The Darkest Minds Review

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Synopsis (from amazon.com):

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.

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My Review:

This book is absolutely stunning. Right from the beginning it jumped into action, describing what Ruby had experienced, but it did not give a lot of explanation as far as why the events and hardships were occurring, allowing the reader to interpret what is happening and what has happened in the past. The reader really is able to see and experience the growth of Ruby throughout the book, as well as come face-to-face with the events that cause her to lack trust in herself, her abilities, and other people. Ruby is unable to control her ability in the way that she would, causing her to accidentally hurt the ones she loves, and pushing her into a world were she is labeled and feared by many: a concentration camp for the children who survived the disease. This was definitely a dystopian read that really captured my attention and was, surprisingly, an extremely believable world that was able to draw me in from page one. The character of Ruby is extremely dynamic as she is both a timid, damaged girl afraid of herself and what she can do to a powerful, dominant warrior who will fight back against the government who wants to control her.

Besides the general storyline, Bracken's writing is spot-on. She made Ruby an interesting character without the stereotypical whining that some authors use to create more dimensional female leads, not to mention how she allows the reader to piece together facts about the novel rather than handing it to us on a silver spoon. Plus, Liam is written perfectly as the leader he is meant to be: strong, determined, and soft when her needs to be to keep his group together.

Overall, this book is a new all-time favorite and a must-read for anyone into dystopian/fantasy.

Final Grade: A+++++ (must read)