Alexandra Bracken

"Sixteen-year-old Ruby breaks out of a government-run 'rehabilitation camp' for teens who acquired dangerous powers after surviving a virus that wiped out most American children"--

The Darkest Minds

The darkest minds

raia – inactive

I watched him go, from the window overlooking the street, following his familiar shape as he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. No car, no one to watch over, no one to help. He was completely free.

"’Cause, frankly, the way I see it, you and me? Inevitable."

“The crazy thing is, I had all of these plans,” he whispered. “What we were going to do. All the places I was going to take you."

The government was never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind.

They were afraid of us—the ones who lived.

'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

Sophia

“God.” He shook his head, mouth twisting into a shadow of a smile. “Did you know . . . you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forget to breathe? I’ll be looking at you, and my chest will get so tight . . . and it’s like, the only thought in my head is how much I want to reach over and kiss you.”

He blew out a shaky breath. “So don’t talk about getting me out of here, because I’m not leaving, not unless you’re part of the package, too.”

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 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!

Book 1

Dollify

liam you are so loved by me !! didn't love that ending tho

liam you are so loved by me !! didn't love that ending tho

we can't be friends by ariana grande
matilda by harry styles
timeless by taylor swift

rhegan🧋

** spoiler alert **
           WTFFFF. also i’m thinking ab how if jack just told liam and chubs his dad thinks they’re freaks the last 50 pages of heartbreak could have been avoided …

Gracie Marsden

It was a fun read! I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of a superhero character with realistic reactions to trauma and abuse. My only qualms with the book was that it was unnecessarily long. I honestly got a little bored about 3/4 through the book, and there wasn't any new development in the book that kept me reading. It felt it was mostly focused on teenage drama.

Whitney Nicole

** spoiler alert **
           Giving this a solid 3.5. I really enjoyed the plot and the whole dystopian “kids against the world” thing. I never felt Liam and Ruby had good enough chemistry though. It was more like Liam was the first nice guy Ruby has run into since she got sent to Thurmond, which is true. Plus Ruby has some badass powers if she starts being brave enough to use them, which I hope we get to see in the next book. BUT DAMN DO I HATE MEMORY LOSS TROPES. They literally ruin so much for me, I had to knock off a whole star. It was so pointless and unnecessary and I already know Ruby is going to start whining about it for a good chunk of book 2 and how she’s sUcH a mOnStEr. After spending an entire book crying about how you unintentionally erase yourself from peoples memories + being terrified of doing the same to Liam you go ahead and do it intentionally?? Whatever…anyways, I do love the premise and general plot of this book.

nina 

Excuse me, Ms Bracken. Why are you putting me through all this angst?

Briar's Reviews

Do you know how exciting it is to find books that were "big" in the YA universe back when I was a teenager out in the wild? These books I couldn't afford, never could find, etc., etc. Well, The Darkest Minds was one I remember seeing in the bookstores and always wanting to read, but my teenage budget couldn't afford another book. I found this book out in the wild and was like... yes.... it is time... the time machine is ready.... And I was brought back (in my mind) to my teenage years binging YA books before bed, wishing that the next day wouldn't come and I wouldn't have to go to high school.... Sadly, now it's an adult job LOL.

The Darkest Minds is a thrilling book that kept me on my toes and binging it. Ruby has powers, like most YA protagonists back in the day. Some sickness went around killing kids 10 and up, but the lucky ones who survive end up with some form of super powers. It's terrifying to the adults who cannot control them, so they send the kids away and lock them in camps. These camps are "supposed to" rehabilitate them... but we all know what those camps really did. Destroy them.

Ruby escapes Thurmond, the government rehabilitation camp she was sent to. She didn't try to escape on her own. It was pure luck that one of the doctors snuck her out and she somehow managed to take the opportunity to run away from that doctor too. She meets a group of kids who escaped from another rehab camp, and they decide they will find their way to East River, a sanctuary for other kids with special abilities with a mysterious leader... Nothing is as it seems though.

I was GLUED to this book. I had to know how it ended and now I'm frustrated I didn't pick up books #2 through #4 when I saw them out in the wild. The dystopia book is rather long and at about 75% of the way through, I feel like it could have had a full stop and transitioned the rest of the book to the sequel. Regardless, still a good read that felt like it just had too much packed into it's pages. 

Reminder: It is a YA book made in the 2010s so it has it's tropes and is not some award winning, Oscar worthy book. It has a female leader with superpowers who is chosen to be special. But, it also has incredible world building and a mystery behind it (I love a good mystery). It has a bit of insta-love, it has crappy adults (because us adults suck, let's be real), and it's a dystopia. It is what it is, but man was it good. It was a great book to sneak away from reality into. I'll definitely be trying to find the sequel since it was just a fun ride!

Four out of five stars.

