The Darkest Minds Never Fade

Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) by Alexandra Bracken

Rating: 3 out of 5 hearts
507 pages
Released: October 2013
Buy it @ book depository

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Review

 

To be honest I was a little disappointed when I first started reading. I loved the first book so much and it took me until halfway through the book before I started to truly enjoy this. I think this could have been because the first part of the book was Ruby being part of the league. Ruby had been taken by the league and helped them with their missions. She had changed so much since she had been with the league, it's like she had become numb and empty and because of this the story also came across a bit dull.

Once Ruby went on her secret mission and we come across some of those favourites characters from the first book does the pace pick up again. I can look past this slow start because the rest of the book was so good.

I mentioned in my review for the first book that I hope we get a bit more information about why/how the kids got their powers, we don't know exactly why/how but we are given hints and I can't wait to see everything revealed in the last book.

There was a jaw dropping moment at the end of the book (not as much as the first) but it was devastating enough. Those who have read this may know what I'm talking about, I almost cried :(

Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for my copy.

On the cover 

 

I read this book on my kindle so I didn't really have a proper cover on this. So I've decided to talk about the above cover because I think it looks wicked! To me this looks like a compass crashing through ice and wire which has a lot do with the story. I think this cover is good for guys or girls and makes it look like an epic book!

What I'm reading next: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The best books tend to hide behind unlikely covers

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

Rating: 4 out of 5 hearts
488 pages
Buy it @ book depository
Released: December 2012

"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."

Review 

 

“The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces”

I love this quote! It really jumped out to me as a perfect sum up for the whole book. The feelings I got while reading this were the same sort of feelings I got when I was reading Divergent.  I was thinking that this was like nothing I’ve read before, I love the idea behind the story.

Ruby is a great character, she is beautiful but doesn’t know it because she’s been locked up in a camp for children with special powers for about 6 six years. She's also very strong and loyal. I liked her almost straight away and wanted to know more about her. The other characters that Ruby befriends were also really likeable. They make a great mix of kids and I'd love to ride around with them in Black Beauty.

What I really liked most was the slow paced romance between Ruby and Liam. In my books I like the the story to be fast paced but I like my romance to be slow paced. I like it when the connection between the love interests slowly bubble into something truly swoonworthy. That's what I got with these characters. Their feelings for each other couldn't always be shown because of Ruby's special powers and what might happen if she touches someone.

The small thing that stopped it from getting to 5 stars was the why? Why do the kids have super powers? How does it only effect them and not the adults? Where did it come from? I hope some of these questions are answered in the next book but other than that very small issue I loved this!

Oh and I can not forget that ending! This is going to be really hard to have to wait til November to find out what happens next. Maybe I might read her first book Brightly Woven (which is not part of this series) before then.

On the cover

 

This cover is totally wicked and now I know what the symbol on the front cover means. It tells you a lot about what you're going to expect from this book, i'll give you a hint - dark and intriguing.

What I'm reading next: What's left of me by Kat Zhang