I’m no longer surprised when I guess the plot twists way ahead of time, in the first few chapters, just from a mere off-hand remark. I believe, if a narrative follows a logical plot, the conclusion ought to flow seamlessly out of it. And if you know what to look for, you can spot the hints of old, familiar patterns even in a new, exciting story.

Mindwalker isn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary—it’s a story told a thousand times before. But Kate Dylan made it her own and, most importantly, she made if fun. From the scavenger hunt she set up for her ARC readers, to the technicolour world the characters inhabit—Mindwalker aims to entertain.

It was a fast-paced action adventure story, with a tight, engaging plot and solid themes. The book read very much like a movie—and that is both a compliment and feels deliberate. It’s a very visual-based story that is reminiscent of classic sci-fi films like Blade Runner and Gattaca.

Mindwalker delivers a lot of highs and adrenaline-packed punches—but one aspect it struggled with was fleshing-out its characters properly. They were not, per se, one-dimensional, but they did lack quite a bit in depth and complexity. But the author did say it’s a Marvel movie in book form, so as such, that might actually have been intentional. 👀🙊

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

In a Post-Apocalyptic America tech giants Syntex provide healthcare and housing to the population. They have developed a brain implant that allows select employees or “Mindwalkers” to take control of Syntex field agents minds, and extract them from dangerous missions. The only catch? The brain implant cannot be removed and will eventually kill the host.

Sil Sarrah is one of the Mindwalkers. Since signing a contract to work for Syntax at just 8 years old she is now their best Mindwalker 10 years on. Sil has an unbeaten record, and has never failed to rescue someone when Mindwalking. However after a mission goes wrong, and arrest warrant is out out for Sil and she is forced to flee. During her time as a fugitive she realises that not everything at Syntex is as it seems.

I’ve seen this novel described at a Marvel movie in a YA book, and it did live up to that. The book was action packed from the beginning and it was fun to read about all of the things Sil could do with help from her supercomputer she’d named “Jarvis”.

I enjoyed the pacing, it kept me engaged throughout, and I thought the length of the book was perfect.

I also grew to really like the characters and was able to empathise with Sil as her story progressed.

I found some of the writing a bit off-putting, the constant use of the phrase “Christ-that-was” was very distracting and quite confusing until I had got used to it.

The plot was also a little predictable, but I didn’t mind this too much and still found it really fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, the story was involved and well crafted. I read this on my lunch break at work and proceeded to sulk when I had to go back to work! I felt the upcoming twist in the story but I didn’t estimate what would happen!

The last YA sci-fi book I read was Obsidio by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. Mindwalker gave me the same feeling I felt when reading Obsidio, not in terms of the plot but in terms of the vibes. It's fast paced, action packed, and fun. I can imagine it as a movie.

The story is told from the point of view of 18 year old Sil Sarrah. As a Mindwalker for Syntex, she has a unique piece of technology installed in her brain which allows her to help field agents escape from sticky situations by taking control of their mind. She has a perfect track record, however, during a company open day everything goes to hell.

Mindwalker is set in a future in which technology is heavily relied upon and asks some interesting questions around this. There's also discussion on consent, because in order for a Mindwalker to meld with an agent's mind they have to have their consent.

I'm not sure if Mindwalker is a standalone, but I was satisfied with how it wrapped up. The way it ends does leave room for a potential sequel, but I'm finding that it's rare for me these days when reading YA to want to read more than the first book. Which is why I like when they don't finish on a cliffhanger.

Great fun, I really liked the concepts here; nanotechnology and being able to access other people’s minds. Fabulous sci-fi themes that always raise ethical questions, and there’s always a bad guy who is driven by greed.
I loved the pace and characters were well written. I think this would make a fantastic film, especially if it was done with top quality animation.

The characterisations were bereft of depth in a way that left me feeling detached from the narrative, but otherwise a fast-paced and tightly plotted read.

