TITLE: The Darkest Minds
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
SERIES: The Darkest Minds #1
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
PAGES: 496 (paperback)
Note: An ARC of this novel
was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
It wasn’t so long ago that
I read Brightly Woven and absolutely loved it, so I came into The
Darkest Minds with high expectations for Alexandra Bracken and her
latest novel. Needless to say, this second time author delivered on almost all
fronts for me.
In a frightening new world
where most of the children die from a deadly and mysterious disease, those that
survive are suddenly developing frightening powers; mind control, telepathy,
telekinesis…these are only some of the possibilities. Sixteen-year-old Ruby
struggles to hide her abnormality from the rehabilitation camp in which she
works, yet when the truth comes out she has no choice but to flee for her life
and join a group of kids desperate to find their one last chance at safety – a
haven called East River.
Bracken has a very
noticeable ‘show not tell’ writing style, in The Darkest Minds we are
thrown straight in there with little to no backstory to help us. In a way this
is very refreshing, as it allows the reader to ease themselves into Ruby’s
world and slowly put things together piece by piece of our their accord. Of
course this can also be rather disconcerting, and it requires the reader to pay
rather close attention to ensure that they understand everything that is going
on around them. A few times I found myself not getting a certain reference, and
in my confusion I’d have to read backwards in order to comprehend what was
happening. This wasn’t, however, a constant problem and I definitely commend
Bracken for recognising that her readers do have some modicum of common sense.
In much the same way this
idea also applied to Ruby, though the story is told from her point of view it
is not until you are fully immersed in the novel that you begin to get
fragments of her heart-breaking tale. This ensures that you must be patient to
get the full story, and whilst at times it was difficult it definitely pays off
in the end. Ruby herself is simultaneously fascinating and confusing,
particularly at the beginning when you have no idea of her history or
personality. Though occasionally I would find something I didn’t like about her
she still didn’t fail to engage my interest, and it was her character coupled
with the mysteries and abilities of those she travelled with that really
captured my attention during the novel.
In Brightly Woven it was the
romance that really melted my heart, yet I’m afraid to say that Ruby and Liam
didn’t quite have the same appeal. For me it seemed to appear as if from thin
air – the couple going straight from routine, friendly interactions to
completely head-over-heels in love. Now, this would have been fine had there
been a slow build up beforehand, yet to my eyes it seemed to jump straight from
one side of the river to the other without the stepping stones in between. That
said, Liam was a likeable love interest and character and the romance certainly
didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.
A wonderful start to a new
series, The Darkest Minds is a novel I think most dystopia fans would
definitely enjoy. The plot certainly finishes on an interesting point for me,
and I can’t wait to see how Alexandra Bracken develops the ideas created here
in future novels.
Yeah, I didn't love this one either. I would have liked better world-building and a more convincing romance. I wanted to love this one, but just ... didn't.
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