Review of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title/Author: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, December 18th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: 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.

I seriously just finished this book and really you guys: THIS BOOK! How is this book not all over the blogosphere being gushed about or have I just been missing it??? I mean: THIS BOOK!

The summary sounded like it would be just my kind of book: paranormal, breaking away from the system, LOVE, high stakes. And it was all I could have wanted from it and more!!

What happens to Ruby and all the other kids is heartbreaking in itself and it's SO scary how I can actually imagine something like this happening! And all the adults are so scared of the abilities their kids have developed they actually let the government take them away! I don't want to spoil anything, but what happened with Ruby and her parents tore my heart out. I could feel her scaredness and helplessness as if it had happened to me.

And guys, I loved Ruby. She's smart and strong and fierce and loyal and I just loved her. I loved seeing how she grows as a person through her friendship with Suzume, Chubs and Liam and how she learns to trust people again. And can I just say that I loved the whole gang of them? It took me a while to warm up to Chubs, but now I just want to hug his smartass.

And Liam! Liam is amazing and wonderful and has a big ol' heroes complex, but I can forgive that cause he's just such a good guy and as you know I have a thing for good guys. And the slow burn romance made my heart happy and I got to the point where I just wanted to scream at them to kiss already and it was kinda perfect.

The pace is just right and if I hadn't been crazy busy I would have finished this much earlier, I had to physically tear myself away from the pages or else I wouldn't stop reading. I've seriously missed some sleep cause I just couldn't stop reading this book and I didn't care cause it was just SO GOOD!
And again: I don't want to spoil anything but with what happened at the end, Alexandra Bracken left me clutching my heart cause it was being ripped out and stomped on! Seriously!

I felt ALL THE THINGS while reading The Darkest Minds and I absolutely love the world Alexandra Bracken has created and all the characters in it (well, maybe not all, but I do love to hate those I do not love) and I cannot wait for book 2!!

My rating: 5+ stars