The Darkest Minds (Bonus Content) (A Darkest Minds Novel)

Awesome story and concept. Reader is immediately drawn into Ruby's dilemma and fear of being torn away from her parents and put in a prison for dangerous kids. Couldn't wait for next installment to find out what happens to these kids. My teenage daughter and I both enjoyed this book.

I was so excited to read this book. The storyline and synopsis made it sound so intriguing. But the writing style did not flow well. Many parts were confusing to read, and I had to re read some scenes to figure out exactly what the author was trying to portray or how the characters were in one place and ended up in another. I am sure it all made perfect sense in the author's head as she was writing it, but a lot of it had missing information that made the book have a staccato feel to it. Or incorrect information, and this may just me being picky with writing errors: the alarm clock at the hotel had 5:03 P.M. in the "gray-blue morning sky" on page 200. Which I felt maybe the author would explain the p.m. part of the time...maybe splurge of Zu's power wrecking havoc on the alarm clock? But, nope, the beginning of chapter 13, Chubs and Zu were awakened at 5:30 a.m.)

I felt that this book had so much potential. But it was a letdown. Each chapter I was hoping the author would finally hit her writing groove and the book would take off, but each chapter I was more and more disappointed. I won't continue reading the rest of the series.

There were a lot of place were this book could have end but i'm glad it didn't. The ending was sad but it left you waiting to read the next book I highly recommend this book to readers who liked divergent , the feeling and tone was the same but it had its own original spin to it. This is so far an amazing trilogy! I hope they make a movie!

There are 50 tons of unanswered and confusing things that I will discuss, but let's start at the beginning. I will do my best to keep this spoiler free.

You are whipped into a great beginning. The story that is built for us is mystifying and exciting. At the age of 10, kids for some unknown reason are dropping dead or getting awesome paranormal powers. And the grown-ups are frightened by the children. Ruby, Zu, Liam and Chubs meet up after they escape from their respective detention facilities.

The kids have powers and are classified by blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Red is really powerful and bad. What does this mean? I don't know because the author never clearly defines what these powers are. So the full horror of what could be is left unclear. Next, we learn this is a localized phenomenon, not all the countries have the disease. Why not? We only learn this out of left field when the bounty hunter explains it is costly to buy her way home from our disease ridden nation. So what are those disease boundaries? We learn that all the kids get it near puberty, so why don't the adults? They made it sound like several older kids (post puberty) already had it, so why didn't the adults get it? You see my problem that all of this when really looked at starts to unravel. Let's push aside this unraveling premise for a moment and ask an important question, don't you render your nation extinct and useless if it produces no young? At what point is it ever a good idea to make it illegal to reproduce? It makes your nation weak, and it seems stupid. Children are required. The country will die without them. Is this a disease or a mutation? Why aren't they working this angle? See, tons of questions and they are all left unanswered. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED!

The middle of the book is one long and monotonous escapade of children on the lamb; yet, only bounty hunters, the league, and other kids are encountered, no run ins with scared adults. The kids finally arrive at their destination, and it dribbles slowly onward.

The action finally takes place all at once at the end. Still no answers, and I swear this is written like the author is setting up for a series, because there really isn't a conclusion. NONONONO...I swear this is a set up for another long, boring installment book. Nothing is answered, and the ending is that it hasn't ended.

This book had real potential. I feel I didn't do it justice by only reading while waiting for my son's lesson to be over. It was packed with action. I hope to re-read it and give it my full attention.

The book was captivating immediately from the first chapter. As I continued reading this book, the more I would like to continue. Through the book all of my expectations would be constantly changed because the whole book is unexpected and beautiful in that way.

This book had it all: original plot, social commentary, young romance, exciting plot, violence, family relationships, I did get a bit impatient with Tris because of her impulsive behavior and willingness to die. Too much drama queen there. However, she proved heroic and vulnerable at the same time. I hope there's a sequel.

Expected more... A lot of it dragged. Great potential as an author though.
I wanted more scenarios where these abilities were used. A lot of the story was filler. All the car rides, the running. No heavy dramatic action that id hoped for.

Awesome pace and full of details.
Great arrangement of characters that you dislike and grow to love completely
Reminds me greatly of other fictions, where you meet an awesome cast of characters with one ultimate quest to take on!
Dark,Funny, and full of love.

Booooring.

Ruby is a childish, "goody-goody" girl with low self-esteem that doesn't even know how to use her powers, nor does she WANT to. Wtf? That was the whole selling point. If a girl survives five years in a hell camp, I expect her to be a little smarter, stronger, and well... kick-ass. But none of it. Funniest part? She kept referring to herself as a monster, which was BS. Why? Because she erased memories once? Bo-hoo, haven't you seen worse by now? Reading that made me cringe.

Liam. When I realized he was THE love interest, I stopped reading. He was just as righteous as Ruby, too sweet, too accepting, too trusting. Why would he assume Ruby is green? Why be such a blind believer? Anyway, if you are like me and like to read books with strong, self-confident, and "badass" characters, this isn't for you.

The writing was bad as well. Dialogue interruption all the time. Sudden switches, chaotic line of reasoning. Sometimes I had no idea what had happened because there was no transition.

I had serious misgivings about reading The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.

I started reading Brightly Woven (Bracken’s YA Fantasy stand-alone) a few years ago, and I just wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t mark it as DNF b/c I wasn’t totally writing it off. I was just putting it aside for later. WAY later. So when people started talking about The Darkest Minds last year, I didn’t pay much attention.

Then one of my favorite writers reviewed it as THEBESTBOOKEVEROMG!! So I bought it when it came out. And it sat on a shelf for a year.

Then a bunch of bloggers started reviewing it. A year later. And they’re all THEBESTBOOKEVEROMG!! So I just had to jump on that bandwagon to see what I’d been missing.

*throws book at wall*

The Darkest Minds is about a generation of youth who are born with superhero-like abilities. The additional abilities are jump-started at the onset of puberty. The kids who don’t die when their brains basically EXPLODE, are bused to government camps where they are “rehabilitated.” There are five divisions of abilities:

Green: super smarts
Blue: telekinesis
Yellow: manipulation of electricity
Orange: mind control
Red: fire starters

Greens and Blues are safe, Yellows are in the middle, and Oranges and Reds are frickin’ dangerous. Ruby (our MC) is an Orange, but she gets placed with the Greens (which is good b/c Big Brother starts killing off Oranges when they can’t be “rehabilitated”). If you’re wondering why I keep putting “rehabilitated” in quotations, it’s b/c I still don’t know what it’s supposed to mean. Lots of things are alluded to in reference to the camps and what happens there: scientific experiments (electro-shock therapy style), isolation, sensory deprivation, rape-as-punishment by the a**hole guards, but all of those things are in reference to studying/exploitation, not “curing” an “illness.”

And I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes when I start reading a book, I immediately have issues with it. In The Darkest Minds, my first issue was that there is a line that you can point to (like B.C. and B.C.E.) and on one side you have normal kids, and on the other side you have mutant freaks. Every single kid. BUT . . . wait for it . . . only AMERICAN kids.

Eh??

Because last time I checked, Americans (myself included) were a bunch of mutts. The fact that I know I’m 25% Lithuanian is HUGE. Hardly anyone is a full quarter of anything in America. My other 75% is half a dozen different nationalities THAT I KNOW OF. If it were kids of Western European descent or Eastern European or Asian, etc. I could maybe buy into the whole idea (but it would still be hard b/c these things happen over time, NOT immediately), but it’s not. It’s just Americans.

Willful Suspension of Disbelief only works if the subject is remotely believable.

So that was a huge problem for me. Almost as big as the previously mentioned rape-as-punishment allusion. Not cool ever. REALLY not cool in a YA book. A girl covers for her friend and mouths off to the guards which results in the girl getting gang-raped for two days.

*retrieves book to throw it at wall again*

And then there’s the triangle. The only reason I picked up on the “interest” between Ruby and Boy1 was b/c all of a sudden someone’s staring at someone else’s lips. But that wasn’t terrible. I liked Boy1 and once I knew what was going on, I was cool with it. But then there’s Boy2, and you would have to be an absolute idiot to not immediately know that Boy2 is the BAD GUY.

But somehow there were enough twists and turns to keep me reading. Up until the point where I was 50 pages away from finishing the nearly 500 page book, anyway, and then I just kept going b/c I’m STUBBORN.

And I really wish I hadn’t. I really wish I had quit b/c those last 50 pages made it impossible for me not the read the next book. Sigh . . .

HOWEVER, all of this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will also hate it. I wasn’t crazy about The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey either, so I would suggest that if you liked Yancey’s book, you’ll probably like this one (to me, both books had a similar overall feel). My biggest objection was only alluded to, and very briefly at that. And maybe there’s a perfectly rational explanation for why only American kids mutate and I’m to obtuse to see it. It wouldn’t be the first time. So if SciFi/Dystopians are your thing, give it a shot. But if they aren’t . . .

This book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author has created a unique dystopian world with characters that are well developed.

Don't want to spoil anything, because I think everyone should read it before they make an opinion on it, but the end of the book left me wanting the second book NOW. In the meantime, I have order the author's first book "Brightly Woven."

I thought spending this much for an ebook would be worth it, but was sadly mistaken. All I got for my money was decent editing.....which is sorely lacking in ebooks. The plot was excellent but, the delivery, not so good. Could have skipped many pages and still would have known what was going on. So, basically, this is a short story with a lot of words. The ending...well, lets just say, the ball was dropped. I was surprised that it ended, as though a sentence was left in the middle of it. Again, a waste of good money. Should have cost about 2.99.

The story is interesting, but the writing is terrible, especially if you’re an educated adult. I enjoy children’s and young adult novels, but the writing for this novel caused me to lose a couple brain cells. Not recommended unless you want to understand what bad writing looks like.

Couldn't get into the book at all. Didn't even finish it. Got 80 pages in and had enough. Not enough explanations and really really dark things for kids to be going through. Like a darker X-men but not... By 80 pages you should have your audience hooked

My mistake. I didn't realize this was YA fiction, which isn't my cup of tea. The concept is interesting, but the story was bogged down by too much maudlin teenage angst and sappy romance for my taste.

Note: This review, as well as many others, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm.

My Thoughts: If you've seen my Book Index at the top of the blog you'll see that I love Young Adult/Dystopian reads. I've read The Hunger Games trilogy, Divergent/Insurgent, Shatter Me, Immortal Rules ... the whole YA/Dystopian enchilada and, for the most part, I've really loved the genre. My love of these two genres also makes me more of a connoisseur and I expect a lot from authors to keep me interested and add something new to a very popular genre.

That said, I have some very different and perhaps conflicting feelings about this book. Overall, I have to say that I'm intrigued by it as the start to a new series. It had a fast pace in the beginning and a great 'edge of your seat' ending but there were some aspects of the book that took away from the general positive feeling.

But let's start with the positives, shall we? I think that one of the strongest aspects of the book were the some of the characters. Even though the book centres around Ruby and Liam my favourite characters were secondary to the storyline. It was wee Zu and Chubs who really stood out for me. Chubs was, by far, my favourite character.

Chubs starts out at the beginning of the book as pretty obstinate and not a fan of Ruby's at all. But over time we see why Chubs feels the way he does and we get to see more of the real guy behind the sarcasm. I loved him. I think that Chubs' personality, emotion, honesty and humour easily overshadowed Ruby and Liam.

Ruby, as the main character, goes through a big metamorphosis. We first see her as a very timid girl with no real world experiences and just a very beaten down, weak person. She is then thrust into the real world where we see her struggle to gain confidence so she can learn to take matters into her own hands to change her life and the lives of those like her. That said, she wasn't a character that I was really ever drawn to and I think that's because her struggle to gain confidence took a little longer than I was comfortable with.

Also, the girl squanders her super powers. Instead of learning how to use them and being in awe of how cool it is that she even has these powers she ignores them and is upset at even having them. Say what?? She seemed like more of a weak Bella Swan (gah!) main character and that never sits well with me. Ever. She spends a lot of the time bemoaning the fact that she has these powers and makes decisions which seemed like she gave little to no thought to and were just generally stupid decisions that put her in danger.

Then there's Liam. I just didn't love this guy. Compared to Chubs' character Liam lacked depth and just general 'oomph'. I think my lack of interest in Liam didn't help the romance aspect either which, if I'm being honest, felt like it came out of nowhere. Much too sudden and it felt like the reader was expected to accept the fact that these two are now a couple when only a night or so before they were all awkward and unsure of each other. And another little thing that bugged me about Liam was the fact that he's suddenly referred to as "Lee". At first I was wondering who this Lee character was. Confusing. Why use a nickname (only one syllable less) when you don't need to?

I know it seems like my positives quickly turned into negatives. I hate dumping on a new book but I can't ignore certain facts. Honestly, there were big gaps in the world building and general storyline that I just couldn't ignore.

My major criticisms about this book mainly stem from the huge gaps in information or a lack of detail. Honestly, for a good portion of the book I had the feeling like I sort of had the gist of the world and this vague virus that has annihilated civilization. It's not a feeling that I enjoyed. I felt in the dark about how this world was set up, the reasoning behind this mysterious virus that has annihilated 95%+ of American youth and even the 'powers' that these special kids have. It was frustrating that so much was just glossed over and that I, as a reader, was just supposed to accept it.

For example, why would all of the parents of these 'mutant' kids be so willing to hand over their kids to the government to put in camps and never seen again? What parent does that? And why house all these kids for years on end? What's the government's plan for these kids? Doesn't the government worry about the effect on future generations if so many of their youth are dying/being killed off? Why did this virus only affect American kids? Why not use these little mutants and teach them to use their powers and become an army of X-men-type warriors? (Where is Professor X when you need him?) Why waste their powers? Too many unanswered questions that just didn't make sense to me.

This funky fog stayed with me for the entire book but the pace of the book towards the end and the 'edge of my seat' feel that I got helped me to forget (for the most part) this fog as I read the cliff hanger. And a delicious cliff hanger it was! The end of the book picks up the pace and tension big time! So I can only hope that future books in the series will continue with this surge of energy and propel the storyline even further ahead.

Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy this book but there is definitely room for improvement. I will say that it kept my interest and I loved the fact that there isn't just one bad guy. This dystopian world is utterly fractured so it makes perfect sense that different factions are vying for power and are willing to go to great lengths to ensure that they have these kids with super powers on their side.

"The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces."

There is a huge amount of potential for the future books in the series to take off. I hope that a lot more info will be given to the reader to help us really get a better grasp about the world that has been created. The ideas in this book were great ... it was just the execution that needed more fine tuning to help the reader get up to speed.

There are some unanswered questions at the end of the book but those only added to my desire to jump into Never Fade, the second book in this series which I have been graciously given to review by the publisher, as soon as humanly possible.

I recommend this book for readers who loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Shatter Me by Tehereh Mafi, The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa or Divergent by Veronica Roth.

My Rating: 3/5 stars

This book had the chance at being good but it jumped around a lot, it was boring at a lot of parts and worst of all the main character was pathetic and weak. The author had the perfect opportunity to make her female lead strong and fierce instead she was needy of a man. I am not against a love story but why couldn't Ruby be an equal to her main men leads? Oh well.

Where do I start?

Yet again, I am sorely disappointed by a hugely popular YA title with an epic premise.

On every front.

There is honestly not much I can praise this book for other than its premise. The underlying idea of the story was fantastic — dark, intriguing, and full of promise…that never came to pass. Honestly, I’m more disappointed with this book than I was with Cinder — because I thought this book sounded a hundred times more interesting. I’ve looked forward to reading this one for months, and now…

Good Lord.

Anyway, let me stop moaning and get to the actual review.

Let’s start with my biggest problem this time: the plot. As in, what the heck was that plot? Was that even a plot? I’ve read some pretty poorly structured books in my time, but I can’t actually recall the last book I read that had a plot as badly constructed as the plot of this book. The first quarter of the book is literally the most interesting part, followed by the last ten percent or so. Everything in between that is a combination of repetitive road trip scenarios and weeks of living the same days over again at a freaking camp. I was so bored for over half of this book that I literally started skimming at times.

And to make matters worse — the writing.

But before that, a brief aside: I often have this issue with YA where I find the writing style to be incredibly immature. As in, more appropriate for Middle Grade readers than the teens the book is supposedly being marketed toward. I find this disconnect grating, especially when the focus of the book is on older teens (16+), facing older teen issues — which, ding, ding, ding, it almost always is. It never ceases to annoy me that books about 16+ year-old kids are written with first person POVs that sound all of 12.

And in the case of The Darkest Minds — it annoyed me more than ever. Because the themes in this book were so dark and disturbing that the contrast with the immature writing style made it the most awkward, paradoxical read I have ever forced myself to sit through. There was implied RAPE and ACTUAL SEXUAL ASSAULT in this book, along with a slew of mature language and violence. But the writing style made it sound like 1) the narrator was much younger than she actually was and 2) that it was intended for an audience younger than it actually was.

It drove me nuts the ENTIRE book.

For the love of GOD, people, please stop writing your 16-year-olds with the voices of preteens! They are NOT the same.

-internally screaming-

So, yes, the writing style. What a disjointed mess — that sounds a bit harsh, but…I can’t really phrase it any other way. The transitions between scenes in this book were downright awful and frequently confusing. Ideas jumped from place to place with no rhyme or reason. The foreshadowing and Chekov’s guns were basically shot at you with a rocket launcher and painted neon yellow — to the point where NO twist in this book was surprising. At all. I saw all of them coming light years away.

Which only added to how boring this book was for me.

And the style issues bled right into the numerous character problems.

Oh, the characters. Let’s start with Ruby. One of the worst protagonists I have had the misfortune to read in a long, long time. Her woe-is-me attitude bogged down the entire book, especially given how often her “I’m a monster” insecurity was repeated in the narration. She was inconsistently characterized, split between being a shy, sensitive wallflower and a loyal badass — where each personality was exchanged for the other whenever it was convenient. She makes the dumbest decisions yet is praised for her actions repeatedly by characters who should be more capable than her.

Okay, enough with Ruby.

The rest of the cast…was equally terrible. Liam the love interest was as bland as an unsalted cracker. Zu was cute but became a “useful prop” whenever the scene called for it — and then was put on a bus when her character was no longer needed. Chubs, I suppose, was an interesting character, but he was pushed too hard into the devil’s advocate / voice of reason role too much/too often right after his introduction, and so, when he suddenly switched his views (seemingly between one page and the next), his character, too, came off as inconsistent.

I’m not even going to go into the antagonists to any specific degree. Basically, everyone is an antagonist except the protagonists, and none of them are particularly interesting or well defined. This book is a classic case of Adults are Evil, plus the inexplicably psychotic kid here and there. Everyone is terrible, has ulterior motives, and fails to be utilized in the plot in any engaging or surprising way.

So, plot, writing, and characters…what else was terrible?

Oh, yes, the world-building. I was so disappointing by the world-building in this book. The underlying premise was so fantastic, but the world-building ended up boxed into the same tired dystopian tropes I’ve been reading for years. Nonsensically color-coded abilities. Death camps filled with abusive, horrible ADULT guards (that torment CHILDREN, of course). Generic post-apocalyptic American landscape conveniently missing most of the actual inconveniences of a post-apocalyptic landscape. Vaguely described events that shaped this horrible future but are never adequately explained. And so on and so forth.

And…

No, that’s it.

That’s my rant for the day.

This book was terrible across the board. It was boring. It was confusing. It has a cast of characters I couldn’t relate to and didn’t like AT ALL. The world-building, while it should have been excellent and rich, was lackluster at best. The writing style came off too young and caused an awkward disconnect between the narration and the actual content of the story.

Suffice to say, I will not be continuing this series.

I do believe this is one of the most depressing endings to a book I have ever read. Actually, a lot of this book was depressing. Not in a bad way. I know, you're wondering how depressing can be a good thing. It's not. But it's not like so depressing it sucks, you know? It's so depressing it's great. I actually don't think I've ever read a book with so much death in, especially the deaths of so many children. It's absolutely heartbreaking and scary.

Once you reach the age of ten and are still alive there's a good chance you'll be labeled as a freak and shipped off to a camp. One where the parents and adults think are helping their children and finding a "cure". Naive parents... Each child is categorized depending on the abilities they posses. There's Green, Blue, Yellow, Red and Orange. The latter three being the most dangerous. Actually, I ordered it for what I believe to be from least dangerous to most. The camp where our heroine, Ruby Daly, had a few thousand children there. All the Yellow, Red and Orange's were taken from camp and 'disposed' of. Use your imagination on what that might mean...

America is beyond broke and fan past the point of desperation. The President has surpassed his two term quota and yet is still President because there really isn't much of a government to begin with. Ruby has been in 'camp' for six years and figures the rest of her life will be spent wasting away there, as the adults in America are afraid of these kids and the abilities they possess. When a test is ran to find if there are any dangerous kids hiding out amongst the Green's and the Blue's - this is where things get very interesting.

Ruby is broken out of Thurmond by a group called Children's League that is against the government but not exactly innocent themselves. With her abilities she finds herself to be in an even more dangerous situation than she originally planned. She does what she needs to survive because really, that's most important. She's out of Thurmond and has a chance at a life...at freedom, but at what cost? She finds herself to be thrown in with a group of other kids who escaped a camp in Ohio. Here is when the fun really begins...

I absolutely and utterly love Chubs. Not as a love interest for Ruby but as a character. He is so real. His personality is charming and infuriating at the same time. It amazes me that a character can get such varying reactions out of the reader but he is definitely one of those where you laugh at him (or with him), want to slug him, kick him in the shin and sometimes, even agree with him. He's a great friend and truly is my favorite character in this book. Let's not forget our charming Liam who gets me time and time again when he says darlin'. He sacrifices so much for the kids he's with. To be so young and yet so responsible is stunning.

You're probably wondering what each color stands for, right? Well, I'm not going to tell you. You should read this book to find out because it's definitely interesting. Orange's are certainly the most interesting and by far, the most dangerous. Once you finish, besides being thoroughly depressed, you also sit there, stumped. Trying to figure out which of two characters truly are worse...two characters who hold the same abilities but which have really done the unthinkable. Plus, you sit here throughout the book wondering what color you'd want to be categorized as...if you were in this world, of course. So tell me...after you read this book, what color are you? I would like to say I'd be a Blue...

Reviewed by Jessica @Step Into Fiction

I read over half of The Darkest Minds and just couldn't get into it. I'd read so many great reviews, but for me it wasn't good at all. I think you'll just have to give the book a try, because either you'll love it or you'll hate it.

I thought it was dumb. Not well developed. I didn't really care about the characters and thought it was a waste of time. I read it all the way to the end to see if there would be some redeeming value, but I didn't think so.

You know how you start reading a book and somehow based upon the cover, blurb and other reactions you can sense whether you will like it or love it, hate it or be ambivalent to it? I'm going to admit up front that I went into The Darkest Minds with the expectation that it would be "just alright." Boy am I glad that this one surprised me!

Bracken paints a world that is almost too horrible to imagine. Children dying by the hundreds of thousands and those that survive being changed...and viewed as a threat to the adults resulting in their containment in what amounts to forced labor camps. And then if that is not bad enough...half of those survivors...exterminated...due to the adults' fear of what they may be able to do since their changes.

I don't want to talk to much about the plot of the book as I don't want to give too much away but this is a very bleak and depressing world. As we slowly get to know our main character Ruby and her group of friends we hope that there is some avenue for escape...some path to change.

This one drew me in slowly and surely...the writing style and pacing work perfectly alongside the plot. About one fourth of the way through, I was completely hooked. The characters all develop to the point that I ended up far more attached to them than I realized. Each character is so different, yet each adds a much needed component to the group so that as a whole they are made that much stronger. (I even became attached to Black Betty!)

I give Bracken much credit for managing to sneak them all under my defenses to the point that when the novel concluded I was bawling my eyes out and couldn't understand why. When had I become so attached? I'm very curious to see where this one goes and can't wait for the second book in the series.

NOTE: Complimentary copy received at BEA in exchange for an honest review.

I bought this book because I saw the trailer of the movie on TV and I love to read the books before ever watching the movie. Well this book was a disappointment even though there are so many good reviews about it. I just couldn't find myself to dive into this book. I have not knowing about the world until the protagonist finds out. It made the book confusing and hard to read. I could barely connect with Ruby or Liam especially since he is supposed to be Ruby's love interest and ruby is the protagonist. I could have cared less if any of the characters died. There was no development and there was no interesting characteristics in these characters. They were just boring. The book ended as if it was a stand alone book and I don't think I could get myself to continue the series.

Spoiler:
It was hard to believe ruby and Liam even liked each other. It happened out of the blue and she didn't convince us they really like each other. It felt forced. Ruby left Liam while he was hurt to go after Chance who is the ex who won't go away. If she really cared about Liam, she wouldn't have fell for Chances call for help. Or came up with a plan to destroy him once and for all when she did go "help him". Chubs was there for her more than Liam was. Chubs and Ruby had more conversations than her and Liam did. She had more in common with chubs and honestly he should have been her love.

Book: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Rating: 1 Out of 5 Stars

This was supposed to be one of those books that I was supposed to like. I love science fiction and dystopia books. Plus, with this book being so popular and so many people giving it such rave reviews, I was bound to like it. It has all the elements that I normally look for in a good book-lots of action, good characters, and a lot of mystery. So, what happened? I really have no idea!

First off, I was really confused. The opening plot just did not make a lot of sense to me. I get the whole illness killing kids for reasons unknown and the fact that a kid could drop dead at any given second was a really cool idea. I kept thinking that yeah, this is going to be great! However, the explanation of the illness just really isn't there and the symptoms made me wince. Really? Now, this doesn't sound so scary at all. The next thing I know, we are rounding up the kids. Why?

Now, let's in the fact that not all the kids die and that some develop these strange powers....Okay....Why? Why didn't we take some take to develop this a little bit instead of jumping right into it? It just made everything seem all that much more jumper and poorly done.

Alright, now, these kids powers are actually pretty strong, but, yet, they can't seem to break out of the prison. We see them control minds, but, yet, they can't get out? Why? It just doesn't make sense! Now, had the author given us some kind of an explanation as to why they can't break out or had explained that the government put a block on their mind of some kind, then we would have had something.

Rudy was okay, but she's just not a main character who sticks out in my mind. I guess she is strong, but at the same time, she's kind of whiny. She just doesn't do anything for me and I just don't under why we are supposed to like her. She doesn't embrace her own strength and she doesn't grow through her strength. She just whines and it is just hard to like her. She has no complexity and just nothing.

This book just was not for me. I really wanted to like this, but it just did not work.

While there is a ton of hype about this book, I purposefully declined to read any reviews of this book so that my expectations wouldn't skyrocket. That is a surefire way to pave the road to disappointment. I knew that I wanted to read this book before I saw the movie based on it. (That was just released!) I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed in the slightest! The opposite actually. I loved it!

The first thing that you will notice when starting this book is how atmospheric it is. Bracken describes things so vividly that you can feel yourself in the main character's shoes. You can feel the air around her, the rain on her skin, and the turmoil inside her.

What makes this book incredible is that it has the best of both worlds. It has an incredibly real world and the character development is perfect.

The world building is superb. The book starts out right in the dead center of the main conflict surrounding the story. I loved the powers that the surviving kids gained and the descriptions of life inside the detention camps. The foreshadowing was written well. Bits and pieces of the world came as the story progressed.

The characters really captured my heart. The main characters banded together and became a family. They relied on each other and helped each other. You couldn't help but love them. I loved their humor and sarcasm with one another. They felt very real and they were fully entertaining. Even the main villain was awesome because there was so much emotion. You really wanted to hate him for the way that he treated the other characters.

The romance was exactly what I like to see in a book. The characters feelings for each other grew as they got to know one another. They supported one another when the other was feeling down or upset. They care about each other's well being. In the end, one of them makes an ultimate sacrifice for the other. It was really beautiful.

While the trope of teens that get or have powers is not original or new, that did not really detract from the enjoyment of reading this. The story itself was told very well and I think that is what makes it stand out from others in this trope. The storytelling is very emotional and the reader really latches on to it.

Overall, I thoroughly recommend this book! It will captivate you from the first page. This book has a bit of everything that makes a great story. It has conflict, humor, romance, action, and thought-provoking stakes for the characters' fates. If you are a dystopian fan then I can only imagine that you will love this book. I can't wait to begin the second book of this series!

Disclaimer: None, I got this book on my own!

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: December 18th, 2012

Genre: YA Dystopian

Recommended Age: 16+ (abuse, violence, children death, children torture, possible rape)

Pages: 488

Author Website

the store Link

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

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have 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 having a life worth living.

So I read this book for two reasons. 1) I like dystopians. And 2) There was a movie coming out and the cardinal sin of bookstagram is to watch the movie before reading the book… and I’ve committed too many of them. I don’t want them to revoke my bookstagram card… seriously they do that. It’s awful. Anyways, I really really liked this book (Sydney if you’re reading this then consider my tongue stuck out at you). The book was amazing. I loved the plot and the pacing. I loved the characters and how well I could “hear” and distinguish one from another. I loved how the writing was and I felt that Bracken did well with the world building. It was informative, but not so much so that it drug the book down. My favorite part was that the book just had this dark and foreboding atmosphere, like any good dystopian book would.

My only complaint is that the reader doesn’t really get to experience the Reds a lot in the book. I feel like we got to know all the other colors but them. Hopefully that’ll be rectified in the other novels.

Verdict: A book that surpasses The Hunger Games and Divergent.

**SPOILERS**

How. HOW am I supposed to process this when my heart is on the floor, battered, cut, and torn to freaking shreds!?

I was very skeptical going into this book, mainly because it seemed like just another cookie-cutter dystopian YA story that wouldn't live up to the hype. With the movie coming out, I figured I owed it to myself to see if the book was any good, since I thought the trailer was pretty decent.

And now...I just can't believe I haven't read this before 2018. I started off a little confused, somewhat bored, and not fully grasped by the story. I was getting a little tired of Ruby's narration and the slow pace of the book, but I quickly realized that this is exactly how Bracken gets you. She has these moments of calm and reflection, but then a twist in the story occurs and you're literally on the edge of your seat for the entire ride, which seems to go on forever. The first time this happened for me was when Ruby escapes from Cate and runs after Zu into the woods, and the whole chase scene that follows. I honestly don't think I took my eyes off of the page until I was certain that all of them had gotten away "safely."

Everything dealing with East River and up to the ending is really what brought this story back around for me. I was enjoying the four characters traveling together, off on their own journey, but the plot twists, drama, relationship turning-points, and revelations that occurred once East River came into play really set this story above the bar for me. I was close to giving this a 3.5 - 4 star rating, but that's obviously changed. This was an unforgettable and sensational first book in a series that easily deserves 5 stars, in my opinion. All of the tropes that we usually see in YA stories - love triangles, weak main character saved by love interest, the chosen one - didn't really seem to last very long in this world, which I definitely liked. Everything I thought was going to happen got flipped upside down one way or another and Bracken truly surprised me page after page.

The characters were also some of the best I've encountered in a long time from a YA story. Zu felt like a little sister and all I wanted was for her to be safe while still kicking people's asses with her abilities. I never felt like she was annoying or a burden, and I was so sad to see her go, but I know she'll be back. Chubs, I effing loved this kid and the fact that he wasn't just brushed off as a sidekick or something. He was an integral part to the story, and HE BETTER COME BACK, MY GOD. Liam, my my my. I haven't fallen this hard for a book character since Peeta and it's honestly kind of jarring because I thought that was just my high school self being ridiculous. But no, Liam is someone to be desired in this book, mostly because I didn't feel like he was portrayed like most love interests in YA stories. And finally Ruby, the most frustrating yet beautiful individual of the entire book. The whole time I just wanted to shake her and yell "Get it together, we don't have time for you to be fainting and crying!" But eventually she got there, she developed, and the ending truly encapsulates her growth and maturity since the beginning of the book. I can't wait to see how much farther she goes with her abilities because I now realize how powerful she really is.

I seriously need time to process this before starting in on the novellas and second book. Hands down, one of my favorite dystopian YAs for life!

The movie is out now and before I went to go watch the movie, I wanted to reread the book. The first time I read it, I absolutely loved everything about it. This second read, though, didn't do this book any favors. I liked this book a lot less this time than the first.

What really made me love this series the first time that I read it was the characters. Specifically, I loved Chubs, Zu and Liam. I still liked these characters, but Liam and Ruby absolutely got on my nerves this time. First, their romance was done so poorly. It didn't develop well and by the end of the book, when they're talking about how they would do it all again for each other, just made me want to roll my eyes. But the main reason I docked half a star in the character category is because of Ruby. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. First, I have to say that you can definitely tell that a white writer wrote her and even though it was hard imagining Amandla in the role, it didn't affect my opinion of this character. What did affect my opinion of Ruby was the change that happened to her. I thought that Ruby's struggle with her powers was so important in the beginning. It was very well done. It made her so reserved and scared to connect with people. AND THEN SHE MEETS THESE KIDS. Now, I understand that she was getting comfortable with these kids but I swear there was like a switch in her being comfortable. There was no gradual used to it, it was just her switching it on and off. Not to mention, she would act a little different towards the other kids by being more forward and mean. It would move the plot forward, but it definitely wasn't what her character would do.

Another problem with the characters was the actual villain. First, they don't come in until the very last part of the book. I didn't like the villain because their motivation was never clear to me. It was supposed to be a surprise that they were the villain, but I don't think that it was done that well. They were supposed to manipulative but I don't think that it was written that well. That character came out a little too flat because of it and their reasoning was just too cliché.

As for the plot, I really found myself struggling with this one. I couldn't really tell what it was exactly. In the beginning, you basically get some backstory so you can get to know the character and the world that she's in. Then, you have her broken out and it's just constant running from things. It's not even until the end of the book that there's even remotely a plot and that just sets us up for the next book. This book was good for getting things into place for the rest of the series, but this first book wasn't that entertaining to read.

I'm very interested in the aspect of these kids being split off into colors by what they can do and I was very interested in Chubs and Zu as characters. Those were really the only reasons that I could get through this book this time. I will still see the movie, though, because of Amandla, Chubs and Zu. Hopefully, they add a plot or something to keep people interested. :)

Diversity: .5
Plot: 0
Characters: .5
Setting: 1
Writing: 1
Total: 3

"The Darkest Minds" is a YA dystopian that felt very similar to others out there- but the twist being a disease has killed most of the preteens/teens and left only those with special psychic abilities. Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it- I'm always in for a YA dystopian, and I really enjoyed this one. It gripped me from the start, where we are introduced to IAAN, which is killing ten-year-olds in Ruby's class. Her life changes when she is spared from IAAN, but finds that her parents don't know who she is and turn her over to the government.

