The Darkest Minds is a novel written by Alexandra Bracken and published in December of 2012, and is followed by the sequels Never Fade and In the Afterlight. The book is set in the future, where the disease stricken United States falls into decay. It follows the life of the teen protagonist, Ruby, who has just escaped a cruel government camp that jalis children and teens with dangerous and unusual abilities. Exploring the themes of generational conflicts and fighting for a place in the world, The Darkest Minds was the winner of Goodreads’ 2013 Choice Awards for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction.
When the disease, IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration), hits the United States, children begin dying quickly all over. However, the small portion of those children that do survive end up gaining special abilities, each classified by a color and power. If any child is suspected of having or has the disease, they will be taken to a government issued camp that houses these children with the dangerous abilities. They are treated cruelly and are desperate for escape. Years pass, and Ruby realizes that she has a way to escape from the camp. After careful consideration, she does. She meets three other kids who have also just escaped, and begins to travel with them across the country, learning the ways of the new United States, and seeing the drastic changes that have happened to the country ever since the disease. Throughout the sequels, the four close friends join forces with an undercover organization, whose goal is to free all of those who are in the brutal government camps. It is a long and difficult process, and they must expose the truth of these camps to the rest of the world; who have no idea about the conditions of these camps.
This book is a wonderful story that captures the reader in the moment and keeps them on their toes. The reader journeys with Ruby through both thick and thin, dedicating themselves to the book, and keeping them enraptured throughout the series. I would highly recommend this book.
