The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)

By Alexandra Bracken

'A RIVETING EMOTIONAL READ THAT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE!'
-- Melissa Marr, author of the bestselling Wicked Lovely series

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 got her sent to Thurmond, a government 'rehabilitation camp'. Ruby might have survived the mysterious disease that killed most of America's children, but she and the others had emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now on the run, she is desperate to find East River, the only safe haven left for kids like her, and she joins a group of other runaways who have escaped their own camps. Liam, their brave leader, is falling for Ruby, but she 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 Liam. But there are also 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 - and one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.

The first book in the NYT bestselling series that is soon to become a major motion picture.


MORE PRAISE FOR THE DARKEST MINDS

'The story's quick-paced action leads to a heartbreaking cliffhanger that will have readers eager for the next book ...' -- Publishers Weekly

'Haunting ... Bracken creates a gripping and terrifying dystopian world.' -- Kirkus Reviews

'HELL TO THE YES, I love this story and these characters so much!!' -- Goodreads review

'The Darkest Minds was, without a doubt, one of the best books I have read!' -- Goodreads review

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Dec 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9780730499381

Alexandra Bracken

ALEXANDRA BRACKEN is the New York Times bestselling author of the Darkest Minds series. Born and raised in Arizona, she moved east to study history and English at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. After working in publishing for several years, Alex now writes full-time and can be found hard at work on her next novel in a charming little apartment that’s perpetually overflowing with books. Visit her online at www.alexandrabracken.com and on Twitter @alexbracken.

Reviews for The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)

[tripsis_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book Nook — Young Adult book reviewsMy journey with The Darkest Minds was a strange and complex one. My enjoyment was all over the place: up, down, and everywhere in between. The book started out pretty awesome. It put us right into the midst of things, it held back details to keep me interested.. it was great. But somewhere at the end of the beginning, my interest dropped off pretty hard. I felt like nothing was happening, it seemed like just a glorified road trip, I couldn't tell where the relationships were headed—or even where the plot was headed, and I didn't mind putting down the book. But at the end of the middle, things started picking up and getting intense again!So let's try to break this down...My first problem with the book is that we have very little back story. Or more accurately: it's there but it's never explained. We know that a disease killed off most of the child population. We know that the survivors have strange powers. We know that the government put those survivors in "rehabilitation" camps that were like prisons. The entire story is focused around these gifted children—Psi—seeking freedom and rights, but no one seems to question or wonder how they got those powers in the first place. And to be honest, that was my very first question. It's just like "Okay, so we all have these super crazy powers, we need freedom. That's all." Does no one care where they came from? Is no one curious as to how the heck these kids developed those powers?? We don't even get a hint that this question will be answered in the future; it was just ignored.Also, one more quick note, the powers were honestly a bit confusing because kids are classified by colour: green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. I came to understand that the higher the colour, the more dangerous the powers, but it was never clearly explained what each colour is. It was vaguely hinted that certain powers had a certain colour (i.e. telekinesis = blue; something with electricity = yellow; power over the mind = orange;), but I would have liked a clearer explanation of each rank. Unless I'm retarded and somehow missed those explanations during one of the "enjoyment low points" when my concentration was off...Moving on, I did not like the main character at all. Ruby was all about the pity parties. Her inner dialogue was constantly going on about how she's evil, she's dangerous, she's one of the bad ones, if her friends knew they would HATE HER, if anyone knew they would OUTCAST HER. Poor, poor Ruby. I'm trying hard to not sound like a bitch here, but oh my god, it drove me totally insane. And I felt like the 'big reveal' wasn't even that big of a deal. I mean, yeah it was scary and weird and okay, she's powerful.. but come on. We had a front row seat to her pity party every single chapter. It got old after a while and I just wanted to sew her inner dialogue's mouth shut.My last complain before we move onto the good stuff: the romance. The romance in this book had zero build up, and then it popped up out of nowhere. I guess it wasn't quite insta-love because Ruby and Liam were travelling together for a while, but they spent all that time travelling with next to zero flirtation or sexual tension, and then they were suddenly like, "Oh darlin', I've wanted you all along!" (Yes, he says "darlin'", I thought that was weird too.) To be fair, it wasn't horrible, it just could have had more build up. If the build up was better, I think it would have made an okay romance, especially because Liam is quite a likeable character (except for the "darlin'" thing, which made me feel like he was an 80 year old grandfather).This is all starting to feel depressing, so let's talk about the good stuff! The overall story behind The Darkest Minds is really interesting; we have powers, mind control, manipulation, government agents, conspiracy, and more! My love of the plot is one of the reasons that I'm dying to know more about the back story.Unfortunately, my favourite character is introduced towards the end so I'm hesitant to talk about him much, and my favourite part of him isn't even revealed until the very end! So I guess just know that there are a very wide variety of interesting and different characters. Some are annoying (like Ruby), but a lot of them have interesting personalities and they easily stand out from each other. Liam is sweet, determined, and a good leader—but he has flaws that you'll grow to love in some weird way. Chubs is totally weird and sometimes annoying, but he'll also grow on you.. especially near the end. And Zu is the most adorable character ever! I wanted to hold her, hug her, squeeze her, and protect her from the world.Overall, The Darkest Minds wasn't a bad book—I just wanted to see more from it. I wanted more explanations, more detail, and more answers. The story left off in a REALLY great place (and by "great" I mean it hooked me in and I want to keep reading), so that's very promising. I have some high hopes for book #2! The ending was set up in such a way that the second book could quite easily not be a 'filler'. Fingers crossed!