MINDWALKER is a story that I could not put down. Sil Sarrah was a character I found I could easily love, and love I did. This was the Sci-Fi book of my dreams, the perfect blend of futuristic tech and raw skill that had me obsessed.

Sil Sarrah doesn’t have long left to live. The tech in her brain is nearing its end and when it goes, she goes. She wants to go out with a bang, and so with her perfect record for mindwalking, she wishes to keep up the streak and dare anyone who comes after her to beat it. That is until a mission goes wrong and the record is broken. But that’s not the worst part. Sil now has to run for her life, suspected of being a traitor and sentenced to a worse fate than death. Away from the relative safety of Syntex, she infiltrates the Analog Army, a group dedicated to taking Syntex down. She hopes to return to Syntex with something worthy of her reinstatement, but instead she finds out that Syntex has been lying to them. And that someone on the inside needs to be taken down.

Sil Sarrah was a character who was headstrong and determined. I loved her strength and her willingness to do whatever it took to right a wrong. Her wit kept me invested and her confidence made me love her even more. I find that it’s rare to find a female main character who doesn’t fall into the trap of ‘not like other girls’ while also being strong and confident, and being able to stand on her own. Sil was this main character. She didn’t need anyone else to hold her up. She stood on her own and I loved that about her.

I felt like I was there, in that world, while reading the book. The world building was so impeccably done that I didn’t have any questions about it, there weren’t moments where I was confused. I knew everything I needed to know about that world to follow Sil’s story and needed to know nothing more.

The prose was fairly simple, but it was complex enough to keep you reading. It was easy to read and the technical part was simple enough to understand. It wasn’t overwhelming, which science fiction books can be when there’s too much of something. But I understood what Sil was talking about and I enjoyed every second of it.

I find it difficult to write reviews about books I really enjoy—for reasons I haven’t yet figured out, but I truly did love this book from the very beginning to the end. It drew me in and kept me in its clutches until I turned the last page. I will definitely be buying a hard copy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a wild ride! I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put this book down! I really loved Sil and Ryder and their dynamic and the utter chaotic energy they have together.

I love sci-fi but even if you don’t I think lots of people will enjoy it. It’s very character driven as we follow Sil who has a limited time to prove her innocence and uncover a conspiracy so it was a thriller with a sci-fi twist and I loved it. It was especially interesting because it was set in a post apocalyptic world where life is so different from now because of how we destroyed the planet and repercussions of that. So that was an interesting element in the story too.

This is a story of powerful men who always get what they want and being able to get away with practically anything because they are powerful men and the parallels to our society was really interesting to read. We see how Sil learns this the hard way and how systemic corruption has a long lasting and wide reaching effect.

"Never underestimate the power a single man can wield when the rest of us quit paying attention."

I do wish the morality of being able to mindwalk and take over a person’s mind and body had been discussed a little more. I did like seeing those discussions though it was more showing how people were disgusted by what Sil did but it would have been good to see Sil and the other mindwalkers think about whether it is morally okay and how this can lead to someone deciding to use this technology to control masses of people. It was interesting to see that they were all recruited as children and the families given lots of incentives and compensations for them joining. Children are easier to manipulate and parents did not have the authority to say no if the child agreed so there wasn’t any protections in place for these children either. They also could not live past their teenage years which I felt was also a way to control and ensure that people did not get older and think that maybe this isn’t right or they no longer want to be a part of it. I just wish this was discussed a little more in the book though there are mentions of it.

I really liked the side characters too and the friendships between them. How they supported and protected each other and worked together to find out who was behind everything. I do wish we could have seen more of them, especially Sil’s friends.

This is a fast paced and action packed book which will take you on a wild ride and the revelations in the second half of the book had me shook. I really liked the ending and how things were resolved but shows there is still more work to be done to deal with the corruption and whether anyone should be allowed to control another person’s mind and body.

A generic YA dystopia/sci-fi.

I had my doubts early on whether this would be for me or not, and I continued on since I didn't *hate* it.
I should have listened to my instinct.

