Minder is the story of Maddie Dunn who has the unique ability to read and control minds. Maddie is taken to a secret facility called Ganzfield with other people who also have similar abilites and and is taught to use her powers. However, her ability is so unique and invasive that many of the other teenagers do not take kindly to her. All except for one. The story opens with Maddie being chased. Maddie is a sixteen year old girl living in present day. He chasers grab her and throw her into a van. She recognizes the voices of her captors as three boys from her school and the three of them intend to rape her. As the boys begin to remove her clothes and her anxiety and fear builds she has a large surge of energy released from her. When she opens her eyes, all three of her captors are dead. She didn't know what happened but she knew that, somehow, she had killed them. Panicking, Maddie flees from the van not knowing what is that she has just done.
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The next day at school she is brought in by two police officers to be questioned but they are met by a young blonde girl named Cecelia who seems to have the ability to persuade people with her words. She convinces the cops to let Maddie go and release her to a Dr. Williamson who runs a training program for people with special abilities. Maddie is taken to Ganzfield where Dr. Williamson sits her down to explain everything. Dr. Williamson has telepathic abilities and can project his thoughts and he tells Maddie that he believes that she is also, a telepath and a very strong one. He says that some people have a genetic abnormality that allows for these special abilities and that they're called "G-positives". He said that he used to work on a government program that was developing a treatment to enhance the abilities of G-positives for war-like purposes and that he would like to try this treatment with Maddie so that she can learn to control her abilities. Maddie is still devastated that her abilities have caused three people to die and she bursts into tears unable to handle the proceedings of the last few days. She is taken to the infirmary at Ganzfield where she meets Matilda, who has special abilities in healing, and is given the treatment to enhance her abilities. When she awakes, she is able to hear everybody's thoughts and is introduced to a few of the other students at Ganfield: Morris: Matilda's brother and also a healer, Drew and Harrison: sparks, who can control fire. Harrison is brought into the infirmary because he is badly burned, it is here when Maddie learns that she not only hears people's thoughts but also their pain. She also learns the term for someone with her abilities, a minder. People like Cecelia are charms and people like Drew and Harrison are Sparks. Other characters that she meets include: Rachel: who has special sight and can see where people and places are, Sean, Katie and Ellen: all sparks, Michael, Victor and Grace: charms, Seth and Ann: other minders, Hannah and Lestor: healers, and Trevor, who can control and move items with his mind.
During her first lunch hour she encounters Michael, a powerful charm that many of the other students (specifically the girls) fear. He attempts to command Maddie to come over to him. She learns that she is immune to his powers. When he tries again more aggressively Maddie shoots back with the same aggression and with her powers causes Michael to fly from his seat. All of the students are staring at the situation in awe. Everyone seemed to be quite afraid of charms but now more so of her after this incident.
She learns from Rachel that there is a group called The Sons of Adam, which is where the program for the treatment originated that Dr. Williamson worked on, who believe that G-postives are dangerous and must be eliminated. Ganzfield has been able to keep a low profile from this group but there is always a risk of them discovering them.
Her first night at Ganzfield she realizes that when she dreams she passes it on to whoever else is near her. She flees her dorm to go and find a place to sleep alone. She discovers and old church but she isn't alone in there. Trevor, the telekinetic, sleeps there because he tends to throw things around in his sleep. It's here, that the romantic chemistry between Maddie and Trevor kicks off. Maddie projects her thoughts into his mind and they converse in silence.
As their romance grows, one of the charms attempts to get Trevor to stop liking Maddie but Maddie gets into her head and threatens to release her worst memory to everyone in Ganzfield. The charm is terrified and reverses what she said.
Later, Maddie learns that Ann, another minder is leaving Ganzfield as she is unable to take the stresses of being a minder and that Seth is so sensitive to other peoples thoughts that he needs to be completely separated from the main building because people's thoughts come in so loudly to him. Maddie worries if she is going to be able to take the pressures. She continues to confide in Trevor and sleep out in old church with him. One night, she learns that she can project herself into Trevor's dreams. They explore lucid dreaming, dream-sharing, in which they fantasize together.
Dr. Williamson figures out what Maddie is doing and scolds her and makes her promise that they two of them won't actually have sex, physically which she agrees to. This dream-sharing phenomenon is new to Dr. WIlliamson. Maddie learns here, that she can block Dr. Williamson from seeing her thoughts and he is impressed that she has picked up this ability so soon.
One night, Michael and Victor have charmed Rachel and Grace into a game of strip poker. Maddie catches them and blasts Victor and Michael's brains. Knocking him out but not killing him. Dr. Williamson shows up with Cecelia to uncharm Rachel and Grace and sends Victor and Michael to be locked away to wean off their treatments and to eventually be sent away from Ganzfield forever. Maddie learns that this isn't the first time that Michael has done something like this to Rachel and asks that Cecelia charm her into forgetting the pain.
Christmas comes and Maddie takes Trevor to meet her Mom but on their way there The Sons of Adam attack them and Trevor is captured. Maddie dashes back to Ganzfield for help. She gets a group of her friends together and they set out to go and get Trevor. Using Rachel's abilities, they are able to track down the captors. One of them is a minder who has the same abilities as Maddie. After stopping three bullets, Trevor is unconscious but they manage to rescue him. Trevor recovers but the presence and the new found knowledge about one of the Sons of Adam members is going to create new issues for Maddie and those at Ganzfield. The book ends leaving room for the second in the series.
Best part of story, including ending:
I enjoyed this book because it's an X-men story for teenage girls!
Best scene in story:
The first time Maddie and Trevor dream-share is my favorite. Their connection is so strong.
Opinion about the main character:
Maddie is likable, brave but realistic.