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've had this book for a long time, and I didn't read it because I was sick of dystopias. But once I started it, less than 24 hours ago, I couldn't put it down. Lots of novels these days get tagged "perfect for fans of The Hunger Games" and usually, it's for no reason other than it's a YA novel, and people are trying to cash in on the phenomenon. But in The Darkest Minds we get a novel that is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games. The qualities we loved about THG, the gripping dystopia, the kick-butt heroine, the examination of humanity, are all present in this riveting novel, but used in a new way.Firstly, the premise - a disease has killed off a significant number of children aged between 8 and 12, and the survivors manifest psychic powers. The government, presumably threatened by a generation of abnormal children, locks them up in camps, under guard, and tells their parents that they are being rehabilitated. In reality, they run tests on a few unfortunates, and basically keep the rest under lock and key, without any real plans for the future. Fast-forward five years, and Ruby, who was captured on her tenth birthday, is now a fifteen-year-old girl living in a camp that is under constant surveillance, with the threat of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of brutal male guards hovering over her and her fellows as they mature.Ruby has instantly become one of my favourite YA characters - empathetic towards others, persevering in her goals, and although she's guileless and too trusting, she's a wonderful girl none-the-less. Ruby is believable, complex, and relatable: I understood her motivations and fears, and rallied behind any decision she made. The same goes for the other characters in the book - Liam, the leader of their band of escapees, Chubs, the smart and mistrusting guy who escaped the camp with Liam , and Zu, the ten-year-old girl who they rescued. The traits of the cast play well off one another, and it's a delight to read about them.The plot of The Darkest Minds is enthralling, filled with surprising twists and turns, and intricately constructed. There's a lot of action, but many unknowns as well, and the reader, learning alongside Ruby, only knows as much as she does. This might prove frustrating to some readers because Ruby is clueless for quite some time, but I liked it because the world Bracken has created is unveiled slowly and carefully.One of my favourite  aspects of the book is the romance, because doesn't take over the action and intrigue of the plot, but it's still present. The development of Ruby and Liam's relationship is subtle and realistic, with their feelings growing naturally over time. It's welcome change from the inexplicable, insta-love situations of most YA.Alexandra Bracken has taken an old concept, and executed her revitalisation masterfully. The Darkest Minds is easily the best book I have read in a while, and I heartily recommend it to all who are love young adult books and dystopian worlds, and especially fans of The Hunger Games.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[zabetreading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: Very nice cover. Dark colors that portray the overall mood of the book and eye-catching imagery. Can't wait to see how this theme continues through the rest of the series (Dear God, please let this be the first in a series).