The long-awaited new novel in the New York Times best-selling Darkest Minds series, now a major motion picture. Five years after the destruction of the so-called rehabilitation camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Suzume "Zu" Kimura has assumed the role of spokesperson for the interim government, fighting for the rights of Psi kids against a growing tide of misinformation and prejudice. But when she is accused of committing a horrifying act, she is forced to go on the run once more in order to stay alive. Determined to clear her name, Zu finds herself in an uncomfortable alliance with Roman and Priyanka, two mysterious Psi who could either help her prove her innocence or betray her before she gets the chance. But as they travel in search of safety and answers, and Zu grows closer to the people she knows she shouldn't trust, they uncover even darker things roiling beneath the veneer of the country's recovery. With her future—and the future of all Psi—on the line, Zu must use her powerful voice to fight back against forces that seek to drive the Psi into the shadows and save the friends who were once her protectors. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a harrowing story of resilience, resistance, and reckoning that will thrill loyal fans and new readers alike.

The Darkest Legacy

Danny Werhane

This was so good!!! I want more!!! How is this standalone? I want an entire series from Zu. 
Also, if people haven’t read Through The Dark they wouldn’t know who Lucas is. I don’t think he is ever mentioned in the main trilogy.

It was hard to keep reading at first because the book started out slow but as I kept reading I could not stop, I needed to know what danger the group would encounter next and how they would use their powers to save themselves. The ending is heartbreaking and I hope Ruby and Liam find their way back to each other in Never Fade. 

Michelle Mokoena

kaitlan

alexandra

this is my favorite series ever. ever ever ever.

Loved it so much. Very fast paced and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Jacey Manning

Megan O’Connod

Im a very easy rater but I read the majority and finished this book today and saw the movie so I’m feeling a lot of things

The Darkest Minds (Bonus Content) (A Darkest Minds Novel)

menna

It started off kinda slow but after that holy fuck

Jamieson

“The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.” 



here I was thinking 2013 culture was dead and buried, but the darkest minds says hello i guess

oh my god ?? I enjoyed this SO MUCH MORE than I thought I would. I mean I just think 2012 and 2013 was a dark time for YA lit and I barely like any series written around then jfdhgkjf but i had so much fun with this, honestly if the beginning was a bit better I probably would have given this a five star?? like it really was entertaining as and had some great characters and plot twists oooh boy ! (then again, who am I kidding I am literally always a hoe for some good kids with superpowers books)

so I really wanna go out and binge the rest of the series now ANYWAY I cant wait to see the movie I hope its good. FULL REVIEW TO COME

Kristen Claiborn

I had a hard time getting into the story, but about 125 pages in I was hooked. It's got a good tempo, and the story leads the reader forward well. I'm looking forward to the second one.

aisha

reread - 13-15 july 2021
same thoughts about it being a little slow that i had 7 years ago but!!! it always brings me great joy when a reread feels like it holds up. excited to reread never fade and FINALLY read in the afterlight. i remembered this book being heartbreaking, and i know it only gets worse so we must move. 

First read - 19-20 October 2014
The writing and the plot was absolutely perfect. It was a bit slow for me at first but I caught up with the story and it was just amazing. I just can't wait to pick up Never Fade.

First read - October 2014 
The writing and the plot was absolutely perfect. It was a bit slow for me at first but I caught up with the story and it was just amazing. I just can't wait to pick up Never Fade.

tina

second read: April 02, 2018  

rating: 3.5/5
I believe the reason why this earned a 5/5 stars from me three years ago when I first read it was because of the last 20% of the book. Rereading this book made me realize that not a lot of exciting things really happened in the middle. Sometimes, despite the fact that I was already familiar with what was going to happen, it felt like the plot was turning towards the nowhere zone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I remembered it to be. I still am very excited about the movie though! And I know in my heart that the second book in this series is 10x better so I’m also very excited to reread that! 


first read: March 25, 2015 

rating: 5/5 
I LOVE THIS BOOK. IT'S BRILLIANT.

Holy fuck…. Sorry to swear, but what a conclusion to a series that was one of my favourites. 

