Series: The Darkest Minds (Page 2 of 2)

Synopsis:

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:

**Spoilers if you haven’t read The Darkest Minds #1**

Never Fade was a riveting second installment to The Darkest Minds Series. It was mesmerizing, passionate and even darker than the first. I loved every twisted moment and I can’t wait to start the final book!

I used to dream about turning back time, about reclaiming the things I’d lost and the person I used to be. But not anymore.

Ruby has fully immersed herself into the Children’s League and has become team leader. She trains, she goes on missions, and she uses her powers to interrogate her enemies. But she refuses to get close to anyone, because she is only biding her time until she can escape. Her upcoming mission is the perfect opportunity and also gives her the ability to go after another mission. A secret mission. Information about the disease that killed and altered American’s children is on a flashdrive in the pocket of Liam’s jacket. Sweet, beautiful Liam who was her light, her happiness and her heart. But Liam won’t even know who she is. She could be just another face in the crowd that is forgotten by the next day. What entails is a page turning, emotionally gripping read that you won’t be able to put down!

If a heart could break once, it shouldn’t have been able to happen again. But here I was and here he was, and it was all so much more terrible than I ever could have imagined.

Ruby becomes a force to be reckoned with in Never Fade. She is becoming skilled at her powers and is trained to handle almost any situation. But she is still in a great deal of pain from the horrors she went through while being locked in Thurmond. Additionally, her heart still aches for Liam. After everything that has happened, she is not able to close a door and separate herself from anything in her past. And throwing herself into the latest mission to track down Liam can only lead to heartache, or can it?

“I’m…It’s-it’s like torture.” His voice was strained, hardly even a whisper. “I think I’m losing it-I don’t know what’s happening, what happened, but I look at you, I look at you and I love you so much. Not because of anything you’ve said, or done, or anything at all. I look at you, and I just love you, and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you. Please…you have to tell me….tell me I’m not crazy. Please just look at me.”
My eyes drifted up to his, and it was over.

I love Liam. He is raw, he is pained, and he is but a shell of the boy who I fell for in The Darkest Minds. His inability to remember or understand why he feels the way he feels broke my heart again and again. I ached for the adorable banter and stolen touches that Ruby and Liam previously shared. I only wanted them back together again. But life isn’t always fair and this time around their time together is even more horrifying than when they had Betty or were with the Skip Kid.

Through all of the tribulations, I found myself caring for two new characters. Vida and Jude are Ruby’s teammates, and whether she likes it or not, she can’t ever seem to distance herself from either of them. The three of their personalities together ensured laughable moments that put a smile on my face. Jude is a caring, friendly boy who has the ability to be dumb and brave in the same instant. He is the little brother that you can’t ever get rid of but love none the less. Then we have Vida who is Jude’s polar opposite. Vida is a purple-haired eccentric girl that is cold, loud and not afraid to speak her mind. I hated her in the beginning her but personality wore me down over time and her snarky comments started to make me laugh. Boo as an insult can be hilarious when the whole world is crashing down around you.

I felt the overpowering urge to throw up as I stood. We are dead. I killed us.

The suspense, heartache and horrors I faced while reading Never Fade was worth every single moment of panic, hurt and dread. Why you ask? Because this was a beautifully crafted story with characters who now mean the world to me. Never Fade was a riveting second installment and I hope the final book is just as brilliant!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

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Black is the color that is no color at all.

It is a road. A forgotten night sky broken up by faded stars.
It is the barrel of a new gun, leveled at your heart.
The color of Chubs’s hair, Liam’s bruises, Zu’s eyes.
Black is a promise of tomorrow, bled dry from lies and hate.
Betrayal.