The Gist: When children begin to die from a mysterious disease, it is discovered the those survivors are left with dangerous and frightening powers. A new special forces is quickly formed and the children are rounded up for "rehabilitation". At the age of 10, Ruby enters Thurmond and witnesses unspeakable horrors. When she escapes at the age of 16, the is quick to realize that it is not just the camps that had been the setting of these atrocities, but that the entire country had transformed into a dark and dangerous place.

Review: I can see already that this is going to be one of those reviews where I simply cannot do justice to the fabulosity of this book. Just a few chapters in, I found myself exclaiming "holy crap this is good!" and that didn't cease until the last page was turned. I am beyond excited for the upcoming release date and cannot wait to get a copy for my classroom. The Darkest Minds transcends issues of gender and genre preferences in the same way that The Hunger Games did. It is exciting, fast-paced and full of genuine emotion.

The world of this novel is horrible, but all too possible. Terrifying parallels can be drawn between the rehabilitation centers and concentration camps during WWII. It seems that danger lurks around every turn and almost no one can be trusted. The world building is intense and details are slowly unraveled as we move forward in the plot.

The characters are wonderfully well written and developed so that the reader comes to love them, but also recognizes that they are flawed in a very realistic way. Their relationships are so genuine and the romantic angle is weaved into the plot so that it supports the action, rather than stealing center stage. The villains (about whom I cannot give many details without spoiling the storyline) are equally well written and aided the plot in becoming one of the more exciting and horrifying ones that I have read this year.

I do not even know what else I can say. I am still reeling from the ending and wishing I was able to spend more time with these characters. Books like The Darkest Minds, are the reason I continue to love YA and why I get excited about bringing titles like these to the attention of my students. Alexandra Bracken, the YA world awaits news of the next release with baited breath - please hurry!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Mind Control, Concentration Camps, Execution, Possible Rape
Inappropriate Language: Asshole, Shit, Piss, Bullshit, Fucking, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: None

