The Dragonfly Effect (Book 3 of The Hypnotists)

by Gordon Korman

Scholastic Press

978-0-545-50336-5

243 pp.

Ages 9-12

August 2015

When readers last visited with 12-year-old Jackson Opus, the kid had major problems and they all stemmed from the evil Dr. Elias Mako who was determined to manipulate Jax, a powerful hypnotist, into doing his mesmeric bidding.  Thankfully, Book 2 of The Hypnotists, The Memory Maze, ended with Mako being sent to jail, and Jax and his parents being whisked away by the military for their protection.  But, while the Opuses are currently safely ensconced at Fort Calhoun and Jax assists the very serious Colonel Brassmeyer in developing hypnotism as a weapon system as part of HoWarD, the Hypnotic Warfare Research Department, life isn’t as rosy as it might be expected to be.

Jax’s Mom and Dad are bored and miserable, not even able to go bird-watching without getting arrested for leaving without their identification. Not surprizing that Dad has become addicted to the FreeForAll website with its myriad of games and activites, not the least of which is tending to his virtual grass in Lawn Master!  Jax isn’t faring much better, having to deal with the humourless Colonel Brassmeyer, the HoWaRD psychiatrist Captain Pedroia, and the other hypnotists including the nasty Wilson DeVries, former thug for Mako, and eight-year-old orphan and powerful though unskilled hypnotist Stanley X.

In addition to their various activities including bending (hypnotizing) soldiers and each other–which is when Jax realizes how powerful Stanley is–and trying to teach hypnotism to ordinary people, Jax has been recruited to participate in Operation Aurora.  Using remote hypnotism, Jax mesmerizes all 753 volunteer inhabitants at an artificial test community called Delta Prime to stop all activity at a set time.  The collateral damage is frightening to Jax, though Brassmeyer’s miliary sense of duty keeps him from being bothered by it.  Not surprising that when Jax suspects that someone is using remote hypnotism via the FreeForAll website and using the newly-adopted Stanley, the teen hypnotist springs into action, regardless of the army’s intentions for him.

If you’ve read the earlier two books in The Hypnotists series, you’ll know that Gordon Korman keeps readers on the edge of their seats, anticipating the next manipulation by an evil one, or joining in on chase or escape from entrapment or worrying about whom to trust.  Jax’s life is an action-packed adventure he hopes he’ll live through.  And Jax is such a decent kid.  He’s concerned about how miserable his parents are at the cost of his safety.  He’s appalled by Brassmeyer’s relentless experimentation with hypnotism to develop it as a powerful weapon, regardless of the consequences.  And he seems to want to watch out for everyone at HoWaRD, recognizing their vulnerabilities, even the vicious Wilson.

But Gordon Korman is the master of tongue-in-cheek and keeps the reader smiling with his quips and barbs at everything from the military and online games, to bus drivers, and traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel.  

…he noticed Ashton Opus was still playing Lawn Master.  It was almost four hours now!

       In Lawn Master, you could plant, water, fertilize, weed, cut, top-dress, spray, and aerate your virtual lawn.  Dad had just spent the last four hours literally watching grass grow.  It wasn’t even real grass! (pg. 97-8)

But amidst all the skirmishes and problem-solving, Gordon Korman has Jax finding a way, even manipulating it, for himself to lead a “normal” life, and that “happy” ending in The Dragonfly Effect–even though it is important to recognize that, as Jax does, that “It was impossible to command someone to be happy” (pg. 22)–is worth the price, all costs included.

The Memory Maze: The Hypnotists, Book 2

Written by Gordon Korman

Scholastic Canada
978-0545503297
240 pp.
Ages 9-14
August, 2014

Prolific award-winning author Gordon Korman hit last year's awards lists with the first book in his newest series The Hypnotists, the story of Jax Opus, a teen in middle school who learns he has inherited the ability to bend minds i.e., hypnotize others. Unfortunately the manipulative power-hungry Dr.  Elias Mako attempts to use Jax's gift to manipulate an election and Jax and his parents are forced to flee NYC to the relative anonymity of Connecticut, where The Memory Maze begins.

Now known as the Magnus family, Jax and his parents are living in a rundown house with  Jax's ally, Axel Braintree, whom they refer to as his uncle, but is the head of the Sandman's Guild of New York City. But giving up everything, including others' memories of them, is tough on the Opus family.  Mom is no longer working as a chiropractor but stays at home and endures Axel's endless array of exercises. Dad has gone from a Bentley dealership to a used car salesman. And Jax is now Jack and is trying to control his mesmeric abilities and not draw attention to himself, which becomes impossible when he starts winning chess games and even a tri-borough championship.

In fact, it's through his chess-playing that Jax is introduced to billionaire Avery Quakenbush, a 96-year-old man, who knows Jax's real identity. Quakenbush enlists Jax's services to stave off his imminent death by hypnotizing him so deeply that his body would enter statis, essentially hibernation, until a cure was ready to save him. With $500,000 being offered to his family who'd given up so much for him, Jax accepts Quackenbush's offer readily.

