The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
★ Top 25 book of 2012 · #20 on Best Books of 2012
After surviving a disease that killed most children, Ruby emerges with frightening abilities and is sent to a brutal camp. Now sixteen, she runs, joins other escaped kids, and heads for a supposed safe haven where she faces a terrible choice.
Best for: Readers who like dystopian escapes with kids who have dangerous powers
The Darkest Minds is #20 on BookWard's Best Books of 2012, out of 58 2012 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Darkest Minds is about
When Ruby turns ten, something about her changes in a way that frightens her parents. They lock her in the garage and call the police, and she ends up in Thurmond, a brutal government rehabilitation camp. A mysterious disease has killed most of America's children, and the survivors have abilities they cannot control. Now sixteen and counted among the dangerous ones, Ruby barely escapes and heads for East River, the only safe haven left for kids like her. Along the way she joins a group of runaways led by Liam, who is falling for her. But at East River nothing is quite as it seems, and some people want to use her in their fight against the government.
The first book in a four-novel series, it is tense and emotional, built around fear of your own power, survival and trust. Fans of young adult dystopian stories will feel at home.
The Darkest Minds on the Best Books of 2012
The Darkest Minds came out in 2012. Of the 58 books first published in 2012 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #20 on our Best Books of 2012 list.
Why it made the list: 692 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (40 ratings); 47 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2012 list
- Shadow and Bone Leigh Bardugo, #18
- The Serpent's Shadow Rick Riordan, #19
- The Hidden Kingdom Tui Sutherland, #21
- Why Nations Fail Daron Acemoglu, #22
See all Best Books of 2012 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2011 Best Books of 2013.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 589 want to read it, 47 are reading it now and 56 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4 out of 5 from 40 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 69 | 55% |
| Reader love | 38 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 74 | 20% |
Questions about The Darkest Minds
When was The Darkest Minds published?
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken was first published in 2012.
Was The Darkest Minds one of the best books of 2012?
The Darkest Minds is #20 on BookWard's Best Books of 2012, out of 58 2012 books that cleared our data bar. 692 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (40 ratings); 47 are reading it right now.
Why is The Darkest Minds on the Best Books of 2012 list?
692 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (40 ratings); 47 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2012
- Wonder R. J. Palacio, #1
- The Fault in Our Stars John Green, #2
- The Selection (the Selection #1) Kiera Cass, #3
- Drama Raina Telgemeier, #4
- Throne of Glass Sarah J. Maas, #5
- The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg, #6
See the full Best Books of 2012, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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