Author: Michele Jaffe
Publication Date: January 30, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 400
Age Rating: Readers over 14
My Opinion: 2/10
Hi, Readers!
Usually I read every night before I go to bed, and I always look forward to what will happen next to my favorite literary characters. However, I could not even finish reading Minders, by Michele Jaffe. This book actually made me lose interest in reading. I felt very apathetic towards all of the characters, and the plot line was extremely confusing and disjointed. This book review is a cautionary warning, because although I'm sure that some YA readers would enjoy Minders, I cannot in good conscience recommend it.
Sadie is a teenager who is very calculating and apathetic to the world around her. For this reason, she is selected to participate in the Mind Corps Fellowship Program, where modern technology allows her to enter the mind of an inner-city male named Ford Winters. She becomes immersed in Ford's world, and while forgetting her own, begins to discover the power of passion and emotions. However, Ford is dealing with many issues in his life, such as fighting with his mother, getting over the trauma of his brother's murder, and protecting himself and his family from an evil threat called the Pharmacist. As Sadie comes to know Ford so personally, she is unable to revert to her indifferent personality and she starts to fall for him. But all along, Ford has no idea that Sadie exists, and she has to helplessly look on as Ford faces danger and trickery from all those around him.
As I mentioned before, I did not finish reading this book (which is something that almost never happens!) because I entirely lost interest in the plot line and the characters. For starters, Sadie is probably one of the most lackluster characters on the face of the earth, and author Michele Jaffe created her this way on purpose. Sadie does not understand passion or true love until the very end of the novel, and it is not engaging to read about a character who is uninterested in life. Plus, although she is the main character of the novel, she is neither involved in the action nor a strong female role model for the readers. Next, Ford is a much more dynamic character, but he is entirely unrelatable. He has suffered through so many traumatic events in his life, and he lives in such an exaggeratedly dangerous city, that even real life city-dwellers or adversity facers cannot relate to Ford's struggles. Ford never catches a break. Everything that could possibly happen to him, does.
For the most part, I enjoy reading longer books because that means deeper character development, more action, and a thoroughly developed plot line. However, Minders lacks all three of these characteristics. As pertaining to the plot line, Jaffe attempted to create some interesting dynamics in the beginning of the novel, such as Sadie's relationship with the head of the Mind Corps Fellowship Program. However, she throws all of these plot starters to the side when she focuses on Sadie living inside of Ford's mind, and I was left wondering what was occurring in the real world. I wish that Jaffe would have included flashbacks from Sadie's life or jumps to what was happening at the Mind Corps laboratory instead of solely discussing Ford's life.
To sum up, I was disappointed with Minders, and therefore, I cannot recommend it. I apologize that my review for this week is such a downer, but there are better choices for a summer read.
Happy reading!
Sadie is a teenager who is very calculating and apathetic to the world around her. For this reason, she is selected to participate in the Mind Corps Fellowship Program, where modern technology allows her to enter the mind of an inner-city male named Ford Winters. She becomes immersed in Ford's world, and while forgetting her own, begins to discover the power of passion and emotions. However, Ford is dealing with many issues in his life, such as fighting with his mother, getting over the trauma of his brother's murder, and protecting himself and his family from an evil threat called the Pharmacist. As Sadie comes to know Ford so personally, she is unable to revert to her indifferent personality and she starts to fall for him. But all along, Ford has no idea that Sadie exists, and she has to helplessly look on as Ford faces danger and trickery from all those around him.
As I mentioned before, I did not finish reading this book (which is something that almost never happens!) because I entirely lost interest in the plot line and the characters. For starters, Sadie is probably one of the most lackluster characters on the face of the earth, and author Michele Jaffe created her this way on purpose. Sadie does not understand passion or true love until the very end of the novel, and it is not engaging to read about a character who is uninterested in life. Plus, although she is the main character of the novel, she is neither involved in the action nor a strong female role model for the readers. Next, Ford is a much more dynamic character, but he is entirely unrelatable. He has suffered through so many traumatic events in his life, and he lives in such an exaggeratedly dangerous city, that even real life city-dwellers or adversity facers cannot relate to Ford's struggles. Ford never catches a break. Everything that could possibly happen to him, does.For the most part, I enjoy reading longer books because that means deeper character development, more action, and a thoroughly developed plot line. However, Minders lacks all three of these characteristics. As pertaining to the plot line, Jaffe attempted to create some interesting dynamics in the beginning of the novel, such as Sadie's relationship with the head of the Mind Corps Fellowship Program. However, she throws all of these plot starters to the side when she focuses on Sadie living inside of Ford's mind, and I was left wondering what was occurring in the real world. I wish that Jaffe would have included flashbacks from Sadie's life or jumps to what was happening at the Mind Corps laboratory instead of solely discussing Ford's life.
To sum up, I was disappointed with Minders, and therefore, I cannot recommend it. I apologize that my review for this week is such a downer, but there are better choices for a summer read.
Happy reading!
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