Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

22 January, 2013 Reviews 15 comments

Sometimes reading dystopian YA can feel like diving into water with too strong a current. One minute you have a sense of what’s going on and the next you’re submerged headfirst in an authors attempt to make you understand all the shiny new rules of their universe, while simultaneously introducing you to characters at a pace too fast for you to even to begin to care.

The Darkest Minds avoids this problem entirely, with expert world-building and introductions. The dystopian world was fresh with new and interesting concepts, powers and diseases, societies, armies and leaders, vocabulary and technology and a rich history. There was so much going on that it treaded dangerously on the cusp of becoming overwhelming, but Bracken still managed to avoid this by dispensing information only when necessary, and keeping it well paced by surrounding it with delicious action. While I still dove into this book as I would a poorly written one, I found myself in clear water, wanting to swim deeper.

The strongest relationships in this novel lie in the group dynamic between Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Zu. Each of Ruby’s friends was so fleshed out that they became lifelike.

The writing of Ruby’s voice felt both natural and strong. While I normally become frustrated when the main character goes off on a tangent inside their own head about the slightly obvious, even when Ruby became introspective for a long time, the prose still held my interest.

The dark layers of guilt and rejection that the characters felt towards their society was only strengthened every time the theme was revisited, rather than becoming repetitive and frustrating. Ruby’s reflections provided a grounding to the novel that made the events all the more powerful. Not only was her disillusionment towards her future and her world jarring, there were several scenes in the book that were so shockingly well-narrated they hit me like a punch to the gut, and it took me a minute to recuperate and read on.

The Darkest Minds introduces a dystopian world that you will want take the time to immerse yourself in. I’m going to warn you in advance that it can be quite the emotional roller coaster, but trust me, it’s well worth the ride.

15 Responses to “Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken”

  1. aprilmom00

    I agree I had feelings with this book and she created an amazing world. That ending slayed me

  2. lilypondreads

    Glad you like this one I feel like I am missing out, everyone that I read loved this book! Great review <3

  5. tigerlilyrachel

    I’ve been seeing a ton of great reviews for this one. I’m happy to hear it has good world building, because that’s something I often struggle with in dystopian novels. I hate being unable to feel a part of the world because of poor world building. And yay for emotional roller coasters! Those are my favorite kinds of books 🙂

  6. makeshiftjen

    YES. This sounds absolutely awesome. I hate reading a book and getting completely lost in the rules of the world, the confused relationships, etc. I have read Brightly Woven and WOW, was it amazing. I can’t wait to get into this one, too. You’ve totally amped me up for it 🙂

  7. carow

    yes I LOVED this one. So well written, and that ending ARGGHHH. Really want the sequel, right now.

  8. Kara_M

    I loved this one too. I thought it was a lot of fun and incredibly well-written. I didn’t LOVE the whiny protagonist, but the story was enough to make me look past my issues. Great review, Adrienne!

  9. alexalovesbooks

    I absolutely adored The Darkest Minds. It was a little darker and heavier than I expected, but I still enjoyed reading it. It was interesting to learn about Ruby and the world she resided in. And that moment at the end? It nearly killed me – and now I’m anticipating the second book.

  12. Katie’s Book Blog: favorite – NNW

    […] into sci-fi and awesome super powers, then this is the perfect read for you.”  Cuddlebuggery Book Blog’s review: “The Darkest Minds introduces a dystopian world that you will want take the time to immerse […]