Review of "The Darkest Minds"

"Why can't you stand up for yourself, just once?"

     Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds is a YA novel about fighting the monster within you. Ruby Elizabeth Daly is a normal kid, or as normal as a nine-year-old girl can be when her classmates are dropping like flies around her. Thanks to IAAN, the disease that has swept America into a panicked, chaotic mess, Ruby doesn't even have enough friends for a birthday party. But when a kiss goodnight makes her parents forget her existence, things turn from bad to worse frighteningly fast. She's quickly taken to Thurmond, a government "rehabilitation" camp where those who survived IAAN are forced to do hard work and endure harsh punishments. The inmates are forbidden to speak and, most importantly, forbidden to use the powers that put them there in the first place. Six years later, Ruby has a chance to escape. The only problem is, the people who take her in don't know what she is capable of--and Thurmond wants her back.

     The Darkest Minds starts out in a brutal setting. Thurmond is full of strict rules, cruel Psi Special Forces guards, and terrible mistakes. Ruby's only friend, Samantha, is a strong-willed character who stands up for her at every turn, often at the expense of her own safety. Unfortunately, Ruby is too scared to stick up for anyone, least of all herself, which makes her a difficult character to like. She's spent the past six years hiding among the Greens, those IAAN left with a knack for codes and logic, when she really belongs with the Oranges, mind-readers who can control everyone around them. Ruby's power is confined to those she touches, but she's taking no chances: when she runs into a group of brilliantly crafted, lovable, and well-rounded runaways, she conceals her true abilities behind the Green mask again, causing plenty of humor and conflict for readers to eat up like candy.

     Thurmond may be where this story starts, but Ruby doesn't stay there long. She spends just enough time describing her experiences there to set the scene, then takes off with a daring breakout and an encounter with a very unpleasant Orange. By the time she meets Liam, Chubs, and Suzume, three renegade Psi--IAAN survivors with special gifts--she is stuck in the middle of an unknown East Coast state with nowhere to go. Together, they set off on a road trip across the state to East River, a mythical place where Psi can allegedly gather in safety. This means lots of travel, well-written settings, and a good deal of bad jokes that shape their moods nicely. Unfortunately, it isn't until Ruby finally reveals her age that she stops acting like a thirteen-year-old and actually lives up to her sixteen years.

     Once she starts acting like a sixteen-year-old, Ruby's story snaps into focus with a clear lens. She, along with Liam, Zu, and Chubs, are in constant peril, as the US government has posted a bounty on the heads of every escaped Psi. The bounty hunters are armed with guns and incapacitation devices alike, and aren't afraid to use them. Though there's fighting and death, there isn't much in the way of gore. The romance is subtle but strong, though why the love interest is into Ruby is unclear. What may catch critics' eye is a single scene where one character may or may not take advantage of another; the details are unclear to characters and readers alike. Readers sensitive to "feels" will definitely have a rough time with the ending; it is, however, worth the pain.

     I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a strong, fast-paced YA novel about a protagonist who must learn to love herself if she is to succeed. With great worldbuilding, relatable characters, and wonderful conflict on every level, Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds is perfect for any teen's must-read list. Aside from the somewhat rough beginning and Ruby's apparent age confusion, everything in this book is focused and easy to understand. And while it does have one scene with minor trigger potential, it's pretty clean otherwise. It definitely rates a solid four stars.