The Darkest
Minds by Alexandra Bracken
The Darkest
Minds #1
Release Date:
December 18th, 2012
Number of Pages:
488
Publisher:
Disney-Hyperion
Source: ARC from
BEA
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.
Wow. What a
disturbingly amazing world. Alexandra Bracken created a strong world, and if
there is one thing you can’t say is lacking, it’s the back-story. She gives us
enough information to get a good understanding of the world and of the reasons
why it becomes what it is. Alexandra Bracken really took us on an emotional
rollercoaster ride, keeping us on the edge of our seat. The premises of the
novel was one of the main reason why I wanted to read this book so badly, since
it sounded like the kind of book I would love, and I’m happy to say I wasn’t
disappointed. It felt new and fresh, and it was really addicting. It will even
please some of you who are starting to get bored of dystopian.
The story
follows Ruby, a young girl who has been stuck in a “rehabilitation camp” for
the last six years. This gave her certain strength, but also a weakness. Thanks
to everything that has been said about people like her (orange) and what she
has seen of others like her, she sees herself as a monster, and she fears what
she is. Having been in the camp for so long, she doesn’t know what is going on
in the world outside the walls of the camp. I have to say, I really liked seeing
her grow because of what she discovers on the other side, and because of
everything she has to do to survive. By the end of the book, she has to face
some difficult choices that will change her.
Along her way,
she meets a group of kid like her, and she joins them on the road. The group
had some really interesting characters and I liked seeing them with Ruby. Zu
was so cute, and you really can’t help but want to protect her, to see her be
okay. Then, there is Chub. He is the one that doesn’t accept Ruby at first, the
one who is skeptical about the things she tells them. I like that there was at
least one character who was cautious about the appearance of a new girl, as
they are on the run. I think most people in their situation wouldn’t have been
100% welcoming. Finally, there’s Liam. He is the kind of character that gives
you hope in their world, as he is the one who wants to see the good in people.
The four of them together created a group with an interesting dynamic, and it
was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The Darkest
Minds was an excellent start to a series that promises a lot. This dystopian is
dark and addicting, and I can’t wait to see where Alexandra Bracken will take
Ruby and us in the next novel.
About
the Author:
From
GoodReads
Alexandra Bracken wrote Brightly Woven as a birthday
present for a friend, and the story grew and flourished during a year of
unpredictable, wild weather. A native of Arizona, she is a recent graduate of
the College of William and Mary, where she majored in History and English. She
now lives in New York City.
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