The Darkest Minds

Title: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Genre: YA/Dystopia

Release Date: December 18, 2012

My Rating: 
♥♥♥♥♥

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.

~ Goodreads

If you plan on reading The Darkest Minds, it'd be a good idea to read it during the weekend because you'll most likely be so glued to the romance, action, and pure awesomeness that you'll completely forget about getting your healthy 8 hours.  Of course, getting an adequate amount of sleep always seems to be a reoccurring problem with bookworms.

Ruby is trapped in a world filled with monsters.  Monsters that can manipulate with a brush of their hand, move entire cars with the sweep of a fingertip, and wash a person's mind completely blank with a sharp glance.  Ruby is one of these monsters.
The "Psi" - dangerous kids - are kept in facilities run by the government, used to contain them for fear of their powers.  But when Ruby escapes one of these camps and meets up with three runaways, her luck changes.  She's thrust into a world filled with adrenaline and fear - fear of being captured and thrown to the wolves.  Ruby discovers a love she never thought she could have for someone else.  Will she be captured along with her friends, or will they escape the grip of "the darkest mind?"

I really, really enjoyed this book!  I had uber high expectations for The Darkest Minds because of all the praise it's received from other bloggers, and I am now proud to say I'm an official Darkest Minds fan!

I'm a huge fans of dystopia novels, like Shatter Me and Through the Ever Night, which TDM felt like a combination of the two.  This is a dark dsytopia; there's a lot, lot, lot of violence and smashing bones and pouring blood, and....well, you get my drift.  Remember, violence.  Although, the violence was a major factor in keeping the book interesting, what with the Ruby and the gang getting ambushed around 3 or 4 times.

I am Team Liam!  Oh my gosh, I loved Liam and all of his sweet Southern glory.  In my mind, his character actually had Liam Hemsworth's face.  I mean, their descriptions matched up; light blue eyes and blond hair.  It's a perfect match!  Now, I had the exact opposite feelings when it came to Clancy, and I don't want to be all spoilery, so I'll just leave it at this: DOUCHE.

The ending.  *Sniff sniff*  The ending made me bawl like a two-year old toddler having an explosive tantrum.  Just, why?  It's pretty darn heart breaking, if you ask me.  It's also sort of a cliff hanger... I mean, it's a perfect ending to pick back up on in the sequel, but it was too sad and complicated and ugh.

The second book in the trilogy, Never Fade, is out now, so I'm jumping in my seat and very eager to get my hands on it as soon as possible!

Overall, I'm giving The Darkest Minds a 5/5 because it's served with a plate of happiness and a side of wow.