Agh. So. This hurts me so so much but…this was SO not what I expected. It was SO not what I imagined and pined and fangirled and waited for. It wasn’t what I wanted. It’s a double-edged sword, really. It’s not my story to write and it’s not my creation. I have always been on the author’s side of things, ie Veronica Roth, and I’ve always supported (almost) every decision they choose to make-but for some reason, I didn’t feel it with this one. It Just. Didn’t. Go. (for me)

“Are you sure this isn’t a nightmare?” he asked quietly. “And that we won’t just wake up?”
I stared straight ahead at the road, the way the dust blowing in from the desert covered it with a faint golden sheen even as gray clouds began to gather over us.
“Yes,” I said after some time.
Because dreamers always wake up and leave their monsters behind.

Why the 3.5/4 star rating? I’ll be frank-it’s nostalgia. It’s because I loved the first two so damn much. It’s because despite everything, I still loved the super amazing perilistic ending. The writing was, as always, vivid, imaginative, and out of this world. But, all in all, it was too little too late and I couldn’t give a five or even a solid four like I do with other series I have supported since the early books (Example: Lux #5). I felt that, while it was everything I had been waiting for, there was no redemption for how depressed I was in the middle of the book. The beginning was great, but then the beginning kind of dragged into the middle and then…yeah. It took to about 75% to pique my interest again, but at that point I was already so deflated there wasn’t much that could bring me back again.

There’s a difference between broken and ruined. With one, you can hope to piece the object back together, but the other-there’s just no coming back.

But, instead of focusing on the military tactics, scheming, and chaos that ensued with all these brilliant minds and talent pushed together in one area, I am choosing to talk about what made me happy. Everyone knows Liam is a book boyfriend of mine. It’s no secret my fictional male list is as whorishly long as…we won’t go there. Just know, it’s neverending. I don’t think I liked Liam as much in this one…but I also didn’t lose my love for him either. He’s human. He has a right to be hurt when Ruby is acting shady or not responding to him and when they aren’t what they used to be. And, even more than that, he was the same old Liam near the end. And I was so happy to see him resurface even for a little bit. He still stayed that always there for you, always optimistic, always looking for the least violent solution to save everyone guy. That didn’t escape me. It still touched me deeply and made my heart stutter…

“The you that you were then, who you are now, who you’ll be,” he began quietly, as if sensing my thoughts, “I love you. With my whole heart. My whole life, however long I’m lucky enough to get, nothing will change for me.”

Sigh. And Ruby. Yeah…Ruby. A girl who I have adored from page one in TDM. She was not that girl in this installment. She wasn’t what I expected when I picked up the conclusion to this amazing series. I feel like such a hypocrite because let’s look at other Dystopian princesses that I have adored no matter their ‘tudes-Katniss-she went very dark, but she stayed in tune with her personality-she was always kind of a bitch (A bitch I worship, mind you). Penryn- Even after the events of the book one conclusion View Spoiler » Her fake death and ultimately losing Raffe because of him thinking she died, the mutilation of her sister, her crazy mother. « Hide Spoiler she never went crazy, never went darker than necessary and kept her head about her. Tris-Look, this chick was fierce. I adore Tris. Speaking in terms of relevancy, she went very dark. She never cared if she died in the name of sacrifice View Spoiler » And she finally learned the meaning of TRUE love and sacrifice in book three. « Hide Spoiler but in the end, like Katniss, that was just Tris. That was who she always was. And that brings me back full circle-I just thought Ruby didn’t stay in character. It was just so…off…to me. I really think this was my biggest problem with the story. Oh, and how she treated Liam. But….that’s all. Let’s leave it be. She still loved all her friends around her and would do anything to save them and protect them…even if she had an odd way of showing it.

My first instinct with the others, no matter what, would always be to act like a shield, positioning myself between them and the prying eyes of the world.

Okay-the star of the show. THAT. PERIL. THAT. PAIN. THAT. FINAL BATTLE SCENE. Like, for realllll??? How AMAZING. I was practically salivating all over my reading device-I adored the pain. The struggle. The will to survive. The torture…

Good GOD was it astounding. I felt the acid in my mouth from the pain brought forth and I felt those cracks to the temple….let’s leave it there. But, just know, Chelsea was very pleased. Very VERY pleased-in all reality, this is what got that solid four star instead of the three star I was going to give. I’m not too proud to admit it. It. Blew. Me. Away.