[therinknite-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

[Cross-posted to Knite Writes]Where do I start?Yet again, I am sorely disappointed by a hugely popular YA title with an epic premise.On every front.There is honestly not much I can praise this book for other than its premise. The underlying idea of the story was fantastic — dark, intriguing, and full of promise…that never came to pass. Honestly, I’m more disappointed with this book than I was with Cinder — because I thought this book sounded a hundred times more interesting. I’ve looked forward to reading this one for months, and now…Good Lord.Anyway, let me stop moaning and get to the actual review.Let’s start with my biggest problem this time: the plot. As in, what the heck was that plot? Was that even a plot? I’ve read some pretty poorly structured books in my time, but I can’t actually recall the last book I read that had a plot as badly constructed as the plot of this book. The first quarter of the book is literally the most interesting part, followed by the last ten percent or so. Everything in between that is a combination of repetitive road trip scenarios and weeks of living the same days over again at a freaking camp. I was so bored for over half of this book that I literally started skimming at times.And to make matters worse — the writing.But before that, a brief aside: I often have this issue with YA where I find the writing style to be incredibly immature. As in, more appropriate for Middle Grade readers than the teens the book is supposedly being marketed toward. I find this disconnect grating, especially when the focus of the book is on older teens (16+), facing older teen issues — which, ding, ding, ding, it almost always is. It never ceases to annoy me that books about 16+ year-old kids are written with first person POVs that sound all of 12.And in the case of The Darkest Minds — it annoyed me more than ever. Because the themes in this book were so dark and disturbing that the contrast with the immature writing style made it the most awkward, paradoxical read I have ever forced myself to sit through. There was implied RAPE and ACTUAL SEXUAL ASSAULT in this book, along with a slew of mature language and violence. But the writing style made it sound like 1) the narrator was much younger than she actually was and 2) that it was intended for an audience younger than it actually was.It drove me nuts the ENTIRE book.For the love of GOD, people, please stop writing your 16-year-olds with the voices of preteens! They are NOT the same.-internally screaming-So, yes, the writing style. What a disjointed mess — that sounds a bit harsh, but…I can’t really phrase it any other way. The transitions between scenes in this book were downright awful and frequently confusing. Ideas jumped from place to place with no rhyme or reason. The foreshadowing and Chekov’s guns were basically shot at you with a rocket launcher and painted neon yellow — to the point where NO twist in this book was surprising. At all. I saw all of them coming light years away.Which only added to how boring this book was for me.And the style issues bled right into the numerous character problems.Oh, the characters. Let’s start with Ruby. One of the worst protagonists I have had the misfortune to read in a long, long time. Her woe-is-me attitude bogged down the entire book, especially given how often her “I’m a monster” insecurity was repeated in the narration. She was inconsistently characterized, split between being a shy, sensitive wallflower and a loyal badass — where each personality was exchanged for the other whenever it was convenient. She makes the dumbest decisions yet is praised for her actions repeatedly by characters who should be more capable than her.Okay, enough with Ruby.The rest of the cast…was equally terrible. Liam the love interest was as bland as an unsalted cracker. Zu was cute but became a “useful prop” whenever the scene called for it — and then was put on a bus when her character was no longer needed. Chubs, I suppose, was an interesting character, but he was pushed too hard into the devil’s advocate / voice of reason role too much/too often right after his introduction, and so, when he suddenly switched his views (seemingly between one page and the next), his character, too, came off as inconsistent.I’m not even going to go into the antagonists to any specific degree. Basically, everyone is an antagonist except the protagonists, and none of them are particularly interesting or well defined. This book is a classic case of Adults are Evil, plus the inexplicably psychotic kid here and there. Everyone is terrible, has ulterior motives, and fails to be utilized in the plot in any engaging or surprising way.So, plot, writing, and characters…what else was terrible?Oh, yes, the world-building. I was so disappointing by the world-building in this book. The underlying premise was so fantastic, but the world-building ended up boxed into the same tired dystopian tropes I’ve been reading for years. Nonsensically color-coded abilities. Death camps filled with abusive, horrible ADULT guards (that torment CHILDREN, of course). Generic post-apocalyptic American landscape conveniently missing most of the actual inconveniences of a post-apocalyptic landscape. Vaguely described events that shaped this horrible future but are never adequately explained. And so on and so forth.And…No, that’s it.That’s my rant for the day.This book was terrible across the board. It was boring. It was confusing. It has a cast of characters I couldn’t relate to and didn’t like AT ALL. The world-building, while it should have been excellent and rich, was lackluster at best. The writing style came off too young and caused an awkward disconnect between the narration and the actual content of the story.Suffice to say, I will not be continuing this series.

[montzaleew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken is one creepy, but good book! Something happened to the kids when mistake happened. The white noise buffer they always hear stopped. A strange loud noise pierced the air and the ears of the kids. Many kids died right away, others slowly, and others changed. Some slowly, others quickly. The government took all the kids to a brutal camp. One of the camp "doctors" save her and got her out of the camp, but she knows this doctor is going to use her. Very intense story. These kids have 'gifts' they use. Very cool book! Loved it. I got this at the library.

