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The Hypnotists #3
The Dragonfly Effect
The third entry in the mesmerizing adventure series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman!
The government has promised to protect Jax Opus and his family from enemies that want to use his hypnotic power to bring more evil into the world. Jax has reluctantly agreed to be protected. But protection has its price -- and soon Jax learns that if the government is going to help him, it's going to want some help in return.The reach of Jax's hypnotic talents is especially dangerous because he doesn't have to be looking at people directly to control them. No, he can hypnotize people through video broadcasts -- so a person can be innocently checking a computer, and suddenly have a hypnotic message planted.Even worse? Jax is not the only person who can do this. He is up against a hypnotic mastermind who has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.It's a race against time and the power of evil in this heartstopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman.
The government has promised to protect Jax Opus and his family from enemies that want to use his hypnotic power to bring more evil into the world. Jax has reluctantly agreed to be protected. But protection has its price -- and soon Jax learns that if the government is going to help him, it's going to want some help in return.The reach of Jax's hypnotic talents is especially dangerous because he doesn't have to be looking at people directly to control them. No, he can hypnotize people through video broadcasts -- so a person can be innocently checking a computer, and suddenly have a hypnotic message planted.Even worse? Jax is not the only person who can do this. He is up against a hypnotic mastermind who has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.It's a race against time and the power of evil in this heartstopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2015
90 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
212 books4,390 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
April 28, 2020
I listened to this series while sewing masks and it kept me very entertained. This would be a perfect series for a long family road trip.
July 24, 2015
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
Rather cheesy covers aside (honestly, just look at that green block text - did someone tell the cover artist The Dragonfly Effect was a horror novel?!), the Hypnotists books are great MG reads, and I've enjoyed reading them. If asked, I would have chalked my enjoyment for the first book almost entirely up to Korman's writing rather than the story itself, because it felt a little too much like other MG books about kids who discover they have powers. The second book, Memory Maze, continued to have Korman's uniquely compelling writing style, but also delved into some of the implications of hypnotism, going into the psychological effects it had on Jax. With The Dragonfly Effect we continue to explore the (sometimes horrifying) uses for hypnotism, the ethics involved in letting an organization like the military use hypnotism for their own ends, and the very real pain that can spring from the misuse of such power.
I think my favorite thing about this trilogy is that it never treats hypnotism like this awesome get-out-of-jail free card - no, that's not right. It's a get-out-of-jail free card, yes, but it's also the card that puts you into jail in the first place. Jax's hypnotism is pretty much just a curse for him, because it forced him to flee for his life and go into hiding. His parents, who love him dearly and readily sacrificed their entire careers for Jax's safety, are terrified of looking into his eyes because he might accidentally hypnotize them. The "gift" that Jax has comes at a terrible cost, and that cost is safety, peace of mind, familial trust, and, basically, childhood innocence.
Mako is an interesting villain because his innate skills are supposed to be weaker than Jax's, and yet he always seems so much stronger. This comes from the sheer ruthlessness with which he brandishes the ability, doing whatever it takes to reach his goals no matter who gets hurt in the process. That sort of cruel single-mindedness makes him a huge threat to Jax, because Jax is a genuinely good kid who is much too nice for his own good. I liked the almost Harry-Potter-esque contrast between good and evil there, especially with the addition of a third major party in the stand-off (whom I won't name for fear of spoilers - but for those of you who have read the book: I really loved him/her!). In a perfect world, one in which The Dragonfly Effect was a longer book, I would have liked to learn a little bit more about Mako's history. Was he always such a terrible person, or did something happen to make him that way? There could have been a fascinating (and probably heartbreaking) story there, but instead we just got the pretty much one-dimensional villain with a crazy evil scheme that would (as far as I can tell, anyway) hurt him as much as it did anyone else.
And that brings me to the biggest issue I had with this book: the ending. Everything was just too convenient. I obviously can't talk too much about it, but why on Earth would Mako set things up so that his opponents could do what they did? For a smart man, he's pretty stupid. And the thing with the airplane was exciting, but a little contrived. As for the number of casualties? Puh-lease.
