The Darkest Minds

Make no mistake, Alexandra Bracken is willing to go there. And when she does, she does it well.

The Darkest Minds is seriously impressive stuff, especially for a young writer, especially for a young adult dystopia in a sea of young adult dystopias. The interesting thing is, it uses many of the same tropes – an oppressive regime, a nation in shambles, a young girl with an ability that isolates her from others, and a growing rebellion that the protagonist is inevitably pulled into. The difference is that Bracken handles these elements in a way that makes them fresh and edgy.

An epidemic strikes down the majority of the preadolescent population, and those left behind begin to exhibit psychic abilities. A whole generation lost reconstructs the nation – the economy tanks, radio stations won't even play songs that so much as reference youth, and a young face is the equivalent of a criminal one. I wouldn't call this world building exactly, because there isn't that much that is different from our own world (aside from, you know, the apocalypse), it's more like an effective atmosphere. There is near constant anxiety and the feel of oppression, but at the same time there's the possibility of the open road. Within a few characters, Bracken captures what is so fascinating about this kind of setting. Freedom, but also isolation. Even among her own kind, Ruby is alone – she is one of the few left with her ability, and she fears it just as much as others do.

I was disappointed that this book is still very male-centric. A part of me feels like stories of oppression are principally women's stories, and for a while, when Ruby is still in the girls only bunk of Thurmond, there is a feeling of camaraderie. After Ruby escapes Thurmond, and the people that broke her out, she falls in with a merry band of outlaws – two teenage boys, and a young girl who doesn't speak. I'd be mad about this except that Liam and Chubs are such fabulous characters. I love characters like Chubs when they're done respectfully. He's practical and suspicious, the way one should be in this kind of setting, but never unsympathetic. And Liam, geez. Liam is a good man. There is no other way to put it. He is not the typical emotionally closed off love interest, all acid on the outside and brooding passion on the inside. Liam is open and honest and painfully naïve. I didn't quite feel the chemistry between him and Ruby (honestly, Bracken doesn't spend a lot of time trying to force it so I was thankful for that), but they're two people you just can't feel mad about getting together.

The role of creepy male figure goes to Clancy Gray, aka the Slip Kid, and again Bracken effectively uses a trope to her advantage. You can't blame Ruby for trusting Clancy. There's a draw to him that's both practical and emotional, and parts of him seem like a legit human being. And other parts tell you that he is bad news bears. Sadly, Ruby doesn't figure this out until it's too late, when he uses his abilities to sexually assault her. Like I said, Bracken goes there, but she never makes you pity Ruby or see her as a victim. She doesn't romanticize Gray either, making it clear that while his horrible experiences made him the way he is, he had the ability, more so than most people, to choose something greater for himself, and he didn't.

This has so much potential as a series. There's a lot going on here as a conversation about revolution, oppression, corruption and freedom. I'm hoping that Ruby's character gets stronger, because while I appreciated the choices she made throughout the story and her strength as a person, I'm not positive if I know who she is yet. I imagine part of that has to do with the fact that she spent the years between ages ten and sixteen in an internment camp, missing out on many formative experiences. I also wish there was more of a culture within places like Thurmond. People who had been there that long like Ruby, who didn't have more than a fifth grade education, would probably have developed their own language, society, stories. There were way too many moments where Ruby would say something that I don't think she would be capable of knowing or knowing how to say.

But this is still way ahead of the pack, way better than other stuff I've read in this genre, and I think have to go give Alexandra Bracken a hug now. Or maybe just message her on Tumblr.