[bdartnall_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in a what appears to be a present day America, children begin to die, and after some study, authorities realize it affects children by a certain age, Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration or IAAN for short. We meet the protagonist Ruby Daly in Thurmond, nicknamed by the child inmates as the "Warehouse", a grim work camp/prison for children - all who have had their systems affected by IAAN: some are "Blues", and can move objects at will; some are "Yellows" and can ignite fires, amplify electrical devices until they implode, etc; some are termed "Greens" have photographic memories,etc. and "Oranges" can dive into other's brains, see their memories, control their inner thoughts - even dictate their actions, and the most psychopathic of these were "Reds". In flashbacks, we learn that Ruby, on her 10th birthday, inadvertently "wipes" her parents' brains of any memories of her - and they turn her over to authorities, where they eventually take her to Thurmond; she quickly realizes that being "Orange" may set her apart for "further testing", and disappearance, so she tries to blend in with other "Greens" and survives in the camp for years. A group opposed to the official gov't policies of "warehousing"/testing, removing the affected children - the Children's League - breaks 16 yr old Ruby out of Thurmond, in hopes of using her in their efforts. Fearful of another "Orange" they picked up with her - the sinster Martin- Ruby escapes and comes across three other kids: Lee, Chubs, and Zu, and the book takes off as she and her three compatriots dodge PSFs (gov't security forces), ruthless skip tracers, ( kind of bounty hunters for escaped kids), and others in order to find the fabled "Slip Kid" and his camp for kids, somewhere in Virginia, a place of safety. While following many familiar tropes of the dystopian YA: teens going tribal based on abilities or loyalites (with colors even ..just like Divergent); a sinister federal gov't grappling with- in this case, economic disaster, and parents/authority figures who may not be the kids' helpers... and a teen girl with impressive powers that she wants desperately to hide from everyone, and believes she cannot control. Yet, the tense plot developments, the intense action scenes, the quick but incisive character descriptions, realistic dialogue & especially the sincere friendship that develops between Ruby and her pals "on the run" make this an enjoyable read. When Ruby and crew finally make it to the fable "East River" campground, where escaped kids are safe, and meet the "Slip Kid", Clancy Gray, the son of the President himself. This section of the novel did drag a bit - 100 pges - when we can see much sooner than Ruby can- what Clancy really wants of her. Nevertheless, I'm interested enough to read the next installment, but with the first book clocking in at 488 pages, this is for dedicated YA apocalyptic suspense readers.

[vulco1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What - Dystopian society where kids have super powers and are in concentration camps

X meets Y - Lord of the Flies meets some road trip book

Who likes - people that like YA, dystopia and scifi

Pros: Pretty good writing about a group of kids on the run from most of society, trying to find kid Eden. Prose was good. Fine edition to this particular genre.

Cons: I didn't really believe how well adjusted and knowledgeable the kids were. It seemed like they should have been less well educated and certainly not know the nuances of romance and flirting being separated from the opposite sex for so long.


...

[lilibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Children are dying in the United States. Those that survive develop unnatural abilities, and are classified by color according to how dangerous those abilities are. The totalitarian-leaning government in power imprisons them all. Some escape, and some are aided by shadowy organizations. Not all help is for the the children's benefit though, and no one can be trusted. Ruby, whose parents had called the police to come get her, is broken out of a camp by people she doesn't trust who want to use her abilities. Fleeing them, she meets three escapees from another camp and they join forces to seek a safer place.

[aurorapaigem-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I feel like this book is just a less cheesy version of the X-Men. But I like the X-Men and will probably continue reading the series.

