In a world where a deadly virus kills most of the nation's children, the survivors develop special abilities that frighten the government, leading to their imprisonment in camps. The story follows Ruby, a young girl with psychic powers, who escapes from the camp and joins a group of other children on the run. The book is fast-paced, suspenseful, and action-packed, with elements of betrayal, survival, and the complexities of trust in a dystopian society.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Darkest Minds include themes of trauma, references to abuse, psychological manipulation, and violence.
Has Romance?
While romance exists in The Darkest Minds, it does not overshadow the main plot. The relationship between Ruby and Liam develops alongside the story without becoming the sole focus.
From The Publisher:
The first book in the heart-stopping The Darkest Minds trilogy, by New York Times bestselling author of Passenger, for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.
Now a major motion picture from the producers of Stranger Things and Arrival.
Ruby is sixteen. She is dangerous. And she is alive. For now.
A mysterious disease has killed most of America's children. Ruby might have survived, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse than a virus: frightening abilities they cannot control. Pressured by the government, Ruby's parents sent her to Thurmond, a brutal state 'rehabilitation camp', where she has learned to fear and suppress her new power. But what if mastering it is a whole generation's only chance for survival?
'A riveting emotional read that kept me on the edge.' - Melissa Marr, author of Wicked Lovely
Alexandra Bracken is the New York Times bestselling author of Passenger, Wayfarer and The Darkest Mindsseries. Visit her online at http://www.alexandrabracken.com and on Twitter @alexbracken.
The Hunger Games's Amandla Stenberg and Game of Thrones's Gwendoline Christie star in the riveting film adaptation - out now!
Ratings (72)
Incredible (10) | |
Loved It (35) | |
Liked It (21) | |
It Was OK (3) | |
Did Not Like (3) |
Reader Stats (180):
Read It (81) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (71) | |
Did Not Finish (4) | |
Not Interested (22) |
5 comment(s)
The beginning of the story was hard to read because of the bumpy syntax. It left me feeling confused and I almost stopped reading the book altogether. There were a lot of time jumps that made it hard to understand the plot and connect to the main character. The narrator, Ruby, (only at the beginning) would switch from the perspective of the future to the present and it wasn’t seamless to me as the reader. Luckily, Alexandra Bracken resolves some of the plot holes later but I felt like it came too late. The rest of the book flowed better: I was able to understand the plot and characters more clearly, and I was able to enjoy the book. I am excited to see where the story progresses in the next book!
"I just finished this book. It made me cry."
"It must've been a good book."
I still have some quibbles with this book. I'm still not entirely happy with Ruby, though her character development throughout the novel is astounding. I was in between three and four stars for this book, but it made me cry at the end (Liam, no!), so I gave it a four.
Wow... I'm so glad I found out about this series. I hadn't known anything about it until I saw a trailer for the movie a while back, and that alone was enough to induce me into checking out some reviews on Goodreads. The synopsis didn't sound like my usual taste in stories, but I was pretty thoroughly intrigued at that point and decided to put a library hold on it anyway. I'm so glad I did.
Ruby is a really great character. She reacts to her situations in ways that I could totally see myself doing, and her loyalty for her friends is inspiring. Even before they were close, she never clung onto them for her own self-preservation, instead, she always tried to prevent them from being drawn into her drama.
The ending has me absolutely desperate for the next book. Here comes another long library wait ( T o T )
This book is so funny, fast and made me cry in the end. Warning. DON’T READ THE END IN PUBLIC
If I don't get a second movie i will riot
What can you read after
The Darkest Minds?
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