The Darkest Minds #1
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published December 18, 2012
Hardcover, 488 pages
Overview:
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.
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.
Review:
I didn't love The Darkest Minds. I had heard a lot of good things about this book before I started, so maybe my expectations were too high before I even started reading. I really wanted to love it, but I couldn't. That being said, I didn't dislike the book; The Darkest Minds falls into that gray, in-the-middle category for me.
I liked the premise: a dystopian where kids somehow end up with superpowers/strange abilities, are shunned from society, and eventually end up in "rehabilitation" camps. I particularly enjoyed the organization of the kids (based on the degree of their abilities; for example, Yellows can manipulate electricity, Oranges can manipulate people's minds), and how that played a role on camp life and throughout the rest of the book. The writing is fantastic; the story was believable and realistic, which isn't always the case when it comes to dystopian novels.
One of my biggest problems with The Darkest Minds was the main character, Ruby. Ruby never seems to really be after anything, and when she finally focuses on a goal, her reasons for it seem half-hearted or lacking in emotion and reason. I never could root for her because I felt like Ruby wasn't even rooting for herself.
Main character aside, I liked the other characters. The trio of Liam, Chubs, and Zu were, together, probably my favorite part of the book. The twist with the elusive "Slip Kid" took me by surprise, and the ending was something I wasn't quite expecting either. The book is left (very) wide open and nothing wraps up neatly, leaving lots to be addressed in future books. The Darkest Minds wasn't my necessarily my cup of tea, but I definitely think it's worth checking out, especially if you like dystopians or the idea of kids with superpowers interests you.
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