Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2)
by Alexandra Bracken
Summary: 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?
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Where to Buy: Pre-Order at Amazon . Barnes and Noble
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Source: I received an eARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
Never Fade is the sequel to The Darkest Minds. My review may contain spoilers from the first book. Oh. My. God. Never Fade was absolutely spectacular. It was different than The Darkest Minds in many ways, but I think it was better. It was a little darker with a lot more action and Ruby was changed by her circumstances, but it was still the same Ruby I cared about. I love how the characters grow and change as their circumstances change because it made Never Fade an amazing story instead of one of those sequels that gives you the same thing all over again. The Darkest Minds is a series because it has to be, because the story progresses and evolves, because the characters grow and change.
Never Fade was full of surprises and twists in the plot. I never knew what would happen next. Everything felt so impossible, but I was full of hope that Ruby would figure something out. She was so much tougher and stronger in Never Fade, but still soft and caring underneath. The League changed her, which was to be expected, but I felt that most of those changes were healthy. There was so much in the world to overcome that the evolution of Ruby’s character felt like a good thing and like a beacon of hope. Perhaps she’d figure out a way to get everything she wanted.
My heart ached knowing that the group from the first book was separated and that Ruby didn’t know the whereabouts of Chubs and Liam. When the book first began, I wanted to know about Chubs and Liam and the author wasn’t giving me any of that. She was introducing me to Ruby’s life in the League. It was slightly frustrating, but I actually enjoyed it because I hate when books give up answers too quickly. I was forced to wait and listen to Ruby, meet her associates in the League, and follow her story. And before I knew it, those characters found their way into my heart, too. And when she received her mission to track down Liam, I knew I’d see him again and get some of my answers. And a ton of conflict.
Perhaps my favorite part of the series is the way the world is set up. The themes aren’t black and white and right vs wrong. There are so many shades of gray, so many organizations involved, various motivations of people, and so many choices for the characters to make. There’s no one side of the problem. It makes the conflict feel realistic, plausible, and difficult to find a solution to. It also gives me so much insight into characters once I’m able to get a grasp on what kind of people they are and what kind of choices they make. I understand who Ruby is, what kinds of decisions she might make, and what makes her different from others like Liam, Jude, or even Clancy Gray. I absolutely love the dimensions of the story and the depth everything has.
I cannot wait for everyone to get their copies of Never Fade and read it. I loved being able to read it early, but I hate having virtually no one else to talk about the book with. So much happened and some of it was so surprising, heart wrenching, terrible, amazing, etc. I’m full of so much emotion!
The Darkest Minds series might just be my favorite dystopian series. I love that it contains a lot of things I like in YA, like coming of age and a love story, but it’s also dark, violent, and full of impossible choices and difficult themes like that of the more traditional/classic dystopian novels. The character building is phenomenal. I find myself sucked right in. I can’t recommend the series enough.
If you’ve read and loved The Darkest Minds, Never Fade is a must read. If you’re new to the series, keep in mind that while the books are clean, they contains violence and are slightly dark in nature. There is a love story, but the focus is not romance based by any means. I think the books are absolutely wonderful, but I’d hate to see someone read and dislike because the story is not romantic enough or it’s too violent!
Other Books in The Darkest Minds series:
The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)
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In Time (The Darkest Minds #1.5) eBook Novella
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