Review: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken

Títle: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Book: The Darkest Minds #1

Editorial: Disney Hyperion

Year: 2012

Pages: 488 (Softcover)

ISBN-13: 9781423157373

PVP: 16 € (Softcover) (Amazon)

Mark: 8/10

ABSTRACT

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 brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others 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. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have 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 having a life worth living.

PERSONAL VALORATION

JUSTIFICATION

The first time I read this book was the summer of 2015 in a time in which I read mainly dystopian future novels whose protagonist was a teenage girl (there was a furore at that time for this kind of books). However, after the film adaptation was released, I decided to reconnect with the saga of "The Darkest Minds" and reread the books again to make the review.

PLOT

A mysterious disease (known by the acronym IAAN) is spreading throughout the United States and targets children over the age of ten. As soon as they reach this age, the IAAN kills them suddenly, without any intimacy, and the few children who survive begin to present capabilities that worry adults. The protagonist of the story, Ruby, when she turns ten, lives in first person the consequences of the disease and the change that takes place in her causes her parents to fear her and notify the police. Ruby is taken to Thurmond, a government rehabilitation center where they evaluate and classify children by color according to their powers: green for those with a large photographic memory and great cognitive development, blue for telekinetics (able to move things with the mind) and yellow for those who control electricity. The select group of oranges (able to enter the mind and impose ideas, desires ...) and reds (the most dangerous of all) seems non-existent within that field. Ruby pretends to be Green for the next six years of her life, trying to hide her true powers to escape certain death. Until the League of Children helps her escape. Shortly thereafter he meets Liam, Suzume and Chubs, with whom he embarks on a journey to find East River, a possible safe haven for powerful minds. Who can Ruby trust? Are everyone's intentions as good as they seem? Who is the Children's League? What really awaits you in East River?

CHARACTERS

The protagonist and main narrator of the story is Ruby, a 16 year old teenager. Although at the beginning it has a passive character caused by everything lived within the rehabilitation field, it is soon discovered that she is an intelligent and rational girl capable of acting when circumstances require it. Her powers cause her to consider herself a monster and prevents anyone from approaching her for fear of hurting them. However, this changes little by little during the book and is opening up to the people around her.
The secondary characters are very interesting and I'm sure they'll have to talk for the rest of the saga. They stand out among all of them the companions with whom Ruby undertakes the trip towards East River, that is to say, Liam, Chubs and Zu. Liam is an Blue 18-year-old boy  (he has the power to move objects with his mind) and thanks to his charisma and confidence he is the leader of the group; obviously soon it is discovered that it is Ruby's love interest. Chubs (Charles) is a Blue boy, pragmatic and a great companion, at the beginning he is reluctant to include Ruby in his journey. Finally, Suzume (Zu) is a very sweet Yellow girl (has the ability to control electricity) that doesn’t speak because of everything she lived.

AMBIENT

The events of the book happen in the United States during a dystopian future in which an illness has spread that fundamentally affects children either killing them or causing them to develop supernatural abilities. The government, supported by the rest of the adults, reacts by creating different fields of rehabilitation to ensure that all children are "cured" of these conditions. Therefore, there is a situation of hostility and fear that especially affects children.

WRITING STYLE

The book is written in the first person from Ruby's point of view. In this way, apart from seeing what happens from a personal and intimate view, we are aware of Ruby's development and the internal dialogue with which she faces things.
Although in general I do not have problems with writing, pointing out that as it is a first person book sometimes it prevents knowing the general panorama and the origin of the problems posed: the IAAN, the future without children, the supernatural abilities ....

GENERAL COMMENT

"The Darkest Minds" is the first book in the trilogy of "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken. In this first installment we know the dystopian future in which the IAAN disease strikes children by killing them or endowing them with supernatural abilities if they survive. In it the most relevant characters are presented and we know, through a narration in first person, the protagonist of the story, Ruby. If you are interested in stories of future dystopia, supernatural abilities, action and suspense with teenage protagonists, this is your book and this is your saga!

-R.