Then again, this is Middle Grade fiction. And honestly, I actually really loved the way things ended. Sure it wasn't the most realistic series of events, but this is a MG book about kids with hypnotic powers. And the ending was really thrilling, with danger and excitement and a horse trotting through downtown New York. If I said I wanted a more realistic ending, I would totally be lying.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rather cheesy covers aside (honestly, just look at that green block text - did someone tell the cover artist The Dragonfly Effect was a horror novel?!), the Hypnotists books are great MG reads, and I've enjoyed reading them. If asked, I would have chalked my enjoyment for the first book almost entirely up to Korman's writing rather than the story itself, because it felt a little too much like other MG books about kids who discover they have powers. The second book, Memory Maze, continued to have Korman's uniquely compelling writing style, but also delved into some of the implications of hypnotism, going into the psychological effects it had on Jax. With The Dragonfly Effect we continue to explore the (sometimes horrifying) uses for hypnotism, the ethics involved in letting an organization like the military use hypnotism for their own ends, and the very real pain that can spring from the misuse of such power.
I think my favorite thing about this trilogy is that it never treats hypnotism like this awesome get-out-of-jail free card - no, that's not right. It's a get-out-of-jail free card, yes, but it's also the card that puts you into jail in the first place. Jax's hypnotism is pretty much just a curse for him, because it forced him to flee for his life and go into hiding. His parents, who love him dearly and readily sacrificed their entire careers for Jax's safety, are terrified of looking into his eyes because he might accidentally hypnotize them. The "gift" that Jax has comes at a terrible cost, and that cost is safety, peace of mind, familial trust, and, basically, childhood innocence.
Mako is an interesting villain because his innate skills are supposed to be weaker than Jax's, and yet he always seems so much stronger. This comes from the sheer ruthlessness with which he brandishes the ability, doing whatever it takes to reach his goals no matter who gets hurt in the process. That sort of cruel single-mindedness makes him a huge threat to Jax, because Jax is a genuinely good kid who is much too nice for his own good. I liked the almost Harry-Potter-esque contrast between good and evil there, especially with the addition of a third major party in the stand-off (whom I won't name for fear of spoilers - but for those of you who have read the book: I really loved him/her!). In a perfect world, one in which The Dragonfly Effect was a longer book, I would have liked to learn a little bit more about Mako's history. Was he always such a terrible person, or did something happen to make him that way? There could have been a fascinating (and probably heartbreaking) story there, but instead we just got the pretty much one-dimensional villain with a crazy evil scheme that would (as far as I can tell, anyway) hurt him as much as it did anyone else.
And that brings me to the biggest issue I had with this book: the ending. Everything was just too convenient. I obviously can't talk too much about it, but why on Earth would Mako set things up so that his opponents could do what they did? For a smart man, he's pretty stupid. And the thing with the airplane was exciting, but a little contrived. As for the number of casualties? Puh-lease.
Then again, this is Middle Grade fiction. And honestly, I actually really loved the way things ended. Sure it wasn't the most realistic series of events, but this is a MG book about kids with hypnotic powers. And the ending was really thrilling, with danger and excitement and a horse trotting through downtown New York. If I said I wanted a more realistic ending, I would totally be lying.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2019
The book in its whole was pretty good. I didn't like it too much as my preferred book background or genre. It was interesting how Jax Opus overcame his obstacles. Wish there was more of the previous characters from previous books. For example, from The Hypnotists #2, there was a main girl who was sort of introduced, and was like a sort-of spy. She always examined carefully, without-knowing the whereabouts of the hypnotists. At the end of the story, it included her watching as the boys family moves away from town. I was expecting her to make an appearance in the 3rd book, but nothing happened. I don't think its good if an author introduces a character so well, in the POV of someone else, but then doesn't explain what there purpose was, or what the reason was for their acts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2019
AMAZING
August 3, 2025
This book was originally published in 2018. According to Goodreads there are 8 editions of this third and final volume in this series. But only the eBook and audio book are still in print, even though it is just 10 years old. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read over 95 of his books including this volume, a few of them more than once. I set the goal of reading all his books about 2020. I am now down to 12 left in his canon, and I have completed all the stand alone books and am now just working my way through the remaining books in a few series. Not counting omnibus editions I believe that as of the summer of 2025 Korman has published 109 books. With each that I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them. When I posted my review of book 1 in this series a few weeks ago, several people commented they read it in school, but did not know it was part of a series. I am looking forward to hearing their feedback because I loved the whole series. But back to the work at hand.