The government is collecting the children/adolescents who survive into camps, where they sort them into a color by ability. Although Ruby is an Orange, she sees how they are treated and convinces her tester to sort her into Green, which is a class treated better. Greens are intellectuals and have abilities related to their intelligence, while Oranges can change thoughts/feelings and alter other people's minds. Other classes have different abilities. Ruby is interned at Thurmond, which is one of the most well-known and harshest camps in the US. Life is harsh there, and so when Ruby has a way out (is practically forced into it), she takes it.

However, the world has changed in the time Ruby has been at Thurmond, and she must learn quickly to sort friend from foe if she wants to survive. Fast-paced and with some really great characters, this was overall a pretty good YA dystopian, and I am definitely curious to see how this will continue in future books!

2.5-3 stars

“The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.”

This is one of those reviews where I really don’t know what to say. Darkest Minds is a book I had my eye on since it published in 2012, I always meant to read it but never made the time. Fast forward to 6 years later and the movie is coming out so I finally made the time and…… meh.

Starting this book my rating was at a 4 stars, then midway in it was more a 3.5. Then by the end I was so disenchanted. I’m still wavering on my rating, it’s between a 2 and a 3 because I enjoyed parts of the book but not others.

I would relate this book to a teen X-men story, but that feels like an insult to the X-men universe. This is about a bunch of teens who suddenly develop powers during puberty and the world goes crazy and locks them up and murders some of them. Ruby has been in the equivalent of a work camp for 6 years before she gets the opportunity to break out and ends up with a group of teens with other abilities looking for a safe place.

My biggest issue with this book is it’s structured really poorly. The plot is all over the place and both romantic storylines felt so completely forced to me. This book has the potential to be a 5 star read, but it was about 200 pages too long in my opinion.

For the most part I enjoyed it, so if you are interested I say go ahead and read it. I’m just a lot picker than other people.

“We'll just have to try to make better mistakes tomorrow.”

Today we are going to be diving head first into a highly acclaimed novel from a well established author. A young woman finds herself fighting for her life in author Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds. The first of the Darkest Minds series, the book does an excellent job of creating a dystopian YA world filled with pain, loss and hope. Here's the synopsis:

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

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have 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 having a life worth living.

This novel does an excellent job of showcasing the struggles of a society divided between children and adults. A mixture of Marvel's The Runaways and X-Men with a YA twist, the books pull at the heartstrings as you explore the emotional stories of not only Ruby, but the kids she meets along her journey. Hesitant to know or trust anyone, she must quickly learn what the world is like after this epidemic since she's been locked up and find a way to find peace before she's thrust into a battle she wants no part of. The characters are what really pull you into this world. While the incredible backstory and mythology the author creates is engaging, the personal stories and relationships between the characters are what keep you hooked until the final page of the novel.

Overall this was a fantastic story. A great first introduction into a YA Dystopian series, The Darkest Minds does an excellent job of creating vivid imagery that depicts a nation torn apart by this mysterious illness, a hatred towards the children lucky enough to survive and a failing economy that leaves entire towns empty. It's a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging tale, and if you haven't yet you have to pick up your copy of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken today!

I rarely leave reviews unless I really enjoyed a book and it's a 4-5 star review. With this book, I'm still wavering between 2 and 3 stars. I loved the premise. Awesome concept, totally original. But that is the ONLY reason I even finished reading it.

It took forever to wade through this book because I kept going back, rereading, sure I had misread or missed something, but no. The glaring inconsistencies throughout the book eventually just had to be ignored, or I'd still be reading, trying to figure out how someone walking next to you, holding your hand, suddenly grabs both of your hands. The entire book was riddled with errors and plot holes, as if there was no editing whatsoever. I could never picture what any of the characters were doing, or sometimes even who was saying what. They're sitting, they're standing, the door is open, it must be closed, bad guys are close, nope, the trees are actually 100 yards away, it's morning, it's night, she can't use her powers except she can now, he's severely injured and can barely speak, oh but now he can talk, and hey, now he can hike through the woods for miles and drive and laugh and fight...

I'm disappointed, because this could have been an excellent book, but instead leaves me wondering how it got published in the first place. I thought about buying the second book anyway, in hopes that the writing would be improved, but even the 'sneak peek' was a mess of confusion. As rare as it is for me to stop reading a story once I've started, I'm not spending the time or money on the rest of this trilogy.

4.5 stars.

The Darkest Minds is a dark tale, following the survival of a group of teens in a world that calls them dangerous monsters. As with any good dystopia, this book is set in a world that is eerily similar to ours, if a disaster or phenomenon of this kind hit. And suddenly all the adults lost their minds.

Ruby, our main heroine, goes through quite the character arc. When the book begins, she’s only ten years old, but by the time you reach the last page, she’s a teenager, making difficult decisions and acting as a leader. She struggled with getting close to anyone (understandable, given her power), and her journey to discovering trust was very sweet; not only in a romantic relationship, but definitely in friendships as well.

There is some very clever plotting and world building in The Darkest Minds. America is a mess, the military is out all over the place, kids are being killed right and left, and the setting for the first half of the book is extremely chilling. I’m sure that we will get a bigger picture in the second book, as the scale seems to be expanding by the end of this one. Because this is mainly a survival story of Ruby and her friends, there’s lots of running around, avoiding getting caught by the military, and trying to get to the one place they believe they will be safe. There’s lots of action, sci-fi powers and learning how to use them, and trying to discern who to trust.

Romance-wise, there is a very believable, adorable, slow-building relationship, and it sort of crept up on me when it finally happened. Liam is a surprising ray of sunshine in a stormy world, though he has his own baggage. He and Ruby make a good team, and fortunately, their relationship is not built on instalove.

The ending ripped my heart out of my chest, chopped it into a million pieces and then smashed those pieces with a sledgehammer.

Just a warning.

If you liked The Darkest Minds, you should read Divergent by Veronica Roth and Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

Review by Jessica @ Ramblings on Readings

"The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces. He put on a good leader act. He would never have jumped in front of another person.. He would never have taken a bullet."

So much hype surrounded this book that until I found out that it was going to be made into a movie I really didn't want to read it. I am so glad I finally read this one and I absolutely loved it! Zu and Ruby reminded me so much of Eleven from Stranger Things and once I made that connection I could not read the book fast enough.

At the age of ten, the children start dying and those that survive have these new abilities that range from helpful to rather dangerous as they don't know how to control them. This causes them to be sent away by there parents where they are said to be kept safe. But that's not the reality of it and instead, the camps they are placed in are like prisons and the children constantly live in fear of the people guarding them.

Ruby and another teenager end up getting taken out of the camp and then she escapes the people that helped her get out. Once escaped she joins up with a new group that consists of Liam, Chubs (Charles) and Zu. Their abilities are all different and how they were treated and how they are dealing with their new life is also different. One thing they do all have in common though is the protection they want to provide for each other even it means hurting themselves due to their abilities.

With the goal of getting in touch with their families and delivering a letter of a friend that has died to his parents. They need to find a way to find addresses and get in touch without getting caught by the authorities. This sounds easy, but with everything being monitored so much and the government and economy have mostly fallen apart America is not a friendly place for anyone especially not those under the age of 20. With their goals, they need to find something called the 'slip kid' who is said to be able to help kids get in contact with their families.

I loved Ruby and Zu friendship so much, and how we really see Zu start to come out of her shell and start realizing that she is worthy of things and that she deserves so much more than what she has gotten up to this point in time. The banter between Liam and Chubs was also really nice and funny most of the time. Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Zu all had a place in this dysfunctional family and they were all fiercely protective of one another even though they occasionally disagreed on things.

Once they start finding what they want, things aren't what they thought they would be and things start going wrong.
I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.
All I will say is I wasn't expecting that evening, but Ruby is so much stronger than anyone gives her credit for.

"Don't be scared. Don't let them see"

A disease breaks out that affects children between 10-14. It's called IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration). Some kids are killed by this disease, others are left changed with different abilities. The adults fear them and send them to camps for rehabilitation, Ruby has posed as a green, but is really an orange. The Children's League breaks her out  and she realizes that enemies are everywhere and the world is not the same. 

This has been on my shelf for a while. Long enough for me to not be sure if I wanted to keep it. The movie coming out motivated me to pick it up. I'm so glad that did. Yes, this is another kids with super powers save the world story. But it's also so much more than that. It's so much darker than I expected. It's not just kids vs. adults. It's deeper and more complex than that. Ruby is slowly learning how to control her powers and that she's not a monster. Liam, Chubs and Zu becomes her new family. There isn't a pretty and hopeful ending , which is kind of what I was expecting. It was dark and sad. But, I can't wait for the next book!

The book is dragging. More than halfway through, and I can't find an interesting point for any aspect of the story. The protagonist lacks any depth, similar to the "love" she develops for another character, and retreats from any situation that would add a change of pace or progress to the book. I'm lacking any sense of empathy because these kids seem to find food, shelter, and gas for the van at every turn despite the government hunting ALL children... But conveniently the 16 year old can pass for 21 years. Sigh and facepalm. I suggest to move along for another book, save your money.

This book totally took me by surprise in a good way. The writing is excellent and the story is as well. It quickly pulled me in and didn't let go. It's about a time in America when most children display a Psi talent between the ages of 8 and 15. Then they are put into camps according to which talent they have and the Govt. takes control of them. The idea given to the public is to make them normal and safe again, but that is a ruse. Ruby is the main character and at the age of ten was sent to rehab. camp Thurmond. There she hides her talent and fools them into believing she has a much weaker talent. When they find out she barely escapes and runs into a trio of kids who've escaped another camp. They are trying to get to 'home' if there is one left and parents that will accept them. To find their way they are looking for a psi kid who runs a camp for others. They have a cryptic bit of information about where the camp might be.They finally find it and it does not turn out like they expected. In the end, Ruby is alone again by her own choice to protect her friends.

I think that this book is overall an excellent read... But I did take issue with some key points in it.
When we meet Ruby were literally thrown into the book so it is incredibly hard to follow at first, she's a bit whiny and doesn't fully explain anything so the reader is left lost and confused for awhile. I had no idea that I was basically going to be decoding the entire first couple of chapters.
Minus Ruby being a tiny bit whiny in the beginning, I actually really like her character. She's complex enough to be interesting without having so many quirks that you want to punch her in the face. And the whole no control of her powers thing is great because she has so much room to grow.
So now another issue, why are blues and greens in the camp? Is it just to make an overall statement to the public? To be honest greens need to be spies or something and blues could have government jobs too! I understand the other colors but not blue and green.

So we see Ruby deal with erasing herself from her best friends mind... That was alright. She was so dramatic about it though. "And then I didn't speak for a year" all right Ruby whatever works for you.

When she meets Liam, Chubs, and Zu ... I really started to see her change. A secret holding her down and so confused about what was going on, she started to get a lot more interesting for sure. That group needed a cute nickname though, they were such an awesome ragtag bunch, I loved it.
Traveling with them was interesting, I like how I didn't immediately learn everything about each of the characters. It leaves a lot more room for future books, or just for this one really.

I think Chubs is underrated. From the minute I met him I knew I would like him. Sometimes introverts make the best characters because when they do finally come out of their shells, they're awesome. He is one of those characters that you're supposed to hate but you kind of love just for who they are.
But Zu is really the MVP of this group. She's so kind and quirky and this young girl has had such a terrible life but she sees the best in people. I just want to go shopping with her, maybe she could vamp up my wardrobe. I need to see more of her in the next book!
Liam was ok, the whole knight in shining armor act was kinda lame. But I can see how he will be a better character if he can get something quirky or fun about him.

Ok,so we are finally at the traveling goal for this group: Slip Kid. Can we talk about how that was NOT a plot twist. The minute I heard the name Slip Kid, I knew exactly who it was. I thought he was a total creep from the beginning and I still think that. And that whole implied rape scene made me feel super uncomfortable. I struggled to read past that. But at least Ruby got some control of her power.

The end is lame. I don't like the sacrificial heroine act at all and I think if Liam ever found out, he would be pissed.

pooled ink Reviews:

The story was quite good and definitely presented a very interesting vision for a near future.

In some ways the story was pretty typical dystopian fiction. It was a thrilling ride, don’t get me wrong, but for the most part yeah it was exactly what you’d be looking for within the realm of a good dystopian novel. The story didn’t draw me in immediately, it actually took a bit for me to sink into and what triggered that were the characters. The story was good of course, but the thing I genuinely came to care about were the characters in it. I really don’t care what happened, I don’t care how all these warring tribes, terrorist groups, and government troops choose to battle things out, I don’t care how freedom is won (assuming that it will be in the end), I just care about Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu.

THE DARKEST MINDS is a non-stop rush of chaos as the children of America run until they can’t run any further. Filled with characters that lift off the pages and a story that pounds with ruthless durability, this book marks the beginning of an intense series roaring with sacrifice, betrayal, lost childhood, and freedom. A must read for any dystopian fiction fan.

Read my FULL review here:[...]

I love a good superhero story and I think this one delivers. I enjoyed the characters and thought they had some good development and interest to them. I enjoyed the heroine a lot. She's the reluctant hero and usually I'm not a fan of those, because they tend to get whiny and spend most of the their time wishing they could just go back to what they had before. While she does long for the good ol' days, her reluctance is more that she's afraid of standing up and accepting who she is, rather than general whiny-ness. And she has a decent character arc as she moves past that and starts to become the heroine you expect the main character to be. The supporting cast is great, too. The hero is flawed, but lovable. His sidekick is gruff, but lovable. The other sidekick is silent, but lovable. Lots of love all around.

What really made the story, though, was the plot. It's an interesting take on superpowers and though it does have the feel of X-Men at times, it's not a copy or fan fic; it's it's own story. There are some great twists in the plot, and while I think I guessed most of them, it still managed to keep my interesting. Which I think is pretty amazing. Usually, when I see the ending coming, it's hard for me to keep interesting in the plot.

One thing I really liked from the author was that she wasn't afraid to leave the reader in the dark. She took a lot of risks by not explaining everything right away. Too often authors give a massive info dump, because they're afraid of leaving their readers to infer what's going on. There were a lot of times that she hints at what is happening in a way that was really effective. However, it also bit her in the butt. Most of the book was 5 stars for me. Any book that makes me antsy to get back to it and makes it difficult for me to be a responsible adult and do my chores because all I want to do is curl up with it on the couch is a good book. I liked her hinting and allowing the reader to be a little blind at moments, but there were times when it didn't work. There were a few times when I wish she had been more explicit in her explanations, because it was too hazy and confusion (and not in a good way).

All that said, overall, it's a great book and I'm immediately grabbing the next one.

This was one of those books I had a difficult time putting down. The concept is not entirely new (dystopian future as a result of biochemical sudden evolution and catastrophic decisions made by a panicked populace), and though it bothered me that no one questioned WHY or HOW the psi powers could have happened, it was entirely understandable that they didn't, given everything else going on. Except Chubs. Why didn't Chubs mull it over?

Ruby is the MC and narrator, but by the end of the novel it's an ensemble cast. She's the kind of heroine you like but not the kind who is universally liked- she's vulnerable and persistent and can think on her feet, but she's also spiky and naive. I had no problem coming along for the ride, with her perspective. Zu is the least-developed, primarily because her backstory is an intentional mystery. I'm really hoping that means we see more of her in later books, although the way this one ended....*ahem*
Liam is, as he's meant to be, amazing and swoonworthy. And Chubs goes from over-the-top snide to understandable and sweet throughout the course of the book. Everyone else serves as a plot point, but it works.

Although I was invested in the book, I wasn't emotionally torn open by it (as I am with Patrick Ness' books, and a few others). Which is fine- I don't have the energy for that kind of literary evisceration. But I have to say, the ending was surprisingly brutal. No spoilers, but don't think you'll be putting the book down with three chapters to go, I don't care how late it is.

Overall, I recommend it for fans of dystopian, especially if you like some science fiction in there (think X-Men), fast-paced YA, realistic romance (even though Liam was maybe *too* perfect, the pace of the romance was sweet, realistic, and well-balanced with the peril), and flawed heroines. Now to get my grubby paws on book 2!

*I wrote this review in 2014. I read it as a final copy. I want to reread it. Also, concerned about the movie.

HOLY CRAP.

I mean…holy crap.

I have heard wonderful things about this series. A lot of great reviews and whenever someone reads it, they LOVE it. I can see why.

I picked up my signed copy at Books of Wonder and am desperately waiting for Never Fade (book two) to arrive. I am dying waiting for this book. Dying.

I’m not entirely sure how to go through this review without speaking gibberish because I just loved this book so much and I feel like anything I say is inadequate.

Holy crap.

To be honest, I was daunted by the 488 pages. The last few books I’ve read have barely made it to 300 and I challenged myself to read 100 pages at a time and then see. The last 250 went by in a blur seeing that I didn’t stand up once. Not to eat, not to pee. I had to find out what happens next.

This book is intense. Like everyone could die any second intense. They could die and you knew Alexandra Bracken will kill them and never bring them back. She will break your heart and have no problem with it. She broke my heart several times during this 488 page adventure. I am destroyed. I need Never Fade. I’m terrified of In the Afterlight (book three). I cannot wait to get my hands on Never Fade. (By the time this posts the book better be here…you might just read my freak out tweets on twitter)

Ruby I think is one of my new favorite heroines. She’s BA and she doesn’t know it, yet. I can’t wait to see the development of her character in Never Fade. There was such growth-from all the characters-in The Darkest Minds.

This is a must read. For everyone. Like stop reading this and go to the store and buy it (or buy it online). I don’t care go. Now. Read

Have you ever had a book stay with you even after you put it down or in my case stopped listening to it? Well The Darkest Minds has done this to me. I can't stop wondering what's going to happen to the characters and where Ruby is going to go next? Seriously not sure why it took me so long to read this book, but I know one thing for sure, I can't wait to read more of this series.

Author Alexandra Bracken's way with words had me in tears at times and grasping for what was going to happen next. The characters are so well thought out and as you read/listen you can see their growth as they go through each trial that they go through. Nothings ever easy for this group of kids, I will say that for certain, but for the main character Ruby, there were times I just wanted to pull her into my arms and hug her or at least I had wished Lee would do so.

My favorite plot part in this whole story isn't really the love story that's intertwined throughout and yes I must say I love that part, but I really loved how each of their, let's call them abilities, are different. The author has a great way of explaining them as well through out the whole book. It's almost as if she painted a picture with each word that she wrote. Oh and I must say that I loved it every time he called her darling. I smiled every time I heard it!

This is what I get from reading a backlist book. The Darkest Minds was published during the height of the dystopian YA wave, and reading it now is not great. Like, less than great. I absolutely loved Passenger when I read it at the beginning of the year, so I thought I’d give this a try. But boy, this book is problematic with a capital P. I was for to fine with the beginning of the book and all the things that happened in-between…until we get to the East River section of the book and it’s a yikes, what did I just read sort of thing.

The book is set in the US where kids are mysteriously dying off. Those who survive are the ones who come out of this illness wielding special powers. There are some with more dangerous powers than others, but all of the kids are shipped off to “rehabilitation camps” so that they’re hidden away from the public eye while the government does whatever they want with them. The kids are separated into different colors upon their arrival to indicate the danger they pose to the adults, the ones without powers. Ruby has strong powers, but she manages to hide herself away with the rest of the kids labeled as the least frightening, a Green. But, she’s much more dangerous than anyone realizes and after six years hiding herself away, there are people who discover just how powerful she really is.

The world-building is sort of vague like all other dystopian YA novels have been. We don’t really get any answers to why kids were dying off or why some get more dangerous powers over others. I liked reading about Ruby and seeing her life in Thurmond, the “rehabilitation camp.” I liked reading about Ruby and her meeting Liam, Chubs, and Suzume and their life on the run.

What I really disliked was all the scenes after the group find themselves in East River. It’s a place where someone known as the Slip Kid has been gathering other kids with powers and where they were rumored to live in a haven of sorts, away from adults and society. It was an oasis in the middle of the terrible world they know lived in.

It makes my skin crawl to read about East River because of the emotional and physical abuse that happens to the characters. It definitely turns out to be a less than ideal place, headed by a less than ideal leader. What really gets to me that had me frowning and wanting to go into a rage is…well, the following passages:

"I had begun to understand that black – the color that I had trained myself to fear and hate – was the same thing that allowed these kids to feel a small measure of pride and solidarity [pg. 372]."

"They looked well into middle age, but it was hard to be sure. Both were wearing what could only be described as hunting attire, head-to-toe camouflage. Even their faces appeared to have been painted brown [pg. 388]."

The color black is seen as a bad thing, associated to be a part of the uniform the adults wore who went and rounded up the kids. But that sentence stood out to be in particular, because I read that and wondered, is this really in this book? The sentence where the adults faces are painted brown? There’s no reason to even describe that at all when in the sentence just before it, it was made clear they were in “head-to-toe camouflage.”

The book has taken me a while to read, and this is just what I caught reading this in one day (from the last 30% of the book). I know the author has learned a lot since writing this book with her work in Passenger, but if anyone were to just pick this book up for the first time not knowing her later works…then it’s not so great. The book kind of has to stand on its own with its own merits and, unfortunately, I was not impressed.

I picked up the Darkest Minds because I saw the news that is was going to be made into a movie, which always intrigues me, and I loved Passenger by Alexander Bracken, and wanted to see what some of her other books were like. The concept is quite interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. All of these poor children, who have survived a massive plague, only to be ripped from their families and put into camps where they are tortured and killed is not an easy thing to read about. Our main character, Ruby, was an amazing heroine. She has been put through hell, and when she comes out of it, she reacts realistically to situations. She does not magically transform and become better, but slowly comes into her own and gets her strength from within. I loved her, I loved how she matured and grew through this book and came to understand how strong she truly is.

There is a slow building romance in this book between Ruby and Liam, which was pretty adorable. I loved Liam, he tries so hard to take care of everyone around him first, but he has it bad for Ruby. It is pretty apparent from the beginning, but she is just too traumatized from everything going on to let that fire burn too quickly, which I appreciated. Ruby has been through a lot, and she needed to sort through many issues on her own before she could let someone else in to her world.

I absolutely loved the secondary characters as well, Chubs and Zu, they added comic relief in very tense moments, but were also well developed. I thought they made such an impact on the story and I loved all the page time that both of them got.

The only thing I would say negatively is that I thought it was a little too long. At almost 500 pages, it is a longer book and I do not think it needed to be that long to get across everything that was portrayed. I will be interested to see what it looks like when it is made into a movie, because I think it will speed up the plot and help move things along at a better pace.

Overall, I liked the Darkest Minds. I thought it was a good read and honestly I have already finished the series, so while I may have minor issues with it, I did enjoy the series as a whole. I wish someone had picked out a better cover for this series though, because you really have no idea what kind of book you are getting with this cover and it does not do the contents of the book justice at all. Now that I have finished with this series, I will be anxiously awaiting whatever Bracken will be writing next.

I really enjoyed this novel. I am an 8th grade ELA teacher and I found this book very exciting and relatable. The main character, Ruby, is a relatable character for young girls. My favorite thing about Ruby is that she has high morals when it comes to her powers. She is an intelligent and strong young woman. She learns from her mistakes and tries to be an independent woman.
There is a romance aspect of this series, which I know will draw the attention for young girls. I really enjoy the relationship between Liam and Ruby. They help each other with emotional and physical challenges, they help each other grow and flourish into adults. They highlight the best parts of one another (unlike Twilight).
I think this novel stands as a very good role model for young women. Our society is lacking positive females in the spotlight that young girls can look up to.

Heads-up: There is some kissing scenes in this novel--nothing too major. The second novel in the series does have quite a bit of foul language from one of the new characters Ruby meets (her favorite word is the f-word). Also they say G*d d*mn

I’ve been wanting to start this series for ages, but somehow I always ended up picking up a different title instead. But no longer. Now I’ve finally read the first book of this series Alexandra Bracken has me hooked. No more escape for the sequels, because I will be reading them VERY soon for another dose of my favorite Psi characters. I can definitely undestand what all the hype is about now… Sure, the plot isn’t all that original with its dystopian world where kids and teenagers develop a ‘superbrain’ and special powers. But it WAS written back in 2012 so I definitely kept that in mind. And more importantly, this story was just way too entertaining to worry about the originality in the first place. I liked the main characters and their development, although little Zu is probably my absolute favorite. Ruby on the other hand can come over as a bit whiney at points, but I guess she did have some complicated memories to deal with… Another great feature of The Darkest Minds is without doubt the writing style and pace. The prose was so enjoyable to read and the story itself reads like a train. All in all a promising start of what has all the signs of being a great series!

“The government was never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind.

They were afraid of us — the ones who lived.”

I really struggle with how to rate this book. I struggled to read parts of it, mainly the beginning, because of how intense and dark the story really is. But in the end this story really got in my head. I find myself even now days later still thinking about this book and these characters, and especially that ending. So because of the mesmerizing story, the interesting characters, and the originality of the book, I am giving this one 5 stars. I will read the rest of the story too, but I need a mental break from it to be honest.

This book absolutely exhausted me. And I mean that in a good way. I was afraid when I started reading this book that I wouldn’t like it as much as other people had. I had heard so many good things about it, and I was afraid to get my hopes up about it. But I’m glad that I took the plunge, because it was totally worth it.

The Darkest Minds is set in a dystopian world in which a disease has been taking the lives of children all across the US. The children who survive the disease are left with a side-affect in which they are in possession of a power, ranging from the ability to harness electricity to being able to move objects. Ruby has been given a power in which she can affect the minds of people. These children are sent off to “rehabilitation camps” that are more like prison camps. When Ruby escapes one of these camps, she meets three other escapees from another camp. She travels with Liam, Chubs, and Zu while they try to discover a mythological camp of sorts in which kids with powers are treated more kindly. However, Ruby is falling for Liam, but she is afraid of what her powers will do to him if they get too close to each other.

So, while I was reading this, I was having a horrible time. Its wasn’t anything to do with the book. In fact, I felt that the book deserved more attention from me. I was dealing with a head cold that left my brain feeling really fuzzy and I couldn’t focus on a page for more than a few minutes. But as I was getting over my cold, I got sucked into the book more and more.

Ruby was a really relate-able character. I know its hard for a lot of us to imagine going through an experience like she did, but Bracken did such a good job with the writing that it felt like you could feel all of Ruby’s anguish and guilt that flowed through her. One aspect of Ruby that I really like was that even though she felt guilty for her power, and tried to stay away from people, she didn’t over pity herself. Sometimes it can be overwhelming when a character beats themselves down over and over again. I was able to relate to Ruby because she just wanted to live a normal life, just like the other kids in the book. Ruby didn’t feel this need to start a rebellion or bring down some sort of governmental force. She just wanted to survive, to feel like a girl even. When I mentioned that this book exhausted me, I meant the struggles that Ruby went through. I was able to feel her struggle for survival and all the sacrifices she made. The ending of the book was absolutely heartbreaking and made me want to read the next sequel of the book.

What I also liked about Ruby was the fact that she didn’t feel this constant need to be attached to someone in a romantic sense. She had a relationship with Liam, but they weren’t overly attached or pining for one another constantly. They still had a relationship that made you swoon (hey, sometimes you just love a good swoon now and then) but it was in small doses. Enough for you to keep going with the stories. I sometimes feel that a romantic aspect of a book can overpower the book and then you end up with things like “team _____” or “I ship _____ and ____” I felt the love, but I also felt the stronger pull of the dystopian world. It was a really nice balance between the two, and it was kind of refreshing.

I definitely recommend this book. I loved it. It had a sort of paranormal feel to it, in the telepathic sense, but it wasn’t overbearing. It felt believable and thats all due in part to Bracken’s style of writing.

I have no idea how to write an intro for this book… so I’ll start off by saying why I read it :D!

I read The Darkest Minds a while ago, but I never actually finished it. I loved the concept, and the writing the only problem was that the book was due back to the library. When I thought of reading it again, I was SO happy to hear that Mariam @ Flying Through Fiction was hosting a The Darkest Minds read along! HECK YES! SO EXCITED ?

#ThatAwkwardMomentWhenEveryoneLovestheBookButYou
What I Liked

The thing that made me want to read The Darkest Minds, minus the good reviews, was the story. Duh. Kind of duh. I mean honestly, the first paragraph in the book’s summary had my mind exploding.

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.

Like woah. Why is she in the garage, what happened, what is happening, guys I HAVE TO KNOW. The idea was cool. Here, let me explain in a quote ?

They were afraid of us– the ones who lived.

SEE! I know none of what I’m saying right now makes sense. So here it the gist of it, The Darkest Minds starts with a diseases that is killing kids left and right. However, the ones who survive are the problem which is a new concept to me. The survivors are people like Ruby, special kids who can do special things. I was in love with the different powers and how they are classified. The concept was so good I can’t even word my thoughts XD….

Lets be real guys, if the world inside of TDM was real, it would be freaky!
What Didn’t Like

So characters. *sigh* I didn’t like any of them *hides* but Chubs and Zu. Other than those two, I was not a fan of anyone else. The romance in this book didn’t feel real to me, it felt forced and fake and I am so sorry to say that :(. This is of course my opinion, I just didn’t like it. Ruby was always willing to give up, to give in, which is fine and it makes her different, I just found her character boring, sadly. Liam too. They just didn’t speak to me as much. the book felt kind of like a long road trip and then a camp with cool kids. I’m not trying to sound rude, I just wasn’t a fan. I didn’t find much to invest in my interest for these characters, and don’t get me wrong! Their lives are awful and horrible and no kid deserves what they went through, I just didn’t feel like they were the best characters ever.

My favorite thing about books is when they are unpredictable and shocking. The Darkest Minds didn’t shock me, ever :( I am reading the next books in the series but I didn’t gasp or feel shocked ever. Not even the ending which I heard was fantastic, it didn’t shock me *cries forever*!
In a Nutshell

Wait. I know what you’re thinking… “But Brianna, you have equal dislikes and likes, so what’s up with that? Why didn’t you give it a 3?!” Uh guys. I’m sorry *hides*. The Darkest Mind was good but the things I didn’t enjoy are too important to me in a story like this :(. A book needs to shock me, it needs to have characters I want to invest my time in, the Darkest Mind sadly didn’t deliver. BUT I did love Chubs. Chubs…But hey, I’m the outcast here, okay? This book has a TON of good reviews, GO READ IT :).

I will also be reading the next book in the series, I feel like it will get better :) Plus Alexandra Bracken seems so nice <3

Zoe's Review: I decided to read this due to the urging of my friend and my sister along with lots of members of my Girl Scout troop. I went in knowing that it had a tough cliff hanger and feeling unsure of what it was about even though I had read the back. Once it got started, I liked it, but the writing felt jumpy and sometimes the next paragraph would just jump to something new and it was a little disorienting. But it was not too much so it did not really take away from the story. In this book Ruby has special powers, and she has been in a camp since she was 10 because of them. But this camp is repressing them, so she does not learn how to use her powers. When she gets broken out of her camp, she comes into a new world that has been changing without her for six years and not knowing who to trust. I could not stop reading it and the characters really stuck with me once I finished it and the cliff hanger left me needing the next one.

Maci's Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is about a girl named Ruby who wakes up on her tenth birthday with powers she can’t control. She is sent to an interment camp and lives there for the next 6 years until she is broken out. But she doesn’t know why or by who, and when she learns who, she is just as afraid as when she was in the camp. She runs away and finds Liam, Chubs, and Zu, others who have escaped internment camps and are on the run for a supposedly safe place called ‘East River’. But Ruby has a secret, she is one of the ones with dangerous powers which makes her highest on the wanted list. I liked the story and the issues the main characters faced, as well as appreciated the depressing world they lived in (it was very nicely built), although I didn’t like the romance between the two main characters. It seemed too set up, but in the end the plot twist made it work. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked Red Queen, because it builds the same type of bleak dystopian world.

After finishing this book I’m left thinking, what took me so long to read it??? Seriously I had it on my tbr shelf for the longest time and when it came the time to pick a new book I always overlooked it, I regret it so much!

This is one of the best dystopian/yabooks that I’ve read in a long time, the moment I started reading I couldn’t stop, there’s always something going on, and new thing to learn about this characters.

In The Darkest Minds we are introduced to a world where when kids turn 10 years old they start to develop certain abilities, but not all of them survive those first days after turning 10, many of them die, and the one that don’t are send to camps where the government can “help” them get better but in reality they are testing them and keeping them captive out of fear.

The kids are separated into colors, from the less threatening, to the one that need to be locked up 24/7, with some quick thinking Ruby get sorted into a non threatening color but in reality she is a orange and has the power to see into people’s minds and sometimes even control her actions.

Ruby stays in this camp until she is 16, when a doctor helps her scape, she thinks the doctor and her friends what to help her but she soon discovers that she is wrong and that the government isn’t the only one that wants to have control over her abilities.

After scaling from them she meets Zu, Chubs and Liam, three kids who have successfully scape a camp, something never done before, they take her in, even if not all agree with that and together they embark on the search for the Slip Kid someone who really helps kids like them and is starting a society where the kids don’t have to be afraid of anyone.

The characters are easily loved, even grumpy Chubs, Zu doesn’t talk but with her expressions she won my heart, and Liam plays the perfect leader.

As I said the book is full of action and I loved it, it made it seem go by so quickly.

The ending, even though I saw it coming, it killed me! Definitely a worthy ending of such an amazing book.

Now I can’t wait to keep reading this series.

WARNING!!!!! CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!
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Each distinct generation of humans is original. Every twenty to thirty years another generation is added and identified by the events and discoveries of that era. Each generation is original, known for something new, from being born after the age of technology, to be alive for a World War, to standing up for equality. Everyone is classified into a generation at birth. Ruby from The Darkest Minds, is in Generation Freak. Generation Freak: a generation who has a death rate of 98% in their teens from Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration or IAAN, and the only real symptom: death without warning. Ruby is one of the not so lucky 2%; she was sent to a rehabilitation camp: Thurmond. Six years later, Ruby finally escapes, but she doesn’t find the country how she remembered. The country is now in total chaos: the government collapsed, the economy shot, frequent assassinations attempts of the government personnel, and Generation Freak is now the least of their worries. Ruby meets up with a rag-tag group of escapees, and they are on the run from the government. With well-developed characters and a sturdy storyline that sets up for an excellent theme, written by Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds creates excellent use of thematic significance and characterization.

The Darkest Minds is one of those books with a marvelous storyline from the beginning. It starts off with Ruby Darby, watching her classmates drop dead, and the United States in a new crisis: a disease is killing their children. As explained throughout the book, the country wasn’t afraid of the children dying of the diseases; they were afraid of the children who survived and developed “abilities.” Consequently, the government forced the survivors into “rehabilitation” camps, and they were separated by color according to their “abilities.” Ruby did not know why she was sent, but six years later, she was broken out by The Children’s League. With her ragtag group of escapees, Ruby in the fight for her life, running from the government. While they are also trying to find East River, a child-run "camp" for IAAN kids which might give them a chance a more simplistic and less hectic life. In Ruby's journey, she seeks to find a balance between sacrifice and her own purpose in life.

