Book Reviews

The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

I loved this book. It's an idea that I would almost call utterly unique (for some reason, this book has familiar elements, like I had seen it before but I don't remember) and it's beautifully portrayed. Honest to God, I loved this book. I couldn't put it down! The only complaint I have is that it went by so quickly. It was over entirely too soon, not because it's short. It's a combination of how fast the action propels you and my own freakishly fast reading ability. So I guess I can't blame the book.

Overall, in my gradebook, I give it a B. Very nicely done.

Summary (very minor spoilers): a disease is running rampant, one that killed thousands (if not millions) of kids. But some of those kids didn't die. Instead, they developed powers. The order goes: greens, blues, yellow, orange, and red going from the least dangerous to the most. Greens are super smart, blues are telekinetic, yellows have power over electricity, orange have power over people (making them do things), and reds have fire power. Since orange and red is so dangerous, they're killed ('transferred somewhere else'). Our main character, Ruby, is classed as a green (though she actually isn't and that's what saved her). The kids with powers are put into these camps to try to rehabilitate them. That's the excuse, anyway. Really, they think that the kids are a threat and keep them in terrible conditions.

But Ruby escapes with a woman from the Children's League disguised as a doctor. The Children's League is made up of these types of kids, wanting to fight against the president (besides the camps, the outside world went to hell. Everyone starving and barely surviving. Think apocalypse. Kinda). But they aren't what they seem either. Ruby, who can essentially slip into someone's mind, finds out that at least one of their members kills the special children. So she runs away from them and finds Zu (a yellow), Chubs, and Liam (they're both blue). They're heading to get to a safe haven run by the Slip Kid (an orange who escaped the hold of the Psi police a ton of times). No one knows where it is and those who know can only give a hint. It's impossible getting to that camp. But they try anyway. It's the only place where they'd be safe. So our little group keeps traveling to find it, no matter what trouble goes their way.

I'll leave it there. Just keep in mind, no one is who they seem. And if it's too perfect to be true, it probably is.

That's all folks. See you next time :)

Btw, I'm going to try to do these a little more regularly. We'll see how that goes.