[bookablies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Let's see now... This is a fantastic book. I just figured I'd do this review so I can do the Never Fade review on this blog. You see, I don't like doing a review on a second book, when I haven't done the first. And I'm currently reading Never Fade, so I just figured I'd get this out of the way before I finish it.Alright, so, this is a story that takes place in the future where the younger children are infected with a disease called IAAN. Everyone else who isn't infected(or so I think, It's been a while since I read this book.) has powers and people fear them. They fear the children, their powers. So, they send them to labor camps and do labor work for them and yea..Now, let me mention something. The beginning was slow. Yes. It was slow. It took me a while to get into the book. It got more interesting after a few 200 pages or so, but yea. I'm glad I pushed through, because this was a great read!It's sad, pitiful and heartbreaking to read what those children go through. I mean, wow. The scenes were intense when those guards/people/warrior men were like pushing the children around and stuff. And when Sam stood up for Ruby, and she expected Ruby to stand up for her...I was like "What the what?" Is there any logic in that?I also want to point our Alexandra Bracken's writing. It's outstanding! There was so much detail, and the details didn't bore the heck out of me. I literally felt like I was there, as a ghost... The writing was also funny. Like : HAHAHAHHAA. Okay, Sorry.And, the characters. Woah. There was a huge development in Ruby from the beginning of the book to the end. It was a surprise actually. And I was actually there, in the story, watching her develop throughout the whole book. Ruby's choices were sometime reckless, but, you know..Panic takes over. That's what happens. And Liam and Chubs and Zu. Oh gosh. So perfect. So, remember the time when Zu and Ruby was at a store or something, and they were picking out some clothes for Liam and them, and Zu wanted a piece of clothing(I forgot what, a skirt?Shirt?Pants?Idk) but she felt like she didn't deserve it. I was like : You do deserve it! Wear it! It was so heartbreaking when she thought that. Anyways, yea. The character development with all the characters was splendid!Last thing to mention, the ENDING. OMGOSH. For real now? Alexandra...her writing at the end... Omgosh. I can't even. The way she uses a story in her novel to lead to that one thing at the end. I just wish, as I'm reading Never Fade, that Ruby finds a way to reverse what she did.

[anneconsolacion · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't into this book as I thought I would be. It wasn't bad, it just failed to get my full attention. It took me 4 days to finish this and I usually finish a YA book in a day or two. It got better near the end and I must admit that I want to read the next book in the series. The sequel is not on top of my to buy book list though.

In the story, kids started dying and those who survived developed powers. The government took all those kids away and put them in hidden camps to rehabilitate them. No parents or relatives can visit or call them. That thing made me not like this book too much. Almost all parents just gave up their kids! I don't buy it.

[bookstogetlostin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had high expectations for this book thanks to the person who recommended it to me. I wasn't disappointed at all.It is well written(although I think I've got one of the earlier versions? A sentence was repeated, but come on. That's no reason to take a star away (still shouldn't happen) ) and while it was at first a little bit confusing, it wasn't confusing in a bad way. More in a 'I need to know what happened. I need to know now!' way. I could hardly put it down.This has to do with the way the characters were written. I liked Ruby from the start as well as her love interest and their friends too. All the characters were extremely real and thought through, no lazy stereotypes here. You could guess some things that were happening but it wasn't bad in my eyes. More like evil foreshadowing.Aaand guess what? No insta-love! And Liam isn't breathtakingly gorgeous or something like that. I really liked their developing relationship and I wanted them to develop one. Most of the time that is not the case.There was one situation in which I wanted to shake Ruby but it was understandable why she was doing it. I wanted to throw the book through the room too, but all in good fun. It just makes you feel a lot sometimes. And that's a very good thing if you ask me.I want to add triggers: sexual assault, violence (of course, given the way the world is in this book).

[empressreece · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Psi Kids....

The Darkest Minds, is set in a world where, when kids reach the age of ten they can contract this disease, IAAN, that leaves them with super powerful abilities, a.k.a. Psi abilities. The government and even a lot of the parents are afraid of the kids so the government instituted these supposed, rehabilitation camps which in reality are corrupt. The story follows a group of kids and how they are trying to survive in a world amidst the skip tracers and the Psi Special Forces that are always on the hunt to capture kids and send them to these camps, for a reward.

When I first started reading this I was kind of wondering where this story was going and I didn't really take to one of the main characters, Ruby, that much. She was just very indecisive and unsure of herself and she kept everything inside which I understand was probably her nature as a result of her traumatic situation but some of the choices she made and things she did were beyond stupid and irritating. Once I got a little further into the story though and other characters came into the picture, like Chubs, Liam & Zu, I started really getting into it. I really like those three the most, but all of their stories were pretty heart-wrenching. Ruby even started to grow some confidence toward the end so it was nice to see her kind of shed a little of her emotional baggage. And the ending, wow, it was just like being on an emotional roller coaster ride. I literally felt my stomach drop! It was really good but awful on the heart! You definitely want to have the second book near at hand when you finish this one.