Within The Darkest Minds, Ruby seeks to balance moderation with self-sacrifice. In the beginning, she kept a secret about her color: Ruby (Orange), was classified as green when using her abilities, she convinced the doctors she was green. She knew that the orange meant death. Ruby decides to keep her secret until her group was in danger of being captured. Ruby sacrificed herself to save her group: “Everyone will know. And no one would be willing to have me after that” (284). Ruby accepted the fate of loneliness or worse while sacrificing her secret, so her friends won’t be taken. Tragically, when Ruby’s friend Chubs get’s shot, she sacrificed her life for her group. With no one to go to, Ruby calls the only ones she knows can help, The Children’s League, who want to use her against the government. When calling for help, she knows what will happen, but gives up her true shot at life for her friends. Eventually, they come to help Chubs, while wanting to take the rest of the group in. Ruby is now faced with a choice, and she quickly makes a decision. Ruby knows that Liam, whom she fell in love with, wouldn’t let her go. This time on purpose, Ruby “pulled [herself] from his mind, day by day, piece by piece, memory by memory, until there was nothing of Ruby left to weigh him down or keep him bound to [her] side” (485). Ruby made the choice to go with The Children’s League and fight against the government. Ruby accepted her “abilities” and used them for the good of her friends, thus why The Darkest Minds, what such great thematic significance.

Not only did Ruby find the balance of self-sacrifice, but she also seeks to find self-acceptance. In the beginning, the author made it discreet why Ruby was sent to Thurmore, but as the book progressed, the author hints at the idea of Ruby having telepathic powers: reading minds, influencing thoughts and actions, and altering or erasing memories. On multiple occasions, Ruby accidentally erased herself out of their memories of her parents and best friend at camp. Thus, she begins to view herself negatively, using words such as “Monster” (287) as descriptions. Ruby revealed herself and her true colors to her group in a life or death situation. She not only performed self-sacrifice but self-acceptance. Finally, she was comfortable with the idea of her group knowing and accepted herself for the first time. She didn’t think of herself as a monster or threat. When they finally find East river, Ruby starts to accept herself even more. The Slip Kid (Clancy Gray), the leader of the camp and one of the last surviving oranges, offers to help Ruby control her “abilities,” and she accepts. When the Slip Kid offered to help Ruby, he “just offered [her] everything [she] could have asked for. A way to avoid repeating what happened to [her] parents and Sam. A way to be with Liam, to find Grams, to not live in constant fear of what [she] could do to them” (353). Ruby now found a purpose for her life, and what she can do with it. She also finds acceptance for who she is and is now learning to embrace herself.

Throughout The Darkest Minds, Ruby progresses as a person. In the beginning, she is ten years old with a third-grade education. Ruby might still have had a third-grade education by the end of the book, but she has developed, matured, and learned from the world around her. She learned important life lessons, made a “family,” and had to make very important decisions. Ruby has had a hard childhood, from watching her friends die right in front of her, to erasing her own parent's memory of her, but doesn’t languish in self-pity. With the help of the world around her, she matures into a person who embraces herself, accepts the world around her, and determined to do whatever it takes to protect the ones she learned to love. I would recommend this book to other high schoolers, while having a fantastic storyline, it has valuable life lessons and teaches acceptance and friendship.

I originally entitled this review, "High quality YA dystopian novel, though not perfect." I'm going to leave the four-star rating, because this book standing alone deserves it. However, the first four installments in this series (this one, its sequel, and two novellas) all end as cliffhangers awaiting resolution in the final book. That last book is so poorly written and disappointing in almost every way that I wish I'd never started the series. You can find a detailed explanation of my reaction by finding my review of that third book, "In the Afterlight."

Here's my original review:

This high quality young-adult dystopian novel features relatable characters with believable relationships and writing that is generally engaging and occasionally lovely. Though there are several plot holes, typos, slow points, and other annoyances - not the least of which is my "series" pet peeve (i.e., the fact that very little is resolved making this really one long book split into installments rather than a true piece of work with a sequel, etc.) - "The Darkest Minds" is generally an enjoyable read. Here are a few of my favorite turns of phrase:

"In class, we talked about dinosaurs and practiced cursive before Mrs. Port dismissed us for lunch with her usual look of relief."

"I looked up to the clouds, turning my face to the pounding rain. It looked like the sky was falling, piece by piece."

"That was back when all sorts of rumors were floating around like dandelion fluff in the wind."

"It had taken me less than a day in that place to see that hatred and terror came in circles, and that they fed off each other. The PSFs hated us, so they had to make us fear them. And we feared them, which only made us hate them even more."

"There are a thousand ways to tell if someone is lying to you. You don't need to be able to glimpse into their mind to catch all of the little signs of insecurity and discomfort. More often than not, all you have to do is look at them."

"We'll just have to try to make better mistakes tomorrow . . . ."

"Chubs didn't look convinced, but we didn't have the time--and I certainly did not have the energy--to be running circles around the truth for the next hour."

"When a girl cries, few things are more worthless than a boy." (Nice line, but not exactly consistent with the narrative since the girl whose voice it's supposed to be is said to have had no contact with boys from ages ten to sixteen.)

"Clancy was lean but not slight, well-kept but not groomed, composed but not comfortable."

"I felt my hands clasp together in front of me, then move to my side, then rise up to cup my elbows, like they couldn't figure out what they wanted to be doing."

This book started off slow to me. Ruby, our MC, in the beginning kept going back and forth with her memories of the past and the present, it confused me a bit. It was a slow start, yeah I understand that they went through so much, they lost everything, their families, friends, homes, time, freedom. They meaning all those kids in the camps including Liam, Chubs, and Zu. But for half of the book they were just hiding, running away, escaping the PSFS, the League and the Skip tracers, or something like that, I didn't even know what they were, they didn't really tell you at first, I kind of figured it out and all along Ruby kept her secret of being an Orange. All that had me reading but it wasn't shocking and surprising me.

Liam, he seems cool, he wasn't sure about Ruby at first but he saw that Zu was okay with having Ruby around. Chubs he was very unwelcoming, he was just rude, I thought he was cowardly when we first meet him cus he just doesn't want to take the risk with Ruby, he doesn't want Ruby around. Zu she doesn't talk, she's 11, I think, but they treat her like she's younger. She likes Ruby, she likes having another girl around, but she's also having trouble with her powers.

Things started happening when The Group (Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu) run into Lady Jane, the guys have been running away from her. They see what Ruby is capable of doing and we finally learn what happened to Ruby's parents. They later run into a group of guys and find the guy they were looking for The Slip Kid. At first I thought he was a little creepy for staring at Ruby all the time and I also saw a love triangle starting to happen. Ruby and Liam had a thing going on, well it was just starting, and I thought it was cute. Liam seems like a sweet kid, he tries his best. Now the Slip Kid, an Orange, he's had years of practice with his ability. Ruby thinks that he can help her, and he wants to. But we soon see he's real colors, who he really is.

Unexpected things happen, it did take a while to get to the good stuff, but I do think it was a good book. I even started liking Chubs, he grew on me. Liam and Ruby they are cute together. This Group will fight for each other and that's what I like. They had to grow up fast with all that craziness. They really just have each other to trust, cus even the people they looked up to can be deceiving. You don't know what's going to happen next. And I like that, I like being surprised. And in their world anything is possible, there's adults, killing, shooting, hurting kids, kids from 8 - 18 years old, that's messed up. The government is a mess. And there's also all of the abilities, that we are still learning about. It was a great book, I want to see what happens next. Ruby had grown stronger, I don't know what she'll do next but it looks like she has to start all over. I think she's surprise all those who underestimate her, she not a little scared girl anymore.

When Ruby was a kid a disease started infecting children in America. Those infected either died or started developing abilities.
Ruby is one of the survivors, and one of the kids with the most dangerous ability. She was sent to what the government calls a rehabilitation camp that is more like a prison to contain the ‚freak kids‘.
Ruby finally escapes to the outside world where she finds a couple of kids to travel with in this new world that has changed so much from before she got locked up. Since kids on their own are in constant danger they look for East River that is supposed to be a save haven for people like them. On the way Ruby might have to embrace her abilities, that she used to hide, to be able to protect the people that she is starting to care about.
But the country is in even worse state than Ruby remembered and many would like to use her and her abilities for their own interests.

The Darkest Minds was a fast read with some action, interesting main characters and I liked to see the relationship between them grow. I also liked the story line and to see how people might act in a world where kids had developed abilities, some even dangerous, and had to manage mostly on their own. I liked this book and I look forward to seeing where the author will take the plot in the sequel.

Children are dying in the thousands by a brutal neurodegenerative and the few that survive have the potential to be more than dangerous- they can be lethal. These survivors have special abilities, telekinesis, mind control, extraordinary intelligence. The government sees them as a threat and anyone who is exhibiting designated symptoms are carted off to “rehabilitation camps” to learn how to overcome their ailments. Ruby is one of the first kids to be brought to one of these camps, and at the age of ten learns very quickly that they are not to be rehabilitated at all, but treated like criminals and to suppress any power they might have had.

Ruby knows that she is viewed as having one of the more dangerous abilities and in order to save herself convinces the camp leaders that she is one of the harmless children. However after five years in camp, her deception is starting to unravel and the only way to survive is to escape.
In the process of her escape she meets a group of kids on the run looking for an Eden of escaped kids run by one who is rumored to be able to contact the outside world. However this camp of escapees turns out to be not much different than the first one she escaped. Can Ruby learn to control and embrace her power if it means finding a home?

With romance and intrigue, manipulation and strength THE DARKEST MINDS tells a harrowing story of a young girl trying to survive in a world that has been against her all along.

Typically, I am not drawn to books where there are a lot of children for characters because I have a hard time connecting to them. I also am not a huge fan of young adult books with teens because the characters are teenagers, therefore immature and often lacking in good judgement. Nothing is more infuriating to me than a character who makes decisions that (in my adult mind) are absolutely ridiculous non-sensible decisions - which usually end up with someone dead.

However, this book isn't ANY of that. It's been a long, long time since a book pulled at my emotions like this one. Yes, there are moments when the characters make dumb decisions but in the context of the situation it isn't out-of-character or just plain stupid. The characters are very believable and it's amazing to see them evolve over the story. There are some cliches (as with any book) but for the most part, I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I think this book may have caused me some actual anxiety because I was so worked up and worried for those kids!

As far as the story goes... It has elements that you've seen in other books (Dystopia, kids who somehow get powers, etc...) but the way Bracken weaves it all together it wonderful. It took me 2 days to finish the book and since I did (last night) I can't stop thinking about it! The ending will leave you stunned. I can't say much more than that but trust me, you NEED to read this book.

Quick Points:

Liam & Ruby - I loved them from start to finish. Everything about them together made me all happy.
Chubs & Ruby - I just knew that from the moment these two started off on the wrong foot, that they'd become great friends and so they did. Chubs is truly a true loyal friend.
Chubs & Liam - These two are basically brothers. They argue about just about everything, but really love one another and are fiercely protective of those dear to them.

The book is well-written and overall pretty well-placed. The characters themselves were great and loved seeing them grow. Everyone in this book had their own secrets, their own scars. We got to learn more and more about each character and really peel through their layers. They all had their own guilt and reasons for being together but ultimately none of that mattered because they always had each other's back. Honestly, from the beginning I knew the odds were against our favorite team. When the arrived at the camp I knew it was too good to be true. Once Zu left I had a feeling things would be changing for the worst. Naturally, when it all literally went up in flames I wasn't too shocked, but I was still pretty torn because I wanted them to be happy. As the end drew near I felt like I knew where it was going and I didn't like what it meant for Liam, Ruby and Chubs. They got separated. Chubs is/was on the verge of death (this is terrible). Ruby decided to sacrifice her freedom for Liam (this is awful). And lastly, Ruby decides to take further steps protect Liam by erasing his memories of both her and Chubs and send him away (just...ugh...why is this happening). That being said its a probably a good lead into the second book, which I'm sure I'll start soon enough.

A generous 2,5 star rating!
While being very excited about this one, it didn't meet my expectations. I really loved the premise of this book, the idea of all these dangerously powerful teenagers sounded so enticing, and yet, I found the story dragging on. Nothing much happened really, and the MC seemed mostly frightened and staggeringly powerless, and by her own making nonetheless. What I'm getting at, is the fact that this MC isn't a normal teen, suddenly and conveniently emerging into an all-powerful one-man army, but a very powerful and unusual teen in a setting where having powerful abilities is plausible.

Most of the story was of a bunch of kids thrown together on a rather uneventful road trip, to find some "promised haven". There was a weird instant romance between two MCs who may both have been most attracted to the concept of being involved and less to each other. They could be great friends though... Then they meet some powerful mastermind kid, and while he could have held some real attractiveness, he 180s into an absolute creep, and that was it.. Better luck in the next book!

What saddened me the most was my lacking to connect with, and care for, Ruby, after she left her family. Yet, I did find it heartbreaking that her parents acted as detached as they did.. I did like the two side characters, Zu and Chubs, and I liked Brackens idea - the idea is actually rather brilliant! - I just wish the story had been more compelling. And it isn't that I can't see a point in letting a character ease into the role of a kick-ass avenger, I just wish, I hadn't been worn-out before getting anywhere near that point.

After finishing this book, I went on to read the novella, In Time. The novella is definitely a nice addition, but doubt I'll ever convince myself to read the actual sequel.

I gave this story 4.5/5 stars.

“The truth was, when I looked at my reflection in the window, I couldn’t see any bit of the Ruby that had lived in a little white house at the end of a lane, honey sticking to her fingers and hair falling from her braids. And it made me feel empty in a way—like I had forgotten the words to my favorite song. That girl was gone forever, and all that was left was a product of the place that had taught her to fear the bright things inside of her heart.”

I really enjoyed this story. I really liked Ruby’s characters and the way the author reveals her story. As a writer, we’re told to show and not to tell the reader everything all at once and I think Alexandra Bracken did a fantastic job doing that for Ruby’s character.

The setting is dismal and bleak for the children of the US. Even Ruby doesn’t think there’s any hope because the rehabilitation camp she’s sent to is basically a prison. I really appreciate the world building in this story. Children are wiped out by the disease IAAN. Children who lived start to manifest supernatural abilities and then are shipped to rehabilitation camps. The rest of society believes they’re being helped when in actuality, they’re either experimented on and/or kept as a prisoner.

I really enjoyed all of the characters. Liam, Suzume, Chubs, and Ruby, there was a very good dynamic in this group. I also enjoyed the development between Liam and Ruby. I like how Ruby struggles with her feelings about being a monster and her feelings for Liam. Chubs was my favorite—pragmatic, loyal, and intelligent—it was a nice change to have a minor character who had a pivotal role, but wasn’t reduced to comic relief or incredibly dense. Clancy was the perfect politician/son/villain. His good nature and seemingly generous persona immediately put suspicion in my mind. Too good to be true? Very true with Clancy’s character.

My favorite part of the story was how these kids manifested supernatural powers. We actually don’t get to see that much of it until the last part of the book in the Camp. But I like the idea that these kids survived childhood and it’s because there was something special/different about them.

I would recommend this if you like dystopians with a female lead who is trying to figure out herself and her place in the world while kicking butt. There are some graphic parts. There is no sex, but there is a scene were it’s implied that the situation was non-consensual.

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The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Series: Darkest Minds (Book 1)
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (December 18, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1423157370
ISBN-13: 978-1423157373

I received this book from the publisher Hyperion/Disney in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

My Review~
After reading this book, I'm absolutely just speechless on how it ended. I keep going through it in my head again and again and can't hardly wait to delve into the next book in the series. The ending leaves you just breathless and on the edge of your seat. The book is very edgy which shows tremendously in the cover! I was wondering what the symbol meant in the book and it was amazingly all revealed. I can not believe all the twists in this book that left you with who is the actual good guy in all the bad guys. I'm still stunned. I just adore Ruby because through everything and even knowing what she is she still is protective of the ones she loves to the very end. This book is even better than the Hunger Games or so far it is the best! Very in-depth read full of action, friendship, sadness, guilt, hope, love, and adventure! This is a great read even for adults who love dystopian reads! All I want to do right now is seriously freak out with- OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG over and over again. I woke up thinking about it this morning and had to re-read the ending which is not normal for me unless it is an absolute page-turner. This book series need to be put into a movie pronto! This budding author sure knows how to deliver one bang up novel can't wait to see what she has in store for Ruby, Liam, Zu, Chubs, and Clancy! All I can keep saying is wow oh wow oh wow!

the store Book Description~
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.

"When a girl cries, few things are more worthless than a boy"
So true.

In the United States there was a plague of sorts that only affected children. If you caught it you died or mutated to have some kind of extra power. So now all children with power have been rounded up and put in camps or are on the run.

The first part of the book takes a little time to get into. Ruby is all alone, her parents don't remember her and she has been taken to one of the camps for children. She is so lonely and her story of isolation sad. Ruby convinced the people at the camp that she was a much less harmful mutation but her secret is about to come out and with the help of a doctor she must escape.

Once Ruby meets up with a band of kids on the lamb the story becomes much more interesting. They are a little tight knit group that banded together when they all escaped from the camp they were being held in. Liam is the head of the group, he is the oldest in the group and came from a family trying to go against the current government. Chubs is the skeptical sidekick that doesn't trust new people easily but is a completely loyal friend once you get in his good graces. Zu is a little Chinese girl that can control electricity but doesn't speak. They are an unlikely band of renegades all trying to find the slip kid who has set up a safety zone for kids on the run.

"We'll just have to try to make better mistakes tomorrow."

The story picks up a lot of momentum after about 30%. There are so many obstacles to overcome to find the hidden camp for kids and dangers to avoid along the way. There is also a cute love story between Ruby and Liam. Not insta love but a growing friendship that becomes more.

"Did you know...you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forget to breath? I'll be looking at you, and my chest will get so tight...and it's like, the only thought in my head is how much I want to reach over and kiss you."

There were a few great twist near the end and some shocking moments. I became so attached to all of the characters in the group that when the book ended I was sad I didn't' have another to pick up right away to continue on with my friends. The story is fun, at times disturbing and extremely well thought out. I can't wait to see where Bracken takes us in Never Fade.

I really, really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was getting into when I started and I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised!! THE DARKEST MINDS is a combination of a dystopian world with paranormal abilities. We see the dystopian in the fact that the US is falling apart, broke and falling to shambles especially after the disease strikes the nation that takes the lives of most of America’s children. The ones who survive have been ones whose brains allow them to use incredible abilities of all kinds, one of which is our heroine, Ruby.

I really liked that we only spent some of the story’s time in the camps and quickly progressed to breaking out. I imagine the whole book could have taken place in the camps and it would have been substantial, but a far less interesting story. I think a lot of dystopian novels often have book one take place in a specific location and book two is what happens after they break free, and so often I’m disappointed in book two when that happens. In this way, I felt like I wouldn’t be let down by whatever the second book in this series has to offer!

I really loved the different abilities that we see amongst all the different kids and how well the handle these abilities. It was interesting to see the range of different gifts instead of just one. I felt like it made the interactions between the characters really interesting and like Ruby, each character had to go through figuring out how to use their ability without having it become a danger.

I also really liked the chase aspect of the story — I think since we’ve seen so many dystopians, the typical “government is after you” plot is getting a little old, but this didn’t feel like the same tired idea at all. There were many different layers of what Ruby and her friends had to run from as well as figuring out how to use these people to their advantage. The questions in the story run many layers deep!

Oh yeah and HOW ABOUT THAT ENDING. Holy cow, I was not expecting that! Boy oh boy. I cannot wait to see how the second book goes because I was just so gosh darn surprised at what just happened!

I guess I am in the minority here as I didn’t think this book was fantastic. In all honestly, I think they could have cut out some of the pages and made it shorter and it would have been just as good and perhaps even more exciting. I think my main issue with this novel was that there was this excitement written in the language and I was just wasn’t feeling it myself. The words were screaming it but I just wasn’t feeling it.
So there are a group of kids that have special abilities that the government disperses off into camps. In camp, they label them different colors based on their abilities. Ruby is one of our main characters, one of the younger campers and she has no idea what her abilities are yet. You can tell she is special but she is a loner and she tends to want to stay that way. Ruby got on my nerves a lot as she tends to like to get things her own way, and I found myself screaming at her as she makes herself vulnerable around others, acting naïve and foolish. What is wrong with her? Why was she so senseless and clueless after everything that has happened so far in the novel? When Ruby and another kid are smuggled out of the camp, Ruby realizes that they are among the elite. Was there something else special about Ruby? Is this why she is worried so much about people viewing her as a monster. This indecisiveness hung over me throughout the book I tended to like Zu, I think it was her spirit and her attitude. She was out there going with the flow. I don’t think I could have handled myself as free as Zu under the circumstances, but I think having her as my friend would have helped my stress level. I also like Liam, he had a great attitude and he made a good friend. Will I continue with the series, I think I will pass.

So I literally suffered through one hundred and twenty - two pages of this book.

 I promised myself that I was going to try new authors and step out of my book safety zone. So I picked this book because I had heard such amazing things about it and the author was new to me. As I was about five pages in , I realized the only way I'm going to make it through this book is if I force myself to read it. And what fun is that ? Who wants to read something there not enjoying?  Right ? Well as I reached the one hundred and twenty-two page mark I was just about to give up..... Thank goodness I didn't , if not I would be kicking myself right about now . 

Ten pages later and I was hooked, I don't know if it was the sudden pace change or the new infiltration of characters but by golly this book just got exciting and I dang sure didn't want to put it down. And about another five pages later I was in love. lol This book may have had a slow ( painfully so ) beginning but it did a major turn around . 

Talk about a riveting , dark , emotion filled, beautifully written novel. With superb characters and a fascinating plot . The Darkest Minds is definitely a must read that will leave you begging for more ......

Short and Sweet:
Such a cool, cool book. I LOVED the characters. Loved them. They were so real, and wonderful: I felt what they were feeling. Believable to the point of missing them when I turned the final page! Easy, easy, easy 5 star rating!

To Elaborate....
From the very first page I was loving this book. Ruby's back story is just vibrantly emotional and heartbreaking. I was immediately interested and invested in her. It also doesn't take long for the action to begin in this one and once it does it never lets up.

The struggles the characters face and the world they live in are all at once terrifying and heartbreaking. This is a world where these misunderstood children are dehumanized and cast off to what are essentially prisons and forgotten about by the world as a whole. The government pretends to be rehabilitating these 'dangerous' tiny citizens, but in reality they have a much darker plan for the most powerful among them and keep the remaining children detained and controlled through a mix of intimidation and bullying.

Reading The Darkest Minds was much like watching a fast-paced thriller movie. Every time you thought you had a minute to catch your breath some new (or old) threat would present itself. It was literally unputdownable and a standout read among it's peers. The ending is so unexpected and badass that Never Fade (The Darkest Minds, Bk 2) is now one of my most anticipated fall 2013 reads!

This dystopian YA novel struck me as a very capable early draft that was unfortunately rushed to print before its full potential could be unlocked. From the narrator not really seeming like a teenager who's spent the past six years of her life in a concentration camp to some unclear worldbuilding to the 200-page road trip that essentially adds nothing to the plot, there were a lot of elements in the story that a good editor should have had revised before publication. The ingredients are there for this to be a Hunger Games or Shade's Children, but as is, it's just a mess.

I picked up this trilogy on recommendations of some of my friends on Goodreads – they raved about it. Now I am seriously doubting if they were drunk, or skipped their A.D.D. medication because it did not live up to the five star rating they awarded The Darkest Minds for me. Lucky they’re too cool for school and I’ll overlook this little clash of opinion ;p

The premise of the book had me engrossed - a concentration camp for children with X-Men like abilities fighting for their freedom. It certainly stands out amongst its peers with storyline and an interesting dystopian world. I admit to having a little *squee* cracking the spine on this edition.

Overall I enjoyed the book immensely. But there were parts in this novel where my compulsion to read on waned. I can’t quite put my finger on why my interest faltered, because I thought the story to be fantastic – maybe it was the writing style, or maybe the narrative could have been tighter and removed more of the unnecessary scenes…I feel uncomfortable saying that because I would rather have a definitive opinion on what it was that had me putting the book down for days on end. I’m usually a quick read – especially in the YA paranormal genre. But the pacing in The Darkest Minds was the biggest let down.

I also have a rocky relationship with the main cast. While interesting, and exhibiting moments of strength, they also fell flat. Maybe due to the pacing of the story, but I failed to connect and cheer them on. There is interesting character development which I will give high praise for, and I am definitely going to be reading the second book in the series, Never Fade, as I want to see where the story is taking our mutant band… and hopefully the pacing will pick up somewhat.

If you liked The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy , then you’ll enjoy this book…

Okay, truth time: This book is a little confusing. I'm not sure what all of the psi colors mean ability-wise nor do I get the government treatment of the different colors psi kids, but, honestly, government and why they do what they do is generally a pretty big question mark in my brain, so I guess that's pretty accurate.

That aside, this book is like whoa. Ruby's struggle is so real and intense and so are the struggles of her friends. Not only am I addicted to Ruby's journey, but to Liam, Chub and Zu's as well. Honestly, love is really not a strong enough word for how I feel about all four of these characters. Especially Liam because that is some serious swoon right there, sweet boy with the sweet hair please come here and call me darlin' always. Liam's Darlin' for lyfe, right here.

The villains are also so vivid, perfect, and compelling. This is mostly because it's not really clear who the villains are. I mean, every group that's doing something one might label "evil" or "bad" are doing it for what can be perceived as good reasons. Like, the world is in this awful state, what with all these dead kids and a collapsed economy that everyone is trying to solve something else. Everyone is sacrificing one thing for the sake of something else. So, really, everyone is a little good and a little bad. Which is confusing and complicated and brilliant, but that's also what survival is, sometimes.

And, finally, on top of everything else, this book brings the feels/tears. Alexandra Bracken totally pulls you into this world of action and excitement and danger and then all of the sudden she'll take you back to this utterly devastating moment in Ruby's life that sucker punches you. I mean, you don't even remember how utterly alone Ruby is once she meets Liam, Chubs, and Zu because she's surrounded by them all the time, but at it's base, this is really a story about loss and isolation. It's also about finding stability in yourself and being brave, but mostly about how lonely it can be trying to do all of that. It's really the poignant moments between all the action scenes that remind the reader of this and drive it all home.

Okay! I finally read The Darkest Minds, and it only took me three years to do it. Three cheers! Well, I'm happy, anyway. So, I gave it 4 stars for mainly this reason: I thought it was a great book, really chunky and interesting (I binged it in a day), but I was really confused through a lot of it. I couldn't figure out why she was so upset about (highlight for spoiler) being what she was. I thought it was really cool, and an advantage, but about halfway through the book when you find out what her powers did, I understood. But I didn't quite get it at the beginning. Also, the action sequences came hard and fast, which I would usually love, but since my brain was still trying to figure out what Ruby's deal was, I ended up being confused even more. Of course, I was also sick, and that could have contributed to it.

In any case, I did really like this book, especially when I got everything straight in my head. I loved the slow-burn romance (I am NOT happy about the ending), I loved the secondary characters- Zu especially- and I didn't predict much of what happened. There were some things that you could kind of see coming, but I'm not one for trying to figure out a book before I read it- I just let the book carry me along, for the most part, unless it's super obvious. So I liked that part of it. I thought all the character development, especially Ruby's, was really good, and I can't wait to see where Alexandra takes her in Never Fade, book two.

I have a feeling that if I had read "The Darkest Minds" when I was in the target age group, I would have loved it. However, reading it at this point in my life, with a little girl of my own, I found it both an absolutely horrifyingly dark world and too far-fetched to be set in "our" world.

A strange disease has struck the children in the USA - typically 8-13 years old. It's hard to tell, but it sounds like it's mostly confined to the USA. Most the kids in that age group wind up dead. The US government rounds up the rest and takes them to "rehabilitation" camps. The story is told from the perspective of a young girl who was 10 years-old at the time of the initial outbreak and was taken into one of the first camps. Most of the story happens 6 years after she's been taken from the camp and isolated from anything that's happening in the outside world.

This makes the plot and world building difficult. Everything that we learn is in small bits and pieces, fragments of thoughts that might have made sense if we knew what had happened in those six years, but since we don't it was rather frustrating trying to figure out the world.

So, the horrifying part - the idea that these kids have the world fall apart around them - all of their friends just drop dead and then instead of supporting and loving their kids the parents just let the government take their kids away to a place no ones every seen with no idea of when they'll be back. As a parent, I can tell you it doesn't matter what super powers my kids developed - there's no way you're taking her away from me. And the parents in the story just go along with it?

The main character is understandably, a very emotionally damaged, passive girl. Not surprising at all given what she's been through. However, this also makes her both very frustrating and very boring as a POV character. One of the other kids that had maintained more spunk due to being taken from their families later and placed in a less horrifying camp would have done better for a POV with this girl as a supporting character.

I was willing to give the book a change despite how emotionally difficult it was for me to read. Then we learn more about what's happened to the US since this disease broke out and I decided I had no desire to read a book that just made me want to cuddle my little girl and suffered from poor world building.

***Spoilers****

Regardless of the circumstances I really don't see any way that the US would allow someone to declare himself president for life, disband Congress and then declare having kids illegal. Not to mention that last is ridiculously short sighted. So, we're just going to let the US population die of old age and then...what?

***End Spoilers***

It's probably a perfectly readable book if you come at it without my baggage, or at least not being quite so tenderhearted to kids having their parents turn on them, but it's just not a book that I could enjoy.

I’m still wondering why or how you go from a pandemic killing most kids to locking up the remaining kids in concentration camps with the support of parents. Y’all this story is trash.

This book is so underwhelming. The plot holes are so blaring. The story weak. The book is so freaking boring and predictable that I was speed reading to just finish, all I wanted was for it to end.

What?! Was?! That?! Ending?!

I am lost and broken now. That ending has messed with my emotions. I had put this book off for so long because of how hyped the series was and I honestly had a moment of thinking I might get rid of it because I didn't think I'd get to reading it. But I am so glad that I did! These characters feel like family by the end and you care for them so much. I need to jump into the next book soon. Also can't wait to go see the adaptation. Here's hoping it does the book justice

To put this out there right up front, this is one of my favorite books ever and the beginning of one of my top three favorite dystopian series.

Ruby and company are part of a generation of children who have developed various powers, each given a different color code. The government locks them into camps to try to “cure” them. Obviously, this is not how it goes, because if they just went to camp and were cured there would be no plot to speak of. I’ll leave it to you to read the book and find out what happens.

Ruby is a refreshing character in the world of young adult dystopias. While she does have quite a bit of naiveté when it comes to interactions with the outside and boys due to being sent to the camp when she was ten, she is certainly not slow to pick up on things. She takes help and needs help but is by no means a damsel in distress. Others need her just as badly as she needs them. All too often these types of novels leave the heroine in somewhat of an intellectual fog when it comes to adaptation to their new environments, but Ruby does not suffer from that. This is part of why I love it so much.

The other characters are all wonderful. Each one has a well-developed back story that is compelling and heartbreaking. This is not a novel where you find anyone with an easy life. Getting to know them on such an intimate level made me become invested in the novel as whole, not just as it related to Ruby, and made me feel genuine panic when the fates of some became unknown.

The author clearly thought out the motivations of every character in a scene before writing it. None of it is muddled, and it all fits perfectly with their history and current circumstances. None of it seems out-of-place and it makes the plot flow beautifully leaving no room for holes in a character’s plot line. It’s an excellent example for those looking for what to do when it comes to character development.

There is one scene that is particularly disturbing in a sexual consent and control issue way. It’s intense enough that I feel it warrants a description here rather than a brief mention in the content warnings. One character takes advantage of another by using their powers. It’s somewhat ambiguous as to the exact nature of what occurred, but it is definitely creepy and a possible trigger for some. That being said, it is in no way gratuitous and does serve to further both character development and plot. In my opinion, it’s a delicate subject that is handled well.

I cannot end this review without mentioning the world-building aspect. That is my favorite part of any non-realistic fiction type novel and Alexandra Bracken does not disappoint. It’s a world still very much like how we live today, but one going downhill fast. The best parts of the small details that make perfect sense but many would not even think to add. For example, what would the radio play in an absence of teenagers? Oldies. Don’t even get me started on how they are used, because as a combined biblio- and audiophile I may never stop speaking.

Overall, I recommend this book to the point that were I a rich man I would buy all of you reading this review a copy. Well-written, well-developed, heartbreaking, and really darn fun.

The Darkest Minds was a much more emotional read for me than I initially expected. I went into it thinking it would be a X-Men type story full of action and excitement. What I found was something much more human. Alexandra Bracken evokes so many feelings throughout this book that you almost feel light headed at times.

I can't say what drove Ruby's parents to lock her in the garage and call the authorities to come pick her up. It would really be too spoilerish. But imagine this scenario, if you will. Children all over are hitting puberty and developing strange, powerful and sometimes deadly abilities. Maybe not the most unique idea, it's been done...but not quite like it has in The Darkest Minds. I digress. Parents are being conditioned to fear children and are told to turn them in for 'rehabilitation'. Not all parents go along with this idea, but most do.

"They were never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind. They were afraid of us-the ones who lived."

Rehabilitation is really no more than imprisonment and the kids with the most dangerous abilities, coded by the colors 'Reds' and 'Oranges' , are quickly disappearing from these kiddy prison camps. When Ruby is picked up she manages to skate by and be coded as a 'Green', one of the least dangerous. However, eventually someone catches on and wants to use her abilities for their own profit and helps her leave the grand daddy of all camps. But Ruby escapes this second custody and hooks up with three other kids on the run. Liam, Chubs and Zu. Eventually, they find a haven for kids like them and a mastermind of an Orange named Clancy who wants to help Ruby develop her powers.

Ruby starts off as a fairly meek heroine. She hides behinds others and is terrified of herself. She eventually comes to use her powers when trying to protect others but still has this fear of them throughout the book. Towards the end I was mentally screaming at her to just let them loose already! Though, you absolutely have to feel for Ruby, she's spent six years at Camp Thurmond and knows really nothing of the outside world or human behavior. She's basically a ten year old in a sixteen year old body. Not to mention she is terrified to even touch anyone else because of her brains powerful ability to force its way into anyone's head and see all their memories, good or bad.

The relationships she slowly forms with Liam, Chubs, Zu and eventually Clancy change everything about Ruby and how she views herself and her life. She comes to realize that there are bigger threats than herself for those she cares about and they aren't all coming from obvious places. She learns how to love, how to be in control, how to be controlled and how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect others like her.

"Did you know...you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forget to breath? I'll be looking at you, and my chest will get so tight...and it's like, the only thought in my head is how much I want to reach over and kiss you."

