The Wednesday Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Book:

Book Title: The Darkest Minds

Book Author: Alexandra Bracken

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/ Dystopian

Publishing Date: December 18th, 2012

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Synopsis: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Content warning for violence and attempted/assumed rape.

                     

The Review:

The Darkest Minds was dark and intense. Though mildly predictable, it captivated me from the start and kept me turning pages until the very end. Then, it ripped my heart out and left me dying for book 2! I could not have guessed how much I would love this book! It was so good! The writing was amazing. The story setting was very detailed, and the characters really brought the book to life! At first glance, it seemed like the idea and plotline had been done before. But, the story still felt like it had its own originality to it. It was unique in the way the characters handled themselves, and the abilities of the children were unique and intriguing. The feeling I got from the story, and the ending, was what really made it different from other sc-fi/dystopian stories. Throughout the entire book I had this sense of hope, dread, and awe, all rolled in to one ball of emotion. It was terrifying waiting to find out if Ruby and the gang were going to get caught. I was in love with the friendship that blossomed between the group, and I never lost hope that they would find a safe place to just be. But, we were thrown for so many loops on this thrill ride. A lot of them were predictable, but a lot of them were so surprising, and exciting, and terrifying. And, it was these twists that defined who our beloved characters were and shaped them in to who they turned out to be at the end of the book. I loved watching Ruby grow and change from the scared little girl she was when she was thrown in to Thurmond. I loved getting the interaction and feeling the love blossom between Zu and the group as she showed them what unconditional friendship meant. I admired Chubs and how he found his courage through his loyalty to his friends, and my heart was absolutely taken with Liam and how protective and brave he was. This story was so powerful and deep. Underneath the sci-fi awesomeness and dystopian chaos was a message about the power of friendship and the importance of not letting racism and prejudice feed hate. It was vivid and dynamic and full of danger, excitement, a little bit of comedy, and love. 4.5 stars!

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