Closed Hearts (Book Two of the Mindjack Trilogy) [Format Kindle]

I loved this one as much as the first. Closed Hearts takes place 6 months after Kira's rescue of some of the Changelings and she and her family have had to go into semi-hiding from angry Jackers. Kira and Raf still meet secretly, but (bad guy) Molloy discovers them and kidnaps them, taking them to Jackertown where a Rebel leader named Julian wants Kira to help rescue his sister Anna and some others from (bad guy) Kestrel. Kira has NO intention of meeting up with Kestrel again, but when Raf is taken, she is given no choice but to help.

Closed Hearts is filled with new Jackers with a variety of abilities and lots of double-crossing and betrayals. Kira does not want to be a revolutionary, she just wants to live her life quietly and be with Raf. Unfortunately, Readers are afraid of Jackers and all that they can do and the government has an on-going campaign to lock the Jackers up just like they did to Readers before. The government and LiveCasts use fear and propaganda to control the Readers into believing the Jackers are evil when in reality the evil lies within everyone willing to feed it. Even the Readers use Jackers against Jackers and have developed new technology to combat Jackers.

Kira and Julian work together to free his twin sister and many Jackers or Mages from Kestrel's new torture facility, but when they finally free Raf, he is not the same and this is sad! Julian is an excellent new character whose abilities are still unclear, but he seems to really like Kira. This was filled with harrowing rescues and narrow escapes comparable to Open Minds, so if you liked it, you should enjoy this one. I would have loved more time with Raf who was kidnapped most of this story, but I expect to see more of him and Julian in the next book called Free Souls which we are assured is coming soon.

Also, if you haven't read Mind Games (Mindjack Origins) which is written from Raf's point of view, do. It was my introduction to the series and Raf, whom I love.

Would I/Did I buy it? Yes (2.99)
Would I read it again? Maybe
Would I recommend it to friends? Yes

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!

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.