Review : The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)
Author : Alexandra Bracken
Publication Date : December 18th 2013
Publisher : Disney Hyperion
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

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.

Personal Thoughts

With a world set in which children have super powers, Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds doesn't offer any thing new in the genre. However, her execution of the idea was what made The Darkest Minds an intense read that left me salivating for more.

The main character, Ruby, was one that I immediately loved. She started off a little weak and fearful, but over the course of the book, it was a delight to watch her grow into this kick-ass heroine who was hard not to root for. When the book first started, Ruby seemed destroyed. Her abilities were so dangerous and had caused her to lose her loved ones, leading her to being emotionally scarred. She saw her ability not as a superpower, but as a curse. Alexandra Bracken captured Ruby's feelings of despair and anguish throughout the book masterfully. I couldn't help but feel for her and I wanted nothing more than for her to have a happy ending. Throughout the book, Ruby learned to grow and by the end of the book she had become stronger than ever. I loved how she never bowed down, especially if her loved ones were in danger. The strongest element of The Darkest Minds was, for me, the wonderfully crafted secondary characters. These were characters that were easy to grow an attachment to and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions. Ruby meets Liam, Chubs and Zu while escaping a crazy rebel group and from that instance forward, they stole my heart. Liam was the sweet guy who was supportive, caring and would do anything for his friends. Chubs, him was the grumpy young guy who makes you laugh out loud and Zu was the girl who had been so scarred by what had happened to her that she couldn't talk. They were such a colorful cast and I loved the banter and the love that existed between them. They pretty much added color and brightness to this otherwise glum world.

The Darkest Minds was action-packed from start to finish. Although this book is almost 500 pages long, there was never a dull moment because of how intense the whole thing was. Ruby's journey from the chilling so-called rehabilitation center to East River was enthralling and left me on the edge. The plot involved a lot of running and chasing, but for me, the focus was on Ruby's growth from a frightened teenager to a young woman comfortable using her own abilities for the good. That's what made The Darkest Minds different for me despite it not exactly having the most original idea. The pacing of the book too was spot-on. Like, I mentioned, Alexandra Bracken made sure that the reader was never bored. There was a bit of a romance, but it developed on the side-lines, which was completely realistic, considering Ruby's state of mind when she first meets Liam. That didn't mean that it was absent though. The sweet and beautiful moments between Ruby and Liam helped to lighten the dark mood of the book at certain times. While the world-building was strong, rich and complex, there were parts of it that I need more clarifications on. By the end of the book, I was left with a few unanswered questions, but I can tell that the author will tackle them in the next book. Alexandra Bracken is clearly a strong and talented author. She really knew how to illustrate the feelings of the characters and that, in my opinion, is where her talent lies. Her book left me craving for more and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us readers in the sequel, Never Fade!

The Darkest Minds was an outstanding start to a dystopian series that promises to be even more riveting as it progresses! I can't wait!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5