Now, there is some of X-Men type action, it's not chalked full of it, but there are some scenes and they are pretty fricking cool. I'm hoping for much more of them in the books to come, because they really are very exciting and kids kicking ass is just fun. There is also a large amount of humor. Liam and Chubs are both great characters with smart mouths and tender hearts. Zu is a total sweetheart that I dare anyone not to love.

The relationships in The Darkest Minds will tickle your heart, the action scenes will jump start it, the mystery and intrigue may cause it to skip a beat here and there and the ending will threaten to stop it for a second or two.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken was a great, yet unfortunately over-hyped, dystopian novel. Ruby was hard to like at first due to her inability to stand up for herself, it gets better as the novel progresses but it was frustrating to read nonetheless. The time periods are a bit confusing to keep up with, for me at least. Ruby is ten years old when the book starts, then after a couple of chapters it jumps to six years later, something that I didn’t realize at first because I felt like it was still a ten year old’s mentality. Once, I did realize that Ruby was actually sixteen this problem disappeared, which was probably due to her fabulous character development.

Furthermore, the concepts of how all the “powers” work are hard to grasp initially but interesting nonetheless when you understand them. I adored how the novel takes place on the road. I just feel as if it expands the world that much more, and honestly I love road trips.

Liam and Ruby’s relationship was one of the best aspect of The Darkest Minds. It was vert natural and sweet. All the characters were fascinating to read about. I honestly wanted to hug Zu throughout most of the novel. The four of them make for a unpredictable yet hilarious group of people who genuinely care for one another.

Overall, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken commences with a slow progression before it gets to the compelling fast paced plot, the Ruby-Liam feels, the jaw dropping bombs, or in other words, the good stuff. But, it features fantastic world-building, action, and the undeniable heartbreak which will most likely be accompanied by fangirlish outbursts. Highly recommended to fantasy and dystopian fans who prefer world-building and plot action over romance.

Feels like X-Men and Shatter Me and Shatter Me already felt like X-Men. But then it got really cool and I devoured the audiobook! I was sucked in fairly quickly, once I got used to the narrator, and I listened every chance I could. I love Zu!! She's my favorite and she doesn't even say a word. No love triangle, hallelujah! I liked the different abilities the kids had and how even if you're a Blue, you have a different abilities than other Blues. That was pretty cool. Ruby definitely has scary abilities and efff I hated Clancy!!! I'm so glad the series is done being written so I can just bull through it all! <3 Liam! But I do hate the covers, good thing I don't have the physical books and don't have to stare at them. Ha.

Many young adult novels these days are heavy on plot and light on character development. This is not the case in The Darkest Minds, the first in a series by Alexandra Bracken. This series takes place in a futuristic Virginia where, out of nowhere, kids between the ages of eight and fourteen begin to die suddenly from a mysterious illness. The kids who miraculously survive this illness are not loved, but feared. This is because their survival identifies them as having dangerous mental abilities ranging from photographic memories, to telekinesis, to being able to read and control the minds of others.

Protagonist, Ruby, is one of these feared children and is shipped off to a “rehabilitation camp” with other survivors where they are separated into groups by their powers. These camps are cold cruel places where the children are not allowed to speak with one another and most of the kids “disappear” soon after arriving. Ruby knows that she has special abilities beyond what the other prisoners have, and she works very hard to hide these and blend in with the kids.

Her plan can’t last forever, however, and after six years Ruby escapes from camp only to encounter more danger. She ends up traveling with three other escaped prisoners; a protective golden boy about her age, an intelligent grump a couple years her junior, and a mute girl of ten. The relationships that develop between these four kids is where Bracken really separates The Darkest Minds from other typical young adult novels. All of the characters are likeable, imperfect, and funny.

That’s not to say that Bracken’s novel is all warm and fuzzy. She includes plenty of action and intrigue to keep the plot moving forward and readers hooked. Overall, when it comes to young adult series, I typically only read the first book. I’ve been let down too many times by a less-than-stellar book two or three. However, Bracken’s characters are likeable enough to make me want to read on and see what happens next!

It didn't get as hooked into this story as I expected. The start confused me a bit because I couldn't keep straight what was past and what was present (I think that's just a "me" thing though because of how I was reading it). And then I felt like the book just kept a flat-line pace for a majority of the plot. Things weren't really happening besides Ruby's character development so it was a little on the dull side.

Ruby's evolution as a character really impressed me. It's nice to read about a character who isn't perfect, who makes obvious mistakes but is ready to learn from them. Though I admit, I found her to be very boring at the start of this book and it took me a long time to appreciate her.

The last 100 pages or so is where things start to pick up and really get exciting. There were a lot of great twists that have me super excited to see what happens next!

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the next book. The plot is interesting and the supporting characters are believable and endearing. I was hooked by the second chapter in and the unraveling of the story did not disappoint. The author's pacing was good and the development of the subplots was adequate.

Unfortunately, the book was a typical young adult novel. It had a sappy romance and MANY unanswered questions (incentive to read the next one, I guess), with a weak protagonist. I get that the main ingredient for a YA novel is romance, but I don't understand why there are always these weak girls that need to be saved! Ruby has the potential to be one of the strongest oranges, but she's always too afraid to learn how to use her abilities. Understandably, she doesn't want to wipe her own existence from anyone else's mind, but her passiveness is so pathetic. She constantly hides behind the label of "monster" and continues to just sit around while everyone she cares about gets hurt.

For most of the book, Ruby takes a backseat to the secondary characters. We mostly see Ruby through her memories and self ruminations, while the secondary characters keep her safe and do most of the leg work. I found Liam's character to be refreshing. He's mainly described as being very kind rather than super HOT, which was a nice change. Zu is a sweet and mysterious kid with an intense ability. Chubs was definitely my favorite character by the end of the book. He starts out as a whiny know-it-all, but as the book develops, we see that he is a loyal friend.

Ruby and Clancy's relationship is very predictable. And once again, Ruby is too scared to take control of her own life jeopardizing everyone in her life.

Another short coming was that the author did not give that much background into how the children died. Was it a disease? Was it made by the government? Also, the powers aren't really described. The reader has to guess what each color's abilities are.

So after all that criticism why did I still give it three stars? Mainly, because I'm an optimist and am hoping that the next book will answer all of these questions and have an amazing twist. In honesty, I did enjoy reading the book and the story has a lot of potential.

This is one of those books I had sitting in my TBL list on my audible shelf. A few weeks ago I felt compelled to give it a go. Boy Howdy, I can honestly say I don't know why I waited so because this book was amazing. It had everything I love in a good listen: dystopian society, psychic kids, and of course romance (hey you know I got to have the love).
Darkest Minds is set in a very near future where the kids have gotten sick with a virus and are dying. Those that have survived are left with side effects of a physic nature. They are called Psy Kids because they are now genetically altered. There are different types of Psy Kids some have mind control, some can control electricity, and some have telekinesis. The best way I can compare it is like the Xmen. The country is scared because their kids are dying the ones left have powers that can't be explained. The president in an attempt to appease the people rounds up the Psy Kids and places them in rehabilitation camps. For their own good of course but these camps are really nothing more than glorified prisons. One girl, Ruby, has been in locked in a camp for six years and dreams of a way out. So, when offered a chance at escape even if it comes with a price she jumps at it. Soon she learns that the people who helped her escape are no better than her captors. She runs away and meets up with three other kids on the run. All they want to do is go home. But sometimes you can't ever go home again and this is a lesson Ruby has to learn because she has a secret that could destroy everything.
The first thing I loved about Darkest Minds was the world building. I loved the idea of a United States that can't pay the national debt that society crumbles and falls while the government struggles to maintain control. Of course, there will always be scapegoats aka the Psy Kids to distract the people while the government tightens its hold. I have seen this before in history with other countries and it usually gets worse before it gets better. It is always terrifying to think it about happening to you. That is why I loved the world so much because it was scary but at the same time so real. It's that fear that keeps the Psy Kids in camps, people living on the streets and the President in office for sixteen years.
I liked how Ruby never knew who the monsters were. My heart broke in two for Ruby when her past is revealed and you find out how she ended up in the camps. I am hoping more will be revealed in the next book because there were a lot unanswered questions. Also, my heart broke again for her when in the end she had to choose between the lesser of two evils to save the boy she loves. This book was filled with emotion and I loved every minute. Most of all, I loved how Ruby grows from a scared girl into a warrior despite all the gut wrenching sacrifices she has to make.
I highly recommend Darkest Minds whether you read it or listen to like I did. If you choose to listen to it Amy McFadden does a great job as the narrator. I think she really captures Ruby's emotions and really brings them home for the listener. She does a great job with the different voices. In the end, Darkest Minds had it all: romance, heart break, murder and mayhem. I, for one can't wait to find out how events unfold in the next book Never Fade. I am glad my wait is not long because it comes out in a couple of weeks. I am giving Darkest Minds five laser pistols because it really is a supernova.

***Review***

An absolutely spectacular dystopian novel that has the ability to captivate the reader on so many levels.

The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces

Ruby had lived a perfectly normal 10 years of her life, with a caring family and a reason to feel safe. This blissful time ended when she, as well as thousands of other children were labeled as 'dangerous' because of their unique abilities. Finally managing to escape the grueling camp at Thurmond she endured for six years, she is broken out by the League. But even these supposedly helpful people aren't all they seem; and have their own hidden agenda. Ruby soon stumbles across three people that she would soon develop a close bond with - Liam, Chubs and of course, Zu. We follow their journey as they struggle to find a place where they will be accepted and finally safe from the authorities. However, even at East River some things appear too good to be true.

The plot

I should have been happy that it was over, that I was out of that place. But inside or out, I was alone, and I was beginning to wonder if I always had been, if I always would be.

The storyline in this novel was so jam-packed with mystery, emotion and suspense that I never had a chance to get bored or for my attention to waver. Bracken developed the story exquisitely from Rosie's time at Thurmond until the very end. Each stage of the novel flowed seamlessly, with new characters and more thrilling situations being thrown in at the same time. The story really picked up when Rosie, Liam, Chub and Zu found East River and settled there. When the identity of the 'Slip Kid' was finally revealed as (view spoiler) I was certainly surprised. Although I have to admit that I usually don't perceive these types of shockers in anything I read, this time it really caught me off-guard but made a lot of sense at the same time.

*Side note*: When Rosie was learning to control her powers, it kind of reminded me of Harry Potter (weird and totally unrelated but anyway) when Snape was teaching Harry Occulmency.

The characters

We wanted you yesterday, we want you today, and we'll want you tomorrow. There's nothing you could do to change that. If you're scared and don't understand your crazy abilities, then we'll help you understand - but don't think, not for one second, that we would ever just leave you.

Aww... now doesn't that just make you feel all soft and mushy inside?

Well that is just a taste of how supportive and caring Liam and the others are. They, along with Ruby form a tight friendship where each looks out for the other and nobody is left behind. Ruby's close bond with Zu was especially sweet, as she looked after her like a sister and understood eachother without the need for words. In any case, the unwavering friendship between this dynamic quartet drove the story forward and was a positive underlying theme.

Liam
- caring
- selfless
- noble
- pretty much perfect
- good-looking
- a natural leader
- wants the best for everyone
- Relationship with Ruby:

Ruby, give me one reason why we can't be together, and I'll give you a hundred why we can. We can go anywhere you want. I'm not your parents. I'm not going to abandon you or send you away, not
ever.

It was definitely refreshing and relieving that there wasn't that insta-love connection that usually emerges in YA novels. Their bond developed on the foundations of both need and trust, which eventuated into something more at the right time.

Chubs (Charles)
- at first standoffish
- a bit of a nerd (in a good way)
- but one of the most loyal friends once you get to know him
- always at Liam's side and will do anything to protect his friends
- has some real attitude when the time is right - one minute he's got his head stuck in a book and the next:

KABOOM

Zu
- quiet
- really cute
- powerful and can control electricity
- forms a sisterly bond with Ruby
- stronger than she looks

Ruby
- low sense-of-self in the beginning
- gradually becomes more confident
- can glimpse into peoples' minds
- Has feelings for Liam
- doesn't want anyone to be in danger because of her
- can kick-ass when she needs to (GIRL POWER!)

The ENDING

WOW, JUST WOW...
Well that's a sure way to have your readers dying in anticipation to have their hands on the next book
BUT WHY????
I...I just hope that things work out and get better
In 2 words: big. cliffhanger.

Conclusion

This is definitely a book that every dystopian lover needs to read. Full of action, intrigue, friendship, betrayal and a story that will keep you second-guessing at every turn - this was a stunning novel that I am proud to have on my shelf. I definitely can't wait for the sequel and really believe that this book would make an awesome movie. Just saying..

One of the greatest feelings in the world at least the book blogging world, is starting a book with high expectations and then being able to finish said book, with an even greater amount of excitement. I'm not going to beat around the bush. The Darkest Minds rocked! From start to finish my hands were glued to this book and my eyes to the pages. I couldn't get enough!

The Story: Bracken proves that there's still plenty of originality left in the dystopian genre having crafted an incredibly original tale of (future) disarray, destruction, subjection and fear. The world in DM is so large and full of possibilities. With so many different organizations/groups at play, you never really know who to trust, or who's the bad guy. The plot is very twisty at times. Just when you think that you're safe, you realize you're not, or vice versa. Bracken throws out a lot of false trails, continually and successfully leading us down wrong paths.

The Main Character: I had quite the love-hate relationship when it came to Ruby. On one hand I found her incredibly naive. Having firsthand witnessed Thurmond's cruel treatment and quite literally laughable "rehabilitation" methods, you'd think that Ruby wouldn't be so quick to trust. Unfortunately that's not the case due to the fact that she makes a lot of stupid mistakes. These mainly involve trusting anyone who promises to help, save or protect her. Ruby is flawed for sure, but the parts of her that shine the brightest are the good parts, like her huge heart and budding determination. She grows a lot throughout the story. In the beginning you find a girl too scared to stand up for herself, let alone anyone else. By the end, Ruby is ready to strike down whoever tries to comes at her or especially, her friends.

Supporting Characters: A lot of DM`s strength comes from its core group of supporting characters. Unlike many books that feature their S.C. in the background, DM`s remain constantly upfront, thickening and propelling the story forward. Each one, Suzume, Chubs and especially Liam, burst with strong individuality. Their quirky, irritable yet hilarious and charming personalities (in that order) fill out this book with emotion. No characters fall flat in DM because they are all carefully constructed and considerably utilized.

The Romance: Sigh! Swoon! Drool! You name it!!! Since the description makes mention I don't feel spoilery for saying that there is a lot of lurve brewing between Ruby and my dear, Liam. Besides the fact that I personally want to transport into DM`s world and snatch Liam for myself, the chemistry between Ruby and Liam is just so damn powerful. Watching their relationship slowly (sometimes painstakingly) build, kept me hooked the whole way through. What I like is seeing love not being told there's love. DM excels at this. You won't see any pre-mature "I love you!" and "I love you tos!" Instead you get the story of two people, having met under incredible and horrific circumstances, learning to trust and lean on one another through dangerous after dangerous situation, and finally realizing that their feelings of friendship branch deeper and stronger.

Because at times the story did slow down and it was a bit of a struggle to get through, I give The Darkest Minds 4.5 stakes. I'm so bummed that it's going to be a year before book two comes out. After the mind-blowing cliffhanger in DM and Ruby's new-found realization and determination I CANNOT wait for the book(s) to follow.

This one is a winner. Written by an author who knows how to use the English language, this impressive book gives the reader time to get to know her remarkable characters, care about their troubled world, and get caught up in the interesting flow of the plot. A few other reviewers complained about the plot, but I loved it. It alternates between the leisurely flow of character-driven action with terrific dialogue, the steady building of suspense, and moments of adrenaline-racing thrills. The strength of the book is that the author successfully does this a few times, all the while moving the story forward, pulling the reader in further, and building toward the finish. There is not what I would call a cliffhanger ending, as this book is complete in itself, but the ending does set you up for the next book should you care to continue the series. Some serious and troubling events occur in the book, several involving children being mistreated, and one involving a teen girl being (probably) sexually molested, but are alluded to mostly indirectly so that the reader's mind doesn't feel invaded. The blossoming romance between Ruby and Liam was tastefully done, and was refreshingly free of all the usual ad nauseum teenage love scenes that litter most YA books these days. Plus, Liam was respectful of Ruby's autonomy, and Ruby didn't lose her brain to a guy. For all of thse reasons, I think this book would be great for YAs.

Why. Why the heck did this book end like that, and why the heck did Ruby do that?!?!?!? WHY!!!!! I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW! -_-

I just got a glimpse of the sequel, and I need it now, because once again, I was left in a cliffhanger, TWICE! INCREDIBLE!

Well, apart from that awfully teasing ending, I loved Ruby, she was an awesome protagonist, stupid at times, but none the less fine.

I loved Liam <3 (I could tell that I was going to like him just based on the name...)

I hated Calen Or whatever his name is since his name was weird and I didn't really focus on him too much, because my suspicions for him were confirmed...

There were many action parts, development in abilities, development in plot, the romance (but then that ended in the end which is why we get that huge cliffhanger!) and also this book had originality, which is a big 2 thumbs up from me!

The only problem with this book was that it was a little too... slow...and of course the ending which still frustrates me so much! But that's fine, I'm going to get the sequel and read the whole darn thing in just 3 hours and then be in the same position for the last one... GREAT!

This is the first time I've actually wanted to throw a book across the room because that ending was just...infuriating. This was a really good book. I've read a lot, a lot of dystopians, but this one actually felt different. It felt completely new and I really enjoyed it.

I want to start by adding a trigger warning for sexual assault and rape. I have done my research, I know the character isn't actually raped, but it reads very much like she is and therefore I do not want to leave this out.

What I liked:
The story felt completely original.
The protagonist's backstory was painful but in a way that was interesting and made me want to see it resolved.
Zu is the best character ever and I love her with all my heart.

What I disliked:
Kinda...intsa-lovey, I mean they know each other a total of a month and fall in solve and it's just kind of...quick to me.
Protagonist is kinda gullible. And spoilers ahead: It seemed pretty obvious Clancy was shady and not a good person, and she just kinda goes with it, so

4.5 stars, actually.

In the mood for an action-packed YA dystopia? If you can get past the hurdle of believing parents would be so afraid of their own children showing psychic powers to the point of locking them up in internment camps a la World War II, then The Darkest Minds is right up your alley.

It is a post-epidemic society in the United States, with the economy tanked, the government in an uproar, and many children between the ages of 10 and 20 identified by color for their particular psychic power herded into terrible camps where they are abused.

Only Ruby got miss-classified when she first entered the camp, and now, six years later, her secret is finally going to be discovered. She escapes with the help of a member of the mysterious League of children, and then falls in with another group of escaped kids from a different camp.

Ruby will have to navigate a hostile, crumbling Virginia countryside with Liam, Chubs, and Zu (yeah for a Japanese character even if she never talks!)to find the mysterious Slip Kid, a hero providing shelter to kids the PSI Force police are after.

Can she trust them enough to tell them the truth about her powers?

The Darkest Mind has just enough action-- escapes, shoot-outs, sneaking around, attacks-- to keep your pulse pounding while it develops the main characters (side characters are a bit cardboard cutout) Ruby's fear about her own powers puts quite the believable damper on her attraction to Liam, and while the romance is sweet and suitable for younger YA audiences, its her slow-going, mutually untrusting relationship with Chubs that steals the show each time.

Liam describes Chubs as a "crotchety seventy year old man in seventeen year old's body" and Chubs' unswerving loyalty is a great foil for Ruby's dithering and worrying.

So along with the slightly difficult to believe treatment of children (and the book's unwillingness to address how the sudden fear of children would affect the population) is a rather forced segregation of children into various PSI categories, but if you can overlook these two minor flaws, you'll find the romance, the friendships, and the political complications compelling.

A great read for someone who wants more Hunger Games or Divergent.

This was such a brilliant read. I loved the world building, the classification of "powers" and the post-apocalyptic feel of the U.S. well in its descent into chaos. It's increasingly difficult to find truly unique concepts in YA, but this book left unlike anything I've ever read. The use of internment a camps was intense in a necessary and not heavy handed way - Bracken invokes the intentions of the Gulags, concentration camps, and Japanese American internment camps so well that at times I could clearly see how this could feasibly happen (with the major caveat of people developing abilities).

I loved the characters fiercely - one of my absolute favorite aspects of fiction is strong, almost co- dependent friendship dynamics. Plus, Ruby/Liam. Be still my heart. Overall, this was an amazing read that far surpassed my expectations, and I can't wait to continue with the rest of this series.

For the most part I enjoyed this book, but there were times that I wasn't sure I would continue with the series. There were several intense scenes that were really good , but there were also times that I felt like parts of the book were more geared toward middle-grade readers and for me that took away a bit of the tension from the plot. It was a little hard to get on board with how well some of the characters could control the new powers that were thrust upon them and how quickly the camps went up. I usually like it when a bit of time is taken to get you into the story and setting up the fall of society or if they're going to jump right into it than I like it if they give you a longer timeline, where things have been changing for many years to get them to where they are now. For me this timeline just seemed a bit rushed. I did like a lot of the main characters and how they interacted with each other and the ending kept me interested enough to continue with the series.

Originally posted on my blog @ Little Pieces of Imagination

With dystopians becoming sort of a joke around blogosphere, this book has managed something that very few accomplish—raving reviews and fans everywhere you turn. I was hesitant, to say the least. I was all: “Why did I purchase The Darkest Minds and pre-order the sequel on top of that? Dystopians seem to be not my thing lately.. Why did I follow the hype yet again? It’s going to be bad, I know it.” Fortunately, I had to eat my words, because this book was anything but bad.

QUOTE
“The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.”

Let’s start with the characters. We get to know Ruby—the protagonist—in a pretty intimate way before we jump into big action scenes and get to know her companions for the rest of the book. With dystopians, we usually have main characters who are strong, independent, selfless and pretty kick-a from the start. While Ruby became all of these, she wasn’t heroine-material throughout the first 100 pages and even after that. She was scared to great lengths and who wouldn’t?! The world she lives in is absolutely crazy. We watch her go through immense character growth though and it made me believe in her abilities to become the heart of the story and perhaps even pull off a revolution of sorts.

My favorite character by far was Zu. Oh, gawd. This little girl with the cutest personality was so humbling and adorable to watch. While Chubs and Liam were great and brought smile after smile on my face, Zu was the real ray of sunshine in this story. The scenes where Zu and Ruby were sharing the stage were really cute to read and I will remember their shopping spree for quite a while. The last thing Zu said wrote to Ruby still haunts my mind and I hope that we well get to the bottom of it soon.

Good news to insta-love haters—no insta-love in sight whatsoever. The relationship between Ruby and her love interest is the very definition of slow-build and had me dying of swoon by the end of the book and, of course, sharing crocodile tears for obvious reasons. *tries not to sob*

The dialogue is written very well and brings fits of giggles and big smiles to this otherwise quite dark tale. With dystopians, we often see books follow this sort of unwritten guideline. While I can’t say that The Darkest Minds didn’t have dystopian characteristics, it was most definitely an original, creative and unique world with a character-driven plot. Not only does Ruby evolve from a scared little duck to a beautiful, brave and strong swan so to speak, we also get to see progress in the secondary characters and it was probably one of my favorite aspects of this book. I also loved the aspect of super powers. BIIIIIIIG superheroes fan here so yes, me approves!

Perhaps I wasn’t as invested in Ruby’s emotional state as I could have been at the beginning. I didn’t cry nor get teary-eyed, but there wasn’t much of a chance either. The first quarter of the book excluded, the rest of it was packed with fast-paced plot and didn’t really slow down with building the world and the characters. While I wasn’t taken aback by all of the revelations, I did find myself turning page after page, eager to find out more.

All in all, I’ll say what almost every other person has been saying since this book came out: READ THIS. I don’t regret for a second that I purchased The Darkest Minds and Never Fade in hardcover and get to read them time and time again. I have marked so many places that made me either swoon, laugh or think. This is most certainly a book, and author, not to be missed and I’m eagerly anticipating what’s next to come.

Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5.0

I've read Bracken's first book, Brightly Woven, and I just adored the story. It's been a while since I read her first book so I was ecstatic to find The Darkest Minds. Even better is finding that this was going to be a series. Hooray! I just knew from the synopsis that I was going to enjoy reading The Darkest Minds.

"The government was never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind... they were afraid of us - the ones who lived"

What a line! It actually gave me goose bumps when I stumbled upon it. If that doesn't get you intrigued, I don't know what will.

I was already impressed by Bracken's world building skills and writing style from her debut novel, and she did not fail to impress me the second time with The Darkest Minds. While Brightly Woven was a simple sweet fantasy story, this book was dark and downright crazy. A world where our heroes befall misfortunes, being hunted by every possible villain, and find that there are no good guys to side with - that has got to be tough!

The protagonist, Ruby was an interesting character, although I couldn't really empathize with her scepticism over touching people or any kind of human affection at first. So she's dangerous - heck all of them are, right? That is, until I found out about her story; the real reason behind it all. Wow... look at me jabber about her isolating herself too much... and then I get it. Oh, Ruby. You poor, poor girl. Nevertheless, the development in her character just made me admire her more. And that ending... *sigh* that was just sad. But I commend her for such a great sacrifice.

My only complain about this book would probably be the lack of explanation on how they color coded the kids in the camps. Where did all that come from? I get that Reds are the most dangerous and the Greens are the least, but how do they actually classify them?

Action, deception, awesome powers, love and a show of altruism - The Darkest Minds is a book that will keep you guessing and eagerly anticipating what's next to come. Definitely a series worth reading.

original review found at: [...]
Okay let me upfront and honest about this one. I loved it but there were times when I felt it kind of dragged... yikes, I know.

I loved how this book was brutal and just BAM with emotion and you immediately connect with the characters. It seemed to me however that the author made it seem like these kids were in a concentration camp. Can I say that? I mean I felt like these kids, due to their abilities that they couldn't control where taken from their families, homes, and lives, sometimes given up because of fear and taken to these camps where they were starved, beaten, told to do pointless jobs, suffered, and sometimes killed. Where the government lied about what was really going on in the camps and etc. It seemed to me there was just a HUGE correlation between this story and the real life stories of past concentration camps. seriously, can I say this? But once the main character Ruby escapes then it eases into it's own story...

I loved Ruby and the character development with her. I loved her way of survival and how the author made her seem to desperate yet strong. I liked how when Ruby was able to escape she was able to s SLOWLY break free of fears and yet make her still seem desperate. I wanted so badly to know what would happen to her and enjoyed everything about Ruby. Plus I loved the non complicated name of Ruby. Simple. Ruby.

Other characters in this story were Liam our leader of 2 other characters Chubs and Zu. Just after Ruby escapes a camp that she's been in for 5+ years she comes across this pack of 3 and kind of joins them in their quest to find someone who can locate their families. Liam is a gentle guy who you immediately are drawn to. Chubs is the hard headed, loyal character whom you love and want to slap at the same time. Then there is quiet Zu. Sweet quiet Zu who you just adore and want to tuck under your arm and hold close and protect. I was so interested in Zu and why she remains quiet and what her story was. All these characters are endeared to you and I loved that.

There is none stop action, a hint of romance that doesn't overwhelm the story which is nice for a change, and twists that you DO NOT see coming, plus an heart wrenching ending that just leaves you blown away and that has your heart ripped out. Yes, I loved this book.

Violence: moderate (PG-13 kids being shot, or beaten, action in car chases and fight scenes)
Language: heavy (F words and others)
Sexual Content: moderate (PG)
Drugs/Alcohol: none

I love this series. I listen to the audio Mp3 in my car as I and my husband seem to always be in my car. Great writing by the author and great narrating by the reader. However, the only bad thing I have to say, and this is not about the books, but the store, is that I was able to buy the first 3 books on CD's, but not the last one. To be able to listen to the last book, Darkest Legacy, the store wants me to buy it through audible. Well, I have and I tune account and an IPOD touch where I can buy audio books when I want to listen to them with ear buds or through a bluetooth speaker. So, this is what I did with the last book and did not spend my money through the store. The books, though, are worth the read or listen as the case may be.

The story is narrated by 16-year-old Ruby, who is held captive in a terrifying prison camp for kids. When Ruby was ten years old, the majority of pre-teen kids in the United States suddenly started dying. The kids who were left were shuttled off to horrible internment camps, where it's revealed that the disease that killed their peers left each of them with one of five varieties of psychic powers. They are assigned a color--green, blue, yellow, red, orange--that signifies their particular power and determines their destiny at the camp. Ruby has been misclassified as a relatively benign green, but she lives in terror that her secret will be discovered: she's truly orange, the most feared color of all.

When her secret finally comes out, she goes on the run. Her adventures on the outside are intense. From government agents to an underground anti-government organization to gangs of kids evading capture, the possibility of danger is everywhere, but also the possibility of allies and hope. Ruby is hard-pressed to know who to trust and what's safe to share.

I loved Ruby's companions on the outside, and the relationship between her and Liam, and theirs to the rest of the little family they eventually form together. What makes the novel shine is how Ruby and her friends learn and grow through courage, sacrifice, and hard choices.

Flashbacks and history are well-integrated throughout the narrative. It is a page-turner, and the moving ending made me anxious to read the next book in the trilogy.

After actually reading this book, I totally understand what all the hype was about! When I had received the paperback in the mail from Disney, I was super excited and couldn’t wait to actually dive right in! I may have even looked like this…..

excited photo: Excited Excited.gif

What I liked…..
I loved that this book was so gritty. Ms. Bracken holds nothing back and really tries to give the reader the perspective of what poor Ruby’s life is really like. The writing is beautiful and I honestly loved every minute of it.

What I loved….

The traveling! Everyone knows how much I love road trip books:) This was a road trip and then some! The storyline is very unique and different that I was completely mesmerized while reading. I loved the fact that the kids all had different types of powers. I also enjoyed the classifications into colors. The kids were classified in the camp according to their powers, that depended on what color they were assigned.

The characters…

I, very much enjoyed Ruby to the fullest extent! She is so brave and actually very heart-broken. The things that the kids had to deal with in the camps were appalling and she actually comes out pretty unscathed for the most part. The fact that she could hold it together makes her an awesome character and teen! I also (of course), developed a major crush on Liam. What a sweetheart! He was amazing toward Ruby right from the beginning. He basically had this “no questions asked” mentality and made Ruby feel safe.

The Cover…

So when I pulled this book from the package, I immediately was like “WTH? They sent me a used book?” I showed it to my daughter and she said the exact same thing! LOL, but, it was just the way the cover was. There is likes barbed wire around the edging on the front and it literally makes the cover look used and battered. Once I realized exactly what it was all about, it made me appreciate the cover even more!

The ending…

The end of this book literally left me speechless!!! There were tears in my eyes, I’m such a sap, I had all kinds of feels going on! The paperback version has the first chapter of the next book and I honestly could not bring myself to read it without having the finished copy right in front of me. I knew that once I started, I would not want to stop.

In conclusion…

I can’t wait to get a copy of the next book, Never Fade! Never Fade was just published in October and I hear it is even better than the first book! I don’t know how that could possibly be?

I just finished this book, and holy crap! I can honestly say that this book is my favorite book EVER. Like seriously -- EVER.

I started reading this book yesterday morning, and put it down only when I HAD to. I finished it up this morning. It had me SO pulled into the story. Every chapter. Ever word. Alexandra Bracken is a wonderful author. Just the right mixture of happy and sad. I've never read a book this perfect before.

I loved the character development. I loved how the relationships evolved... Not too slow, and not too fast. And at the same time, my feelings grew as the main character's feelings did.

This book starts out in the mind of 10-year-old Ruby. (She's 16 in the story, but to get the full effect you have to start at the beginning). Ruby is at school, and suddenly one of her friends drops dead. She didn't know it, but up to this point kids all over the US had been dying. But now it was happening in her town. In her school. And within weeks over 50% of her class was dead.

But the virus effected Ruby differently. And all the kids in the US that are left alive now have powers. Green a photographic memory. (Which is what Ruby pretends to be). Blue is the ability to move stuff with your mind. Yellow is electricity. All the yellow kids can control electric. There is red, which is fire. These kids are scary, because they can start a fire with their mind. And then there is ORANGE, which is what Ruby really is. And orange is the most dangerous. In fact, there aren't many oranges left. Only three (including Ruby) that we know of in this book.

This book had me crying right from the beginning. What happened with her best friend, Sam, BROKE MY HEART. (No spoilers, don't worry). And I knew right then that this book was going to be heartbreaking, and wonderful all at the same time.

The story really gets started when there is an alarm called "White Noise". It ONLY effects the kids with abilities. It's a high pitched frequency. But this time the noise is different. It effects Ruby differently. She passes out and wakes up two days later in the hospital. Turns out, the noise was meant to find the remaining "oranges" in the camp. (All that is left are green and blue, because they're not "dangerous"). So Ruby is found out. So, she does what anybody would do... She runs.

There was one other dangerous kid in her camp. Martin. He's an orange. But man, HE IS CREEEEEEPY. And I'm wondering if ALL the oranges are seriously mental. Besides Ruby.... I guess maybe we'll find out more in Never Fade, which I can't wait for.

So when they run, Ruby find Zu, Chubs, and Liam. Immediately I love Zu. She doesn't talk. I think she CAN talk, but she doesn't because she's so damaged. I can't even imagine what this 10-year-old girl has seen in her life. My heart literally BREAKS for her.

I loved Chubs from the beginning, even though he isn't the nicest to Ruby. He only wants what is best for his friends, and he will do whatever it takes to protect them.

And Liam. Oh, Liam. He is awesome. He's so smart. He's so protective. And he is a SURVIVOR. A fighter... Not a lot of these kids are. He was a refreshing change from the other kids inside the camp. The ones who are too scared to fight back.

I love the road trip. I love the car chase scenes. I love how Ruby reveals to Liam, Chubs, and Zu that she's an orange.

Then we meet Clancy. (I won't tell you too much about him because I don't want to spoil the story). When it is reveal WHO he is, I FREAKED OUT. Like seriously. I put the book down. And I had chills... I was honestly SCARED. But then he seemed to nice. It was... too good to be true.

When everything went down, I was scared. I thought the story was going to end badly. Imagine my surprise when everybody is SO PERFECT. But then, a surprise twist. And everything is NOT OKAY. Everything is really bad. And it makes you want to scream. And cry. Thank God I just ordered book 2. And I am going to start is TODAY.

I absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend it to EVERYBODY. It doesn't matter what genre you like. This book has something for everything.

5/5 stars. I'd give it more if I could, because it deserves a lot more than 5.

My summary: Ruby lives, at some future point of time, in the United States. Most children are mysteriously dying. Those that are left living have special abilities. When Ruby turns 10 years old, her parents turn her into the government after she uses her ability without even realizing what she is doing. She is sent to a camp where kids are supposedly rehabilitated, but that is a lie the government tells. She faces unspeakable horrors for six years at the camp until one day an organization who wants to use her for her ability sneaks her out. However, she doesn't trust them and runs away. She gets taken in by a small mis-fit group of kids with various abilities who are looking for a place that is rumored to be safe for their kind. There is no telling if it is or if their group will make it alive.