The description of this volume states:
“The third entry in the mesmerizing adventure series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman!
The government has promised to protect Jax Opus and his family from enemies that want to use his hypnotic power to bring more evil into the world. Jax has reluctantly agreed to be protected. But protection has its price -- and soon Jax learns that if the government is going to help him, it's going to want some help in return. The reach of Jax's hypnotic talents is especially dangerous because he doesn't have to be looking at people directly to control them. No, he can hypnotize people through video broadcasts -- so a person can be innocently checking a computer, and suddenly have a hypnotic message planted. Even worse? Jax is not the only person who can do this. He is up against a hypnotic mastermind who has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. It's a race against time and the power of evil in this heartstopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman.”
About the author at the back of this volume we are informed:
“Gordon Korman is the #1 bestselling author of five books in The 39 Clues series as well as seven books in his Swindle series: Swindle, Zoobreak, Framed, Showoff, Hideout, Jackpot, and Unleashed. His other books include This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall! (published when he was fourteen); The Toilet Paper Tigers; Radio Fifth Grade; The Chicken Doesn’t Skate; the trilogies Island, Everest, Dive, Kidnapped, and Titanic; and the series On the Run. He lives in New York with his family and can be found on the web at his website.”
I was always hesitant to give this series a try, it was the second to last series for me to start from those still in print, in some format. I have to admit I was greatly surprised by this story and the series. I made the mistake of judging a book by its cover, and I feel this is a pretty cheesy cover. From what I have read this story is about the middle of the road for intensity among Korman’s books, but there are some pretty serious events or attempted events in this work, and things in volume third volume take it to a global level
Jax Opus has a strong pedigree, one he is completely unaware of until some surprising events take place and bring him to the attention of meeting Dr. Elias Mako and his institute. Now he and his parents are under the protection of the military. They are part of a military experiment on Hypnotic warfare. Jax meets a young boy whose powers might not only rival his but also surpass them. And Along with an old adversary from Mako’s institute he is going through the rigours of school and hypnotic experiments while basically trapped on a military base. Together with his old friend and another former student of the institute they must try and put an end to a world altering plan. But Jax has never been able to beat Mako and too much is at stake for him to fail. To find out if they succeed read this thrilling conclusion to this excellent trilogy.
This book and series has wonderfully written characters, the whole series moves at a great pace, and the is an excellent conclusion to a wonderful series. This story is another great read from Korman’s masterful pen.
The description of this volume states:
“The third entry in the mesmerizing adventure series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman!
The government has promised to protect Jax Opus and his family from enemies that want to use his hypnotic power to bring more evil into the world. Jax has reluctantly agreed to be protected. But protection has its price -- and soon Jax learns that if the government is going to help him, it's going to want some help in return. The reach of Jax's hypnotic talents is especially dangerous because he doesn't have to be looking at people directly to control them. No, he can hypnotize people through video broadcasts -- so a person can be innocently checking a computer, and suddenly have a hypnotic message planted. Even worse? Jax is not the only person who can do this. He is up against a hypnotic mastermind who has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. It's a race against time and the power of evil in this heartstopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman.”
About the author at the back of this volume we are informed:
“Gordon Korman is the #1 bestselling author of five books in The 39 Clues series as well as seven books in his Swindle series: Swindle, Zoobreak, Framed, Showoff, Hideout, Jackpot, and Unleashed. His other books include This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall! (published when he was fourteen); The Toilet Paper Tigers; Radio Fifth Grade; The Chicken Doesn’t Skate; the trilogies Island, Everest, Dive, Kidnapped, and Titanic; and the series On the Run. He lives in New York with his family and can be found on the web at his website.”
