Telekinetic preteens use their powers for good—and evil—in this mind-bending sequel to The Ability, which Publishers Weekly called a “fast-paced, superhero-tinged spy novel.”
Everywhere that Christopher Lane turns, he sees the face of the boy he killed. There is no escape from the guilt, not even on his return to Myers Holt—the secret London academy where he and five others are being trained to use their mental powers, their Ability.
But now that the threat of Dulcia Genever has been dealt with, his friends are too busy working for the police, entering the minds of some of the country’s most dangerous criminals, to sympathize. Chris’s teachers are already concerned enough about him, especially when Chris starts to wonder if the boy may not be a figment of his imagination after all.
Meanwhile, alone in Darkwhisper Manor, Ernest Genever is enjoying watching Chris’s torment. Yes, he will keep his promise—Christopher Lane will die—but not until he has watched Chris lose his mind waiting for Ernest to appear. For, if nothing else, Dulcia Genever did teach her son one valuable lesson:
The daughter of South American parents, Monica Meira Vaughan grew up in Spain before moving to London at the age of five where she learnt English by watching Sesame Street and reading every Roald Dahl book she could get her hands on.
On leaving school, and after a brief stint in public relations, Monica decided to train as a primary school teacher. She has spent the last eight years working in special needs, mostly with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Monica likes to start writing after midnight and it has been, until recently, her secret hobby. On the weekends she likes to try to catch up on her sleep.
My daughter had me take her to the bookstore the day this came out (Tuesday) and she's finished it already! I haven't read it all but we did read a few chapters together and she also hasn't stopped talking about it since, so I feel somewhat qualified to review! We both loved the first book but the development of the ability power and, in particular, the characters, makes this one even better. Honestly, the way my daughter went on about the first book (The Ability), I didn't think that was going to be possible! My daughter's favorite part was when Chris and Ernest confront each other in the city of the mind of a popstar (don't want to give too much away) - mine was definitely the modern artists minds. Seriously - worth reading just for that scene! Fantastically full of detail, humor and darkness (no violence- but some pretty heavy issues the protagonist is dealing with).
Now - I'm going to go read the whole thing myself!
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I'm so angry with myself right now that I read it in three days. Does anyone know if there will be another and when it will come out? It's funny and clever and the mind cities are more awesome than I can describe. There are so many tiny things that I know I missed, so many cool details, but I was too into the story to stop and reread anything. I read the first one about five times. I think I'll read this one five times in the next week. ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
This was, in fact, better than the first book. Lots of action, with the kids helping the police solve crimes, and the twin from the first book out for revenge. It was a very fun read, with a great story and colorful characters. There's even a bit of an adult bromance. In a children's book, no less!
That being said, I really don't understand how Chris goes from being a dirty little thief, who lies, cheats, and steals all he can, to this self-sacrificing boy who longs to save the boy that's trying to kill him. How does that work? They're two completely different characters. There was no transition. In the first book, he went from being this thief, to Trustworthy Chris, who will do anything to help. A boy who will sacrifice anything just to help out his sick mum. And then, in this book, here is more of the same. Now he's even more self-sacrificing. I don't get it. There was no character arc. He just was one way, and 10 seconds later, he's Trustworthy Chris. Go figure.
All that aside, it's still a great book. I really hope there will be another book in this series, because I'm dying to find out what happens next.
The sequel to The Ability is even better than the first, although don't read this one if you haven't read the first. This is part two, not book two, if you know what I mean, and the action starts right away.
Chris and his friends have caught the one responsible for the mind crimes and they're buckling down to their studies -- but Chris is wallowing in guilt for having killed one of the criminals in the first book. He thinks he sees the boy's twin repeatedly. And there's a teacher even more out to get him than she was in the first book.
The action keeps going non-stop. I couldn't put this book down. I had to keep reading until it was done. And, wow, what an ending. It leaves room for so much more. I know I'd read more if there were more.
The second in the series (and by the ending, probably not the last!), but easily a stand-alone read. Chris Lane is a 12-year old boy with the Ability - the power to access the thought of others, a power possessed only by kids in their twelfth year. He is a good and kind kid, and very talented, but he suffers from the guilt of killing someone (in book 1), and suspects that the murdered boy's twin is out to get him. The exclusive and secret school where he is a student, Myers Holt, offers some protection from the world, but not enough to keep Chris from seeking to investigate the very secrets which led to death once before.
Kid loved it, worthy sequel to the first. However, I had to knock it down a star because one of the main conflicts in the plot is no one believes what Chris has seen and he is attending a school for kids with mind reading ability! Every time he sulked away pouting because no one believed him, my kid would shout "Have one of them read your mind already!!"