What I thought: I loved this book! I didn't know exactly what to expect since this book is vastly different from the author's first book, Brightly Woven, which I also enjoyed. The Darkest Mind is definitely dystopian, but there were a lot of funny and bright spots amidst all the doom and gloom. Take great characters, a plot and writing style that really worked for me, and a realistic feeling and you have a very enjoyable read. That being said, it was also a very stressful read and had a challenging ending. I understood the ending, but it was hard to deal with. I loved seeing how each character dealt with their circumstances and the challenges they each faced. I also really appreciated that the relationship between the hero and heroine wasn't forced in any way, but felt natural and realistic to me. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Content: There is no language or scenes, but there is quite a bit of non-descriptive and some descriptive violence, and some sexual tension/innuendo and possible rape because of what is going on in the story.

I read all three books within three days and haven't stopped thinking about the characters since. The story is exciting, suspenseful, heart-breaking, and just overall amazing—and I didn’t set it down once until it was over.

I gotta say, it's been a while since I've read a book this good. Right from the start, the story is fast-paced and I was dying to find out what would happen next. At every turn there is suspense and action and I could picture every scene clearly in my head, thanks to Bracken's excellent writing. I became so attached to Ruby and her friends that I find myself thinking about them 24/7. It is nearly impossible not to love the main characters. While they can be frustrating at times, they are so real and so good, despite all of the terrible things they’ve had to deal with at such a young age. I was also pleased with how diverse their personalities were. My heart physically ached for them and I will humbly admit that I cried several times throughout the series. When I came to the last page of the third book I actually felt as if there was a gaping hole in my chest where my heart had previously been. In order to fill said empty void, I immediately picked up the first book and read the series again, from start to finish. I love this book, and the two that follow it, and I hope everyone is as moved by Ruby’s story as I was!

I know this review doesn’t reveal anything specific about the plot, but nothing I could write would do it justice.

READ THIS BOOK IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU

My Rating: 5 out of 5 ✩
Heat Rating: 1 out of 5 ❤

I picked this beauty up on a whim cause honestly, that cover is pretty, and I’m so happy I did. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I grabbed this, but it sure wasn’t what I got. The journey this story took me on was quite unnerving, but absolutely amazing at the same time. This world these kids live in seems believable, like it could very well happen tomorrow, and that is what was truly bothersome. To have a life so horrible and sterile, terrifying at times, is almost sickening. But the way Bracken tells it is mysteriously attractive.

In the beginning, I wasn’t really sure what to think of Ruby. There were aspects of her I liked and aspects of her that kind of annoyed me. It wasn’t until she made a snap decision in the middle of a frightening escape that I leaned more towards liking her. She was very timid in the beginning, careful of every interaction she has with anybody. But she soon warms up to Liam, Zu, and Chubs the more she comes to understand them. She had a deep drive to keep everyone safe, to always be cautious at every moment. She truly cared about the three of them and only wanted to make sure they reached East River. She had a very warm personality. She didn’t want any of them to feel like they were in some way unaccepted, like she felt. She knew she would always be a danger to them because of the nature of her abilities, but she hoped in some way she had found where she belonged. She was very emotion driven, usually doing things on instinct instead of thinking them through. This ends up being her strength, and ultimately develops into a kind of intelligence that in the right setting, made her a powerful ally. Her relationships with the other characters were beautiful in their own ways. Each one left me truly devoted to each of them, and pulled at my heartstrings like nothing else. The way they all interacted with each other made the situation they were in that much more powerful. Nothing was a given. Nowhere was safe. It was a race against time with a struggle to have a somewhat normal life. It was captivating and moving and a journey that left me thrilled and worried about what may be in store for them in the future.

This book was so much more than I expected when I picked it up and I loved every second of it. I know for sure I’ll be rushing out to get the next one. I have to know what happens to my beloved Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu.

The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken is one creepy, but good book! Something happened to the kids when mistake happened. The white noise buffer they always hear stopped. A strange loud noise pierced the air and the ears of the kids. Many kids died right away, others slowly, and others changed. Some slowly, others quickly. The government took all the kids to a brutal camp. One of the camp "doctors" save her and got her out of the camp, but she knows this doctor is going to use her. Very intense story. These kids have 'gifts' they use. Very cool book! Loved it. I got this at the library.

I will admit that I've had the advanced reader copy of this book on my shelf since last summer, but it took a good friend of mine reading this book and telling me how much she enjoyed it before I finally pulled it off the shelf to read.

I am now officially regretting not picking up this book sooner. Not only was it well written and plotted, but it kept my attention through the whole text. Bracken's story picks up at the beginning when the "disease" strikes children all around the United States. I put "disease" in quotations because I'm not entirely sure whether or not I believe it would be a naturally occurring thing or if it was manufactured by scientists within the storyworld. Something I suppose I'll find out as I continue to read.

So basically these poor kids, who can do extraordinary things, are put into modernized concentration camps and forced to work and do mundane tasks to keep their minds from honing their skills and possibly using them against anyone. Although, this is a very stupid plan by the adults, because it just serves to make the children and teens resentful of their treatment and provides them with motivation to strike back.

And when our protaganist, Ruby, finally gets out of her prison, she is faced with the ultimate challenges of survival in a world that treats her kind like fugitive. Lo and behold she meets an adorable boy and his ragtag friends, and they go together like "peas and carrots."

The plot really picks up at this point, and the story just takes off with Bracken's excellent descriptions and her ability to construct realistic conversations and emotions. I'd like to say that I didn't see the twist coming, but it is something that I guessed toward the last fourth of the novel when Ruby was working to hone her skills. However, guessing it didn't take away any of its impact.

The ending is heartbreaking and I really wish that it hadn't happened, but I understand why it did narratively, and I'm already moving the sequel to the top of my to be read pile!

4 Bards.

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!!!!!!! *no comment* It was that good. omg.

But then I do have to rant so....

So this book was like a pass-me-down recommendation. It was recommended to my friend Liana from Dalena, therefore Liana bought the book. I heard Dalena give great recommendations and I talked to Dalena so I decided to read the book. (Liana didn't even read it yet. HAHA.)

The Cover: You see that symbol right there? It's the symbol of the government's cruelty towards children. It's the symbol people at the "rehalbilitation camp" and they're evil. Anyways, just by looking at this book and reading the teaser, my friend, Wen said it sounded good. So *winks looks like it's a catchy cover.

The Characters: Ruby- When Ruby was then, her parents disowned her. Or her parents forgot her. I don't know. Maybe she made her parents forget her. I don't really get that part. But either, on the day of her tenth birthday, she was dragged to concentration camp. There they were classified as colors. Green and Blue were the less dangerous ones. And Yellow and Red were kind of dangerous. But the most dangerous was Orange. Orange can change thoughts, read minds, and control actions. The amazing Slip Kid was Orange. And Ruby? Ruby's Ornge but she made others think she was a Green. But Ruby doesn't know how to use her powers.

Liam - This hottie right here is nineteen? I think he's nineteen or was it seventeen. Haha. I forgot. I read too many books to remember. I just know that they're in their teens and their hot. Yep. Such an awesome reader. He's the leader of the group that goes around places with him. In his group, there's a guy named Chubs and an eleven-year-old named Zu. All three of them escaped out of the prison camp children are dumped in. I'm pretty sure Liam is the oldest, therefore he's the leader. Zu was the one who saved Ruby and Chubs don't really like Ruby at first, but Liam insisted that Ruby stayed with them. ;D

The Plot: When Ruby was ten, she was dragged away by PSF officers to the Thurmond "rehabilitation camp" among all the other children from 9-16 (I believe). There, she spent six years listening to what people tell her to do. She stays quiet. She makes a friend, named Sam. Six years later, Sam stuck up for her, but Ruby couldn't do anything to save her friend from the torture PSF officers give them. Soon, Ruby was saved by a doctor named Dr.Begbie.

It turns out Dr. Begbie works for the organization against the camps and she works to save kids like Ruby. But Ruby doesn't trust Begbie (her real name is Kate, I think. Sorry. My memory problems. Omg.) Ruby runs away from Kate and her boyfriend Rob and in the end, she finds Liam's group. Ruby stayed with Liam and yes, they slowly fell in love. Haha. <3

Both Ruby and Liam wants to find the Slip Kid. Apparently the Slip Kid could provide food and all those resources for kids like them. But when Ruby finally finds him, Ruby soon learns who the Slip Kid really is and what damage he could really do.

I can't believe I forgot to add Ruby's abilities. Ruby can mind read and control another person's thoughts. She's an Orange. And there aren't much Oranges out there. Perhaps only the Slip Kid and her. Because they're the last few. And only the Oranges can change things all around.

The Extras: Ohmergerd, The ending. I could cry. Actually I think I did. Omg. I kind of wish the book ended like so that it would be a sad ending and I could cry and love this book forever. But it's a series, so at least there's a chance for a happy ending. ;)

This book kind of reminds of Graceling by Kristin Cashore. But mind reading and controlling was an ability in Graceling also. And people are also identified through their abilities in both books. ;) And both have awesome romance in it. ;D

Hope that wasn't too long of a rant~

First in the The Darkest Minds dystopian, young adult series. Ruby is the primary focus with Liam secondary.

My Take
This is a clever twist on a dystopian theme, but Bracken has too many loose threads in this, and it drove me batty. For one, why is IAAN considered so horrible? Why didn't the government simply come up with programs to re-educate or train the kids in how to "use" their powers? Why was it necessary to destroy their spirits, their souls, their lives? Why was it such a boogeyman? Why do they treat the kids so badly? Bracken doesn't give any reasons for this and this whole issue spoiled the story for me.

She compounds it with the economic meltdown in which the government defaults on its loans---which isn't explained. In less than six years, the U.S. is so bad off that it's as though a major depression, one even greater than the Great Depression of the 1930s, has hit and a huge war broke out with nukes used. At least that's the feel I get from this story. There is very little population and too many deserted towns. It doesn't make sense.

Why doesn't Grams come for Ruby? It's one thing about her parents, but it didn't affect Grams. Why does Ruby think her true classification will scare the other three off? It never appeared to scare the kids at camp?

Jesus, the Children's League sounds like a terrorist organization, sending children out to be killed to fulfill their own dreams.

It doesn't make sense that the kids making hits to re-supply the camp are doing it so nearby. How can the government possibly miss figuring out where the camp is?

Bracken does well in stringing us along, teasing us as to what Ruby is referring to, what happened to her parents. And if I could get my mind around those inconsistencies and holes, I would have enjoyed it tremendously.

Oh, wow, the ending. Oh, it made me cry so hard. And it's the ending that will make me read the next in the series because I gotta know what happens next. It is not, however, a buy for me.

The Story
Kids between 10 and 14 are dropping dead. Some falling "ill" with IAAN, their psychic powers coming to the fore. It's an unknown and terrifies the government so badly that they lock their own children away and treat them worse than regular prisoners.

Five years later, Ruby's ruse that allowed her to be classed as a Green is at risk and one of the doctors offers to help her escape. But, there are strings attached. It's just another side to those who want to use the children and their powers.

Yet another escape finds Ruby entangled with another group of escapees, who are searching for the psychic children's promised land. Suzume wants Ruby with them. Liam is willing to drop her at a bus station. Chubs wants her gone. Now. Meanwhile, the skiptracers, Psi SF, the Children's League, and more are all after them.

The Characters
Ruby Daly is only ten when they take her away. Samantha Dahl is her first and only friend at Thurmond. Both are classed as Greens. Vanessa and Ashley are some of their cabinmates. Martin was another child passing as a Green.

Liam Stewart is Blue and a big picture kind of guy, Charles Carrington Meriwether IV, a.k.a., Chubs, is more focused, and Suzume is Yellow with a desperate need to connect. They've escaped a camp in Caledonia, Ohio, together, and now they're desperately searching for their particular Shangri-La. Black Betty is Liam's name for the minivan they stole. Jack Fields was their friend who didn't make it out; George Fields is his father to whom they need to deliver Jack's letter.

Harry is Liam's stepdad. Claire was his little sister. Cole is the brother who joined the Children's League. Greg, Kyle, and Kevin have set up camp in the Wal-Mart.

The Slip Kid has set up a haven for escaped kids, where they can contact their parents and be safe with food and a roof over their heads. He's excited about training Ruby to use her power. Mike remembers Liam. Others include Hercules, Olivia appears to be the Kid's second-in-command, Hayes, Pete, Hina is Zu's cousin, Lizzie, Kylie, Talon, and Lucy are some of the other kids in the camp.

Clancy Gray is the president's son, an Orange, and a poster child for how well the camps rehab the kids. President Gray has turned dictator. Psi Special Forces are really thugs with jackboots who brutalize the children. Joseph Traylor is their commander.

Dr. Cate Begbie, a.k.a., Cate Connor, is a volunteer with the Leda Corporation which does research and sends doctors in to help with the children. The Children's League is an anti-government group trying to take down the camp system. It's led by John Alban, a former intelligence advisor to President Gray. Rob is one of their operatives.

Lady Jane is one of the more persistent skip tracers.

Michael Everhart was the first teen to die from IANN, Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration disease. Their psychic powers are classed from weakest to strongest: Blues, Greens are smart with good memories while the Yellows destroy, Oranges can make others think and do what they want, and Reds are the most feared and make up Project Jamboree, the president's special army.

A number of prison camps for the children are built---most by the children themselves in concentration camp-like conditions. Thurmond is one of the more notorious camps with a reputation for creating FrankenKiddies.

The Cover
The cover reminds me of Veronica Roth's Divergent with its dark background and the flaming mass in the center---in this case a flaming pitchfork with embers floating in the background.

The title could apply in three ways: the mind powers the children realize, the paranoid reactions of the adults, or the minds of people who need to control others. It's up to you to decide which are The Darkest Minds.

My Review: I LOVED LOVED LOVED (did I say LOVED) this book! I almost didn't read it. All the reviews I read on Goodreads about this book were split down the middle. It either got 5 stars or 1 star. People either LOVED LOVED it (like me) or Hated it. Personally, I enjoyed this book immensely.

First, the way Alexandra writes is beautiful. She is so descriptive. I mean, down to every detail. I could see the whole scene and characters with such detail it was more like watching a movie then reading a book. She has a poetic flow to her writing that kept me interested from page one.

Second, the story and the characters were so interesting. Like I said before I was hooked from page one. And for the first time in a while I found myself really feeling for the characters. I love Ruby's strength and attitude. In the beginning, yes she is a little soft but who wouldn't be. Anyways, Ruby and Liam and Chubs and Zu. All of them. I wanted to reach in the book and make things good right for them so bad. BTW The idea of the powers that these kids had were amazing.

There were certain areas that moved a little slow for me (her first few interactions with the Slip Kid) but as I continued reading I understood why those moments were there and the picture she was painting. Although, it was a little slow it was necessary to understand his character and how everyone saw him.

Anyways, I couldn't stop reading this book. I wanted to do nothing but read, read, read all day. Once I got to the end I slowed down because I knew I didn't have the next book and I hate to wait. I ordered the next two books. If you like YA dystopian novels you will love this book! Promise.

Before reading this book, I'd heard so many good ravings about this book. However I wasn't sure what I'd think of it all, Now, having read it I still don't know what to think. What to say even. This book leaves me so confused. It's good...then slow...then picks up...then FEELS. I can't decide if I LOVE LOVE it or if it's just average. Maybe that's why this book was so good? I don't know. Maybe writing all this out will help me figure it out. Spoilers, if any, will be highlighted in Green.

This book starts off with a good buildup and introduction to our dear Ruby's predicament. It was very interesting to read about, but to be honest. I wasn't feeling that gung-ho about this book. It was well-told but I was just hanging on for the action to kick in. Which brings me into the pacing. This book is steady and driven. It's not rushed. Oh there is some action and intensity, but it's not a GO-GO-GO kinda book. Especially as we see Ruby on the run. To quote Ashley, it's like a "glorified road trip." Being on the run takes up a lot the book. And though incidents happen and we learn things, I didn't feel that it was all that it cracked up to be. There were times when I felt weighed down with the somewhat slow pacing.

One thing I loved about this book was the diversity of character in this novel. The cast was wonderful! Ruby's friends are some of my favorite people. Zu is so unique. She is sweet, strong and vulnerable all in her own ways. It was so sweet to see Ruby's bond and need to protect her, similar to what Liam does. Which brings me to Liam. Gotta love him. He is one of the sweetest boys in YA. He's kind of like a Jane Bennett character type. Yes I'm so comparing him to a girl. Liam has this need to help and see the good. He's naive in his own way, but he's also strong and the passion to stand for his loyalties and those he cares about. I adored him also for being smart, and not acting stupidly when Ruby did something completely annoying. Go you. And then there's Chubs. He's the funny sarcastic one. The guy who tries to come off as prickly, but you just love anyway. Kudos to Alexandra. All these characters had a definitive character ARC. We see the their strengths, and we see their weakness and because of that, it just makes it so much better.

However, despite my love this gang, my feelings about Ruby confuse me. Ruby has had a pretty rough going and she gets a chance to escape it all. She's got some kick-butt powers and strengths. I loved those scenes. But she also has this mindset that almost ingrained in her. It's the flight and protect mode. She pushes away what she wants and does what she thinks needs to be done without necessarily considering alternatives. To me this resulted in me feeling disconnected from her. I would get ticked off at some of her choices, and just plan wanted her to get over some of her issues and show us the fierce and strong Ruby on the inside. Don't get me wrong, I liked her, don't get me wrong. But this back and forth mood swing going on? Not gonna cut it.

My biggest complaint with this book would have to be the lack of explanation in a few places. There are all these kids with powers and we're led to learn that there are levels of these powers. And yet, I felt like we never got a specific description of what they could actually do. It goes unsaid and it's that hard to figure out, but I would have appreciated explanations. Other than that, there only a few scenes where I would be confused, as if I was missing something. But it was never to the extent that I would be forced to put down this book.

So my feelings about this book were like a pendulum. I loved certain aspects and disliked certain others. And then the climax builds. And then it ends. And the climax, that kinda explodes in your face makes you start to scream. It's this mash-up of a choice and cliffhanger that just makes you want to tear your hair out! I'm not saying anything, but GOSH. I don't even know. It made me so scared of Never Fade to be honest. I don't want to read and find my hopes dashed. Alexandra kinda took my heart and put it on a ledge where it could fall at any moment. I just love it and hate it at the same time.

Am I even making sense you guys? This book was great! But it wasn't everything I had anticipated. It was very interesting and I enjoyed the concept, but certain developments kept it from perfection. I'm very excited to dive into Never Fade, and the novella, which I will be reading. You can't just finish a book with that kind of end and then not have even the slightest curiosity what happens next. You just can't!

Content: Milderate
[A few instances of language including a few of the F and S word. Some kissing.]

Let me just start off by saying that this book did not disappoint. The character development is superb, and not only that, but each character is distinct, complex and interesting. There were few moments in this book where I was truly frustrated with the characters, because I was able to understand why the acted certain ways. I feel like this is the single most important aspect of a great book/series. Because once a reader is emotionally connected to the characters, they're invested for the long haul.

The story, in and of itself, is fresh and a whole new spin on dystopian. Ruby, the main character, is ten years old when IAAN, the disease that killed off the majority of children her age, runs rampant through the US, and has learned that she (among others) has special abilities. They place her in a concentration camp of sorts for children who are like her, and finally escapes when she's sixteen. Once she escapes, she meets Liam, Chubs & Zu - all kids who have escaped the camps. After that, it is a constant series of obstacles, tests and learning experiences.

The only thing bad I can actually say about this book (which is minimal), is that I wish it would have had a little more action throughout. But even despite that, the book was still very interesting and I was never bored with it. The ending did not disappoint with action, and it absolutely broke my heart. So now I'm anxious to see where Bracken takes the rest of the story.

Overall, definitely one of the best reads in a VERY long time. You don't even have to be a dystopian fan to enjoy this book.. I feel like in a way, it crosses quite a few genres. It's worth the investment.

(Source: I won a hardback copy of this book.)
16-year-old Ruby was taken from her parent's home on her 10th birthday, and taken to a camp for kids with psi abilities.
One of a small number of kids who actually survived a disease known as IAAN, Ruby had no idea that the American government was afraid of what she could do with her mind, and ended up in camp with around 3000 other kids and held there like a prisoner for 6 years.

After being busted out by a member of a terrorist group intent on using Ruby's abilities for harm, Ruby manages to get away, and ends up with another group of kids in a similar situation.
How long can they run from the government and bounty hunters though? Can Ruby learn to use her abilities to her advantage? And will she ever make it home?

This was a 3 star story, with a 5 star ending.

Ruby was an interesting character. She was strong even when she didn't think that she was, and she was resourceful when things mattered. I felt sorry for her over the way she had been treated by her parents, then by the PSF (people in charge at the camp), and then by plenty of other people. I liked how she became more confident though, and how she began to see the way forward, even when the way forward was hard.

I liked the storyline in this book, but I did feel that it was pretty slow in places. Maybe it was the lack of zombies or something, but I didn't feel the urgency or adrenalin in this story the way I expected to, and although stuff happened, it didn't make me desperate to keep reading, which was a shame.
There were some twists and turns in this story, but I felt like I saw a lot of them coming. The last 10-15% of the story was really good though, it was a shame that the rest of the book couldn't have been the same! The finale of this book had excitement, it had twists and turns, it had drama and cliff-hangers galore, and a final heart-wrenching decision by Ruby which actually hurt to read.

Most of this book felt a little flat to me, but the ending was pretty spectacular. I really didn't get why people loved this book so much until I got to the ending, but I get it now. I really feel quite violent after that ending though - I don't know whether to throw the book, scream and shout, or cry - I am that incensed! After that ending though, I'll definitely be reading the next book.
Overall; a 3 star story, with a 5 star finish.
7.75 out of 10.

Since I'm sick and feel like absolute crap at the moment,
I apologize if the following review is not entirely coherent.

I have been restlessly waiting for The Darkest Minds for what has seemed to me like an entire millennium. Ever since I glanced at the cover in my recommendations bar, I knew that it was going to be a keeper. Ya know, one of those books that you buy in Kindle form, fall in love with, then rush off to Barnes and Noble to buy a physical copy just to stare at all day. Is that normal? Hopefully I'm not the only one who does this....

The simple black textured cover, adorned with an orange Psi symbol, and barbed wire to finish it off intrigued me endlessly! Of course I had no idea what the symbol meant before reading the novel, but when I finished, it made perfect sense! The cover was so different compared to other YA novels that usually consisted of a pretty girl in a long dress looking off into the distance dramatically or a broody and mysterious bad boy caught in an intimate embrace with his soul mate or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against these covers if they actually coincide with the novel. But to be honest, they usually don't.

The Darkest Minds takes place in a futuristic world, when America is basically bankrupt and more than half of the younger generation (Usually 10-14) is infected with IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration). Those who survive this life threatening condition come out stronger and develop abilities that the government deems dangerous and deadly. The parents of these children send their kids off to "rehabilitation camps," a place the government claims is helping to find a cure for these children, but instead is forcing them to work long strenuous hours and treating them like savage animals. In these camps, each child is sorted into five categories according to how dangerous their ability is.

Green: Mentally advanced children/photographic memories.
Blue: Telekinesis.
Yellow: Electricity.
Orange: Mind Control
Red: ability to create and wield fire.

The protagonist, Ruby, was nothing like I expected her to be! She was strong, brave, fiercely loyal, intelligent, and yet also had a tendency to be unconfident at times. She was afraid of what her powers were capable of, and because of this, she thought of herself as a monster, something that could not be controlled. Ruby constantly thought about the wellbeing of others and always put the lives of her friends, or even complete strangers, in front of her own. She was compassionate the majority of the time, however, there were a couple moments when her actions were at odd with her benevolent nature. One of the biggest reasons I loved Ruby was because she didn't hesitate to fight back. Even though she had no training whatsoever, she didn't cower in the corner like some annoying damsel in distress. She fought back with everything she had and didn't hesitate to risk her life to save others even if it meant the end of her own.

There were two love interests (sort of) in this novel, but it was far from what you would call a love triangle. Liam was the leader of their little gang, had a slight southern drawl, and was so cute! He was always brave and put together when it came to leading his friends, but when it came to talking to Ruby about...other things, he was just so adorably awkward! There were so many times that I let out an audible "Awwww!" every time he did something sweet. And the one thing I loved best about their relationship? It was NOT one of those despicable insta love connections! When Ruby and Liam first met, there was a slight attraction to each other, but it was realistic. It wasn't this out of the blue, "We were meant to be together." or "Your my soul mate, and I would do anything to be with you." kind of thing. It started off as a friendship and it grew over time into something more. They were each independent people and didn't let love change who they really were. It felt real. The other love interest (Don't want to say his name, because it's a huge spoiler!), made me a little wary as soon as he was introduced. He was just so.......perfect and slightly creepy.

The one point where this novel really shined, was the depths of the supporting characters. I have never, in all my years of reading, loved and connected to every single character in a book! Love you, Chubs! :D.

The action was well paced! In the beginning, I was kind of confused on what was happening, which resulted in me having to reread a few things over. But after I got a few chapters into the story, I was immediately sucked into the dark and violent world Alexandra managed to create. I thought I had everything figured out halfway through the novel, but I. Was. So. Wrong! I wasn't able to predict anything correctly, and that's saying something because since I've read so many books, It's become easy to know what's coming next just by paying attention to all the minor details. The Darkest Minds was an exception to that! There were so many times that Alexandra played with my emotions! One time, I literally felt my heart drop, and I was like no no No No! Then I read the next sentence, and I could finally breathe again. AND THAT ENDING!? WHAT? WHY!? WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO US!?

Overall, The Darkest Minds put a unique spin to the well known world of Dystopian novels. If you enjoy dark dystopians, unpredictable twists and turns, a strong heroine, and unbreakable friendships, you should pick this book up ASAP!

Favorite Quotes:

"They were never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind. They were afraid of us-the ones who lived."

"I'm a monster, you know. I'm one of the dangerous ones."
"No you aren't," he promised. "Your one of us."

"The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces."

Heroine- 4/5
Romance- 5/5
Action- 4/5
Comedy- 3/5
Overall- 4/5

For more reviews, visit my website readinguntildawn (dot) blogspot (dot) com.

My friend recommended me to read The Darkest Minds. We enjoy similar books, so I decided to give it a try. .....wow. The Darkest Minds is one of those books that makes you keep turning the pages, chapter after chapter. As a teen, I got utterly tired of reading books about werewolves and vampires and therefore got so excited when I heard TDM was NOT about any of those things.
TDM is primarily about a disease that wipes out almost all of the teen population. The surviving teens are sent to a rehabilitation camp. You can say it has somewhat the same idea of the Maze Runner.
I loved each of the main characters in TDM. Each character was so unique in their own way and I really enjoyed them for that.
While reading The Darkest Minds, I was asking myself a lot if questions, as I was confused. I was asking myself whether these characters have the same childhood of being kicked out of their own home. Or wether they will ever find their destination.
Let me just say one more thing, about the ending that is. WHAT. I was warned before reading this book that I would hate the ending, which I did. I will not say what happens, but it is essential to be prepared to throw the book at whatever unfortunate, innocent object or thing you feel like throwing it at, sit in disbelief for the period of about four minutes, and display a very, very, very angry profile.
I definitely recommend The Darkest Minds, especially if you are looking for a good read that does not have to do with oversized puppies and glowing fairies.

By the end of its prologue, The Darkest Minds reached a fist into my chest and gripped tight onto my heart, it then proceeded to crush it, and my soul, into tiny little microscopic pieces of dust until the last page. Bleak. Devastating. Brutal. Brilliant. This book will break you apart until you're a quivering heap of tears and you will still want more. This is what dystopian fiction should be.

Ruby's world is a horrific one. Most of the United States child populations has been killed by a mysterious disease and those who did manage to survive it have developed paranormal psychic abilities. Once the government catches on to this they start rounding the kids up into what are effectively concentration camps, under the guise of "rehabilitation", outright killing the ones they consider the most dangerous-those ranked as yellows, oranges and reds. It's without a doubt the most disturbing dystopian world I've ever come across and Bracken throws the reader into it without mercy.

The writing is brilliant, haunting and utterly draining. There were multiple times when I had to pause my reading to close my eyes and just breathe. Bracken's world-building is rich in detail, the action is intense, heart-stopping and the story is perfectly paced. However the best and brightest part is the characters. Ruby, Lee, Chubs, Zu. They were all fantastically built, complex, multidimensional, amazing, lovable. I cannot gush about them enough. Despite trying to keep myself emotionally distant from them because this is one of those worlds in which you just know that nobody is safe, they all wormed their way into my heart. Ruby is precious. I feel so immensely protective of her. She's suffered through the worst that the human race has to offer, lives in terror and has moments where she feels weak and powerless and yet she is so incredibly brave and resilient. She could have easily let herself drown in self-pity and misery but she never lets it happen and that makes me love her all the more. And the moment when she finally embraces her power is some of the best writing and character development I have ever seen. I was drowning in tears and love and pride. As for the rest of the group? Lee is just an utterly charming southern boy, brave, loyal and true. Chubs, while frustrating at times, with his tough as nails attitude won me over most in the moments when he was tender and vulnerable. And Zu is such a sweet, funny girl. I really appreciated how developed this whole group of character was, and the bond between them all was my absolute favorite part of the story. The sweet blush of romance that develops between Lee and Ruby was also a surprising highlight and felt completely organic, slowly developing over time as they learn to trust each other.

This book also holds what might be the creepiest villain I have ever come across. There are actually multiple villains, all with their own secret agendas, another aspect that I really enjoy, but of the two we get to know up close through Ruby's interactions with them, there was only one that I felt was truly evil. I hear a lot of talk about how Warner (of The Shatter Me series) and the Darkling (of the Grisha trilogy) are the creepiest YA villains but compared to the one in this book they are sweet little puppies. My skin is still crawling and I actually had to force down vomit at two particular moments. TMI I KNOW, but necessary to emphasize my point.

The Darkest Minds started with a bang and ended the same. I was left openly sobbing, feeling as if my heart had been wrenched out of my chest and desperate for the sequel.

It's been a good long while since I finished a book in two days or less but this young adult science fiction had me hooked. And rather than winding down as I neared the end, it just kept getting better.

I found the beginning a little confusing. Initially it's difficult to work out who can do what and why that is a problem for the ruling powers. It seemed to take an overlong time to get to the heart of that particular mystery but once I did, I couldn't put it down. My affinity for the main character, Ruby, increased as the tale progressed. She initially didn't spark any particular fondness in me but as she moves through the trials presented to her I fell in love with her ever-increasing strength of character. Conversely, her friends Liam, Zu, and Chubs were love at first meeting. They're an easy group to fall for, thriving through use of their diverse strengths and talents against a terrifying group of enemies who seem to be everywhere all the time.

Love and friendship are the ties that bind this motley crew together as they strive to save themselves and the children still trapped in the nightmare they're running from. Before I closed the cover on this one, I already downloaded the follow-up short story and book number two. I'm relieved I don't have to say goodbye to this cast of characters just yet...

So this book was all sorts of awesome! From page one I was sucked into the mystery behind the whole Psi organization and rehabilitation camps. The idea of kids either dying at the age of ten or mutating with abilities is crazy!

I really loved Ruby as a MC, while she has the power inside of her to take a lot of people down yet she hesitates to accept it as a part of her, afraid that it will make her into a monster. I'm pretty pleased with how Ruby grows over the timespan of the book. She becomes stronger and more sure of herself But she still has a long way to go. I seriously love the little group that Ruby, Chubs, Liam, and Zum make. They are perfect for each other and I really grew attached to them as a whole, especially as we learn more about their pasts. And can I just say that I am SO Team Liam! He is just the nicest guy and the most perfect fit for Ruby!

The whole book was one twist after another after exciting event after gut wrenching suspense. But the end! Ugh the end! It has me left dying to know what is going to happen, I seriously can't take it! I really thank the author for leaving me a tiny sliver of hope though!

The Darkest Minds is an excellent dystopian set in a realistic future world. It was a thrill ride that I didn't dare step off of until the end. I highly recommend!

Originally posted 2/22/13 at Melissa's Bookshelf.

I'm kicking myself for not writing this review immediately after finishing The Darkest Minds because while I remember thinking this book was a whole lotta awesome, I don't remember all of the specifics that sparked that feeling! Of course, the fact that it's a dystopian is what drew me to the book, because so far I haven't met a dystopian novel or series I haven't liked! And this time, Bracken has put a fresh spin on dystopia that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is also a hint of Sci-Fi thrown in.

I grew way too attached to the characters in this book. And because of that, I was VERY frustrated with Ruby for her actions at the end (not to spoil things too much). That said, boy does it make for a great cliffhanger leading into the second book. Too bad I will have to wait awhile on that one -- Never Fade isn't due out until the Fall, sigh...

There's a lot going on in this story and Bracken shows it all in vivid detail -- it is definitely action-packed and the pace moves along quickly. Despite its chunkier size, I still moved through The Darkest Minds pretty quickly because I simply couldn't put it down.

Bottom line, read this book if you liked any of the following:

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
Inside Out/Outside in by Maria V. Snyder

Kids who have superpowers isn't exactly a new concept in Young Adult (or in books in general for that matter) - but wow - was I pretty impressed with the execution of this book. I feel as thought Alexandra Bracken took the whole "superpowers are bad and the government is locking us away" and worked it into something that felt fresh. I was completely consumed in almost every single moment of this book - and that my friends, is a great thing - to be able to lose yourself in a book. I can't quite put my finger on what it was about The Darkest Minds that made me love it so much but I think that the snarky dialogue had something to do with it. I love me some electric dialouge.

One thing that irked me though was the way that Ruby would describe some things. I can't remember exact examples but sometimes when she would describe something, she would liken it to something that had me thinking "Hey wait a minute, if she's been locked up since she was 10 years old with no interaction in the outside world plus she's not really allowed to talk to anyone, how would she know about that?" Those kinds of thoughts pulled me out of the book and reminded me that I was actually reading a book - but thankfully it only happened 2-3 times.

For me, the most interesting thing about this book is how it shows both good and bad sides of human nature. We see people who are so selfless even in such a dire situation and we see people who are willing to sellout others in a heartbeat if it means surviving another day. It makes you think - what would you do? How far would you be willing to go to survive? And even, would you lead a revolution if it meant being killed? Thought provoking questions that make you take a look at yourself and wonder if your mind would be one of the darkest.

Overall, I really enjoyed this thrilling book and can't wait to read its sequel, Never Fade.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken: 6.5/10

Did I Like It: Um...I guess. Don't get me wrong, there were portions of this book that were absolutely fabulous. I loved loved loved the world that Alexandra Bracken set up; everything with the different "colors" of the kids to the road trip to the characters, they were all pretty solid. The story just dragged on and on and there was nothing really keeping me engaged. And when Ruby starts training with Clancy, I was definitely having flashbacks of Tahereh Mafi's Unravel Me, and OMG THAT WAS HORRIBLE. And there was really no chemistry between Ruby and Liam, which made me just kinda "eh" with the ending.  So, yeah. I guess it was okay. I was just expecting a lot more.

For Fans Of: Dystopias, especially if you liked the last two books in Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series, which, let's be honest, definitely was not me.

Age Level: Young Adult

I finished this book a few days ago and I literally can't get it out of my head. I love it when a book does that to me, digs so deep into my mind that the characters and plot and setting all get caught there and I obsess over them. Until the next book comes out, and the next, but I have until October until the sequel comes out, I think, and I just can't wait until then. That's how quickly Alexandra Bracken has made me fall in love with her characters and this story that she has created. It's a tragic one, not exactly the most pleasant one, and at times it's hard to read because you just feel so badly for all of the characters. It's hard to remember that all of this is happening to the children and teenagers of the country, all growing up without the chance to have real childhoods. It's heart-wrenching and beautifully written.

It's also incredibly action-packed. One thing after another happens in this book and that really helps to emphasis the sweet moments that happen between the characters when they're all given a chance to stop, catch their breath, and maybe even act their age for a little while. Ruby was in the camp for six years so she's had it harder than most, but I loved watching her evolve throughout the novel. She begins jumpy and scared, just like anyone else would have been, but she really comes into her own to help herself and, more importantly, her new friends.

And what a lovely group of characters they are. So diverse and wonderful. Zu, Chubs, and Liam are the best group of people I could have hoped that Ruby would run into. I'm so glad that the summary doesn't give too much away about what happens after she meets up with them because they're just so wonderful together . . even if they have so many people chasing after them.

And there are so many enemies to watch out for in this novel! It's hard to put down who I hate the most out of all of them because really there are just too many that are downright detestable. I can't even see where the sequel will go because this book had so many twists and turns it ended entirely differently from how I tried to imagine all of it.

THAT ENDING. Alexandra Bracken really has a thing for breaking hearts and giving people too many feels, because I'm still not over that ending. Ah! I could fangirl over this book FOREVER! You need to read it, immediately. It's fantastic in every way.

In this dystopian world, Ruby is snatched away from her parents at age 10 and sent to live at a concentration camp for kids with powers. A worldwide epidemic IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration) has killed off most children, and those that remain have alarming abilities. In the camps, the children are sorted into colors: Blues have telekinetic abilities, Greens have eidetic memories and are fast code-breakers, Yellows control electricity, I'm not really sure what Reds do - set things on fire, maybe? The most dangerous of all are the Oranges, who have mind-control abilities. Most of the Oranges are psychopaths who enjoy using their abilities to create murder and mayhem. Ruby is an Orange - she accidentally mindwiped her parents who now have no memory of her - but she's terrified of the other Oranges, so she Jedi mind-tricks the doctor at camp Thurmond into believing that she is a relatively harmless Green.

I had plenty of questions about this world. What's the endgame for the remaining adults? Are they planning for this to be the end of the human race? Why don't they train the Greens or Blues to do useful things? Sure, there probably are some parents who'd be delighted to ship off their teen and pre-teen children - but I found it hard to believe that absolutely none of them want their children back. Why are all of the Oranges totally crazy, and why is Ruby the exception? A few of those questions get answered, but plenty of them don't, leaving lots of room in the sequel to further explore.

Ruby spends six horrible years at Thurmond, until she manages to get broken out by a rebel faction hoping to recruit her to their cause.

The Darkest Minds contains plenty of stock-in-trade ingredients of a great dystopian. There are plenty of car chases, daring escapes, scavenging for supplies in a wrecked and empty landscape, multiple warring political factions and of course, a love triangle.

While Ruby is on the run, she meets up with a small tribe of survivors, Liam and Chubs, both Blues, and Zu a sweet little girl Yellow who doesn't speak. The four of them travel in their battered mini-van nicknamed "Black Betty" throughout Virginia looking for "The Slip Kid" a leader who's supposedly set up an asylum for kids like them.

Of course, when they find The Slip Kid, he turns out to be none other than Clancy Gray - the president's son. Ruby is torn between sweet and loyal Liam and smooth-talking, well-dressed Clancy who can possibly teach her how to control her powers. She's terrified of accidentally erasing someone's memory again. In fact, I liked that Ruby is not an overly competent Mary-Sue at all. She runs around like a scared little bunny rabbit for most of the book and though she has awesome mind powers, she isn't really sure how to use them and she doesn't really want to.

This book ends on such a cliffhanger! Readers will be dying to know what happens next.

I loved Bracken’s book Woven Brightly and was excited to read her version of a YA dystopian novel. This is a very well written book. It gets a bit long at points but it is very creative and very well written. The second book in the series, Never Fade, is scheduled for a November 2013 release.

Children start dying around the age of 10 years old from a mysterious disease. Shortly after this starts happening, humanity learns not to fear the disease itself...but the children who survive it. The survivors have developed crazy mind powers of different types. For their own safety and rehabilitation the kids are moved into camps. As you can imagine nothing good happens in these camps.

The story follows Ruby, a young girl admitted to the camps at the age of 10 years old. We hear about her life in these camps and then what happens when she goes back out into a world stricken with poverty and almost no children. We also know that Ruby has a dark secret about why she was taken to the camps to begin with.

The book is excellently written, engaging, easy to read and very creative. I enjoyed the world and the kids in it a lot. The idea of kids developing mental powers they can’t control is incredibly interesting. The kids are all rated by color. For example Greens are super smart, Blues are telekinetic, and Yellows can control electricity. Ruby isn’t any of these...she is an Orange.

Ruby is a very caring and passive girl who's developed a very dangerous mind ability. She is an excellent character to read about. She comes across as a bit naive at times, but that is totally understandable given how she lived the majority of her young adult life in a camp. She is tough when she has to be, but a bit too trusting at times.

We never really get a good understanding of the why behind these diseases and the situation. Ruby is too busy trying to figure who to trust and who not to trust. We know that the United States is in poverty and bankrupt. We don’t really know why. I am hoping that part of future books in this series will be getting answers to these questions.

The plot gets more and more complex as the book progresses. There are different government factions, private gangs, and other groups...all of them want to use these kids with special powers for their own means. Despite all the complexity things never get too complicated to follow.

Overall this is a very well done young adult dystopian novel, I enjoyed it alot. It is very well written and the characterization is very well done. All of the characters are interesting and have a lot of depth to them. The world is interesting and mysterious and I can’t wait to read more about it. Definitely recommended to fans of YA dystopia. I will be picking up Never Fade when it comes out for sure.

My review:

I received The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken as an ARC during BEA 2012 and I have had it on my shelf waiting for me to pick it up. I did pick it up more than once, but decided to read it in the beginning of 2013. Boy, was I glad I did that!

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is an intriguing novel which is amazingly well written. I loved the world and the characters which author created and I was literally stunned by it. I used to read Science Fiction books seldom, but now, after reading The Darkest Minds and few other YA Science Fiction books, it seems I have turned into the sci-fi fan. Let me rephrase it, I have turned into the fan of YA Sci-fi authors and that definitely includes Alexandra Bracken!

Plot:

The opening scenes of The Darkest Minds take you to rehabilitation camp where you meet Ruby, a sixteen years old teenage girl working. Thurmond, a camp which gathers few thousands of kids who have survived the age ten. There is a virus which either kills you when 10 years old and if you survive this virus, you get abilities which the government is scared of and you are sent to the camps run by military.

Kids are divided into colors according to how dangerous their abilities are considered. Ruby has survived for 6 years by hiding who she really is and which abilities she has. When the leaders of the camp are getting suspicious about her, she is in severe danger. Ruby manages to escape with the help from the member of the League which is a rebellion movement saving the kids. At least that is what they want her to believe. What they don't know is, that Ruby can read minds. Ruby escapes again and while doing her best to not getting caught, she meets a group of kids who are heading to the only place which should be safe for kids - East River.

Things I loved about the book:
I loved the settings - contemporary world where US was a country left out and cut off of any relationships to other countries. It was isolated. Canadians even built a wall on the border! It was horrifying and interesting to read what the country did to their own children: they gave them to authorities, they did not do a thing to save their kids from the camps where the most probable outcome was a death of their children. It was a country where kids were put to camps similar to concentration camps where kids had to do hard work and got killed. It's a world where you can trust no one, none at all - even children.

I admired the author of ending the first book with heart-wrenching cliffhanger. Can't wait to read what will happen in the next book. The world Alexandra Bracken created were dark and horrid and I loved it!

Characters:

I loved how Ruby grew from being a scared and damaged teenager to confident person who knew exactly what to do in order to protect herself and especially persons she loved. I enjoyed the dynamics of the relationship she had with Liam and how protective she was of her friends Zu and Chubs.

Liam was awesome! His hope and positive way of thinking were energizing! He is a guy who is easy to relate to and love.

What is fun about the characters in The Darkest Minds is that they are alive and colorful and fascinating. They all have stories to tell and they add a lot to the unpredictable plot!

Generally:

The Darkest Minds is a great book with wonderful and dark plot and fascinating characters! I truly enjoyed it and recommend it highly!

From the first page, I was riveted by this story and this world. The concept of a disease that either kills or gives superpowers -- and that death may be preferable -- was amazing. It's never explained why it only affects the children (and apparently, only American children), and it doesn't really matter. Ruby doesn't know, so we don't need to know.

Then Ruby is sent to a "rehabilitation camp," which reeks of all the ugliest parts of human history. Ruby spends her adolescence in constant fear and misery. She has a power she doesn't understand and doesn't want, one which has stolen all the most important parts of her life. She's learned to hide it, more through instinct than through knowledge, but eventually, it comes out. And Ruby escapes, but her problems are far from over. It seems everyone she encounters either wants to use her or kill her, until she chances upon a group of renegade kids who are also on the run.

The kids she encounters -- Chubs, Liam, and Zu -- are all amazing characters. They're different and well-developed, and I loved the different ways they approach their relationship with Ruby. Zu, in particular, impressed me, because Alex Bracken managed to make her this amazingly sympathetic and beautiful character, without a word of dialogue. Then there's Chubs, who's suspicious and harsh, because of his fierce loyalty to his friends. And Liam, who is trusting and gentle and wants nothing more than for his friends to be safe. My heart broke for Liam again and again, because while he was trying so hard to lead their little ragtag group, there were moments where I remembered, he's just a kid. He's not cut out for this, but he's trying his best.

Ruby herself is both strong and fragile, broken but determined. She wants to believe the best of others but the worst of herself, and sometimes makes poor decisions because of this. I like that she was a very flawed and damaged character, and that one of her main struggles wasn't external, but internal. Watching Ruby learn to -- maybe not embrace, but accept her powers was wonderful. I did have one small complaint with Ruby, and that is for a kid who went to the camps at ten and lost all contact with the outside world, she seems to know quite a bit about pop culture and classic rock. I mean, she can recognize the synthesizers and vocalist of Pink Floyd, even though she doesn't know the song? Maybe I'm out of touch with the ten-year-olds of today, but that seemed like a bit of a stretch for me. However, that's a tiny complaint. Just something that took me out of the story now and then.

As for the pacing, this book is kind of a slow burn. There's a lot of tension, but not a lot of action for long stretches of time. I personally was a big fan of this, as I thought it added to the story's atmosphere, but if you're looking for a book brimming with action and adventure and superpower battles, this isn't it. Those things are certainly present, but they're not the main drive or focus of the story. But I was never bored. The dialogue is fabulous, and as I said before, the characters are wonderful.

I don't want to say much more about it, because there are some fabulous plot developments that, while I saw some of them coming, were just so perfect for the story and Ruby's growth as a character. And the ending is heartbreaking, but perfect, and left me itching for the sequel.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent book with strong characters, a fascinating and terrifying world, and a tense plot that kept me rapidly turning pages until the end. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should.

Popular author Alexandra Bracken launches a new near-future trilogy with THE DARKEST MINDS, a paranormal thriller that will keep readers guessing.

Alexandra Bracken's 2010 debut novel, BRIGHTLY WOVEN, was an unusual fantasy that won its young author a nomination as Best Debut Author in the 2010 GoodReads Choice Awards. Now she follows up that success with a very different --- but no less captivating --- start to a near-future trilogy.

Ruby was only ten years old when her parents, terrified of some emergent power in their daughter, locked her in the garage and called the police. Soon, she was taken away from their Virginia home and shut away in Thurmond, the most notorious rehabilitation camp for young people like herself, kids who have been identified as having special --- and in many cases dangerous --- powers. Even at the age of ten, Ruby knew enough to hide the true extent of her powers, faking that she was a relatively harmless Green instead of a far more powerful Orange. The Oranges and Reds don't tend to stick around the camps for very long; their powers make them too hard for even the Psi Special Forces --- the military police in charge of the camps --- to contain.

But after Ruby has been in the camps for six years, she discovers that Thurmond's authority figures are becoming more sophisticated, using signals and tests to discover any Orange or Red campers who have so far evaded detection. When Ruby is identified, however, a sympathetic doctor helps her escape, enlisting her for the so-called Children's League and hoping to use the powers of Ruby and others like her in a fight against the government. But when Ruby questions their methods and motives, she finds herself on the run again, this time in the company of a troubled group of kids like her: kids barely in control of their own dark powers, kids desperate to discover a place called East River and the elusive "Slip Kid" who can offer safety, solace, and answers to their many terrible and dark questions.

Like many futuristic or science fictional trilogy openers, THE DARKEST MINDS contains a fair amount of scene-setting. At times, however, readers might wish that Bracken had spent more time outlining the nature of Ruby's powers, the different powers possessed by those classified as Red or Blue, etc., and even probed more quickly and completely into the nature of the malady that has killed the vast majority of teenagers Ruby's age and younger. To be sure, the disorientation that accompanies Bracken's too-gradual revealing of these details mirrors Ruby's own confusion and frustration; that being said, it's possible that some readers may give up on the story out of sheer bewilderment. Those who stick with it, however, will be rewarded by a story that, although violent and even brutal at times, explores the nature of loyalty and young people's often complex and evolving sense of their own self-identity. Regardless of the extreme circumstances Ruby faces, these concerns are universal --- and Bracken places these broad questions in the context of a world that is both familiar and frighteningly alien.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl

I received this book from Disney Hyperion to read for an honest review. I want to thank them for sending it to me. Receiving this book for free in no way influenced my opinion or review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
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.

I'll start with the cover. Simple and to the point, I think. If you read the book, you'll completely understand the use of the Psi symbol on the cover. I like that the color scheme involves on two primary colors. And I really love how the symbol color makes it look like fire. The barbed wire around the bottom and top are perfect in conveying the message of the main characters really being trapped (which you'll understand more when you read the book as I don't want to spoil anything). I have a physical copy of this book and I love the feel of the cover. It's that soft paper. Job well done with the cover.

I really wasn't sure what to expect as far as the storyline was concerned. I knew it was kind of a dystopian type read, but I wasn't expecting the supernatural Xmen feel that this book gave. Since I love Xmen type stuff, this one was right up my ally. I love how the characters all have some type of power. I also love how the author chose to use a color system for character classification according to "how dangerous" they were: red being the most dangerous of all. Any story that involves people who are oppressed in some way by the government and choose to fight back is always a good read for me. With all the dystopian reads out there now, it's hard to find one that is different, and this certainly did the job for me. And the fun thing was you went into the story completely blind, without knowing the United States was slowly breaking down and without knowing why it was. And the author's world building is fun and different, giving the reader the opportunity to put the pieces together, rather than bore you with tons of explanations and descriptions.

Bracken's writing is crisp and clean. It flows and there are no awkward breaks or places to misunderstand what is going on. She unfolds details in subtle ways and allows the reader to work on building the puzzle within their own mind. She perfectly depicts the darkness and loneliness the characters are experiencing in a world that has pitted people against them for being different.

The characters are well thought out in this book.
I really love the main heroine, Ruby. I didn't find her to be too annoying with her teen angst and self-pitying as I do with other female main characters in YA books. No annoying whiny voice. She tells us her story and the stories of the other characters through her eyes. And she is as much a mystery to herself as she is to us. As she learns, we learn. As she grows, so do we. She is very relatable and certainly shows the innocence and naiveté of a character who has not been "out in the world" to learn.
Liam, well, he's sweet and good looking. Totally patient and unconditionally loving. He's nice to a fault and protective to his own detriment. He's funny and also mysterious. You can't help but fall for him. And watching him slowly fall for Ruby is great. He has a huge heart and is what you would certainly call one of the good boys.
Chubs and Zu are terrific supporting characters. Chubs is intelligent and a bit non-trusting. But he slowly grows to accept Ruby and it's great to watch their friendship blossom. And I love how Zu conveys all her thoughts through her actions, as she doesn't speak a word the entire book!
Clancy, well, I won't say much about it because it will give away the story. But I knew from the start he just was not what he was cracked up to be. And I could not bring myself to trust him at all.

One thing I loved about this book is that it did not revolve around the romance between the two characters. There is no insta-love, which is such a nice treat and far turn from so many other dystopians I have read recently. Sure, it was there, lingering until you are just about to explode if the characters don't give in to each other, but it's not the main theme. The main theme is focused on the character's experiences as they work their way through their powers and learn from each other along the way. And the pace is perfect, fast where it needs to be and slow where you would not expect it to be. And Bracken doesn't hold back on the heartbreak but does give you hope that at some point it will be mended.

If you enjoy books like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Delirium, you will love The Darkest Minds. AS a matter of fact, this book reminded me of one of my favorite reads of the year, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (although there is MUCH less romance in this book than Shatter Me).

I am really looking forward to the next book in this series. Thank you again to Disney for providing me with this totally awesome book! 5 out of 5 stars!

I thought my heart would only beat for Tris and Four, but now I have met Ruby and Liam. Ohmysweetgoodness. What a wonderful combination in The Darkest Minds.

There is no crazy love triangle (*cough Hunger Games *cough) to pull at your head and cloud your judgement. There is no lover's quarrel (Tris and Four) to confuse the emotions. There is simply Ruby and Liam.

I do believe that Liam is one of my new favorite protagonists. He is loyal, determined, and 100% honest. He loves Ruby regardless of her powers. They are the new Romeo and Juliet. I am SO glad to see this will be a series because I need more Liam pronto. as much gushing as I do for Liam, I should note that the other characters aren't half bad either. Ruby is pretty cool in that I-really-can't-do-anything-right kind of way. She grows on you. She also gets better with her powers, which makes for a pretty interesting conclusion in this book. But one of my other favorites in this story is Chubs. The legally blind book nerd. How can you not love a character that makes references to Watership Down and Lord of the Flies? He's witty and full of all sorts of dry humor. He makes such a great addition to this motley crew of X-men quality superkids.

For the fans of drama, there is plenty between these pages. Each chapter layers the complicated plot a little more. The action begins almost instantly with a pretty shocking and gruesome scene, and it doesn't stop. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing (even if some were pretty obvious). Best of all, there is a cliffhanger ending that actually works, even if it leaves you feeling that your heart has suddenly jumped into your throat. Side note: I strongly dislike cliffhangers that leave you asking a million questions about the entire plot or saying WTH to yourself. The Darkest Minds doesn't do that. The ending truly works, even if it's not a fairy tale inspired outcome (this is a dystopian afterall).

I encouraged everyone to read this one. It is wonderful. Refreshing even. Like all trends, things start to feel stale after a while. I mean, there are only so many ways you can write the end of the world/civilization without repeating someone's ideas, right? That seems to be the case with the majority of the newer novels hitting the market. They feel familiar. Too familiar. But, alas, The Darkest Minds did not conjure up any old memories or comparisons as I read, which was delightful

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The Darkest Minds is an amazing story, one that I will reread for many years to come.

Opening Sentence: When the White Noise went off, we were in the garden, pulling weeds.

The Review:

I love Science Fiction. It might be one of my favorite genres to read about. Not only for the out-of-this world elements, but also for the possibilities of an alternate future or even a dystopian one. I first heard about Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds, was from an author signing. From what the author had said of Bracken's book, it was something that everyone should read, and that The Darkest Minds will be a book that I will never forget. And you know what? That author was correct.

In a futuristic world, bordering on reality and apocalyptic, the adults of the world fear young children and teenagers. In The Darkest Minds, young children are manifesting powers of mental persuasion, memory manipulation, and even telekinesis. What started out as a fatal disease, suddenly became a prison sentence for survivors. Those that survived held unknown powers that adults were afraid of, powers categorized by different levels of power. For one teen in particular, Ruby, she is the voice of the story, telling her tale and the tales of others through her eyes. Together and individually, they survive, for reasons yet unknown. Some of the survivors use each other, while others just want to survive. It's a bleak world out there, and the minds of these powerful teens really are dark.

In Bracken's world, the children hold all of the power. Because of their young and untrained minds, they are held in prisons and camps, against their will. They fear the unknown, not even knowing their full potential. The children are grouped into colors, representative of their abilities and ranging from control over elements, objects, or human minds. The categories are Green, Blue, Yellow, power over electricity, Red, power over fire, and the dreaded Orange, mind control.

Ruby opens the story in an unforgettable way. White noise at a camp hinders the minds of a certain color, and while she has been categorized as a tame green, she quickly is targeted as someone who is dangerous. There are those on the inside who have sought out to help her, and Ruby quickly learns who to trust and who to stay away from. She is naive and innocent, regardless of the power she holds. Ruby has always lived an isolated life, and as a reader, I was quick to understand who she was. Ruby holds this heavy guilt throughout the story, one that I didn't understand until the end. Bracken wrote her beautifully, and I quickly felt Ruby was one of my favorite heroines for this year.

The Darkest Minds has a beautiful and dark world, bordering on the lines of cruelty and somber tones. It's hard to imagine young children in these camps and prisons, but Bracken brought us there. She wrote about the prejudices against the children, their powers, and even about the cruel ways they were treated. It all felt real and I couldn't help but cry.

Bracken's writing style is very distinct, filled with imagery and precision. Ruby's voice was loud and pure, and very much easy to connect with. There were hints of teenage angst and maybe even young innocence, but it was all done tastefully so. Each moment in the story was revealed in a timely manner, each moment unveiled perfectly in relation to the scene. It helped the pacing of the story, and Bracken didn't hold back when she felt she didn't need to. Emotions were felt, never allowing the reader to lose that distinct connection to the characters and the story.

The Darkest Minds is an amazing story, one that I will reread for many years to come. I highly suggest that you pick it up this week, and dive in to Bracken's dark mind.

FTC Advisory: Disney Hyperion provided me with a copy of The Darkest Minds. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Let the fangirling commence. Oh my goodness, what a story. I loved it from the first word to the last emotional scene. Alexandra has created a story with a unique plot, amazing characters, and she is one heck of a writer. I couldn't believe the emotional roller coaster that she took me on and this masterpiece that she wrote with the OMG moments, did she seriously just do that to this character that I love, she made me laugh, want to cry, want to rip people's hair out, and mostly just sit in awe of how beautifully she crafted The Darkest Minds.
I loved the premise from the moment that I read it, and Alexandra really pulls it off well. She breathed her own breath of fresh air into the genre and wrote some awesome ideas and scary elements to the chilling world she has created in The Darkest Minds. The plot was woven together wonderfully. Alexandra told us what we needed to know at the moment and then filled in the details later by showing them and acting them out. While I admit I was a bit confused with some of the lingo and exactly what happened (I thought I missed something), I later saw how she put it all together.
Ruby is an amazing main character. I loved how much she grew and changed in this story, and I really admire the person she turned into at the end even more so than the one that I connected with at the beginning. I love her fighter spirit and how much she cares for and would do anything for the people that she loves.
There is also a great cast of secondary characters. Liam, so crushworthy and such a born leader. Speaking of, I admired how the romance in here was subtle, ie no insta love. I appreciated how they got to know each other, and even though there was physical attraction, there was also an emotional connection. On to the others though. Chubs, ever loyal to those he cares about, and full of surprises. Zu, the precious and strong younger character that you want to shield and hope the best for. And then there were the characters like Clancy that I never knew what exactly to make of. There are also some awesomely written antagonists, that make me want to scream at them and wonder at their methods and how they sleep at night.
All that said, I must warn that this is a dark book for mature teens. There's some (not on every page or anything though) cursing that I found slightly offensive, but given what was going on, I could overlook. There is also some fairly descriptive talk about injuries/blood. (All of this is in arc the advanced reader copy)
Back to what I loved-- I so can't wait to get the next book in this series, and find out more about what happens to Ruby and what comes of the incredibly brave but heart wrenching choices that she made.
Bottom line: Absolutely loved and recommend. Wonderful start to a new trilogy.

Awesome quote:
She didn't know there were two of me now; split between everything I had wanted and everything I would now have to be. One of me... would stay... (The other) thin as a wisp of air and had struggled so long just to be.

Ruby remembers the first time she saw someone die--it was right in front of her in elementary school. That's back when the disease was still new and no one knew how to deal with it, especially the children who didn't die, especially the children who started exhibiting strange...abilities. When Ruby wakes up on her tenth birthday, there's something different about her, something so terrifying that she immediately gets sent to Thurmond, a government "rehabilitation" camp, meant to fix her and the other hundreds upon thousands of kids like her. But there is no cure but death for the dangerous ones, and six years later, when she finds out that's the category into which she falls, she barely makes it out of Thurmond alive. On the run from too many enemies and desperate for answers, Ruby joins up with another group of runaways. She's reluctant to completely trust them with her secrets, because if they knew who she was and what she was really capable of, they might not see her the same way. Torn between a life of danger but the first chance at freedom she's ever had and her fear of hurting her new friends, especially Liam, Ruby will have to decide whether she'll let herself be used as a weapon or if she can take control of her power for good.

I was such a huge fan of Bracken's first YA, Brightly Woven, that I knew that I had to get my hands on her second, The Darkest Minds. And just as I hoped and expected, all the best qualities from her first transferred to her second, from her exquisite attention to detail to her superb storytelling. This was a story that completely swept me away, because whether it's a fantasy world, as in Brightly Woven, or a dark futuristic America, like in The Darkest Minds, Bracken really knows her worldbuilding. And the backdrop for this story is a particularly harrowing one, where children are imprisoned because adults fear their mysterious powers. In the midst of all this horror is Ruby, a strong girl who doesn't realize just how strong she is. Her character was really the main reason that I had to keep reading on, because I had to know where her choices would lead and how this would affect all the other people she had come to love. With extremely vivid characters, a suspenseful plot, a richly developed world and an incredible story, The Darkest Minds is a novel that will stay on my mind for a long time.

The Darkest Minds will be enjoyed by fans of Candor by Pam Bachorz, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, and Wither by Lauren DeStefano.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is one part dystopian, one part X-Men, all backed by solid writing and a well-paced plot. It is a book not to be missed.

The Darkest Minds is not your typical dystopian novel. Yes, it has the almost-bankrupt America and desolate feeling of its citizens, but it also has a mysterious illness that only affects children and if it doesn't kill them it makes them stronger. It is so much more than a dystopian novel.

The Darkest Minds follows Ruby, a young girl who contracts the IAANS virus on her tenth birthday. Unlike most of the children who get sick, Ruby survives and is placed in a camp to help rehabilitate her. Adults think the camps are good, safe places; what they don't realize is that the government lies and the camps are much more like concentration camps where kids are held captive. The description of the camps and what happens in them is vivid and realistic. Ruby manages to escape the camp with the help of a "friend" only to realize her powers are more important than her well-being. Ruby is constantly on the run from those who initially helped her escape, from bounty hunters known as skiptracers, and from the guards seeking her and other escapees out.

With so many enemies how does one girl make it in a world where teenagers stand out because there aren't any? Ruby manages to find help in another group of escapees and finds out the world has become a very different place. Together Ruby and the others seek out the "Slip Kid," a supposed escapee who houses and protects those with special abilities. But in this world not everyone is who they seem, and Ruby has to decide who to trust and when to run.

The Darkest Minds is a well-crafted read that is impossible to put down. The story is well-paced with action sequences and quiet moments that allow you to explore with the characters. Ruby is a wonderful narrator. Through her eyes you learn about how the world has changed and what it means to have a psi power. The secondary characters add depth to the story and are all believable. Suzume, a 12-year-old who can control electricity, is sure to be a fan favorite.

In a sea of dystopian novels The Darkest Minds stands alone at the top. Alex Bracken has crafted a story that appeals to readers of all genres. It constantly makes you question your beliefs and what you think you know about the world. The Darkest Minds should be at the top of your to-read list.

Bracken has written a clever tale intertwined with paranormal and science fiction elements. Creating a horrifying dystopian world where children are feared and most of America is brainwashed into believing the government is helping their children. This was a brilliant read with fleshed out characters that held me captive.

A rare virus is killing children around their tenth birthday. The government and schools have sent home letters with warning signs. They encourage parents to register if they notice any symptoms. What they don't tell them is that they don't care about the ones who die but the ones who live. When Ruby awakes on her tenth birthday, something horrible has happened and her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. She ends up being taken to a rehabilitation camp and the tale that unfolds held me captive till the last page.

I really became immersed in the tale and a lot of that had to do with the characters themselves. Ruby, Liam, Chubby and Zu were all unique and so fleshed out that they became very real to me. I love when that happens and I found myself swept up in what happens to them. Bracken slowly revealed each character to us, peeling back their layers to expose their raw feelings, fears and personalities. The way the characters interacted and drew strength from each other was so well done and believable. The romance was sweet, tender and tore my heart up.

World building is so important to me, and Bracken did a fantastic job. She reveals the world to us as the tale unfolds. She utilizes the show don't tell method that I prefer as this allows me to knit the pieces together creating the world in my mind and breathing life into the pages. I loved the dark, gritty, violent world she has created and want to know more. The characters pop against this backdrop, making their experience all the more real. The ending flat out made me cry, no lie and I cannot wait to get my hands on book two as this tale is far from over.

I want to thank Disney-Hyperion for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. originally posted caffeinatedbookreviewer dot com.

YOU GUYS. I absolutely loved The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I've heard only great things about Brightly Woven, which I still haven't read, but even though I had a feeling The Darkest Mind would be good, I just didn't know HOW good.

I was sucked into The Darkest Minds from the get-go. I was incapable of putting it down except for when I absolutely had to do so. Even though it's nearly five hundred pages long, they just flew by and I was clinging to those last few pages, beginning it not to end.

AND THE STORY. While I don't think I'll ever be over dystopian/sci-fi/apocalyptic kind of thing, I wasn't really in the mood for it before I picked up The Darkest Minds. But it won me over! WHAT AN FREAKING INTENSE STORY. The down time is minimal - there is always so much happening in The Darkest Minds and my heart was racing while I was reading it. There were several times when the boyfriend tried to get my attention and I was just like "NO THIS IS SO INTENSE" because I never knew what was going to happen next. What trouble they would run into, if they were going to get captured, if there were going to be smooches, etc.

And the ending. THE ENDING, YOU GUYS. Seriously, Alexandra Bracken took a page from Lauren Oliver's book because the cliffhanger ending of The Darkest Minds is nearly as ifeaiofeaoi as Delirium - but not quite, thankfully, because I don't think I would have been able to handle it. And I am barely keeping it together over that ending as it is!

I absolutely loved Alexandra Bracken's story telling and her characters. I loved being able to dive into The Darkest Minds and come out of it breathless and panicky and desperate for the next one.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken has put her on my auto-buy list for sure. It's going to be a long wait for book two, so in the mean time I'm glad I have Brightly Woven to keep me busy. Definitely pick up The Darkest Minds if you're up for a tense and engaging story bursting with originality and even some moments of serious swoon.

My Thoughts: Wow, this book felt long, but I loved every single page of it.

We are introduced to Ruby who was taken from her parents at age 10. She has been living in a camp ever since. The camp's name is Thurmond and it houses a variety of colors or at least it does for a while. There are many camps throughout the world and all teenagers are taken to one to be rehabilitated.

Ruby ends up with help and escapes. Only to end up with another group of kids like her, well kinda. They aren't classified the same color as her but nobody really knows her real color. And she's not in a hurry to give it out. She's dangerous and she knows she is. Everyone has abilities.

Ruby runs into a group of kids named Liam, Zu, and Chubs. Each one has their own personality and their own way of looking at things. She fits right in with them and helps them when she can. They are all there for one another and appreciate each other. She also starts to really like Liam and he feels the same way about her. They have a lot of different people chasing them and we see how they handle the situations.

They are on the hunt for another boy and a camp. The mission is to find them and get them to help them. They each have their own motives.

Ruby was such a likable character. She wasn't perfect and even though she was scared at times, she became very brave and was a good person to look up too. And Liam, oh Liam, instantly fell for him.

The Darkest Minds was wonderful! Don't want to give away spoilers so no more about the plot or characters or what happens!

Overall: This book was so freaking good, I loved every bit of it. Loved the plot, loved the characters, loved everything about it!!

Cover: Like it! It's not that bright or detailed but I still like it.

What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes

_____
Taken From Princess Bookie

from: evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl

This book had been on my TBR list for ages, but I picked it up after I won an ARC of the sequel Never Fade. And I really liked it!

The world building was a bit lacking. Certain questions I had were never answered. How did the Psi's get those abilities? What exactly was that virus and why were some children not affected? How was the government planning on continuing the country when all children are dead or locked up? The writer did not give much explanation about the world and the origin of the abilities, this disappointed me. I hope the next book clarifies these questions.

Even though I still had these questions the characters and the story made this book awesome.

The characters were great! We have 2 main characters: Ruby and Liam.
There were of course many side characters, but not many of them made an impression on me like the MC's, they were not really developed (Chubs & Zu are the exceptions), though they did all add something to the story and were very realistic.

Ruby was a strong heroine. She had been through so much and seen horrible things and it only made her more likeable From the beginning she has this secret she is guarding, slowly the reader figures out what it is. She really grows as a character throughout the book. She gets stronger, more trusting and more confident in herself and her abilities.

Liam was so sweet! He was genuinely good and wanted to help everyone. He is the ideal YA love interest for me. No bad boy, no incredible hotness, no arrogance, just a kind and honest guy.

I did like the side character Chubs. He was maybe a bit mean sometimes and did not want to help Ruby, he did it to protect the ones he loved. In the end he turned by and that's what counts.

The romance between Ruby and Liam was really sweet. There was a lot of build-up and it was realistic. Their chemistry wasn't forced at all and there was no instalove or anything.

The story was fast-paced, action-packed and constantly revealing new things. There was never a dull moment. Nothing is really explained at the beginning of the book, most of the time I hate this, but here it made me want to continue and find out more.

