Saturday 9 February 2013

Book Review: The Darkest Minds

Book: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken, 2012 by Disney Hyperion, 488 pages.

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis 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.


My Thoughts:
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.

Here is the book trailer from YouTube:

4 comments:

  1. I really felt for Ruby as well.
    Happy reading,
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved all the characters, too! Especially Chubs.. I really can't wait for the next book Great review :)

    ReplyDelete

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