The Darkest Minds Never Fade (A Darkest Minds Novel)
Gr 7 Up—Ruby is a member of the Children's League, a group of young people who survived the catastrophic illness that has killed most children in America. The survivors are blessed-or cursed-with a variety of supernatural powers, from great physical strength to Ruby's ability to invade and control the minds of others. These talents make the children valuable to the corrupt government. However, the adults controlling the League turn out to be corrupt themselves. When Ruby realizes that the latest mission she has been sent on was designed to eliminate some members of her team, she decides to circumvent the League. The teen sets out with one of her friends, Jude, in search of a flash drive that holds information that may offer a cure for the disease that killed so many children. They are soon joined by other members of the League. Struggling to survive winter in a lawless country with minimal supplies is difficult enough. Trying to keep everyone focused on the same goal when the team members aren't sure if they can trust one another is harder. When they finally find the boy with the flash drive, he is so ill that it's not clear if he will survive-or help them if he does. This fast-paced, suspenseful dystopian novel moves back and forth through time, jumping from one crisis to another, but frustratingly fails to completely fill in the backstory, which would have helped readers understand the characters' motivations.—Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library