book in a day. The book held my interest from page 1.

It starts off with Jax (Jackson) Opus, who either has really good luck or there is something else special about him. If you are like me (and guessed his "special ability" from the title of the book) then you aren't in for a big surprise there. Luckily, the author doesn't draw this "Oh gosh is he just lucky?" notion on for very long. In fact, most things are very to the point, with not much unnecessary information. The plot literally just keeps trucking right along, no nonsense, no funny business, which is part of the reason I couldn't put it down.

You really do grow to like Jax. After experiencing some of the things he went through, you start to feel for the plucky little 13 year old. The book starts off with you witnessing some of Jax's charm and wit, but then grows very serious pretty quickly as Jax struggles to control his power. Throw in a wicked bad guy out to destroy everything Jax loves, and you got the makings of a pretty good story :)

My only real issue with the book was the predictability. A lot of the things that should have been surprising, I feel were anything but. However, this didn't take too much away from the overall book. I still enjoyed it immensely and this took away the sting of the predictability downfall (which usually, books being highly predictable is a huge draw back for me).

This was an overall great book, especially for younger adults (maybe late middle school-early high school). The ending made me kind of sad but still eager to see what happens in the next book :) Happy Reading!

The Court's Decision: