I’m back today with another book review and this time its The Darkest minds by Alexandra Bracken. If you’d like to read another review by me well, keep reading. Spoiler, I liked this one.
Alexandra Bracken
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.
Unlike my other reviews, Ill keep this one short and sweet. First things first, this is not my usual literary genre of choice, but I went in with an open mind and read it without so much as reading the synopsis. My thoughts? It is still not my genre of choice but The Darkest Minds was suspenseful, interesting, captivating and well written. It follows a group of kids, mainly the protagonist Ruby, who possess special abilities and who must escape and avoid captivation because of there unique abilities. There was political satire, mixed with classic dystopian writing and generally it left me wanting to read the rest of the series if only to find out what happened to the characters… lets just say the ending was interesting. It reminded me of one of my favourite childhood novels, the chrysalids – a must read if you have never read it.
On to the characters … Ahh the characters! I loved so many of the characters. I loved Sam, the protagonists best friend in early captivity. I loved Liam, her love interest and even Zu who spoke no words throughout the book. Unfortunately the one character I just did not connect with, and who frankly just annoyed me was Ruby the protagonist (This is quite possibly and unpopular opinion). Have you ever liked a book but did not like the main character? Well that was this book for me. For most of the book I found Ruby to be a coward, weak, and underdeveloped being … And her surge of confidence towards the end did nothing to change that perspective for me. She just took to damn long to do anything in the book. Anything at all.
All in all though, Ruby aside The Darkest Minds is a good book and a great read and I recommend it!
“The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.”
“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.”
We’re going classic next time around! I’ve read this next novel several times but I’m due for a re-read.
