Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Goodreads Blurb

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 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 been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.
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 teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. 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. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

In a future world, a disease kills most of the ten-thirteen year olds, leaving only a few handfuls left, but not even their lives are untouched. Assuming Psi powers beyond their control, each child is brought to a concentration camps. Each child is grouped into colors: green, orange, blue, yellow, and red. Red, orange, and yellow: the dangerous ones. Ruby, our protagonist, pretends to be a green, a smart and timid one, when in reality, she’s an orange. But she couldn’t keep it up forever, and soon enough the day comes when she’s apparently discovered and she flees with an undercover agent of the League along with another orange. But even there, she discovers something horrible and runs once again this time meeting up with Chubs, Liam, and Suzume, a green, blue, and yellow respectively. Ruby finds out about East River, a safe haven for all kids affected by Psi. As they search for the East River, they grow closer and closer, especially Ruby and Liam, but Ruby can’t allow herself to bring the burden of her powers onto another. Especially when they have yet to discover that she’s an orange. But once they get to East River, they’ll discover secrets and betrayals hidden at the core with no way of escape. Until it’s too late.

The Good

I loved the characters and world building! Ruby was strong and selfless (a little too much sometimes…if you read the end, you’ll know what I mean.) and she was willing to fight for her freedom even when everything seemed lost. She somehow managed that even when she was broken and half dead already. She never allowed herself to really love Liam and even then, she kept him at a safe distance so that he would be safe and happy.

All the characters had their own complexities and pasts that made you understand why they were the way they were. Alexandra did an amazing job with writing the characters and their thoughts, pasts, and their reasons why they did something so that we understood everything and everyone.

The world building was awesome and I’m now thoroughly scared of America. The way that Alexandra Bracken wrote about the camps made me shudder so many times. It was just so creeptastic reading about them with all the cruelty and desperation that seemed to surround the atmosphere of the book. I. Absolutely. Loved it! The imagery was stunning and descriptions vivid so it just made the setting all the more brutal.

The Bad

I felt sometimes that at 10 years old, Ruby knew too much for someone her age and she was maybe too quiet? She just seemed way too mature for someone who was just experiencing pain. So much that I even got confused about her age at one point!

Another thing that made no sense: Why would the government basically put kids with powers in (basically) prison camps? It’s risky because of their powers. Didn’t they think that if all the kids rebelled they could kill everyone? Why not put those gifts to use? I just didn’t get it.

The romance! The romance was incredibly, incredibly, slow in the beginning (which is actually understandable) but at a certain point, all of a sudden, they were kissing all the time and pining for each other. It was quick sharp pivot and confused the heck out of me!

Overall:

The Darkest Minds was a stunning read that captivated me from start to finish! Sure, there were a few things that did irritate me, but all in all The Darkest Minds was a great read and I can’t wait for book 2! Because there BETTER be a book 2 after that cliffhanger!

Pages: 496

Series: Stand-alone (possible series)

Genre: Dystopia/Romance

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: December 18

Rating: 4 stars

 

"Blood was alive and warm on my face, dripping from my chin. The woman's eyes widened as my hand closed over her exposed throat, slamming her back against Betty's door. When her gaze met mine, I knew I had her."