The Darkest Minds- Review

A heart wrenching story that reminds us that the people fear what they don't understand. Sad, but a fact that's been proven throughout history time and time again. This is another Dystopian type book where children have developed these unexplainable abilities. Abilities that can be dangerous and hard to control, abilities that some will take advantage of. This book tore my heart to piece from the very beginning when we experienced locked away in Thurmond, a place that had a frightening similarity to concentration camps. The children were kept separated, color coded, and locked in fear by the those who patrolled them. Ruby, our main character, can control others minds, she can see memories, and she can also erase them. In addition to all of this, she has no control over any of it. She finds she self on the run and connects with three other kids like her, "freaks". There on the run to find the one person who maybe be able to help them all accomplish their various goals.

*****Big spoilers*****

Off the bat, I love Dystopian books, the genre seems to get a lot of bad press because some readers feel like the books are always about a grim future and a corrupt government. It's never bothered me because I feel that one turns to a certain genre because they know to expect certain things in the material. You don't read a romance novel for death, destruction, and despair, you read it for mushy love. That being said, this book did have a grim future and a corrupt government, however most of the feud here, was amongst the people who should have been on the same side. The Children's League in theory was a great idea, but it was really just a group of people taking advantage of these kids and their abilities. East River is run by someone who's worse than the Children's League because he slips into their minds and forces them to obey him. Lets not even start with the huge amount of debt, corruption, and ruin that the country as fallen into. It's a small, yet interesting change.

"Use the damn map," Chubs groused behind him.
"I can figure it out without it," Liam insisted. He kept swiveling his head back and forth, like he expected someone to appear and guide him in the right direction with road flares and fanfare.
Five minutes later, the map was spread over the steering wheel, and Chubs was gloating in the backseat." (direct quote from Bracken's Darkest Minds).

Need I say more about Bracken's writing. I was amused.

Last we address our characters. Ruby, the girl who can't control her abilities. I liked her, I truly did but it was kind of hard to connect with her. I'm not sure if it was because of me, or what. I most enjoy reading about the strong, fearless, and rebellious female characters. I'm not the type of person who submits and gives in easily, so I gravitate toward characters who are similar to me. Ruby was not that person for a large part of the book, so that lack of connect may be my fault. I loved Zu, she was adorable and he story touched my heart. I can't wait to read her novella In Time. Chubs is the kid that a lot of large groups of friends have within their midst, smart, opinionated, and sadly, someone who is constantly overlooked. I thought he was a great character, and a male character that we don't see in a lot of book. With male characters such as Chubs, there is always some type of dramatic change, and he obtains lot of friends, and people magically begin to respect him, and he's almost a totally different character but manages to obtain "the same great qualities that make him, him" I hate when that happens.  Finally, Liam. The romantic girly girl in me loves him. He's the typical wounded soul who only wants to save an protect people. The difference is, he knows it and I think that makes all the difference. Plus he says things like "Did you know ... you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forgot to breathe?" It was hard for me to love Ruby at first, but I had no problems with Liam. 

Because these characters sort of grew on me, I look forward to book 2. 

As a whole I think I would give this book a 3.5,  I can feel a 5 brewing in Never Fade though,