Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds

Author:  Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Darkest Minds #1

Genre: SciFi Dystopian/YA

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: December 18th, 2012

Edition: Kindle Edition, 529 pages

Source: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Book Depository 

Synopsis:

     When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

     When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby 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 its mysterious leader. But there are 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, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

I held off on starting this book for the main reason of hype. Everyone and their grandma was raving about how good this book was. And me, being me didn't want to read it just because people said it was good. I was curious about it but not curious enough to spend the 15-20$ on a physical copy, so when I saw it for 99 cents as an eBook, I bought it. 

I liked it enough. The writing is really good. I liked the characters, and the world was interesting and new to me. But, there was just something about this story that didn't wow me as much as I expected. I think that's why I held off on reading it the way I did. It was so hyped up that by the time I got to reading it I was so hyped up that it kind of fell a little short for me. 

Ruby is a really great character. I like that she wasn't trying to save anyone, she didn't even see herself being anything more than what she was told she was, a monster. Until she meets Liam. Liam was also a great character. So what Chubs, and Zu. 

The romance, while it kind of came out of nowhere, was expected. Though I am still not even really sure what Ruby looks like other than the vague description of  "dark hair and green eyes". I don't know how tall she is, or if she is thin or not, though I assume she is since it seems that people in the camps are on a restricted diet.

I still want to read the sequel, because I really want to know what happens next, and how Ruby and Liam meet again because that is inevitable. But I still feel like there was something missing from this story. Don't know what it was, maybe what I am feeling is missing has something to do with me predicting that East River was shady from the start.