THESE BOOKS ARE AMAZING!!! This book is by far the best juvenile book I've ever read. The story was original, gripping and exciting. Character development was on point. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. :D
I love both the books in this series and wish I had read them when I was 12. (read them at 13) I liked this book slightly more then the first one (The Ability) and I sincerely hope M.M. Vaughan will write a third one. I won't spoil it, but it ends with a twist.
I loved this book and it was certainly action packed and it keeps me on the edge of my seat, and it left me with a cliffhanger. Can't wait till the next on comes out!
”Chris didn’t speak for a moment as he looked about, his heart in his throat. It was just an entrance hall, but, for him, it was so much more. It was a place where he was valued, where he could be himself, and where there were people who actually wanted him around. It was, he realized his home—much more so than the house he had shared with his mother. For a split second, the thought entered his mind that he would have to leave here in a few months’ time, but he pushed it away— for now, he just wanted to see his friends.”
Vaughan captured the idea that people should have appreciation of qualities of the present more than anything else and just prioritize your values and goals with the same drive. Everything that is important to your heart and soul are things that you would do anything to keep. Ernest’s promise towards his brother, Chris’ determination for his friends even when his mother brings him down, and Sir Bentley’s promise to keep Myers Holt Academy safe and a learning environment to prevent past events from occurring are just some examples.
The depiction of how friends can impact your happiness is perfectly captured in this book. As someone who puts friends as one of my top priorities to keep, Vaughan described the character of Christopher Lane in the similar way I would do anything to have close and reliable friendships in my life. Something so simple like a gift or a hallway can represent so much just because of the memories you have with someone.
Romance between Daisy and Christopher finally arises. From the first book, The Ability, there was this tension between them waiting to be progressed them and the rope finally snapped. I mean, I literally closed the book and needed to walk around my place because of how excited I was. I closed the book, put my hand over my mouth, muffled my excited screamed, and took a 5 minute break because of the amount anticipation I’ve waited for that moment.
The action was on POINT. I couldn’t stop reading because it was extremely intense, especially at the finale of the plot. When Ernest took Chris’ mother captive and Christopher was going insane because no one believed him in the past, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. And then when The Ability came into play between them and the fire started at the mansion. WOW. That was just wow. It was a very similar ending to Kass Morgan’s The Ravens, but I actually think this ending has its own twist by it having 12 year olds being the protagonists.
Chris and his mother’s relationship was perfectly described. She was too immersed with the death of his father but she realized how she wasn’t appreciating the moment because she was too caught up in the past. Maybe people are in this situation. The situation of whether or not they want to change. Change is hard.
Ernest’s development and the description of how he used revenge as a replacement for grief was justifiable. It was an amazing dynamic to read. He became obsessive trying to find an outlet and distraction as a result of his careless mother and loss twin brother. When he figured out his problem and faced it, by the end, it was okay. He had a happy ending.
Now, the CLIFFHANGER. Christopher turned into something unprecedented. He beat the rules. He beat what was meant to happen. He beat fate. I closed the book and my first words after was, “He still has his powers.” WHAT. WHAT. That ending was not just a good cliffhanger but a good ending simultaneously. I have to applaud this duology.
The writing, plot, and everything contained in this book is literally out of this world. I recommend it to anyone who could get their hands on it.
———————————————— Quotes
“They weren’t woken up by nightmares through the night; they could never understand what he was going through or why he wouldn’t make jokes at a time like this.”
“‘Okay’ said Daisy, walking over and taking Chris’ hand. ‘Just don’t leave me alone.’ ‘I won’t,’ he said, blushing, glad that Rex wasn’t with them— Christ would never have heard the end of it.’”
“‘I like tough Daisy,’ he said, smiling.”
“John sighed. ‘Look, son. If there is one thing that will drive you crazy in life, it’s spending your time thinking about the what-ifs. There are some things you can’t change— meeting the boy, the way your mum is, things like that. You could wipe her mind, but you’d have to live with that for the rest of your life, and I think that would be harder than just learning to accept your life as it is. And finding the best in it.’”
“‘No,’ said Sebastian, leaning forward, ‘the man is named… Chucklebunny.’ For a moment, there was a total, stunned silence. And then the whole group collapsed once more into hysterical fits of laughter.”
“Chris breathed a huge sigh of relief. He could have kissed her for believing in him. Then he blushed for even thinking it.”
“Chris smiled, and then he walked back over to his friends to join them for a final good-bye to Myers Holt.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Mindscape is a thrilling fantasy novel clouded with mysteries written by M.M. Vaughan. As a sequel to the novel The Ability, Mindscape brings back many of the beloved characters already seen before. The story revolves around a lonely 12-year-old boy by the name of Christopher Lane. In the beginning, Christopher is seen losing his ability to connect with others due to his abusive mother and harsh past. His lack of emotion will grow to hurt him as he enters Myers Holt Academy, a school which helps children develop special abilities with the mind. In Christopher’s world, certain children are given the chance to use what seems like special powers. Christopher was one of these few children who received the ability to enter the minds of others. At Myers Holt Academy, Christopher rejoins with his only true friends but struggles to get along with them. His horrid past of an accidental murder continues to haunt him, further preventing him from keeping his friendships. As the story goes on, Christopher finds himself growing mentally unstable due to continuously seeing the boy he killed. However, in order to truly put the boy to death, Christopher must first relearn how to feel emotions and to trust his friends.