Lena’s Library

Leighanne Whelan

Julia Lotz

Inhalt: Ruby hat überlebt. Doch der Preis dafür war hoch. Sie hat alles verloren: Freunde, Familie, ihr ganzes Leben. Weil sie das Virus überlebt hat. Weil sie nun eine Fähigkeit besitzt, die sie zur Bedrohung werden lässt, zu einer Gefahr für die Menschheit. Denn sie kann die Gedanken anderer beeinflussen. Deshalb wurde sie in ein Lager gebracht mit vielen anderen Überlebenden. Deshalb soll sie getötet werden. Aber Ruby hat nicht überlebt, um zu sterben. Sie wird kämpfen, schließlich hat sie nichts zu verlieren. Noch nicht ... (Quelle: Verlag)
Meine Meinung: Die liebe Nasti ist ein unglaublicher Fan von diesem Buch und hat es nicht nur mir, nein, auch unglaublich vielen anderen ans Herz gelegt und wärmstens empfohlen. Ich war auch absolut begeistert von dem Klappentext und so sehr gespannt aufs lesen. Die Idee ist zumindest für mich etwas nie Dagewesenes. Kinder werden krank, sterben massenweise. Die, die überleben, die Überlebenden, werden in Lager gesteckt, weil sie Fähigkeiten entwickeln, die die Erwachsenen fürchten. Das habe ich zumindest abgeleitet denn zu Beginn des Buches fehlen einfach sehr viele Informationen, die im Verlauf auch nicht unbedingt alle aufgedeckt werden. Man muss sicher sehr viel selbst zusammenreimen. Das hat bei mir aber geklappt, wie ihr oben lesen könnt. Deshalb war es dann nicht so schlimm. Und trotz dieser Schwierigkeiten war ich von der Idee dann sehr begeistert. Und begeistert davon, wie sie umgesetzt wurde. Viele Dinge waren für Ruby, wie auch für den Leser dann, ein Rätsel. So habe ich beim Lesen viel herum überlegt, habe versucht herauszufinden wer Freund und wer Feind ist, und bin immer ein Stückchen mehr Ruby geworden.
Ruby war mir auch sehr sympathisch. Sie musste nicht viel sagen. Ein paar Sätze von ihr, nicht mal eine Seite aus ihrer Perspektive haben ausgereicht, um dieses Mädchen lieben zu lernen. Um sie zu verstehen, um wie sie denken zu können. Das zieht sich konstant durchs ganze Buch und hat mich begeistert. Durch ihre Vergangenheit geprägt, steht Ruby allem und jedem misstrauisch gegenüber. Sie braucht unglaublich viel Zeit um Vertrauen zu fassen und da man sich so gut in sie hineinversetzen kann, ging es mir als Leserin genauso. Das war für mich anfangs sehr bedrückend, hat aber auch die insgesamt sehr düstere Atmosphäre des Buches noch einmal verstärkt.
Denn das Buch gleicht einem unvorstellbar großen und gefährlichen Roadtrip, der eigentlich nichts anderes ist als eine Flucht. Eine Flucht, die noch dazu mehr als aussichtslos ist. Das alles findet statt in einer unheimlich deprimierenden Umgebung, in einem Amerika, zerstört durch Katastrophen und einem Zusammenbruch der Wirtschaft. Das alles ist gleichzeitig sehr gekonnt umgesetzt und vermittelt dem Leser ein sehr genaues und zugleich erschreckendes aber auch beeindruckendes Bild, dass sich sehr gut in das Gesamtbild des Buches eingliedert. Leider hat es mich aber an vielen Stellen fast schon deprimiert, womit wir nun zu meinem großen Kritikpunkt am Buch kommen. Um es erst einmal grob zusammenzufassen, ich habe unglaublich lange gebraucht um das Buch zu lesen. Der Grund dafür war, dass ich nach ein paar Seiten immer mal wieder ein anderes Buch reingeschoben habe. Das lag daran, dass mir das Setting an manchen Stellen einfach zu düster war und die Handlung nie wirklich Fahrt aufnahm. Das passiert an einigen wenigen Stellen, die sich dann nur über ein paar Seiten erstrecken. Ich kann es nicht komplett kritisieren. Denn das Buch hat viele, überwiegend positive Aspekte, die ganz eindeutig fürs Lesen sprechen. Dieser Punkt hat mich aber tatsächlich sehr gestört, da ich bei einer Dystopie zum einen mehr Aktion erwarte und man das Fehlen von Aktion nur durch ein unglaublich spannendes politisches System wett machen kann, was in Die Überlebenden auch nur teilweise angedeutet wurde.
Bewertung: Die Überlebenden mussten gerade wirklich so einiges wegstecken. Trotz der vielen Kritik haben mir die Idee, die Protagonistin und eigentlich auch die Umsetzung sehr gut gefallen. Dystopien müssen düster sein, auch wenn mich das manchmal ein bisschen runtergezogen hat. Die Sache mit der fehlenden Spannung und dem dahinplätschern der Handlung hat mich dann allerdings schon so sehr gestört, dass ich Punktabzug geben muss. Deshalb verdienen Die Überlebenden von mir 3,5 von 5 Füchschen, die ich aber einfach auf 4 aufrunden werde, weil es mich am Ende doch noch mal richtig fesseln konnte.
Vielen herzlichen Dank an Goldmann für das tolle *Rezensionsexemplar.

saesha

** spoiler alert **
           why? the ending was not the vibe

The Darkest Minds

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