“You can destroy a factory, and they'll build another. But once you destroy a life, that's it. You never get that person back” (27). From the beginning, Ruby has always known she was different from the other kids. After the IAAN Virus erupted into the world, children who survived it were given a gift, a gift of supernatural-like abilities. After Ruby found out about her rare gifts, she knew she was a threat to everyone around her. Being sent to camp was a relief of some sort, even though she knew she would never be able to leave. As Ruby spends more and more time at the camp, she realizes that the only way to keep everyone safe, including herself, is to run away. So she attempts just that. Throughout the 498 pages, readers learn more and more about the secrets that lie within Ruby, and more importantly, why she runs away from them instead of facing them head-on. 

The Darkest Minds is more than just a book, but rather a work of art. Alexandra Bracken does an excellent job of portraying the hardships of all her characters and makes the readers feel empathetic as if these characters were truly alive. I loved seeing the growth and development of Ruby throughout the book, as she starts out as a young and naive 10-year-old girl, and at the end of the book, she is 17 years old with more knowledge of life than most adults. 

With multiple plot twists and endless drama, it is safe to say that the book gives a rollercoaster of emotions while reading. The way Alexandra crafts her novel makes me desperate to read more. The imagery throughout the novel makes you eager to know more, as she writes in a way that makes you feel suspense, no matter where you are in the book. Along with Imagery, there is a bunch of hidden Symbolisms throughout the novel that you would not particularly pick up at first, but rather as you go along they become more aware and make more sense. One main reoccurring symbol would be that the adults in the book do not even call the children by their names, but rather the color they are sorted into, showing that they are not viewed as human beings.  The use of stylistic devices makes me want to stay up all night just to figure out how Ruby can get around her newest problems, as they are crafted in a way where you cannot put down the book. It is easy to say that even with all the pages, I was able to finish the book in less than two weeks. 

The only concern I would have about this book is the fact that it takes a little bit to understand the plot. For the first thirty pages or so, I was very confused. But as the book went on, I was given more background information, which was very helpful while finishing the book. 

Overall, I am very pleased with the novel, and I would definitely put it in my top 5 favorite books of all time. I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone, but with a warning that it is a little graphic at times, so only read it if you are mature enough to do so.