Title: Mind Reader (Book 1)

Author: Katrina Kahler

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Emmie is a 12 year old girl who has a special talent. Her mom calls it a gift but Emmie does not agree. Being a mind reader is not at all what it’s made out to be and Emmie constantly finds herself in trouble. The girls at school think she’s creepy and try to avoid her. This leads to an ongoing change of schools and a struggle to make friends, leaving Emmie feeling lonelier than ever. However, when Emmie and her mom decide to move to Carindale, Emmie happens to meet a girl called Millie Spencer and everything changes.

Emmie has never had a best friend before and feels that finally her life has turned in a positive direction. Meeting Millie’s friend, Jack adds to the excitement, especially when she realizes he is someone she cannot stop thinking about. Then some strange events take place and when Millie’s old friend, Julia Jones makes an unexpected visit, Emmie’s world turns upside down.

Can she use her mind reading abilities to help her or will she find herself in more trouble than ever before?

If you enjoyed Julia Jones’ Diary then Mind Reader is another series that you will love. This exciting book for girls is filled with unexpected plot twists and turns, drama, romance, boy crushes, friendship issues and much, much more. It will hook you in from beginning to end and is sure to become a new favorite!

Review:

Katrina Kahler is a very talented children’s author.  She knows how to write for different age groups, and it was clear to me that she knew her audience.  Usually when I read children’s books I feel as though they are talking down to the reader and dumbed down for understanding, but Kahler had more faith in her readers.  She clearly knows what 9 – 12 year olds want in a novel, and she gave it to them.

Our main character, Emmie, is your classic, unsure 12 year old, despite the fact that she can read minds.  She is cast out from the other students due to her abilities, and she ends up having to change schools because of the trouble she finds herself in.

Unfortunately, changing schools cannot solve all of Emmie’s problems.  Being a mind reader is not something that you see in your average 12 year old, and she constantly feels like she has to hide who she is, and what her talents are.

Even though I am an adult, I could feel myself relating to Emmie.  She has a magnificent talent, but she can’t tell the world because of the ridicule that would follow.  We all have something about us that some people may not like, but unlike Emmie, some of these things we cannot hide.  We all experience ridicule in one form or another, and Kahler did a great thing by writing this book and making children aware that not everyone might understand them or like them.  Mind Reader is a great book to teach your child to love themselves and not feel bad about themselves based on what other people say or think, and I actually was very intrigued by this story.  I think that both boys and girls could benefit from this novel, and I applaud Kahler for touching on such a sensitive topic.

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