I was always hesitant to give this series a try, it was the second to last series for me to start from those still in print, in some format. I have to admit I was greatly surprised by this story and the series. I made the mistake of judging a book by its cover, and I feel this is a pretty cheesy cover. From what I have read this story is about the middle of the road for intensity among Korman’s books, but there are some pretty serious events or attempted events in this work, and things in volume third volume take it to a global level
Jax Opus has a strong pedigree, one he is completely unaware of until some surprising events take place and bring him to the attention of meeting Dr. Elias Mako and his institute. Now he and his parents are under the protection of the military. They are part of a military experiment on Hypnotic warfare. Jax meets a young boy whose powers might not only rival his but also surpass them. And Along with an old adversary from Mako’s institute he is going through the rigours of school and hypnotic experiments while basically trapped on a military base. Together with his old friend and another former student of the institute they must try and put an end to a world altering plan. But Jax has never been able to beat Mako and too much is at stake for him to fail. To find out if they succeed read this thrilling conclusion to this excellent trilogy.
This book and series has wonderfully written characters, the whole series moves at a great pace, and the is an excellent conclusion to a wonderful series. This story is another great read from Korman’s masterful pen.
November 10, 2016
Jackson Opus is one of the most powerful hypnotist alive and is being hunted by a mad hypnotist by the name of Elise Mako, who has just escaped prison. One day he was being trained by Axel Braintree, the next he was being trained General Brassmire and HoWArD a, hypnotic research branch of the army. Jax is now being trained with other people like him, and one of those people is the only who is just like Jax but more powerful. Will danger come to get Jackson Opus and the other hypnotist. I liked this book because it had mystery, danger, fantasy, and excitement. Also because in this book they bring back one of my favorite characters for the 1st book. This book is the 3rd book in the series written by Gordon Kormon.
August 1, 2017
Damn, 3 years later and I finally finish this series...
It's been a wild ride following the world of hypnotists that Korman created. From the Opuses and the Sparks, to the new found Arcanovs, there's always something new. This was my favorite book of the series, simply because of how fun it was for Jax to have such an unexpected rival. It was also like Jax's final test; this is the first big thing he's done without Braintree's guidance. Having him be reunited with Tommy was also really fun.
There's not much else I can say, really. This series is pretty fun overall for middle-grade readers.
It's been a wild ride following the world of hypnotists that Korman created. From the Opuses and the Sparks, to the new found Arcanovs, there's always something new. This was my favorite book of the series, simply because of how fun it was for Jax to have such an unexpected rival. It was also like Jax's final test; this is the first big thing he's done without Braintree's guidance. Having him be reunited with Tommy was also really fun.
There's not much else I can say, really. This series is pretty fun overall for middle-grade readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2019
Great book! Our humble little story starts with a kid named Jax. Jax is a hypnatist. He can control people's minds. An evil man named Ellis Mako was recently he was arrested and put into jail. Jax and his family were put into millitary protection. Jax HATES it. He gets fed cheep food and his parents are misrable. Jax spends his day with with other H.O.W.A.R.Ds wich stands for hypnotic somthing warfare reserch department. Or, Hippos obtain western ardvark dens. Just kidding. One of the HOWARDSs named Stanly get adopted by a long lost relative. When times are tough, Jax escapes into the world. Read the book to find out more!
August 31, 2024
listen i havent read the first 2 because i didnt know it was a series until i was like halfway through so take my opinion with a grain of salt but nothing about this made any sense like i know i would have more context if i read the others but even the stuff i did get was just very. nonsensical? the main character jax had like no visible reaction to what is quite obviously some sort of trauma….. maybe im alone in this but if someone tried to kill me by making me do it (multiple times from what i gathered) i would NOT bounce back that quickly especially at age 12. that being said i liked tommy and im going to read the other ones i think
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
This one was not as clever. Sure, parts of it felt like realistic responses to a situation where hypnotists are real, but parts of it were mind-bindingly (pun intended) stupid. Dr. Mako seems perfectly in character until we realize his evil plan, which ... makes no sense whatsoever. And the final resolution of the book — where
February 9, 2018
I liked that this book was weightier than the previous one. Examination of the idea that manipulation can have good side-effects and still not be worth it popped a few times and there was a nod of gratitude toward the wonder of everday life.
Anyone look for action, friendship, and laughs can still find those in this book too, but I'd most recommend it to someone looking for a book that will entertain and poke your brain to be a little deeper at the same time.