The plot was....meh. It's predictable and nothing new to be honest...but it is fine and easy to read.
The characters were...bad. Just bad, they had no unique voice, no characterisation or growth, they were all so BLAND and young-reading - just make your characters 15/16 if they are going to act that way. AND IT'S OKAY CURSE ~christ that was~ like....just use something unique to that world, a real expletive, or just leave out the "that was". It was so repetitive and it just made all the characters seem so much younger.

Yeah. Just bleh. Suitable for a younger reader I guess - 13/14?

Mindwalker follows Sil in a futuristic post apocalyptic Manhattan, where tech is part of every day life. From a young age Sil can infiltrate minds, through a supercomputer grafted into her brain. When a mission goes wrong Sil must go on the run & rely on her enemy to get back home.

What I liked: the book is very fast paced, easy to read & made me want more! The world building was fine & the mindwalking tech is an interesting concept.

What I didn’t like: generic dystopian plot, guessable twists & mediocre characters. Look, all dystopian books are the same to some degree & I understand that, but there wasn’t anything new about the plot or the twists in this book, if you’ve read any number of YA dystopian books in the past 10 years, you’ve read this. Sil was engaging enough, but nothing special & Ryder was a generic love interest with looks/body but no personality. Even the “big bad” was the usual stereotype.

Is this an enjoyable book? Absolutely, I read it in 2 days, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. But is it the genre redefining book that other reviewers are saying? Unfortunately not, but if you’re looking for an easy sci-fi to get lost in, this is it.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton & Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was fast-paced and action-filled. And you couldn't see the plot twists coming. It is set in a futuristic dystopian sci-fi world filled with well-developed characters. I loved every page. It was brilliant.

MINDWALKER is the story of Sil, an expert mindwalker with a computer in her head that allows her to take control of the bodies of her spy colleagues to get them out of dangerous situations. She's great at it and can save pretty much anyone even in the direst of circumstances.

The only catch? The computer in Sil's head is going to kill her soon.

The only other catch? She just learned that her employer is using the mindwalking technology to take over people's bodies without their consent.

If Sil doesn't stop them (before the computer in her head kills her), nobody can.

This book is a cinematic ROMP, full of tension and thrills and a snarky heroine you'll fall for quick.

I was lucky to read a pre-publication version. You should add it to your TBR.

My favourite sci-fi read of the year! I'm so glad I got the chance to read the ARC copy of this book and now I've ordered the hardback, because as well as looking beautiful it is an amazing book that demands shelf space.
It's a fast paced standalone, which honestly answers all the questions it creates and omg were there some surprises! The betrayals and the plot twists, I devoured this book! I loved the main character, Sil she's a snarky bad ass - honestly my favourite kind of character.
A brilliant debut and isn't too technical for those not that in to sci-fi, like myself. READ THIS. Also I've now investigated the preorder campaign and the art is stunning too!

Mindwalker is beyond excellent. It is explosive, twisty, action-packed, but with a lot of heart. I've never read anything quite like it. It's Ghost in the Shell, mixed with what could be an episode of Black Mirror or Love, Death and Robots. Kate Dylan has done such an exquisite job with bringing her world to life and discussing quite difficult topics like the future of AI in such an interesting way. Heartily recommend!

Well that was a wild ride! This very much sits under YA, which for my personal taste (I guess I tend to be pulled towards YA that straddles Adult) the romance and writing style felt a little tame for me but this is personal choice. Scene setting is very explicit, not a great deal left to the imagination but if you are looking for something that is intense on plot but smooth on world building, this is it, it is a fast paced read.

The 'enemies to lovers' bants are *chefs kiss*, at times it veers in the direction of 'insta-love' but is pulled back well by the twists and turns of the MC's development.

I thought the author manages to discuss the concepts of consent and privacy in a more conceptual way, rather than wandering too far down the rabbit hole that is person privacy in a the digital age; it's light touch but I think it's discussed in a way that is relatable in our real lives without being patronising. Overall a quick, fun bit of escapism I struggled to put down once into the meat of the story that works for both seasoned and casual sci-fi fans!

4.5/5

Wow! This book was a whirlwind. I started off fascinated by the technology and immediately loved Sil, slowly it descends into chaos for her and I was invested in every step of the way. I love Ryder and his group of rebels. Honestly this is the best sci-fi book I’ve read in a long time, I could read more in this world! The ending blew me away, the easiest 5 stars I’ve given out this year! I hope this book gets all the recognition it deserves

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"For better or worse, I'm living the final act of the future I chose. The legacy I chose. Now I just have to make it count for something..."

Mindwalker is a fantastic sci-fi read with well-developed characters, a lot of heart, and an addictive writing style. I did not want to reach the end! I loved reading from Sil Sarrah's point of view and as much as I would have loved a little snippet from the mind of Ryder Stone (the handsome enemy from the Analog Army), the story didn't needed it. Sil is such a presence and a character I'll definitely remember. There have been many great books for 2022 and Mindwalker is one you do not want to miss!

I look forward to reading more from Kate Dylan in the future!

"Power belongs to people, not companies. Their manifesto bleeds to life in crisp crimson letters. Do not let them rule you. Do not let them own you. Do not surrender control."

I highly recommend if you've read The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Reboot by Amy Tintera - all amazing reads.

5 stars

Sil Sarrah é uma Mindwalker, uma entre poucos jovens que decidiram aos 8 anos de idade que queriam implantar um super computador na cabeça para ajudar as condições da família, em troca de um trabalho glorioso resgatando agentes da Syntex Corporation da morte certa - ao tomarem conta das mentes deles e agindo com treinamento específico, inteligência computacional e nenhum medo de morrer - e a certeza que morreriam pouco tempo após os 18 anos.

Com o seu histórico impecável como Mindwalker e a certeza de que irá morrer em breve, Sil só busca morrer como uma lenda e para conseguir fazer isso ela só quer manter a taxa de 100% de sucesso, porém ela se torna uma fugitiva da empresa que trabalhava por conta de usarem essa vontade dela para fazerem algo ilegal a olhos vistos.

Mindwalker é mais um cyberpunk com o selo de qualidade “Giovana não dormiu de chatisse com os termos mega técnicos de cyberpunk” e já tem todo o meu carinho por isso e inclusive o tom da história me lembrou do tom dos livros da Marie Lu (uma das minhas autoras queridinhas), em especial Warcross!

Gostei bastante de como o livro lida com consentimento, em Mindwalker não há crimes sexuais sendo descritos, mas as cenas que abordam consentimento são uns paralelos bem desenhados, além de abordar também leis de proteção às crianças - aqui rola um ECA (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente) totalmente distópico -, o que faz com que role uns paralelos bons com as leis de segurança digital atuais.

Histórias cyberpunks costumam vir juntos com mundos distópicos e/ou pós apocalípticos, e Mindwalker não se aprofunda muito na situação do mundo, mas traz cenas chaves que indicam bem como estão as coisas, seja tempestades radioativas acontecendo e como andam as leis de proteção às crianças e adolescentes, que foram pontos bem marcantes para enxergar como funciona essa distopia.

O romance é um gostosinho enemies-to-lovers com selo faca na garganta de qualidade, com leves trairagens no meio do caminho, mas está longe de ser o foco. A reta final do livro me rendeu uns EITAS, pois a Sil Sarrah tem uma moral acizentada e faz o que é preciso por ela e pelos outros, ela começa tudo pela glória e viver intensamente até o fim, mas segue durante toda a história fazendo tudo o que pode para fazer o certo por todos.

One of the best books I’ve read this year. Instantly gripped from the beginning and just obsessed all the way through. I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this and re read it again.

Loved this book! A perfect cyberpunk story with an immersive world and a main character you can't help but root for. Sil has a great voice that glides you through the story with it's many twists and turns.