The Darkest Minds #1 | Alexandra Bracken

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Sorry, sorry, sorry! 

I am still alive just not reading because I'm trying (not) to revise for exams. I'm sorry if you guys miss me, I understand as I would miss myself. Truly sorry. 

(If you missed me, I missed you too!) 

Anywaysssss....

I super sped read this for you guys and to get something up on this blog. I was halfway through this after my saga book review but then I went hiatus on reading for quite sometime. I don't even know, sometimes you just gotta give yourself a break from the stuff you enjoy so it doesn't feel like a 'job' or a burden so it doesn't become unenjoyable. Not to mention on top of that I have all the revision I'm (not) doing. 

THIS WAS REALLY GOOD! That's an understatement. I haven't read much dystopian in a while so this felt really good to read. If you're wondering why I haven't read much dystopians it's because I stopped reading them around the end of last year because I was reading an overladen amount that I started to feel as though every, single, plot line was becoming generic and repetitive. I have owned this book and the second book, Never Fade for....since last year, which if you ask me is a long time. I started reading this in January and it is now February. WhaT? 

The Darkest Minds is the first book in a trilogy and is a Young Adult, Dystopian based around a group of kids that get sent to a 'rehabilitation camp' because of a wide spread disease that is affecting and killing most of America's youth. Ruby -the main character- might have survived the disease that practically wiped out the majority of America's youth but she and many other have emerged with something worse, something that made the government build this 'camps'. They have emerged with abilities they cannot control. They are dangerous. 

Escape, love, action, violence, blah blah you get the gist. This is terrible synopsis go look at the better one on goodreads. 

One thing I would like to mention is that the idea for this book is very unique but somewhat, poorly executed. I truly did enjoy the reading experience, however this book went so, damn, slowly! The book itself is 470+ pages and when I felt as though I had read a chunk, it was more like two pages. The book is filled with adventures and action, yet it went very slowly; that is another reason why it took me a decade to finish it. Nevertheless I like that I ended up savouring the book more that I would if I just flew through it. It's a solid book and it's not cliche with the romance aspect. The book is not a 'romantic dystopian' but a proper dystopian where we focus more on the plot rather then who is making-out with who. God Bless Alexandra Bracken.

(Quick, irrelevant, interlude update of my life: I've had more than three cups of tea today also HOZIER IS AMAZING if you didn't already know.)   

Even though I personally enjoyed this book very much, it is quite littered with flaws that I would like to mention. Before I address a few of them, I am not hating on this book or Ms Bracken because I adored the book in the end and Ms Brackens' writing. With that being said, this book keeps you in the dark for the most part of the storyline; I was expecting it to ease into everything so you're slowly understanding everything. But no. I know that keeping readers in 'the dark' is a literary device where you keep readers on their toes and engaged (i forgot what it called when you do that), although I believe there are necessities that you need to address in the beginning of the book. For example, these kids have 'mind powers' and I didn't properly understand how they worked till halfway through the book. I don't believe it was my fault that I didn't understand but the way it was written and explained. Not to mention for a world as the one in this book, you need good world building! I felt as though this booked lacked effective world building. 

I definitely plan on reading the next book Never Fade and maybe this one will be even better! You know how it goes with dystopian: they get better as you go through the trilogy, for the most part anyways. 

Again, I am extremely sorry that I've been gone but not to worry I have another review coming in a couple of days. Hopefully! I'm not making any promises. 

Have a lovely day everyone!