Axel knows that only Jax is gifted enough to take on Mako but, until he learns to control his mind-bending ability, he is a danger to himself and others.  Axel takes on the role of mentor to Jax, teaching him about the history of mesmerism and how to control his gift, while keeping tabs on his Sandman's Guild.  However, when some of the Sandmen start disappearing, Axel has yet another worry to occupy his mind.

Everything becomes muddled when Jax begins his regular hypnosis sessions with Quackenbush, reliving all of the billionaire's memories from his war experiences on the beach at Normandy, the hardships of the Great Depression, and his financial triumphs,  often emphasizing his relationship with his brother Oscar.  What begin as short, targeted mind-bending attempts become frighteningly real episodes of tragedy that last hours.

With the FBI on the hunt for the Vote Whisperer (i.e., the moniker they've given Jax; see The Hypnotists, Book 1 for details), a lip-reading neighbour questioning Jax's family dynamics, Quackenbush reliving 96 years of reminiscences, Sandmen disappearing in New York City, and, most importantly, Jax discovering memories of a brother named Liam, The Memory Maze is aptly titled.

The farce that is Jax's attempt to not bring attention to himself is balanced well with the realism of Quakenbush's life, having lived through many historical milestones and significant events.  The hilarity of the mind-bending that Jax and others perform, both innocently and deliberately, adds a lightness that is necessary when juxtaposed against tricking death and the burden of guilt.  Gordon Korman has always successfully introduced drama into humourous situations and humour into dramatic storylines, so that his young readers are able to enjoy a little bit of everything.  The Memory Maze accomplishes that as well, drawing the readers in with the amusement of mind-bending and Jax's own comic failings, but showing them the downside of that ability and the consequences of manipulating others.  If Gordon Korman didn't have a sense of humour, it would be rather frightening.

Luckily, one thing we do know at the conclusion of The Memory Maze is that Jax and his parents are on their way to a new adventure and we'll need to wait until Gordon Korman shares that one before we know whether our heart or funny bone will be aching.


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Gordon Korman will be in attendance at Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair in November.

The Hypnotists

Written by Gordon Korman

Scholastic

978-0-545-50322-8 (hardcover)

978-0-545-60272-3 (audiobook)

240 pp.

Ages 8-14

August 2013

Reviewed from audiobook

Just like his earlier series—Macdonald Hall, On the Run, Everest, Island, Dive, Kidnapped and most recently Swindle—Gordon Korman will easily snag young readers with The Hypnotists if they're looking for his characteristic droll humour, kids vs. adult conflict, suspenseful thrills and unique plotting. 

Jackson Opus, 12, has always known that his eyes change extraordinarily from violet to blue then green, but it takes a few perplexing interactions with a bus driver, a basketball rival, his ophthamologist, a psychiatrist and a hypnotist at a vaudeville show for Jax to have his hypnotic ability identified.  (Come on, that's not really a spoiler.  What did you think The Hypnotists was going to be about?)

Selected to attend the Sentia institution of Dr. Elias Mako who,

"has devoted his life to New York City education and is an inspiration to every single one of us" (pg. 34)

Jax is taught how to control his ability to mind-bend (i.e., hypnotize) and challenged to mesmerize volunteers.  As an Opus, a family line well-known for its mind-bending talent, Jax is taken under Dr. Mako's personal tutelage, attempting greater challenges than ever imagined, including attempting post-hypnotic suggestion (i.e., producing a specific action after waking from hypnosis) via video.  But after making the acquaintance of the elderly, hippie-esque Axel Braintree, the head of the Sandman's Guild, a guild of "reformed" mind-benders, Jax learns more about his heritage and the extent of his own ability, as well as about Dr. Mako's true reputation.

It can't be surprising to readers of Gordon Korman's middle grade books that The Hypnotists has a couple of boy in their tweens trying to make sense of bizarre circumstances and erroneously interpreting others' actions, embedding laughs and dynamic surprises with each new development.  Imagine making a passing comment to a bus driver that "You have to get us to Ninety-Sixth Street as soon as possible" (pg. 3) and transforming the transit man into an Indy driver who refuses to stop for passengers, lights and traffic!  Or mesmerizing the lunch lady to provide more gravy for his friend Tommy's Salisbury steak ("Make sure you give him as much as you can" pg. 68) resulting in enough gravy to create a hazard on the floor and Tommy being stalked by the lunch lady.

With the pen (word processor?) in Gordon Korman's control, the main plot of The Hypnotists–Jax attempting to thwart an evil mastermind–is embedded with the boy's introspection of his conscience and motives while others are drawn in, demonstrating their own views on hypnotism and its uses, good or evil. Always enhancing the action with a peppering of pre-teen humour

"Aw, I don't want to see inside my mother's brain.  All those private thoughts and lady stuff.  I get skeeved out just looking at her eyelash curler" (pg. 186)

Gordon Korman will have readers anticipating Book 2 in this series, undeniably set up with Jax's final thought and the last eleven words of The Hypnotists.

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Author Gordon Korman will be attending the International Festival of Authors (IFOA) on Saturday October 26, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Toronto's Harbourfront.  Don't miss this opportunity to see one of Canada's legendary youngCanLit authors.