Every muscle in my body was seizing up, making me jerk, my feet thrash against the floor, and inside I was screaming, I was screaming I’m not done, but I couldn’t hear myself think. The White Noise took me by the shoulders and shoved me down beneath the darkness, holding me there until I drowned.

So, shake your heads if you will, but no one loved or fangirled or cherished the first books like me and no on knows how excited I was for this final installment. I waited FOREVER…and I can’t believe it wasn’t more. Maybe it’s my own fault for breaking my own rules and setting my expectation bar far too high-I have been so good about just going in blind, not expecting much-but for this one, I just really never thought it would be anything other than extraordinary. Oh well. I think I’ll come back and re-read the whole series at one time someday in the near future…maybe I just needed to be in a different place at a different time. Regardless, I’ll always love Liam and Ruby and Chubs and Zu and Vida…even Nico.

I closed my eyes, tightening my fists against a second wave of nausea.
I want to live.
I want to live.
I want to live.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

Synopsis:

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 was an emotional powerhouse that resonated deep within me. I was glued to this page turner and the story was a collection of darkness, laughter and the fact that maybe we can never out run our fate. I will never forget this story for as long as I live.

The will to accept their fate. In our case, that fate was to never see our families again. To always be hunted and chased down to every dark pocket of earth we tried to hide inside. Something had to give – we couldn’t live that way. We weren’t made to.

Children have become a curse to society. They either perish away in a blink of an eye or turn into terrifying monsters that parents either shun or love. Ruby knows she is one of the worst of the monsters that exists. So Ruby, along with the others, are rounded up and sent to camps where they are treated like parasites and terrorists. Her days are policed by government entities that ensure that they will never get out. They are disposed of, loathed, feared and are forced to live in situations that no child should ever endure. But why? They are unlike anything the U.S. has ever seen, these children have abilities. Dangerous abilities. But Ruby’s life is about to change. She’s going to get broken out, and if she thought life in Thurmond was hell, well she hasn’t seen anything yet.

“I’m a monster, you know. I’m one of the dangerous ones.”
“No you aren’t,” he promised. “You’re one of us.”

Ruby was astonishing. She was strong, determined, smart, and loyal. She has survived atrocities no child should have to and instead of it breaking her, like it did to the countless others, she was able to rise above it. She can still find hope, the willingness to create a new family and to have faith in others. But this little ray of sunshine in her life has a lot to do with her meeting Liam.

“God.” He shook his head, mouth twisting into a shadow of a smile. “Did you know…you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forget to breathe? I’ll be looking at you, and my chest will get so tight…and it’s like, the only thought in my head is how much I want to reach over and kiss you.” He blew out a shaky breath. “So don’t talk about getting me out of here, because I’m not leaving, not unless you’re part of the package too.”

Liam is all that’s good in this world. He’s brave, trusting, charismatic and selfless. His timidness and sweetness added to the wonderfulness that is Liam. I loved every single part of him. From calling Ruby darlin to being shy during the sock scene, it’s impossible to not fall for him. His hope was slowing uplifting Ruby from out of the darkness because Liam is purely light. Wonderful, beautiful light in a world that is bleak and horrific. To be honest? I love the jerky bad boys but every once in a while a good one will wiggle its way into my heart. So of course it had to be Liam. How could I not fall for someone as magnificent and warm as him?

The two of them enduring life’s journey together made this book phenomenal! Their interactions and stolen moments were beautiful. The hardships they endured together was heart breaking. And their friendship was wholesome and good. They are truly a remarkable pair! We also get to meet a few other characters but I loved Chubbs and Zu. They were each witty and unique and I became just as invested in them as I did Ruby and Liam.

I thought I had escaped the monsters, that I’d left them locked up behind an electric fence. But the shadows were alive, and they had chased me here. I’m next.

