A review by s4ffy
The Darkest Minds, by Alexandra Bracken

4.0

overall rating: 7.5/10

I must admit, this is a very gripping and intense book that makes you want to read to the end all in one sitting. With this genre of book becoming more and more popular, I was hesitant about reading it, worried it might be another unoriginal plot with nothing new going for it.

In hindsight I have quite mixed feelings about it. It's not your usual dystopian novel where the heroine is so closely involved with the plot to bring down the evil government; instead, Ruby's only purpose is to find her family and evade the PSF's, which is a refreshing change. Alexandra Bracken brings new and exciting elements to the unoriginal dystopia genre - unknown diseases, strange abilities that only young children develop, prison camps for the "freaks". It's an almost apocalyptic novel in which all the children who did not succumb to the fatal disease developed freak abilities that no one understood.

However, the book did seem to have no firm plot line, and instead, seemed to float from plot to plot, and I couldn't really see any real direction. There were a couple of elements that Bracken did not think through properly; since all the children between 8 and 13 were either dead or in the camps, and families were no longer allowed to have more, what was going to happen to the country when the past generations were old and grey and dead?

That aside, I did really enjoy it, the characters were believable and well developed, Zu and Chubs especially. The only problem I had was with Liam, who, whilst not your average love interest, was slightly bland and boring. Granted, he wasn't a typical bad boy who was stunningly attractive and hot and sexy. Instead, he was a hero-wannabe, always trying to save other people and help people worse off than him. This aspect of his character was done very well, since it was completely believable and didn't come off as making him out to be a perfect goody goody, perfect hero, but at times it felt as if he were a little too good and loving and hopeful. He was too sweet and perfect and optimistic for someone who had seen so much of what the world was like now.

Ruby was a well rounded character, who wasn't particularly likeable or unlikeable. Her story, which takes a while to be revealed, is heartbreaking as well as hopeful. The story is told from her point of view. Her voice is engaging and easy to identify with and being in her head is fascinating. Her companions all have their own mysterious story, all equally as heartbreaking and shocking as hers. There's just enough intrigue and suspense to leave us wanting to find out more from them, while not stealing the spotlight.

The future doesn't look too bright, however, as the whole book is spent learning how horrible the adults have been dealing with these new sudden abilities. This is soon followed by a long lasting chase which leads to more questions, lots of uncertainties, and definite scepticism. Despite being a very active plot that keeps up quite a bit of suspense combined with a constant feeling of uneasiness, the pacing is kept natural. This not only allows us time to decipher our characters, but also gives us the opportunity to truly understand the gravity of the world they now have to suffer.

Bracken's writing style; a show rather than explain leaves you feeling slightly lost and disorientated as you first start it, and Bracken doesn't spell everything out for you, assuming that you will be intelligent enough to figure out what it is she's showing us. There was, what I assume was to be a plot twist, and, although I had predicted it right from when I didn't even have any evidence, I'm sure many people will be suitably riveted by the change in events.

In total, it's a well put-together story with an ending that leaves you craving for the next book (so don't start it if you are as impatient a waiter as I am). Definitely a must-read for a fan of dystopia.