Anyone look for action, friendship, and laughs can still find those in this book too, but I'd most recommend it to someone looking for a book that will entertain and poke your brain to be a little deeper at the same time.
May 20, 2022
Wow, what an ending!
Ok, I'm gonna admit, I found this series a but boring at points (especially during the 2nd book), but this third book was anything but boring. I honestly totally loved this book.
This and Masterminds have restored my faith in Gordon Korman... (and by that, I mean that I've always thought that his old boss were way better than his new books. Now I only think they are better than MANY of his new books, but definately not all. Hypnotists and Masterminds are pretty great!)
Ok, I'm gonna admit, I found this series a but boring at points (especially during the 2nd book), but this third book was anything but boring. I honestly totally loved this book.
This and Masterminds have restored my faith in Gordon Korman... (and by that, I mean that I've always thought that his old boss were way better than his new books. Now I only think they are better than MANY of his new books, but definately not all. Hypnotists and Masterminds are pretty great!)
June 16, 2019
This series is brillantly Korman. While I haven't read one book Gordon Korman has written and not loved it, this is my favorite of all his series. The storyline picked me up and carried me on a wave of suspended belief from page one of book one to the last page of book three. Absolutely the best. Gordon Korman, you are the best!
January 3, 2018
Jax in the army? What will that be like? He'll be working with many other hypnotists under the direction of the Colonel. What happens when they discover his ability to remotely hypnotise others, and what happens when Jax meets his match in 8 year old Stanley? Great conclusion to a great series!
December 18, 2017
Jax in the army? What will that be like? He'll be working with many other hypnotists under the direction of the Colonel. What happens when they discover his ability to remotely hypnotise others, and what happens when Jax meets his match in 8 year old Stanley? Great conclusion to a great series!
July 21, 2019
I very much enjoyed this third book in The Hypnotists trilogy. It was fast paced and wrapped up all the loose ends. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning finishing it. Audiobook was very good.
November 17, 2019
Fun ending to this series. Three stars because part of the plot didn’t make a ton of sense and it wasn’t explained. But I liked it otherwise. I really liked the narrator for the audiobooks, so I’ll probably seek out more audiobooks that he narrates.
August 2, 2022
I loved this book and the whole series but the one thing I hated about this book was ending it was great but it marked the end of a great book trilogy
(10/10 would love to get hypnotized to forget this book so I could read again)
(10/10 would love to get hypnotized to forget this book so I could read again)
May 28, 2025
Once again Korman takes the story in a completely different direction. Very engaging and gives some interesting things to think about if hypnotism really did work this way. I guess we can all be grateful that it doesn't! inevitably someone would use it for malicious purposes.
July 25, 2017
Another fun read from Gordon Korman. Some utterly ridiculous scenarios at play, but a great little diversion that reminds you that reading can be for enjoyment.
August 31, 2017
If I could put six stars I would!!
August 24, 2018
So glad the way it wrapped up. Very fun adventure Good for 11 and up
September 30, 2018
Tue Dragonfly Effect
This book had a good connection to the other books. If you are a teen and like action and fiction books i recommend this book.
This book had a good connection to the other books. If you are a teen and like action and fiction books i recommend this book.
October 31, 2018
Amazing
I really really want book 4 also a mako backstory. . . . . .. . . . ... .
I really really want book 4 also a mako backstory. . . . . .. . . . ... .
October 15, 2019
Good end to the series.
March 25, 2020
Outstanding
It was so good I mean I would stay up late at night just to finish a chapter soooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was so good I mean I would stay up late at night just to finish a chapter soooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 26, 2020
The best of the 3
January 9, 2021
Hypnosis
This was another amazing story by Gordon Korman. Kept your interest throughout the trilogy. He never disappoints. Love all of his books.
This was another amazing story by Gordon Korman. Kept your interest throughout the trilogy. He never disappoints. Love all of his books.
January 18, 2021
This is a good conclusion to the Hypnotist series. Jax Opus is forced to deal with the military who has decided his bending (hypnotic) talent to control the public.
May 19, 2022
This book is a real crowd-pleaser. (Tell me when you get the joke.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews