by Gordon Korman
Scholastic, 2014. Science Fiction, 234 p.
In this sequel to The Hypnotists, Jax has relocated with his family to Connecticut in an attempt to hide from the evil Dr. Mako They have taken on new names, and his parents are attempting, without much success, to take on new careers. Jax is having a hard time fitting in at school because he has to take extra measures to keep from hypnotizing people. Despite his best efforts to keep a low profile, he ends up winning the school chess competition. This leads him to competitions on the district and state level, and brings him to the attention of an elderly tycoon who figures out Jax's real identity. The tycoon promises to pay Jax handsomely to put him into a deep hypnotic state in an effort to slow the advance of the old man's terminal illness. As Jax starts creating daily extended hypnotic connections with the man, Jax starts to experience his memories. There is more in the man's head than Jax had bargained for and soon Jax is struggling to maintain his anonymity, his family's safety and his own sanity. While the first in the series was a "kid with super power" type book, this second is more like a psychological thriller. As the plot advances, both Jax and the reader are not quite sure what is reality and what is illusion. This book will appeal to older grade school and middle school kids who like the fast paced action of the Percy Jackson and Alex Rider books.
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