[janarose1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

All across the country kids are either dying or developing mysterious powers around their tenth birthday. When Ruby wakes up on her tenth birthday, her parents have no memory of her. They immediately call the police and she is sent to a rehabilitation camp, Thurmond. At camp, the kids are divided based upon their powers, and the dangerous kids mysteriously disappear. Ruby hides that she is telekinetic and until the Children's League breaks her out. She soon realizes that the League has their own agenda, and she breaks free, inadvertently running into a small group of kids who have banned together for survival.I enjoyed the story and its characters. The book did feel a bit like a compilation of other stories and ideas and at times was fairly predictable. However, the characters did keep me interested, even when the story lagged a bit. I think teenagers will love this book and fall in love with the characters.

[sgrame_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

98 % of the nations' adolescents die and the remaining 2 % have various psychic abilities that frighten most people. The government gathers them together and sends them to special camps to supposedly rehabilitate them, but instead kills or imprisons them. 16 year old Ruby is broken out by members of the Children's League who are intent on having Ruby use her powers for violence to help them. She takes her first chance to escape and ends up with Liam, Chubbs and Zu who, themselves children with powers, are looking for the Slip Kid to help them get in touch with parents. Ruby is portrayed as a brave, if not always so bright, heroine who looks after others. This novel is action-packed and includes murder and insinuation of rape. I would recommend this longer(488p.) 1st book in a planned triology for teens in high school due to content.

[perpetualrevision · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Who doesn't love a good young adult dystopian story? Sure, we've encountered essentially the same premise in countless books, but for the most part they each have their own characters to get to know and their own trials and tribulations to survive.

Bracken's writing must be particularly vivid as I can still recall most of the story visually, as though I saw it in movie format rather than listening to the audiobook.

The president's son was a somewhat predictable character. Was anyone surprised that a politician's son would be an orange? Or that his goals for his camp weren't what they first seemed to be? But perhaps he gets a bit more depth in the next book in the series.

I'd love to adopt Zu. Or maybe I could persuade her to adopt me.

[marybeth1018 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book! Once it grabbed your attention, which it does from the very beginning, you don't want to put it down. At least I didn't. Unfortunately there is this pesky thing called life and reality that kept forcing me to put it down and when I wasn't reading it, all I wanted to do was get back to it. I found myself reading the last chapter more slowly, just because I didn't want it to end. I haven't read Alexandra Braken's 1st novel, but it is DEFINITELY on my list of must reads now

[jami_leigh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Style: 4 1/2 stars
Pace: 5 stars
Got an ARC of this at BEA, by mostly accident. I'd just left the signing line for Victoria Schwab, and a couple people who got in my way said "YA dystopia" and pointed at this other, very short line. I was curious, so I went and got a copy signed, because, hey, why not? And I always like finding new young authors.

Picked it up off the stack today, and devoured it in one sitting. I was about half way through, insisted I was going to put it down and go to bed. 3 hours later, I finished. Utterly amazing!!

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mixed feelings about this book. It definitely had a slow start, but the last half certainly picked up the pace, and the ending piqued my taste for more. Still, I had a lot of trouble getting though the first half and nearly considered ditching this book for another. It took me a while to even like the main character, Ruby, and a number of the other characters initially encountered in this book were downright creepy. Worth the read, but not certain I will continue this series.

[melmoo15 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is so cool! Tell concept of this IAAN disease is interesting! I love all the flashbacks and my favorite character is Chubs!!!!! It is a must read!:)

[morandia-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book snatched me up, threw me in the front row of a monster roller coaster, did NOT strap me in, and took me for one heck of an unforgettable ride. Fantastic read!

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt too confused at first to really get into it, but it did get better as it went.