I loved the sort of supernatural abilities the Psi children had. Mind reading and manipulation, telekinesis and much more. Some were afraid of their power and others used it freely, even misused it. I liked seeing Ruby develop her powers and learning to use them for good.

The end was so sad! It wasn't really a cliffhanger, but it did make me want to read the next book. I'm curious how Ruby is going to be acting in Never Fade..

I would definitely recommend this book. It has a bit of everything; supernatural, romance, humour, action. It is maybe a bit less good as dystopian, but overall I loved it.

I'm so glad that I finally had a chance to read this book. And yes, it was freaking awesome!

Waking up and finding out the life is not going to be the same is freaky. There is disease going around killing children and yet some children are not dying. Why??? Ruby has the answer to that question. And while I could spoil it for you, I rather have you, the reader, pick up this book and discover why. And if you do pick up this book, hang on tight. It's going to be one helluva ride!

The characters in the book make the story. Following along in Ruby shoes you feel her every emotion, fear, and plea. MY GOD, the plea's is what gets me. The "Please, I'm green." The lonely chant in her head that pleas for her to keep steady, to just hold on a little bit longer. Every time Ruby almost got caught, it had me on the edge of the seat! Every character, even minor ones, contribute to an awesome story that changes Ruby and the reader.

I have to admit that I had no idea what I was going to read when I picked up the book.
MIND BLOWN. I can't wait to read what happens in the sequel cause the ending left me heart-broken and stronger than ever to face what comes next.

The Darkest Mind open your eyes to a world that is lead by fear and power. It captivates the reader with amazing clarity and feel for a dark world. A story that can triumph any reader, The Darkest Mind is superb.

So I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. However at first I was thinking wait I have read this book before...am I reading The Program (by S. Young) again? Nope I wasn't. Yet all the young people have broken minds and have to be sent away to facilities to be "fixed." Then this is where the program meets Shatter Me (by T. Mafi). She's all: I'm too powerful, I can't control it. Everyone hates me, I can't get close to anyone, no one touch me, we can't be friends mentality. So if you liked those 2 books then I would recommend you try this one because it was kind of a combo of those two books for me. I appreciated that the story was longer and well fleshed out.

My main complaint was the connection between Ruby and Liam. I wasn't really feeling it or seeing it, then all of a sudden it's "you make me so happy, if I can only see your face my life is complete, blah blah blah." Um when did that happen? A couple of heated looks, that's it? I wanted more depth, it was disappointing. I mean I guess this is YA book and I'm not their target audience but still. I guess I can get over it and read the second book...

This book has gotten rave reviews; I'm pretty sure all my Goodreads friends have given it 4- or 5-star reviews. And The Darkest Minds definitely lives up to all the buzz. It's a great balance of action, world-building, character development, and strong writing.

What made this sci-fi/dystopian world even more creepy for me is the fact that it's set where I live: Virginia. I knew many of the places the characters traveled and talked about, so I definitely felt very immersed in the world. Not only is the world-building fantastic, I loved the strong characters. Bracken really excels in writing characters who are original and ring true, and I fell in love with all of them. A certain flashback scene with Ruby, the main character, nearly made me cry.

The only thing that felt a little off was the pacing. This book is just so long, and I felt like some of it could have been chopped off to make it slightly shorter. Still, I appreciate how thorough Bracken is with her storytelling; it's quite obvious that the plot was carefully and expertly crafted. I definitely can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

Kids start dying and others start getting superpowers. The government decides they are a problem and put them in camps to "make" them better. Ruby stays at one of those camps for six years and never admits to her true powers. Because Oranges are dangerous and they all disappeared.

This story is very engaging and the characters are very realistic and well drawn out. I enjoyed the story and the premise was unique and well written.

There were a few things that irked me, like the whole evil government thing, it felt a little preachy and trite. There was no explanation for why they were evil really, they just were. Also I think Ruby got over her problems with touching people and her shyness very fast. For six years of constant torment and hardly any comfort she would be a lot more traumatized.

But the story itself was wonderful with lots of twists and turns. And it surprised me which is always good

I was lured in by other's reviews of the book and found it slow for all of the action that was in the book. So many times you wanted to slap Ruby up side the head to get her in gear. Yes by the end of the book she was more confident, but not until the VERY END. I felt it was annoying at how slow she would grasp the situation and perplexed at her naivety after all that has happened.

Anyways if the book is a gift or see at the library I feel it is worth giving it a shot, but paying for it unless on sale I would pass it up for something else. Even though I didn't care for the first book, I do wonder if in the second she is "stronger" and exudes in self confidence?

I have to say that I am co happy with this book series! I finished this one in about a week. Not much free time, but the second I finished in 2 days. IM on the third and it just hasn't disappointed. It is a young adult romance, sorta, and a twisted class of human race, sorta. It reminds me of a few books I have read, sorta. It really holds its own with it's own story. There are things that will hit you, that you do not expect. Every chapter ends with you feeling like, ok just one more chapter! Its a great book and I am so glad I grabbed it at the store. I had just finished another book 1 and was looking for a series to keep me entertained until book 2 is released, and this turned out to be SO much more than a filler series. I am so glads I saw it and that I got it on a whim. Its amazing and I can see myself reading it again and again.

I ripped right though this book - I loved the premise of the kids all getting strange powers around the age of 10 and that Ruby was one of the dangerous ones. It was horrifying to think of how people had reacted to the situation. It shows how people can deteriorate and do horrible things they never thought possible in scary situations.

I liked Ruby and really felt for her. I could see why she stayed quiet and tried not to attract attention, even when she disappointed others. Then she escaped and things changed. Ruby evolved. She became almost a new person, though she still kept her old self with her, kind of like most of us when challenged. Sometimes her lack of confidence or the fact that she was hiding a big secret did get frustrating, however.

Her relationship with Liam, Suzume and Chubs. These were definitely some of the best parts of the book. These were all great characters. And the romance between Ruby and Liam was nice - it was great to have a romance where the boy is not moody and controlling, even though his is gorgeous and tough.

I also enjoyed some of the twists in the book - they were clever. And the ending... I won't say anything, but I can't wait to read the next in the series.

This book is a tear fest, seriously it should come with a warning in big black bold letters at the beginning saying HAVE TISSUES NEXT TO YOU FOR YOU WILL MOST SURELY CRY. I kid you not.

The writing style was really good and the pace was fast but not rapid, it moved well and some lapses of time are made which help the events move along to the most important ones and not bore the reader. It also has a good length, not too short nor too long but the perfect fit.

You become invested in it, become preoccupied with the characters, who leave in a hostile world. The fact that they are kids being mistreated only adds to that sentiment of compasion that tugs us to want the best for them those that are the future in a sense.

*****SEMI SPOILER*****

After all their misfortunes she let him go, erased herself from his memory and watch him go, just so he could have a happy life, happy as one can in that devastated world of their's.
That was the scene that got to me the most, the punch in the gut.

Ruby has known that she was different since she was 10 years old. She goes to this camp for kids , and survives there for many years. All the kids are known as different colors from orange to green.

Someone wants to break her out from camp. She is finally free from being in the camp , and she is going somewhere new. She is able to slip into anyone memories by just a touch. She slips into Dr. Cate's boyfriend , and sees something that makes her want to run away.

She runs away and finds some other kids traveling , and is able to travel along with them. She meets Liam( Blue) Chubs ( Orange) Zu ( Yellow). Her world is slowly changing. She finds that they are looking for Slipkid.

This book had some romance , and action. Ruby was a strong female . I felt that she could romance either Chubs or Liam. But she choose someone. The ending was kicker and I can't to see what happens in the next book. I loved all the references to different books through out the book. This did remind me of Xmen in some ways, but it was different good.

Best Line : Well , Green it was nice of you to put it on, Liam said. Though be careful . Zu's so starved for girl time that might turn you into her own personal dress up doll.

I fell almost instantly in love with this book. From the very first page, I was sucked into this world that was so full of horror and tragedy and yet also so fascinating and interesting, I just couldn't put it down. The Darkest Minds hooked me with its well-developed world, heart racing action, and characters that made their way easily into my heart.

I adored the way this book was written. The voice was so refreshing and captivating. It made it so easy to get caught up in the story the author was telling. I felt for these characters very deeply. The things that happened to them were absolutely heart wrenching and to see the way they had to fight to survive at such a young age was horrible.

Our protagonist, Ruby, was a character I admired and loved learning more about. She had many different layers to her and I enjoyed the way they were slowly pulled back and revealed. Her background with her parents was especially heart breaking to read about but I was happy to see that she didn't let it weaken her. She was so strong and smart and when she used her powers, I just felt like jumping all around and fist pumping the air! She was seriously bad ass when she wanted to be.

The rest of our cast was also awesome. I loved Levi from the start. He's not the type of book boy I usually go for but I just couldn't resist him. He was loyal and cunning and so caring. Every time he was in a scene, I found myself smiling and when he wasn't, I just was waiting for him to come back! The way he protected Chubs and Zu was endearing. Speaking of Chubs and Zu...I couldn't get enough of these two! They stood out on the page and they were different and quirky in their own ways.

The ending of this book absolutely killed me. I had not seen it coming at all and I just need to read the second book now so I can find out what happens to all of these characters that have found a way into my heart! The Darkest Minds was definitely a book that I will stick with me for a while!

I wanted to love this book. I really did. But I think the world building was very weak. Here are a couple of examples. When she is at the interment camp for kids with special powers, they all get assigned a color to designate their type of power, green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. In the beginning when they get off the bus, she shows one Red using his powers... but once in the camp, other than some vague references to how Blues can do puzzles well, and how kids occasionally get punished for using their powers, we really never get an examples of the kinds of powers they really have. How hard would it have been to add a few scenes of greens and blues doing something to use their powers so we could have some concrete examples of what they powers consisted of? I found myself half way through the book and still unsure of who could do what. And these kinds of things are what I find interesting about sci-fi fantasy novels, so it was very disappointing for me. Why would she go to such trouble to create all these different color levels and not be clear about who can do what?

The other major "world building" problem was that there were major gaps in what we know about the outside society. Even when she leaves Thurmond, we learn almost nothing about the outside world. We are introduced to a few Psi hunters (and some flashbacks from Clancy about his father) but other than that, nothing. They are driving around on freeways, they run into nobody, we learn very little about how the outbreak has impacted society, how its impacted the cities, families, higher education. It was just like nobody was around. Where was everyone? Now THAT would have been interesting. And clearly more of a challenge for the author. All I can say is that I think there were so many opportunities for great world building that the author just blew off. It would taken a lot more work and more time to do this, but it would have elevated the book quite a bit. Missed opportunity to take an OK book to a higher level.
If you love great world building, you will feel really frustrated by this book.

I'd originally started reading this book but the concept was weird so I gave up at first. But I'm SO glad I gave it a second shot. The concept IS weird, but it works out. For the first 150 pages or so I enjoyed it but wasn't flying through it. But after that it was like running down a hill, so much nonstop action and intensity. The characters are all so real, the violence is real, the creepy sexual advances (and later, more than that) are real. This is the first book I have read set in Virginia and it was interesting to read about my home state--good descriptions there too. The book is depressing, gritty, and raw, and I loved it. Just when you think things will get better, something even worse happens. So much feeling and emotion in this one; I'll remember it for a long time. Even though there's a lot of violence, it never feels forced or done for shock value. Highly recommended, can't wait to get my hands on the second one.

I was really excited when I got this book. I loved Brightly Woven and became really excited for The Darkest Mind, when I heard about it. Luckily this book lived up to the hype and I enjoyed it. Ruby isn't the most likable character. She has been through a lot and appears rather mysterious at time. So much, that is it hard to understand some of her actions. Liam also added to the story. He was such a sweet and caring person. I just loved him. I found the plot to be exciting and I just wanted to keep reading. I didn't find that it ever dragged and I kept on guessing what would happen next. I never felt overloaded as Bracken explained how the world became so dark and found it very intriguing. Her world slowly unraveled and I kept wanting to know more. Bracken's writing is just so gorgeous and helped me enjoy this book even more. This world, the characters, and the writing captured my attention and I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read the next book and I am excited to discover what happens next. If you are a fan of dystopic futures, you need to read this book as soon as possible. This is one of those books that just amazed me.

When I heard about this book I knew I had to check it out. The summary just sounds plain awesome!

I was so interested in the teen characters and how they got to be the way they are. What caused so many children to die so young? Why did some survive? What's the scope of their abilities? Where did the abilities come from? Why do some seem to see these abilities as a gift and others as a curse? So. Many. Questions. I just wanted to know all the things! It certainly kept me engrossed in the story.

As I was reading the book I just kept thinking how much my students are going to like it. It's got all the things they are always asking for... mystery, adventure, action, and even a bit of romance. The story is fast paced and has interesting characters. As a reader you are given enough information to start to piece the story together but there is still intrigue and twists that keep you guessing.

The Darkest Minds is sure to be a hit with those looking for a thriller that has a bit of a different spin. I know it's going to be flying off the shelves in my library!

A great YA dystopia with likable characters, an unpredictable storyline, and keeps you turning page after page! I loved Ruby, Liam, Suzume, and Chubs - such great characters to follow during their terrifying journey. My 12 y.o. is reading it now and we can't wait to go see the movie together before starting on book 2!

Alexandra Bracken is a talented author who creates characters and a world you can just fall into! Love!

I'm not sure what I was expecting going into "The Darkest Minds," but it certainly wasn't what I got. There are more twists and turns to this story than a mountainous highway. And as intense as the story description sounds, the book is 10 times that.

Author Alexandra Bracken burst onto the literary scene in 2010 with "Brightly Woven," a fantasy story about a young weaver and a wizard. She showed great promise, interweaving characters and a complex narrative into a cohesive and unexpected plot. The same can be said of "The Darkest Minds."

Nothing about this book comes about as you might expect. Characters shift, plots within plots unfold and emotions run high. You will quickly find yourself engrossed as Ruby's tale unfolds.

Alexandra's ability to build tension with just a few simple words is impressive. As is her ability to tell a story without telling the whole story. Often, it is what's unsaid that drives the story forward.

"The Darkest Minds" is the first of a planned three books. I can't wait for the next two installments.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Book One of the Darkest Minds series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: December 18, 2012
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Finished copy won from a giveaway

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

What I Liked:

I literally JUST read this book yesterday, and woah, you all, WOAH. First, I cannot believe I owned this book for so long, and put off reading it. The thing is, there were so many great reviews for this book, and I didn't want to be disappointed. When I requested an ARC of Never Fade (book two) back in May, I did it with the intention of basically forcing myself to read The Darkest Minds. If I requested a physical or electronic ARC from a publisher, then I would make sure that I read it (at some point). Physical ARCs have priority, so I knew that I would have to read The Darkest Minds and Never Fade in good time (around the release date of Never Fade).

Blogging/reviewing tangent aside, the other reason why I was like WOAH after reading this book, is because WOAH, that book is intense! I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I got (in an excellent way)! I can totally understand why the reviews for this book were so positive - this book is amazing!

In Ruby's world, many children are born with Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration (IAAN), in which they have supernatural powers. Ruby was ten when she was taken to a camp with other children around her age. She stayed there for six years - though she had no idea it had been that long. Six years of grueling labor, torture in the form of noise that only the children with IAAN can hear, and fear. Living in fear of what will happen to her, what became of her parents... of what she is.

Ruby is very weak, physically and mentally, when she escapes from the camp with the help of a rogue doctor. She is separated from this doctor and the other person that escaped (Martin), and joins a group of teenagers her age, with IAAN. Zu, a yellow, is about twelve years old, and a mute. Chubs (Charles) and Liam are Blues (I believe Chubs is a Blue). Chubs doesn't want Ruby to join them, but Liam, the super sweet, loyal, and trusting leader of the trio, lets her stay. And thus begins Ruby's journey - to becoming stronger, growing, and fighting back.

I totally simplified the plot of this book. This book was about five hundred pages, and A LOT happened in one book. But trust me, I was never bored or frustrated with this book. The five hundred pages go by quickly. I think I read this one in under three hours (but I'm a fast reader too). I was thoroughly hooked in this book - the story was very engrossing! I wanted to know what Ruby would do, what would happen to Cate, who the Slip Kid was.

Ruby is a likable character. In the beginning of the book, she is extremely weak. She watches her friend get tortured for standing up for her, and then accidentally uses her powers on that friend. Ruby does nothing to help herself, and cares too much about others. I like this quality about her, because it fits her well, and contributes to the story nicely. By the end of the story, her character develops into a more headstrong, tough heroine. She is afraid of what she is, what she will become, but she isn't afraid to try and help herself, and fight for what she wants.

Liam is another beautifully structured character. He's sort of a static character, meaning that he doesn't change, but that works for this story. He is loyal and kind and thoughtful and sweet and so, so nice. I can't get over how nice he is. But he is also protective and fierce. He has his moments when he gets defensive and almost predatory, and usually, Ruby is involved. I love seeing him get worked up over her!

So... romance? Yes. It's subtle and simple and sweet. Ruby and you know who don't just fall into lust and love the moment they see each other. It takes almost all five hundred pages for them to have much physical contact at all (for good reason though), and then physical contact in a romantic sense.

Remember, Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu were all in camps. The last three were in one in Caledonia (I believe), and Ruby was in Thurmond, so she was in a different camp. BUT, all of them have psychological damage because of their time spent at the camp - especially Ruby. You can tell with Ruby - that is definitely something that Bracken showed very well.

The climax of the book is about when Ruby and the gang are going to meet the Slip Kid. I knew EXACTLY who the Slip Kid was, from basically the mention of the nickname, the "Slip Kid". It's pretty obvious, if you read carefully. I don't like the Slip Kid very much, and you probably won't either (if you haven't read this book yet).

The ending... well, let's just say I'm glad I've had Never Fade since May!

What I Did Not Like:

Without giving anything away, the ending is the thing that bothered me a teensy bit. There was this specific part of it that made me slightly sad. I mean, I'm sure things will be explored in Never Fade, but OH MY GOSH!

I'm glad I have Never Fade. It release soon anyway, but I'm glad.

Would I Recommend It:

TOTALLY! Science fiction for the win! This book is definitely something that science fiction lovers will enjoy, or dystopia lovers. It didn't have the same feel as the usual dystopia, but it could be classified as one. But the science fiction! Squee!

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. I really enjoyed this book! Never Fade, here I come!

What a fun book and one that will make you count the days until the sequel. The best part are the four children who become the focus a fair way into the story. What beautifully written characters, with distinct, appealing voices and consistent, though not predictable personalities. Chubbs may be my favorite...I love someone who appears too brainy or nerdy but then reveals hidden strengths. The romance was quite well done as well. But this isn't at the expense of the other relationships...when Ruby connects with Zu at the strip mall for instance, taking on a parental role for perhaps the first time, it's completely satisfying and I found, very in keeping with the way her development and experiences had been described. I will say you have to suspend disbelief at times when the plot gets a bit over the top (sometimes, the kids' success at evading danger become a bit tough to buy and perhaps the overall concept, of children with paranormal abilities being interned but not killed, is also less than totally skillfully realized). But what a small thing when compared to the pleasure of this novel. Read it! It's wonderful.

This novel is a must read for any avid YA readers or book lovers in general. Bracken's writing is very well executed and was a very enjoying read even though the subject material is very dark (hence the title of the novel). With the book dealing with themes such as keeping your humanity and other themes that is best for the reader to find out for themselves, The Darkest Minds begs to be finished at the fastest opportunity.

Why I only gave the book 4 out of 5 stars is because it takes you a while to get into the book. I thought the beginning was a little uneven structurally and I didn't get some of Ruby's (the main character) personal decisions and felt that they were made only to move the plot along. But what Bracken has created (and what a cliffhanger the ending is!) easily far outweighs the bad. If you can be willing to get past the beginning and give this book a chance, you will not be disappointed.

*SPOILER WARNING*

I liked the beginning of the book, it had great character development and used portrayed the emotions of the characters very well. I really like the dynamics of Ruby, Liam, Zu, and Chubs. They were almost like a family and that is why I didn't like the ending when they are all separated and Liam gets his mind wiped of Ruby. While sure they could still meet up in the next book it wont be the same and I personally don't like it. I really did also like the romance aspect between Liam and Ruby and I wish there was more, and sadly after Ruby wiping Liams mind I feel like that killed all chances of that in the future, if Liam shows up in another book I feel that they will have it set up where Ruby wants a romantic relationship and then Liam will be either be not interested or already have someone else. So over all I really would give the book a 3.5 but i decided to round up and not down.

This book hooked me right from the beginning and I ended up finishing it in one night, despite the length. The story is set in a world where almost all of the children were killed by the mysterious IAAN virus, and the unlucky survivors are taken away because of their newfound abilities. Ruby, as a protagonist, was an engaging read, starting the novel at 10 years old, we see her grow as a character to become more sure of herself and have greater trust in her abilities. She is a good female heroine in that she becomes stronger through the book, but I think at the end she became arrogant and had delusions of self grandeur, in trying to confront problems all on her own. In this way, I was a little bit annoyed with her at the end of the book, but hopefully this is a character flaw that will be addressed in the next book of the series.

The secondary characters were well developed, and the writing was fast paced without lacking detail. Liam as a character was great as a strong, yet vulnerable, male figure. All too often I find that male leads are a little too one dimensional, always dependable and slightly untouchable - not the case here. Liam is easy to relate to and empathise with, a character of good morals but sometimes poor judgement.

As far as romance goes, in this department it was a little slow for me as I was reading the story, however, turned out to be satisfying in the end. It was predictable, but none the less an engaging element to the story. By no means the main focus, I think that Bracken has left many options for Ruby's love life in the next novel, and Im looking forward to finding out what happens in this department.

A story with many villains, I found some to be brilliant and others a little predictable. There were a few good plot twists that I never saw coming, and others where I was shouting in my head, however futilely, for Ruby to wake up and smell the deception.

Alexandra Bracken turned out to be a brilliant author, with good syntax and a wide vocabulary, so the writing was definitely not repetitive or annoying in any way. The story is completely from Ruby's perspective, quite a positive for me. There are small flashes to the past, but they are done in a way that does not take away from the plot development or bore the reader. As a person who quite often skips pages in books where it can almost feel like there are more flash backs than present time story telling, Bracken did this artfully, and the thought didn't even cross my mind to skip a single word.

Other reviews have called this story very dark and depressing, and yes, there are many such elements of the book, but I didn't find it such a major aspect as others did. The atmosphere is built into the premiss, and after it has been introduced, it just becomes a fact of this world. I think the story rises above this tone, and that Bracken is able to manipulate the mood of the story into many highs and lows despite the chaos.

Despite any flaws or nit picking in my review, as I said, it was a very engaging read, and so I guess these negative aspects are far outweighed by the positive ones. I'd never read anything by this author before, but will definitely be putting the sequel down in my calendar.

This book is the best I've read/listened to in a long time. The characters were 3 dimensional and intriguing. You cared about them, which is the hardest part about getting into a book for me. The plot was interesting and unpredictable. I just loved it. I can't wait to listen to the 2nd one with my audible subscription. So pleased to have found this series.

Haunting. Bleak. Devastating. I think it's safe to say that I've grown too used to a lot of the lighter "dystopian" books out there because I was unprepared for the heartbreak contained inside the pages of Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds. In this world, children either die from a mysterious disease, or they survive but evolve with unexplainable abilities. The unexplainable is always accompanied by fear and, in this case, the children are rounded up and locked up in "rehabilitation" camps. From the first page, Alexandra Bracken offered a tense -- and often draining -- reading experience but I must say it was a welcome departure from a lot of the fluffier dystopian fare I've read.

Just as her world was richly detailed, Alexandra Bracken's characters were also layered and multidimensional. It would have been so easy to make Ruby such a miserable character to read about, but instead she grew throughout the course of the novel. She endured a lot, struggled with herself and what she could do (and did do), but she was also admirably resilient. Liam, Chubs, and Suzume are the three other core characters and it was so interesting to learn their backstories and abilities. I must say that the bond that Ruby forms with them was the highlight of The Darkest Minds for me. It was so organic, from the initial mistrust to the gradual acceptance, and I loved the heavy focus on their dynamic.

As I reached the conclusion for the book I was pretty much Darth Vader's "Noooooooo" in real life, no joke. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS, ALEXANDRA BRACKEN?! The sequel is now easily one of my most anticipated titles for the new year. The Darkest Minds will make you sad and break your heart, but it's so perfectly paced and you will grow so attached to the Black Betty gang. This is definitely a book worth your time.

Despite a couple distracting typos and an MC that I didn't find likeable at all, this book was right up my alley and I loved every single word. The imagery, the music references, the superpowers, the road trippery, the stakes... that heartbreaking final scene... seriously, I'll be feeling that one for a long time, along with so many other scenes that were loaded with feels. Can't wait to pick up the next!

I am so glad that I started this book right away when it came out this month. It was so worth it and satisfying. I knew I would love this book from the start. Any books that have a premise with people or children with powers or starts comparing it to the X-men you can bet that I will love it. This book had everything in it, that I just knew I would love, from the characters to the premise to the love and to the corrupt government and world.

Alexandra Bracken has an amazing voice and talent in writing. She draws you in and takes you on a tumbling adventure filled with characters that pull on your heartstrings. I fell in love with every single character, they really jumped off the page and into my mind. I loved watching how Ruby grew from the beginning to the very end. She shows how much a person can gain courage and self-esteem with the things that you have to go through to learn. I did like that things moved at a fast pace from one place to another.

One thing, in the beginning, that I didn't like so much was the confusing use of flashbacks and going back and forth. The book starts with a prologue and then it flashes back to before things start to happen and then goes back to present day leaving us with wanting to find out exactly what happened with Ruby's parents. Then later in the book it goes back to show us exactly what happened with her parents. What I didn't like exactly was the harsh flashbacks, there was nothing leading up to the going back and forth, it just happens. I liked where the flashbacks where put into the story, I just wish they were more seamlessly flowed into the book.

Liam, Chubs and Zu (short for Suzume) become Ruby's friends in the book and it is one of the reasons why I loved this book. They all have there own little spark and brought so much character to the book. The adventure they go on is so thrilling and exciting when all they want is for life to be normal, like the disease never happened. The story brings you on an adventurous roadtrip with a bunch of kids that just happen to have extraordrinary abilities where they are against all odds trying to fit into the world they live in.

I loved the uniqueness that this story brought and how you get to go on a mind blowing adventure with all of the surprises and how the twists and turn overwhelm you just as they do the characters. The situation with the Slip Kid and his character was completely unexpected to me and added to the story. It really gives the story another dimension and path to go in. I really want to know how he will play into the next book. The ending, with everything that happens, is so shocking that you will definitely be surprised even if you guess it before hand, because you don't actually think that that will happen, because why would Ruby do that. I hated how it ended but it is what makes the story so good and what makes me want to read the sequel immediately.

This is one of the best series I have read in 2012. If you haven't bought it yet, you most certainly need to. I recommend it to everyone of all ages. I am really looking forward to the second book in the series, so badly. Definitely check it out, you will not be disappointed. =]

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What to say about this book??!! It was fantastic! I was sucked in from page one and it didn't let me go until the very end. The characters in this story are so real and so intense that at times I find myself pissed off or extremely happy or sad about something that one of them did. Evan, oh ever loving, Evan. That man/boy is AMAZING. Such a great concept for a character. As is Ben.

It's amazing that, while I enjoyed Cassie -- my eyes were on Evan, Ben, and even the supporting characters. I truly enjoyed every single page of this book. There was excellent plot development and a few surprises that I didn't see coming. It was just an all around great read.

I highly recommend this one to any and everyone. Especially for lovers of The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc. It will grab you immediately.

It ends very well. And there is a conclusion. But you can actually see where there's room for the second book Yancey is currently writing. For which, I CANNOT wait!

To wake up one morning, only to discover your world has changed forever is such an understatement in this story. It shows the fear that we, as humans, have of the new and unknown. The lengths that we will go through to save our own hides and retain some short of normalicy. I loved how this story takes you through the world of both the good and bad side, the love and the hate. I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of this series evolves. I just hope that the movie coming out later this year does this book justice.

From Beginning to End Alexandra Bracken had me held in the palm of her hand with the captivating and wonderful book that is "The Darkest Minds" i not only read the book straight through in a matter of hours i immediately knew that i had to finish the series, the way in which she paints all the characters from the charming Liam, Logical Chubs, adorable Zu, and how the journey Ruby went through from a scared and confused teen into a confident and sometimes scary woman who would do anything for the people she loved just creates a world that amazes me in its wonderfully cruel but hope filled nature,and the way she creates them with each word makes you love them and just shows how much love and devotion she put into this series, there were times where the characters went through such horrible experiences i felt tears threatening the edges of eyes, and at the end of the last book when all of their struggles come to an end the pure emotion that is embroidered on each page gave the last push that was all that was needed for the tears to come falling down, i truly loved this series and urge any and all who love to read to try this book, i promise you that you will not be disappointed.

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, she didn't know her world was about to change. She knew about the disease sweeping through the country's children-it was impossible to miss when kids kept dying. She didn't know that surviving the disease was the worse outcome.

Surviving, it turns out, was another word for changing-waking up one day with abilities that used to be the impossible stuff of movies; waking up with strange powers that most of the kids, especially Ruby, can't begin to understand. Or control.

Now sixteen, Ruby knows just how dangerous she is. She knows she'll never be allowed to leave Thurmond, the government camp set up to "rehabilitate" other kids like her.

She also knows that she has to escape to survive.

On the run, desperate to get away, Ruby soon falls in with other kids looking for a sanctuary called East River. Ruby knows she can't let anyone get close-not after what happened on her tenth birthday-but maybe they can all use each other to get to East River in one piece.

Life outside Thurmond isn't what Ruby expected. Turns out, staying under the radar is hard when you're dangerous. Ruby lost control of her life when she was ten years old. If she can learn more about her own abilities, she might be able to reclaim that control. But everything in life comes with a price. Especially freedom in The Darkest Minds (2012) by Alexandra Bracken.

The Darkest Minds is Bracken's second novel. It is also the first in a trilogy.

This book was one of my most anticipated 2012 reads. I fell in love with Bracken's debut novel Brightly Woven and ever since I could not wait to see what she released next.

Part road trip, part sci-fi adventure, part dystopian The Darkest Minds does not disappoint. With a plot that turns on a dime it is a guaranteed page-turner with an ending that will leave readers anxious for the next installment.

At the same time, The Darkest Minds is so much more than an action-packed read. Ruby's story is heart-wrenching and horrifying but her resilience and her persistence are fierce to behold. The other characters in the story are vibrant and beautifully written-even at their most villainous.

Bracken has created a disturbing world with elements that are both fantastical and uncomfortably possible in our own world. Ruby's voice throughout the novel is as smooth as honey filled with descriptions that bring the eerie Virginia landscape of the story vividly to life. The Darkest Minds is a stunning, sometimes harrowing, start to a series; confirming that Bracken is an author to watch.

Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

*This book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2012

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is a page turner that is about loyalty, friendship, isolation, survival and manipulation. Ruby, Liam, Chubbs and Zu, are four friends who try to keep their freedom and remain true to themselves but who have "special" powers of different kinds. The plot was a bit confusing to me at times, but I liked this book because of the characters. Ruby is able to see into people's minds to not only see their memories but also is able to erase memories and plant thoughts into people's heads. The only problem is that she can't control it until she gets lessons from another kid with the same abilities whose practiced his whole life! If you like YA fiction with adventure and fantasy, this is a great book for you! "The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces." Pg. 456.

I don't write book reviews. Mostly because I normally don't read them myself. I normally like to shop for books and figure out whether I like them without having some random reviewer's opinion in the back of my mind.
So, I might be contradicting myself by writing this, but I just can't help it.
I finished this book over a month ago. I've read a few books in between, but I cannot seem to shake this book from my mind. (I haven't even moved on to book 2, Never Fade, because I want to hold on to this story, as is, for as long as I possibly can.)
To sum up: I loved the CRAP out of this book.
I was initially intrigued by the story line: epidemic disease, kids with weird abilities, power-hungry government that needs to be overthrown... right up my alley. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
The story is much, MUCH deeper than what appears in the synopsis. I was not aware when I picked up this book that more than half of it is spent on a road trip (might be a small spoiler, but not really) which I was completely in love with. Any book that includes a road trip is usually at the top of my list, so I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least, that the more I read, the more awesome the road trip became. (It made me want a old, beat-up black van... that's not logical at all, but I do. I want a crappy van.)
To top it off, the characters were fan-freaking-tastic. I couldn't pick a favorite, which is really uncommon for me. Each one was completely different from the other. There was no way I could get Chub's voice confused with Liam's voice, or Ruby's voice confused with Zu's.... (Just kidding..you'll understand if you read the book!) But seriously, it's been a while since I've read a book that had such distinct voices.
And then there was the ending.
I'm not going to say I was upset. But I was upset.
I'm not devastated because I know it will all be resolved and figured out in the next book,(hopefully?) but I'd be lying if I didn't say I gasped very loudly and then shed a couple tears.
All in all, this was probably my favorite book that I've read in 2015, so far. Maybe I'll finally read the copy of Never Fad that's been sitting on my shelf for the last month...

Honestly, I didn't want to read this but it was recommended to me so I read it. I really liked it! I liked this and glad I read it. It's very interesting. I might even watch the movie.

I'll be reading the next book!

Overall: 4.5/5

Its a bit too juvenile for my taste; quite predictable. Nothing mindblowing. I liked that the dynamic between the main female character and the male romantic interest and his friend. Did not like how the conflict was developed as far as the main villain is concerned. It fell flat for me, i got bored midway.

I have to admit that I started this book expecting to be bored and disappointed. It was foisted on me by the same person who insist I read Hunger Games (which was an overused plot with good characters but generally didn't live up to the hype). I felt that I was going to once again read a book that I was not the target audience for (I'm a 23 year old guy). I also had low expectations since I know it is only Bracken's 2nd book and I had just finished reading Jim Butcher's most recent Dresden Files, some more Dan Abnett, Feist's most recent Rift War cycle novel, and some other big names of the scifi/fantasy world.

I was severely surprised. All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It is a wonderful start to, what I gather from the author's website will be, a great trilogy. The characters are believable and fun, their is a pleasant darkness to it all, (SPOILER..kinda) particularly the ending was great, dark and sad but great. The complaints I've seen about character motivations and choices complaining that some of them are dumb is a ridiculous complaint.. the characters are between 10 and 18.. dumb choices are made at that age.

I have a few comments though. 1) there are parts that get a little slow. That's hardly surprising if it is setting up for a trilogy, characters and situations need to be built up. Get through it, it's worth it, and makes the ending more wonderfully tragic. 2) So much could be done with the powers and how they are used and applied and whatever, and Bracken touches on it. I wish there was more. Now, this is a personal complaint. It makes sense in the context of the book how it is done. I just want more because it could be fun, and who knows she probably will explore the options more in later books. 3)there are some things that are simply predictable.. but I'd be hard pressed to find a book nowadays that isn't at least a bit predictable.