I enjoyed reading this novel as it was a more easy, fun book. Mindscape had a very interesting plot but it somewhat lacked character development and it did not always engage me as a reader. I think I did not want to continue reading a few times simply because the story moved a little too slow. The author, Vaughan, did not do a great job of keeping readers engaged. Despite this, Vaughan’s writing was very compelling. She used simple words to display large ideas which made her writing smooth and easy to read. In the beginning, the author narrated, “Meanwhile, alone in Darkwhisper Manor, Ernest Genever is enjoying watching Chris’s torment. Yes, he will keep his promise—Christopher Lane will die—but not until he has watched Chris lose his mind waiting for Ernest to appear. For, if nothing else, Dulcia Genever did teach her son one valuable lesson: Revenge is a dish best served cold.” (1). Vaughn’s writing is simple to understand but also makes readers think twice about what they read. I liked how the author used easy words to explore deeper morals. The strongest theme recurring throughout Mindscape is that friendship is one of the most valuable things in life. Christopher starts out scared, alone, and mentally unstable. He struggles with dealing with problems alone and fears that connecting with others will alone lead to worse things. However, as the story moves on, Christopher begins to trust his friends and his whole life turns around. The author magnifies how important Chris’s friends are to him and that’s the strongest theme of the story. A strength of this book is that it is really easy and fun to read. Anyone could read and enjoy it because of the simple writing. However, a weakness Mindscape has is that it lacks strong character development. Chris goes from being a lonely, mentally unstable child to someone who is confident has many friends. This novel really reminded me of Harry Potter because it both included having special powers and going to a magical school. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and mysteries. Also, the simple writing makes it so anyone could read it so I would recommend this book to children as well. Overall, Mindscape was still an intriguing book that I would read again.
Ngl, I skipped the first 200 pages of this book because I just wanted to be done with this series, and I know how long it can take Vaughan to get her story going. Turns out, I was able to slip into the story pretty easily. Anything I missed was referenced with enough context clues for me to figure out. So here's my review for the last third of the book:
THE MAIN CONFLICT: One thing that bothers me in a lot of juvenile fiction is the way characters are portrayed when they want to kill someone. Like, first of all, that is *serious* *serious* stuff and you have to be really enraged to get to that point, right? It can't just be talk. This character - usually a child - is angry enough to not just say they want to kill someone, but to plot ways to actually make that happen. To me, it's wild enough that a child would get angry enough to reach this point. But to get that angry and then
THE PLOT: By the end of the first book, you already know what this book is going to be about. Unfortunately, that is all that this book is about: one boy trying to get revenge and another trying not to die - for 300 pages. Like the first book, nothing really happens until the very end, after which things all wrap up quite nicely without much ado at all.
THE CHARACTERS: They have jobs now. That's it. We do not get to know them better and they hardly develop at all.
Spoiler alert: This review will take up where book 1 left off, so if you haven't read book one, don't keep reading this!
After Christopher kills Mortimer, and Dulcia Genever is arrested, Ernest swears he'll kill Christopher and revenge his twin's death. To do it, he's got to spring his mother from jail and lay the crumbs that will lead Christopher to a destruction of Ernest's planning.
Christopher returns to Myers Holt thinking he's safe. It's impenetrable by telepathy, but he underestimates how killing someone has changed him -- and he struggles to deal with the guilt for playing his part in Mortimer's death.
That guilt lures him out, and he mistakenly thinks he's all alone and has to confront Ernest on his own. His friends, however, are true and won't let him down.
We actually enjoyed this book more than the first, but it's necessary to read the first to really get into this one.
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This was slightly better then the previous one. This book is a continuation of Chris's story as he tries to master his ability. This one is all about Ernest trying to get revenge for events at the end of the previous book. This was a fairly good conflict but I feel the end just didn't work. I mean come on. If you've read this you'll no what I'm talking about. I also kind of wish that they could have had more explanations into the Ability.
My children and I read The Ability and Mindscape as our summer reads. This one added great development of the characters and had fantastic morals and lessons. Wishing there was a 3rd book!
A fitting conclusion to this well-written duology; however, I found the detailed character descriptions a bit overdone. I believe young readers will appreciate the rather unusual twist at the end, which opens the possibility of further stories in this series.
I liked the first book but I thought this second book was even better. I plan to purchase this series for my elementary library and think the kids will enjoy it.