[68papyrus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When kids begin dying from Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration, IAAN for short the US is thrown into a tailspin. However, there are some who manage to survive the virus and the government eventually begins tracking these children down and placing them in rehabilitation camps because the survivors of the virus have developed frightening abilities that they can't control. The Darkest Minds details the story of Ruby, one of the survivors. Ruby is sent to a rehab facility after her tenth birthday when her parents no longer seem to recognize her and call the police to escort her from their home. This book draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat. There is plenty of action and the ending will have you anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. Fans of the Divergent series will enjoy this book

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm so glad that I finally had a chance to read this book. And yes, it was freaking awesome!Waking up and finding out the life is not going to be the same is freaky. There is disease going around killing children and yet some children are not dying. Why??? Ruby has the answer to that question. And while I could spoil it for you, I rather have you, the reader, pick up this book and discover why. And if you do pick up this book, hang on tight. It's going to be one helluva ride!The characters in the book make the story. Following along in Ruby shoes you feel her every emotion, fear, and plea. MY GOD, the plea's is what gets me. The "Please, I'm green." The lonely chant in her head that pleas for her to keep steady, to just hold on a little bit longer. Every time Ruby almost got caught, it had me on the edge of the seat! Every character, even minor ones, contribute to an awesome story that changes Ruby and the reader. I have to admit that I had no idea what I was going to read when I picked up the book. MIND BLOWN. I can't wait to read what happens in the sequel cause the ending left me heart-broken and stronger than ever to face what comes next.The Darkest Mind open your eyes to a world that is lead by fear and power. It captivates the reader with amazing clarity and feel for a dark world. A story that can triumph any reader, The Darkest Mind is superb.

[bookzombies · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

LOVED this book! It really drew me in, and now the events keep running through my head.. Really want 'Never Fade'!

[bell7_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the future United States, kids get sick and die right around the time they turn 10. Ruby is one of the last living kids on her block, but after an incident where her parents lock her in the garage, she's taken to a camp for kids like her. They each have different abilities, and are controlled by agents dressed in black who clearly fear them: the Reds, Oranges and Yellows most of all. Convincing a worker she is actually a Green, Ruby slides by until she is threatened with exposure and must choose to either trust a doctor to help her escape or be killed.This is the sort of book where you have a completely different perspective at the end than you do at the beginning, so my description is a little vague. Part of the fun of reading this book was seeing Ruby's world slowly unfold over the course of the story, piecing it together until you have the full picture. Ruby is a great character, and because she's narrating, we see her confusion and moral struggles as she comes to terms with who she is and what her powers are. It's always tough to keep information away from the reader in a believable way with first-person narrating, but Alexandra Bracken does an excellent job of revealing things naturally and in a way that keeps the reader guessing. The end simultaneously wraps up the first story in the series while leaving enough loose ends that I am dying to read the next book.

[jacquiemak · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The premise was promising but I just kept getting bored. I'm not sure if the pacing was too slow or if the story was really heading nowhere. But I tried to read this twice and failed twice.

[loftyislanders · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A virus was sweeping the country, killing the children. The ones that survived were left with special powers. The government rounded up the kids and placed them in concentration camp type facilities under the false pretense of "rehabilitating them". The children were divided into four color-coded categories based on the strength of their abilities. green, blue, yellow, orange and red. Green being the weakest and Red the strongest. The government was hiding the fact that they were executing the oranges and reds. Ruby was an orange and could control peoples thoughts and erase their memories. She was "broken out" of the camp by a group that was recruiting the higher powered kids to suit their own purposes. She escapes them and joins a group of three other kids on the run. I really enjoyed The Darkest Minds. It was fast-paced and suspenseful.

[rebecca790 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is so good- and I just loved it! If I can get my thoughts together I will write a review. (a video review will be up in a few days)

[faithlibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kids dieing of a virus and the survivors are sent to a camp that is totally reminiscent of a concentration camp setting at least at the beginning. (Guards attacking kid who talk back...) Supposedly these children have superpowers. Didn't get any farther because I figured it was been there done that. Then saw review that the language got disgusting--not for us.