This was an intense, remarkable read. I cried for all the perils that were thrown in their faces and kept hoping that each time they were given a small break that it wouldn’t be thrown back in their faces. That’s because their lives are truly ruthless. I can’t wait to see how the story progresses but I’m not going to lie, I’m TERRIFIED! I’m still in a state of shock and denial after that ending. That ending left me feeling empty and broken. How could that have happened? I have to keep my head up and fingers crossed that the second book in this series will wound my devastated heart.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

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Ghosts don’t haunt people-their memories do.

Epic. Gripping. Powerful. You know when you read a really great first book in a series? And when it ends with a cliffhanger that leaves you crushed and heartbroken, but begging for more? Well, TDM was like that, and here we are, left picking up the pieces…and begging for that inevitable moment when all is right in the world-Ruby’s world…but it’s become ours all the same. But when we finally get what we want, will it really be what we want?

If a heart could break once, it shouldn’t have been able to happen again.

This review is going to be so hard because there is literally one thing I want to talk about…and it’s the one thing that will spoil the end of book one. I suppose this is an ample warning that the possibility of spoilers from book one is high, but I will do my best to keep book one’s spoilers to a minimum-because what makes this book so epic is stemmed from the cliffhanger of book one…and what makes this book all the sweeter.

“Safe.” The word sounded hollow. He closed his eyes on it. “Don’t go again,” he whispered. “Don’t go…where I can’t follow, please, please, not again…”

Ruby is on a mission-a mission to get all the kids out of the Psi camps where they are mistreated and even killed, depending on what color ranking they are. But more than that, she’s on a mission to forget the boy who inspired it all…View Spoiler » and to keep him safe no matter the cost-even her own happiness. When she made the agreement that the Children’s League let Liam go in exchange for her cooperation, she thought she was making the best choice for his safety-but is he really safer? « Hide Spoiler Was that really the best choice? It plagues her every day, consuming her with want and heartache-but in the end, she feels like she did what was right…what was right for the guy she loves. View Spoiler » She would rather be apart from him than to see him become a monster by the league’s hand, being broken down every day to be made a killer. But he would never leave on his own-not without Ruby. So she had to use her abilities to erase his memory…so he literally has no recollection of her or the moments they shared…though he swore he’d never forget her. « Hide Spoiler

His face was as open as it always was, so heartbreakingly perfect even with pain tightening the line of his mouth. His eyes were-they were so pale in this light, jumping from my eyes to my nose to my lips like he had never seen me before but never wanted to stop looking. An ache started at the center of my chest and worked its way out, twisting my insides until I finally forced myself to look away.

I absolutely loved this installment-my only complaint? That book three doesn’t come out until September. We have the return of old characters, the introduction of new characters, and a mix of the two-I LOVED that. When Ruby is assigned a special mission, she has to find a way to ditch the league (at least the part that doesn’t know anything about the assignment) and find a way to become invisible-she has to find a way to blend in and get to the disc that can change the course of all the camps and those trapped in them-but to get to this disc she must View Spoiler »find Liam-because he has it-without knowing he does. « Hide Spoiler.  And when she finds an opportunity to slip the league, she finds out that her friend and fellow league member, Jude, is being assigned to the deadly mission that she is using as a distraction to escape (he will most certainly be killed intentionally by dirty league members-thus why he was assigned to the mission) so she is forced to make a quick decision-bring Jude along in her escape…or leave him behind and risk him being taken out.

I knew what I’d been when I’d found them: a terrified splinter of a girl who had been shattered a long time ago. I had nothing, and no real place to go. Maybe I was still broken and would always be-but now, at least, I was piecing myself back together, lining up one jagged edge at a time.

I think we all know what Ruby decided to do-she is fierce, loyal, determined, and protective. She would never let a friend die or leave them behind to make her life easier. She is constantly putting herself in danger to protect others, and she lives for her friends. And this writing-it pulls you into the story until you become a part of it yourself and feel everything Ruby does and ache as she aches-you feel every pain and every vision and even her desperation-the writing is so vivid and painstakingly clear that it becomes impossible to look away from the page because it would totally break your connection-it just sucks you into every page and you don’t want to be separated. It’s that good.