My suggestion: Read it! It is fun, easy reading and definitely makes we want to read the next one.

This review was written by one of my English IV students.

Alexandra Bracken is one of the well known authors of Passenger, Star Wars: A New Hope The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy and The Darkest Minds series. “The Darkest Minds” is a good read for people who are interested in reading books about children with powers. The heroine, Ruby, escapes from camp and find out she’s an orange; one of the dangerous ones. She later meets up with three other escapees who are trying to find the “ Slip Kid” in order to get in contact with their families. During the search they have to avoid being caught by the Psi and skip tracers that are trying to bring them back to camp to get “ rehabilitation”. One thing I don’t like is whenever there is a female heroine they always have to have a love story going on without giving it real time to develop they just put out there. If you don’t like it when a female heroine has a love story that interferes with the plot and actions of the character then this book is not for you. I’m not looking forward to reading “The Darkest Minds 2” because the way they ended the first one didn’t get me excited to see what happens next. To have all their hopes come crashing down on them in just a few pages get ruined it for me.

Unspoken: The Lynburn Legacy has been supplanted. I thought it would be the cruelest ending of the year, but at the last minute Alexandra Bracken's THE DARKEST MINDS snuck in. When THE DARKEST MINDS ends, things are not going the heroes' way. I cannot wait to read the next book and see how they make it through.

In the world of THE DARKEST MINDS, a plague swept through the US that killed the majority of children between the ages of ten and eighteen. The ones left behind all had psychic powers. Ruby is an Orange - she can control the minds of other people. She managed to survive the purging of the Oranges by convincing the doctor who classified her that she was a harmless Green. But something happens to reveal her, forcing her to run from the camp before she is killed.

There are two aspects of the premise that I would normally hate. A plague localized to the US that only affects a certain age group? Luckily, Bracken doesn't attempt a scientific explanation and there are so many conspiracies that I can assume the plague will be revealed as something nefarious. The second thing is that the parents willingly give their children up to camps where they are horribly treated. Bracken tries to justify this - most people are too concerned with the fact the country is broke, everyone thinks the camps are places where the kids are cured, and so on. There are horrible holes in each of the explanations, but I was enjoying the world Bracken created enough to go with it.

Ruby ends up bonding with three other kids on the run: Liam, Chubs, and Zu. Liam is one of the best love interests of the year. One character refers to him as "Pollyanna," which is very accurate. He has the optimism and idealism needed to inspire Ruby. She's survived for years when others wouldn't, but she needs to fight if she's ever going to do more than just survive. But there's no reason to fight if you don't have hope. I loved the dynamic between the group too. They really bond into a family, although it takes Ruby awhile to be accepted. It's a nice blend of realistic and heartwarming. (THE DARKEST MINDS needs all the scraps of heartwarming it can get.)

THE DARKEST MINDS won't be for everyone. It can get dark and bleak. There are few characters worthy of trust. The deck is stacked against Ruby and the other psychics, and they have few means of bettering their lives despite their powers. But I believe she and her friends can make it and change the world. (Once they decide they want to change the world, that is.) I'll definitely be following this series to see what happens next.

Despite the very dark themes, I think this is a good series for more mature YA readers. However, I always go to the store to check the content of YA and Middle Grade books, so I figured I'd better start adding my own reviews for others who might be concerned about the same issues.

Unlike the comparatively mild langauge in the first book, this one had a character who used the F-word so many times I finally had to stop listening to the Audible version. It's supposed to be the character's personality, being from a rough background, but it was too much and too often to be necessary.

I love this book series, even though I really disliked the ending. The author could have mad it a happy ending but she chose not, i would have enjoyed it more if Jude, who was one of my top 5 favorite characters, didn't die. I really like the concept of this books and putting what others say aside this book was definitely NOT BORING! and Ruby is not a weak character and not in need of a man all the time, how do you think she got by helping Cate, when she had Liam go away because she didn't want him to be part of the thing he was trying to run from. I think it was really clever how she got Ruby and Liam back together, how he remembered his story of what life would be if IAAN disease didn't exist and how they would have met, and that was what triggered all the others memories to come back in his head. I was really scared when Chubs was about to die, I would have been extremely mad if he had died because i love Chubs's character. I am glad that she got her family back, and her grandmother was there to help out with that. I love Liam's personalities. I thought it was hilarious how Ruby and Liam and then Chubs and Vida used analogy that they were fixing the book shelves. Anyway I honestly recommend this series.

In this dystopia, ten years old marks the birthday of doom.

Children who reach the age of ten years old and don't die of mysterious causes are perceived as highly suspect. If they display any symptoms, they are shipped off to camp, to be "cured."

Camp is not a place where children are cured. Camp means captivity, punishment, and sometimes death.

In camp, children are not cured - they are categorized by the abilities they possess.

In order of perceived danger-level: Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. Children who fall into the two most dangerous categories (Orange and Red) don't last long.

Oranges tend to be powerful and mercurial. Often with a harsh edge to them that spells out danger to others.

But one Orange is different. So different that she is accidentally mistaken for a Green. Her frightening capabilities came into her life like a curse - but she remains empathetic and self-sacrificial.

Kids all over the world start dying and only a few special kids remain. These kids however have special abilities, ones that everyone around them are afraid of. Ruby is one of these special kids and when she turns ten her abilities manifest and she is dragged to a camp along with all of the others. Six years later she has a chance to escape before getting killed but her fate on the outside might be just as bad as the inevitable death on the inside.

This story was a pleasant surprise. I didn't really like the synopsis but decided to read it anyway. I loved the relationship between Ruby, Chubs, Liam, and Zu. I think Zu ended up being my favorite. I can't wait to continue on with the series.

It seems like teen novels are always following some trend or another. There was the vampire trend, then the zombie trend, the angel/demon trend, etc, etc. Now, of course, the big trend is dystopian fiction. In an over-saturated market like this, it is easy for all of them to start sounding the same, and I find myself getting bored of reading that same story again and again. Yes, society is crumbling. Yes, the government is tyrannical and militant. Yes, there is no more civil liberties, or there is no more food, or there is no more gas, or there is no more [insert something else here whose absence will cause the downfall of modern civilization]. And so on, and so on.

"The Hunger Games" is by far the best of the new teen dystopian novels, but even that isn't original. "The Running Man" and "Battle Royale" both came long before it, and maybe there was even something similar that came before those! My point in all this rambling is that nothing is ever really going to be completely original anymore, so what it DOES need to be is interesting and well-written, and at least unique ENOUGH to hold some surprises for those who have read all that came before. I thought "The Darkest Minds" was all these things. The combo of dystopia and super/mutant powers made for a captivating read. It was kinda like Marie Lu's "Legend" if the main characters had special powers, or Michael Grant's "Gone" if they hadn't gotten trapped in that big bubble and the adults were still around.

I was emotionally invested in the characters and their struggle, and the action and suspense kept me enthralled. If you're into this sort of book, definitely worth a read. I'm guessing this is just the first in a series or trilogy (of course). If so, I will be reading them, just because I gotta know how it ends!

Three stars is kinda crappy for me to rate something, and it's weird because I really liked this book! I'll probably read the whole series. I like the main character, I like the love interest, it was pretty exciting.... But at the end of the day, I have to say nobody begged me to be friends with them. The characters were pretty good, but none of them were my Katniss, or September from the Fairyland series, or even my Bella. The premise was not that extraordinary. It was fun? But for it to be a four star or a 5 star book for me it needs to hit me in the feels.

4.25 our of 5 stars. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked the pacing. Ruby’s abilities provided a cool way to show the backstory and how the dystopian world happened. The gang of four friends, Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Zu, were so fantastic to read about!

This book was absolutely amazing. The second I started reading this novel, I was hooked. I didn't want to put it down until I was done with it! This book kept me invested throughout the whole story, and i did not at any point find myself hating it or confused about what was happening. Bracken's writing is incredible. My mother and my younger brother both enjoyed this novel as much as I did, so it is obvious that people of all ages can enjoy it!

I don't think a summary is necessary considering all the reviews that did that. I loved that it was at the ending that I realized how much the main character had transformed. And it was a reflection that kinda caught me by surprise. Yes she was kinda soft, especially in the beginning, but it wasn't the wimpy kind that drove me up the wall and made me roll my eyes. It was a child and it was believable. I approved the book for having a main character that was understandable and a romance that was more realistic. I liked that none of the characters were built in a "too good to be true" or "too idiotic to be true". There were some things that didn't quite make sense. Like why wouldn't the government use the superhero kids for their own selfish agendas like wars? And what exactly was this disease? And was the United States the only one affected? That last one may have been answered and I just missed it.

And while this has been the first book in a long time that I've enjoyed thoroughly I never seemed to have made that deep attachment to the character. I don't know why I didn't but I just didn't. I liked her and I rooted for her and I more or less understood her but I never got lost in her.

But the bottom line is that I would definitely recommend this one.

This one grabbed me from page one, and I remained hooked throughout, yet it's an extremely difficult book to review. The characters are very well drawn and worth five stars, the action nonstop and worth another five stars. To the narration I'd give three stars, but only because of confusing details, i.e., a character is sitting on the edge of a bed, a couple sentences later is lounging against the wall, and a couple paragraphs later stands up. A couple times I had to go back and reread to figure out who said what, sometimes even did what. And it really wasn't made clear until the end exactly what was the terrible thing Ruby had done regarding her parents. At times the character's motivations for their actions, or lack of, didn't really wash, but overall this is a very well written work of science fiction. Any book that holds me all the way thru it, and makes me not want to finish it because it's so good, deserves five stars...but I can't quite bring myself to award those five stars. I give it four.

Februrary turned out to be a really good reading month for me when it came to reading. I read quite a few amazing books last month and The Darkest Minds was on of them. In fact out of the whole month this was my absolute favourite read.

I had had this one on my TBR list since March of 2012 so it was great to finally get my hands on a copy and start reading. I thought that Alexandra Bracken's sophomore young adult novel was an awesome showcase of her talent.

I expected this to be the usual dystopian read where the girl has strange powers blah, blah, blah. But I was completely taken by surprise. Instead of the whiney, angsty novel I was expecting I was taken on a fast paced adventure ride.

I absolutely loved the story of Ruby. As a character she is near the top of my favourite young adult heroines. She's smart, funny, awkward, and willing to do anything she can to keep her new friends including her love interest Liam safe even if it means making the reader (me) scream at her in frustration at the end of the book. If you've read the book you'll know what I'm referring to. Anyways, back to Ruby. I loved the fact that she struggled with her ability throughout the entirety of the novel. She didn't go from being awkward to a super confident stuck up girl like many characters do after they experience life changing moments which I really appreciated because no one likes a perfect character.

The other characters were great too. Even the bad guys. I really liked getting to know Zu, and Chubs. They were both interesting characters though Chubs always seemed to make me laugh at his snarky remarks. Liam though takes the cake when it comes to side characters and love interests though. He's the good guy which I love seeing in young adult noels because I find that the "bad boy" love interest thing is way too over done. I loved how protective he was of Ruby and anyone else who needed his help.

The story line was interesting. I liked that it centered around a disease that killed off the majority of Children but left those that remained with certain abilities. Plus the whole segregation of the kids with these abilities from the general public was interesting.

The writing of The Darkest Minds was quite spectacular. It was fast paced and had many plot twists that I loved. The fact that it wasn't a straight forward love story but more of a thriller was great. I loved how the author was able to create such real characters that were perfect in the fact that they were flawed like everyone else. I also liked that this was a bit of a darker, more grown up YA novel because the author wasn't afraid of dropping the F-bomb and other expletives every once in a while. The dialogue between her characters was very well done as well it flowed easily and wasn't robotic or forced.

What I loved the most was that the story of The Darkest Minds was able to draw me in for hours at a time and left me saddened at the end of the first book wishing there was a sequel readily available for me to read immediately. I'm completely and utterly enthralled with Ruby's story and I really can't wait to see what happens in the sequel when it's released. For me this is probably one of the best YA books I've ever read and I'm so glad I read it when I did.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves YA novels. There's a bit of romance, a lot of betrayal, violence and will keep you wanting to read into the wee hours of the night. Alexandra Bracken gives a likable female heroine that readers can invest in and one who they'll cheer for.

How would you like to be a freak stuck in a concentration camp? How would you like to be the outcast among the outcasts? How would like to have uncontrollable power? Well that's the life ever since the kids started getting powers.
In this dystopian book the world is a devastating place. Well for the teenagers that is. There parents don't want them so they send them to the camps. They split the kids up depending on how powerful they are. Unless you outsmart them.
I recommend this for every dystopian fan, every adventure fan. Anybody who loves a good twisted book!

I had the honor of borrowing this book. So I'm afraid this review won't come with a special 'confirmed purchase' annotation.

Just the same... I hope my review is considered just as good. One peak into my review history and one will find that I don't hand out stars like stickers. This book was worth every single one.

Thouh at times it was too slow for comfort. I understand this is the first book in a series, but I would have liked to see any one unraveles thread tied before she went to the nex one. I felt like this was multiple books in one. So many plots in one story that rather than interweave just sort of ran along each other. I sometimes forgot details about one incident because of the focus on another.

But I enjoyed the characters and the ending was a surprise.

*Takes a shaky breath* Someone please put me out of my misery!
Look no further, this book will take the breath out of your lungs. For me I kind of struggled within the first say 50 pages because it felt a bit like background information and all just being opted in my brain. However, when I finally settled in, I could not put this beauty down. ....pressed a light kiss against my bruised cheek. After that, the cold trickle on my skin seemed to evaporate... Naww... How cute! That was me right after reading that part, simply left me smiling ear to ear. This is also an example of Alexandra Bracken's great writing skills, here was obviously implying that Ruby had blushed. It's not like in the other, unoriginal books and they write She blushed deeply or what not, Bracken's writing is so unique and heart wrenching that it makes me ache for more.

Personally, I like to keep my own little notebook of my favourite quotes or beautifully written sentences and my, my, I am proud to say I had filled two pages of skimpy handwriting that had the most loveable and hilarious moments. WORLD RECORD for me!! *happy dance*

The Darkest Minds has one of the greatest dystopian-fantastical worlds I've ever read about. Children from ages 8-13 have been affected by this disease that pretty much gives you two choices, you die or you receive these whacky abilities. You are sent to a place where 'they put you in rehabilitation' and are placed in groups by the level of your power; Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange and Red (in that order). This idea seemed ridiculous when my friend told me but after reading this book, I am beyond amazed.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the characters and how they developed together. Ruby, our protagonist is careful and really thoughtful of her actions, she desperately doesn't want to do what she did to her parents so she keeps to herself for the majority of the story. Liam aka Lee is adorable, he is so caring and like the leader of the pack and trying to keep everyone calm and in order. Additionally, he can be very protective and sometimes sensitive as it is shown in the book. Naturally, not many people like sensitive people, but Bracken described it so well, I just loved this character more. Zu, EEKK!! She by far is my most favourite girl, she may not be able to talk but her personality and strong mind really pulls through. I deem that Chubs though, developed the most in this book. At the start, he was all grumpy and secretive towards Ruby, rather a boy who I'd like to punch in the face, but as the story developed and the gang's situations changed, Chubs was really likeable and straight forward. The characters felt so real and I can easily find people that I know who would fit these characteristics because the book was really descriptive in this aspect.

One thing I wasn't to happy about (though it wasn't worth losing even 0.5 of a star) was the romance. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but it was so sudden. BAM. Half way through the book it just kicks in, it just was a bit odd... Hmmmm...

"..make me so happy that I actual forget to breath?..." that was literally me, I was always in the edge of my seat, anticipating what was on the next page. I also found myself having my jaw dropped open in amazement or shock too, and that says ALOT. I bet my face was priceless when I realised there were no more pages to go at the end of the book. Such a hair ripping cliffhanger, but then again it can only just say more about the characters, what happened in the end was realistic and annoyingly frustrating because that's who the characters were as people. Hands down. This was a book that I'm sure anyone would enjoy and rant about for a long shot.

You know those books that you finish reading that leave you asking, "Damn, did that just happen?" The ones that leave you feeling like there's a hole in your heart, and like any minute depression is going to set in? This is one of those novels. And I wouldn't necessarily say that that's a bad thing, some novels are just a bit gloomy, but right now I'm feeling kind of down, and it's all because of the cliffhanger with which The Darkest Mind just slapped me.

Bracken has created a novel centering on kids that, at the age of 10, either die, or develop special abilities. The death of children is never an uplifting topic, and when it's by the thousands, you just know the events about to unfold are probably going to be depressing. But, sad topics aside, let's discuss the special abilities of those who do survive. Truth be told, I wasn't 100% sure what was being described when the abilities were discussed. Now that I've finished the novel, I have a fairly decent idea about most of the abilities, but still, not all--they were a bit vague for me. And, because I wasn't sure what all the abilities meant, or how some were classified as dangerous, I did find parts of this novel hard to follow. For instance, in the beginning, I couldn't understand why Ruby considered herself to be such a monster, and as I didn't know what happened with her parents, I wasn't able to put two and two together. She is so afraid of her abilities that she seems to lack the ability to put them to use, so she doesn't, for a very large part of the novel. Hence, I wasn't sure what she was talking about. That's probably just me, but because things weren't spelled out for me (and I may have just missed some vital sentence in there somewhere, it happens), I struggled to fully understand the story. So, here's what I think I know about the abilities, in hopes that it helps potential readers. All surviving kids are classified by their colors: Reds, I think, deal with fire. Oranges can take over the mind, among other mind capabilities. Yellow's control circuits, mainly lights and such. Blues can make anything move using their mind, and Greens are... well, I'm not sure. I think they're really good with numbers and have photographic memories. Maybe. I probably messed that up, but... I hope I'm on the right track.

Ruby is an Orange. Hence, she's able to pass herself off as a Green for quite some time. Six years, to be exact. And then, all hell breaks loose.

What I really liked about this novel was that the story was enticing so, while I didn't necessarily understand everything that was happening, I was interested enough to keep reading. When I was trying to explain the book to a friend, she asked me why I kept reading The Darkest Minds if I was as confused as I sounded, and my response was that the novel was, indeed, intriguing, and sometimes, that's all I need for it to be a good book. I mean, the colors and coding all reminded me of Divergent, by Veronica Roth, which I really enjoyed, and the characters were appealing, though I couldn't tell who was true to their word, and who was manipulating others. Of course, neither could Ruby, and that was half the fun. I love a good mystery, and this novel is full of it.

What was difficult for me, however, was that the novel seemed to jump around. It begins with a prologue that makes sense later on in the novel, but not right away. I like beginnings like this, because it creates a bit of mystery and something to look forward to. Then the first chapter takes us all the way back to the very beginning, detailing where Ruby was and what she saw during the beginning stages of the outbreak, IAAN. What I didn't understand, and never did grasp, is where the disease came from, how it was contracted, why it only affected kids and teens, and why it randomly popped up in the USA. It just seems like it broke out one day, and there was no explanation behind it, which I really needed, even though the story is well written. But back to the format. The novel does a series of jumps throughout the duration of the story, going from past, to present, to past... being at the camp in the present, remembering something that happened at camp in the past, remembering home, remembering school, then we're whisked back to the present, and the cycle keeps repeating itself. Usually I do very well with novels that are set up like this, but in all honesty, I really think this set up is why I am a bit confused about the teen abilities and such. I just felt like I, personally, didn't have a deep enough grasp on anything prior to a past/present shift, so it made it a little hard for me to follow.

But again, the story itself was captivating. Even though I didn't understand why Ruby considered herself a monster (for a very long time), it did eventually click, and the more I read, the more I made sense of this dystopian world where teens are much to be feared. Do I think everyone who reads this novel will be a bit lost? Nope. I think it's mainly me here, and I certainly think that this novel is worth the read. I truly did enjoy it; I just wish I had more background knowledge going in.

But, back to my original statement--my very first paragraph. Wow. Ruby and her friends just don't catch a break. Any time anything starts looking up, terrible things happen. And the last instance broke my heart, though I can see why Bracken would do it... this is a series novel, after all, and the cliffhanger kind of needs to be a slap in the face. Yet, though it's depressing, it's one I'm not going to forget. In fact, I'm not going to forget this story at all, because it has jarred me and made me feel even more sorry for the characters--they never asked for any of this--and that's why I'm going with a higher rating than I originally thought I was going to give this novel. It's all about the ending, every time.

I started 2014 off with a BANG!
I can't believe I waited so long to read this book, it was absolutely amazing.
It has everything a good book needs: strong, independent characters who develop over time, a thrilling plot with so many twists and turns, a good amount of world-building, etc. I can't wait to read more about Ruby (and not to mention the other ones).

I urge you to read this book. I won't bother with a summary, since its been done and I'm scared to death to I'll accidentally spoil something for a reader. Ruby is so real. Which means sometimes I want to hug her and sometimes I want to smack her. Liam was so great. He wasn't your average YA hero. He wasn't gloomy or sullen in order to be mysterious. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was an optimist. He was so genuine and lovely. We all need a Liam. Chubs!!!!!!! Loved him hard. Read it.....you'll see why. I loved Brightly Woven and I'm glad that Bracken didn't disappoint. The only thing that saddens me about the book is the wait that I'll have to endure to see what happens next!

I loved this series, if you haven't started yet, you need to! The characters are lovely and well written, there is action, love, friendship,humor a perfect recipe for a great dystopian novel. I was hooked all the way through the series, when I wasn't reading I was thinking about the story. I just finished the series (there is 3 books) and it wraps up just right without any 'Veronica Roth destroying a perfectly great series with one really STUPID ending' ! No this series is great you will eat it up!

I loved this book! I decided to read it because I saw that the moving is coming out. There were several parts that left me shocked. I can’t wait to start the second one to see how the ending to the first book plays out.

This book wasn't great, but it's not too bad if you were looking for something that was a quick read.

What I liked about the book was that there was parts of the book where you'd be able to see Ruby's or other kids' abilities. It didn't just turn into a regular book with no sci/fi fantasy aspects.

Besides that, the book didn't catch me. I would have been fine if I didn't finish the book or if I finished it.

The book is playing with interesting ideas, but overall I was disappointed with this novel; it had potential.

The pacing in the beginning and end is excellent--but the middle of the story drags as the main characters travel in their van. This is the time for character development, but while we, the reader, learn a little more about each character through dialogue, there is nothing else to hold our interest but a few temporary setbacks.

The three kids Ruby spends most of the story with are the most interesting characters. Their relationships with each other are comic and sometimes dramatic; we start to care about their struggle to find their families.

The other characters are not given time in the story to reveal their desires and pain. There are so many characters that we meet once or twice in the book, and they are either one-dimensional baddies or we don't get the time to learn more about them.

While Ruby is the protagonist, the narrator of the book, she is my least favorite of the four kids. If she isn't crying or worrying about something petty (like the group discovering she is an Orange), she is making constant mistakes and then hating herself for it (and I don't know which is worse--they are both repetitive attributes).

Characters should have flaws, but I expected Ruby to come out of that camp strong, independent, and her flaw would be her unwillingness to trust anyone or show emotions (since they aren't supposed to in the camps). She's the complete opposite; it isn't until the very end of the book that she finally starts to act how I figured she should have acted from the get-go. But it's a stretch calling it a character arc when the arc doesn't appear until the last two chapters of a 31 chapter book.

Our protagonist plays a victim throughout. There are a few empowering scenes when she uses her powers and controls the situation, briefly, but those scenes come far and few between her moping, leaning on Liam for support, and being mentally and physically violated by males of her age.

The biggest con to this book is its ending. It becomes obvious as the reader hits the third quarter mark that the author had a sequel already thought up when writing this story. The story doesn't end; it just stops, just when it gets interesting too.

It is certainly not a bad novel. At times it is engaging and some of the descriptions, like when Ruby sees into other peoples' minds, give great visuals. But after reading a 490 page book and having it just stop, abruptly, with so many lose ends, it will disappoint those who thought they'd purchased a complete story.

Ruby has spent the last 6 years of her life in what the government calls a rehabilitation camp. In reality, there is no rehabilitation for the kids in Ruby's camp--or any of the other camps that have been built to contain and control all of the children who survived a mysterious disease that killed most of the other children. Those left have psychic abilities and are considered dangerous. When Ruby is given the chance to escape the campo, she takes it, but soon discovers that the person she trusted my have an agenda of her own. So Ruby runs again. She finds a small group of other runaways and joins them on a search to find a mysterious place that promises freedom and safety for them. I liked the concept of the book, but found the execution to be a bit lacking. The narrative got monotonous as the kids fled across Virginia. It became a running blur of destinations and attacks. I didn't really connect to Ruby or her love interest Liam. The other two characters in the group, Chubs and Zu, seemed to be better drawn. There were several sweet moments between Ruby and Zu where Zu's fragility really stood out. Overall, an OK read that didn't live up to its potential.

I received a free electronic advance copy of this book from Netgalley.

I wasn't sure I would like this book at first. I bought it on a whim because it was there and I needed a new book to read. I do love a good dystopian society story but since The Hunger Games I feel like the genre has been flooded with boring and generic authors trying to capatalize on the trend. I actually really liked this book and I feel like this author actually had something to say without being too heavy handed with the metaphors.

I'll start with what I liked about it. I really liked the main character. Ruby felt real to me. She doesn't start out brave or self-sacrificing, she's just trying not to be noticed. Even though she has very strong powers she doesn't feel powerful because she's been repressed and taught to hate herself and what she can do. She's afraid of her power which I think most people would be if all of a sudden they developed strong psychic powers that could potentially get them killed.

The pacing and character development were smooth. I didn't feel at anytime that the relationships felt forced or contrived. The action was well placed to keep the story moving. I loved the details like Black Betty and the music on the radio that helped to solidify the friendships between the main characters. I liked that even in the midst of all the danger they're facing they still feel like kids. They make the kind of impulsive decisions that kids and teenagers would really make. They still have hormones and the kind of hope that only comes from not being entirely jaded yet. All of the characters had flaws and scars from what they went through that have effected the way they interact with other people.

Now what I didn't like. The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of five is because the author kind of hits you over the head with the foreshadowing. There aren't really any surprises because the author makes all of the "twists" easy to see coming. I knew who the Slip Kid was going to be the first time they mentioned him. I knew mostly what would happen when they found him, and I figured out the ending pretty fast too. The author writes in a way that screams this detail is important and will come back in later chapters so the book becomes predictable, not boring but still predictable.

Overall I would recomend reading it if you're a fan of the genre, and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Interesting take on a disease that gives some pre-teens special powers, but kills the majority, set in the near future U.S. The heroine Ruby is a good one: clever, tenacious, and open to figuring out young love when she has been separated from everything good for over 5 years in a "camp". The supporting cast are fairly well developed, and the storyline is not entirely predictable, with an unexpected ending. I was able to put the book down, getting a bit bogged down in a few areas. I am curious to see which way Ms. Bracken will take her next part of the story, but will probably not be pre-ordering it as I do some of these series.

The book builds off an interesting premise--some weird disease kills most kids and leaves most of the rest changed with new mental abilities, some scarier than others. The government goes bad Big Brother on surviving kids and puts them in camps. Ruby escapes from her camp and goes on the run, hunted by an assortment of bad guys. Along the way she teams up with Liam and Chubs and they meander around West Virginia and Virginia trying to stay one step ahead of the evil pursuers. On the positive side, Ruby is a well done character, who goes from rather passive and weak to very strong over the course of the book. Also, the writing is pretty decent and the author creates an intriguing dystopian world. On the other hand, the book lacks a strong overall story arc that holds everything together. Basically the book feels like a series of road adventure vignettes strung together like beads on a string. Finally, the ending was very unsatisfying for me. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course there's plenty of room to turn things around in the next book, but I'll study the reviews first before I invest any more time in Ruby.

New fave series! Move over Divergent and Hunger Games because Alexandra Bracken has written a masterpiece. This book just grabbed me by the collar and pulled me in. The lives of 4 tortured children come crashing together in this beautiful story of love and hope in an ugly world where children are snatched from their parents and forced into government rehab camps but their spirits and ability to love cannot be quashed. This is an absolute must read...please do yourself a favor you will not regret buying this book or other books in this series!!

Not every book I read hits me like a ton of bricks, in a good way. Not every book I read leaves me with a "Oh My God," feeling. Not every book leaves me anticipating the sequel worse than anticipating The Hobbit 2. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is a new dystopian novel for teens. There have been many to come out since Suzanne Collins "rebooted" the genre with The Hunger Games, some are too copycat and not very good. Not The Darkest Minds!!

The Darkest Minds begins with a little bit of background on the main character of Ruby. Ruby is one of the survivors in a world where all the children have disappeared. Taken to camps and tortured. But some look to escape. This book comes out on Tuesday so I don't want to spoil anything about it. I highly recommend it if you enjoyed The Hunger Games or the X-Men Movies. It has a read X-Menish feel to the book. Don't start this book until you have the time to dedicate to it.

Alexandra Braken writes with a unique style. She takes the time to develop her characters. While this may seem to make the novel move slowly at first, it is needed because you need to develop an attachment for Ruby. The second half of the book moves at the speed of light. I highly recommend this book to teens and for teen collections.

Review originally posted on my blog "Your Average Bibliophile." (Find link on profile page.)

The Darkest Minds begins when children in America start dying off. The ones remaining are labelled as dangerous and sent to a "rehabilitation camp" to be categorized into colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, and green. Why? Because they have been afflicted with a virus that gives them superhuman X-men-like powers. Ruby is one of these lucky kids, sent to the "Auschwitz" of the camp world - Thurmond. It breaks her, and she doesn't even think about escape until the Children's League (supposedly helping these kids) breaks her out. Of course, their great rescue doesn't go quite as planned, and Ruby ends up road-tripping with a some escapees from a different camp. And that's when actual things start happening.

This book had both strong and weak points. We'll go with the positives first. The writing was solid. I felt like an invisible bystander in the novel doing some mighty fine creeping on Ruby and the band of children she finds - Liam (a blue), Chubs (a green), and Zu (a yellow). The plot had action, adventure, humor, and the typical government antagonist. Oh, and let's not forget the teenage romance of Ruby and Liam. Cute, sweet, and not as instalove as most Young Adult novels.

Most of the characters were actually very well-rounded, but the secondary characters definitely took the spotlight. Liam was a regular boy with a quiet confidence. He wasn't arrogant or over-the-top, just a boy on a mission and with enough guilt to re-open the American government. A little on the boring side at times because I love the bad boys. Interestingly enough, the author didn't have Ruby point out how hot he was, more so how kind he was. Another refreshing character was Chubs - a smart know-it-all, would-be-male-version-of-Hermione-Granger (if school still existed), who was witty, protective, and although meant to be that poor third-wheel, stood his own. Zu was more a mystery, but was portrayed well as the sweet, young girl with too much power and not enough fun.

Are you wondering what I think about Ruby? Her character sways to the red zone. She was weak, useless, and damsel in distress in the beginning of the novel. She had no backbone and annoyed the crap out of me. I'm surprised she got away from the Children's League, it's out-of-character. Yes, I feel bad for her. She got stuck in a terrible situation that she didn't deserve at all. But still. She was vague, wishy-washy, and indecisive the whole novel. When she meets the gang, it's like she suddenly takes on a more assertive personality, but it's not good enough. I disagreed with around 75% of her decisions, and if the other characters weren't so strong, I would have been very discouraged with this novel despite the writing.

Plot - it's a typical YA plot. How did this virus occur? We never find out. What exactly was the government thinking? Ha, nice one. What do all the colors really mean? Keep wishing. Is it even legal to reproduce? Meh. We are all sex-craved beings, so who cares? The novel starts out super strong, but tapers off around page 300 when we meet some new characters that are paper-thin and stupid. The author lost her pacing, and didn't find it again till the last two chapters. (Side note: the romance could have completely been left out; it took away from Liam as a character and made him less interesting.)

Despite the cons, this book wasn't half-bad. It just left me disappointed. There is so much potential in this world, and Bracken didn't take the creative leap. She stuck to the overused patterns of Young Adult dystopians. I think it's definitely worth looking at, but should be bumped down on your "to-read" list.

I will leave my review very simple.
You may think this is another Divergent copy cat that's totally predictable, but it is far from it. Every decison Ruby makes is like a punch to the heart. All of the characters in this book are very imagineable, and you start to wish they were real. If I didn't shed tears over this book, I would be heartless. Ruby's last decision, which ends the book, will leave you utterly depressed and wondering how heartless the author really is.
SPOILERS

I swear if she doesn't find Chubs alive, whether he is working for the league or not, and 'save' him, I will just crawl in a hole and die. Lastly on Chubs, I have a suspicion that his dad did something to his brain that made him able to keep anyone from messing up his mind.
I see that there is a short story about Zu(who else could it be)? Yeah, I'll have to read that one and somehow make sure that my baby gets back to safety.
Okay..the problem of Liam. The most realistic, loveable character ever (alongside Chubs). Can I just admit that I secretly hope that Ruby kisses him and accidentally gives back his memories, or he lied and actually did remember Ruby, and was just trying to protect her or maybe sweet Chubs gets his dad to help him out or SOMETHING? Or maybea memory she forgot to erase, or simply something about her reminds him? please? Haha, I know it's wishful thinking...

Anyways, the best book ever, I highly recommend it, but be ready to be a crying mess.

I love me some YA Dystopian series. This is one of the better ones. The concept of the whole Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, Red abilities is a new twist. The main character, Ruby, is well developed, as is the plot. Definitely worth 5 stars.

I received an advanced Kindle version of "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken and was so excited to read it. The premise of the book is that an epidemic of some sort has swept across the US (forcing the borders shut and international travel to be cut off); this epidemic has killed most of the children over 10 years old. The ones that have not been killed now have weird powers. The story centres around a girl called Ruby who is an "Orange" and can use mind control on other people. She used mind control when she was rounded up and placed in a camp with all the other children left behind after the epidemic killed it's millions, She made the Drs think she was a relatively harmless "Green" - This probably saved her life, as it appears "Yellows", "Oranges" & "Reds" are being taken away and possibly killed.

Ruby is broken out of the camp by a "Dr" who is part of a resistance movement but after seeing something she should not have in the mind of one of her "rescuers" she goes on the run and teams up with three other kids - Liam, Chubs, and little Zu. Liam is the perfect love interest for this story (isn't it more fun when there is one) - excitement being on the run together, nearly being caught and a kiss thrown in for good measure.

I loved this book! I love disaster stories and this fit perfectly. There are things that are not explained and I really hope they are raised in the next book. For example - Where did this epidemic come from? I think it's been introduced by the government myself - it just seems odd that the ones who didn't die all have powers of some kind - almost like the govt were trying to find a new super hero gene or some kind of drug they have introduced to the children of America. Anyway, I give this book 5 stars out of 5 as I was kept entertained the entire time and wanted to read it as quick as possible whilst wanting it to never end!