“I don’t like you,” he repeated, his face bleak. “I don’t like you?”
“Liam-” I started, alarmed.
“I can’t-I can’t think about anything or anyone else,” he whispered. A hand drifted up, dragging back through his hair. “I can’t think straight when you’re around. I can’t sleep. It feels like I can’t breathe-I just-“

I adore this cast of characters. As I said in my first review, there really is never a character wasted. Even those new additions that seem like we could never really get attached to, I found myself bonded to them. Jude is one of those characters. He is young, loyal, and sweet-and even though he knows he was set up to be taken out, he believes in the good of the league-what they are fighting for. He sees the good in everything and is always a ray of sun on a crappy day-he is always there to pick up Ruby’s mood. And then there’s the return of Chubs-the ever uppity, rude, intelligent, but, as you probably guessed, loyal friend Ruby traveled with in book one. You are also probably wondering why the group got separated-I guess you need to read book one to find out. 😉

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he breathed out. “I feel like…I feel like I’m losing my damn mind, like your face has been carved into my heart, and I don’t remember when, and I don’t understand why, but the scar is there, and I can’t get it to heal. It won’t go. I can’t make it fade. And you won’t even look at me.”

And there’s…..drum roll please…..Liam. Liam, who would throw himself in front of a bus for his friends. Liam, who loves Ruby more than words can express. Liam, who needs Ruby’s help more than he even knows…and is in mortal danger. He deserves every paragraph in this review, because his presence brings so much happiness, giddiness, and sweetness. Every moment with Liam was heart-wrenching, soul-crushing, butterfly-inducing awesomeness. I, at one point, was choking on the butterflies emerging in my stomach and could not stop gooning and making mooney eyes at my screen-I really invested the time for this story and it really payed off. I was so engrossed in this world and this story that all I could do was merely swat reality away-“Go away pesky dishes…shut up dog, I know you have to pee-but ten more minutes-PLEASE. I’ll give you five treats and treats!” See? I was bargaining with my animal-pitiful.

“I’m…It’s-it’s like torture.” His voice was strained, hardly even a whisper. “I think I’m losing it-I don’t know what’s happening, what happened, but I look at you, I look at you and I love you so much. Not because of anything you’ve said, or done, or anything at all. I look at you, and I just love you, and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you. Please…you have to tell me….tell me I’m not crazy. Please just look at me.”
My eyes drifted up to his, and it was over.

Twists, turns, danger, enemies you thought you’d never see again-they are here, people. I had even finished and was driving around yesterday, thinking-‘Oh yay! I get to go home now-I’m so excited-More, Ruby, Liam, and Chubs adventures! Oh….wait…I finished this last night….’ *cue crumpled, sad face*. I literally became deflated. I LOVED this world, I LOVED these characters, I LOVED this story. I am really going to miss them until September comes…no matter how many tears I have shed over these characters and what happens to them, I will never get enough-ever.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

*5 Stars!!!!! I can’t forget about these books-rating any lower is blasphemy on my part. END OF STORY.*

*4.5 Stars*

They were afraid of us-the ones who lived.

What if one touch could change the course of your life forever? Wow. I didn’t know what to expect. So many dystopians lately fail to stand out and just fade back into the crowd. I can’t say that this necessarily jumped to the front-I’ve read a LOT of dystopians-but it definitely brought something special to the table. I never once felt bored, never felt the desire to skim and skip and jump to another page. Each page had something to say and added another thin, fine layer to this already interesting and expertly woven story. And, for once, I don’t think a single character’s presence was a wasted space-everyone slid perfectly into their slot of the story and made the moments that much more meaningful.

They’d taken in a monster, thinking it was a mouse.

Ruby is hiding something, something that will not only change her status in the camp she was taken to, but make her a weapon for the good guys-or are they the bad guys? Who should she trust?

How can she embrace this ability, this gift, as people are starting to say, when it’s always been taught and implied that it’s wrong wrong wrong? What will she do when all of a sudden she shouldn’t be suppressing her powers, but embracing and using them? And most importantly-how will she keep herself from becoming a monster?

I guess once you’d had a taste of the worst, pretty bad isn’t all that terrible.

A story about a 16 year old girl coming to terms with the struggle she has faced since she turned 10, the feeling of loneliness and not belonging anywhere, and the realization that she might always be alone. And then, after she is ‘taken’ from the camp by a group claiming to be advocates for the ‘greater good’ and people who don’t condone her abilities, she gets away and runs into a group of other ‘infected’ kids who are also on the run after a camp escape-but they have their own grief to carry. Smuggled on by the youngest, and cutest :P, member of their little threesome, Zu, she finds herself on a journey to find a place that is described as ‘heaven’ to kids with their abilities-and at the head of this place of peace and comfort is a guy, Clancy, who might be one of the last people who can truly understand Ruby-for he has the same level (orange-hard to explain the color system) of abilities as she, and perhaps he could help her hone them to become something more than a hindrance…but can she trust him?

“I told you we should have taken that Ford SUV,” Chubs said.
“That piece of-” Liam caught himself. “That box on wheels was a death trap-not to mention its transmission was shot to hell.”
“So, naturally, the next choice was a minivan.”
“Yep, she called to me from the parking lot of abandoned cars. The sun was shining through her windows like a beacon of hope.”
Chubs groaned. “Why are you so weird?”
“Because my weird has to be able to cancel out your weird, Lady Cross-stitch.”

What I loved most about this story? The friendships that were formed and the loyalties earned were so precious and not taken lightly-and I found myself grinning from ear-to-ear merely because of the banter between friends. Romance wasn’t the only star of the show. BUT….you know meeeeeeee-it wouldn’t be a Chelsea review if I didn’t gush about the romance. It was absolutely adorable, incredibly sweet, kind, and over-the-top heart-wrenching as Ruby and Liam fell for one another. It was NOT rushed. It was NOT forced. It was NOT whiny or one-sided. But the slow-burn and building realization that they might be able to make it work (even with her crazy ability) was utterly heartwarming and I was a butterfly induced, grinning fool. But not once did the romance overshadow the story-the pacing and progression was absolute perfection with just enough of a slow-burn to make me a mess.

“God.” He shook his head, mouth twisting into a shadow of a smile. “Did you know…you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forget to breathe? I’ll be looking at you, and my chest will get so tight…and it’s like, the only thought in my head is how much I want to reach over and kiss you.” He blew out a shaky breath. “So don’t talk about getting me out of here, because I’m not leaving, not unless you’re part of the package too.”

I finished this late last night and was very pleased with the cliffhanger. I really enjoyed the book as a whole, even, but the last 40% was just so good. It brought the story up a few paces and raised my 4 star rating to a quick 4.5. Loyalty, love, betrayal, and naivety, there wasn’t much missing from TDM. I guess the only reason this wasn’t a five star was that I wasn’t fully engrossed in the story at first. You know, the incessantly talking in my ear, turning the television up to ear-busting decibels boyfriend was a huge factor, and also, I was just extremely tired and was half dozing through the first 40%, so I can’t say really anything was wrong with the story-just lack of time and quiet to fully immerse myself into the book. So, at the moment, I can’t think of a single negative thing to say…and the more I think about it, I get even giddier about the story as a whole….so yeah.

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

A strong cast and even stronger story of survival while the whole world is out to get you, we get a very fun, and yet very serious, story about what it means to embrace what you are or what you can be. This is one of those that while I would make sure you like dystopian first, there was literally no reason I wouldn’t pass along a recommendation. It was funny, fast-paced, sweet, and even a little heartbreaking…but completely worth the read. Read it, don’t read it…doesn’t matter. But I am stoked for book two.

“Never, never, never. I am never going to forget you.”

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)