goldie twelve
First and foremost, I'm so happy Alexandra Bracken decided to return to this universe and create another story for fans. Zu was my favorite character in the initial trilogy, so getting a standalone centered around her and told from her perspective was a wonderful experience. Though Zu is a prominent figure in the first three books and part of the core four characters, readers didn't learn as much about her as the other three. Part of this is because she is younger than the others, and the other part is because she does not speak and therefore relate her thoughts and feelings in the same way the other characters were able explicitly do so. However, this book is 576 pages of pure Zu thought. Readers are able to learn so much more about her, her powers, and how she's grown. Plus, we get an inside look into how her relationship with Chubs, Liam, and Ruby has developed following the end of In the Afterlight. Seeing her interact with new characters was also really great, but my heart sang whenever she was with or even thinking of the other core three (Also Vida, of course!). I really loved this story, but I did have to knock off a star because of how rushed the ending was. The book had spent so much time setting up certain things and making them important, only to brush over them in the end. I wish more time had been dedicated to the ending to really flesh out what happened so the story could have felt like it had a more definite end. I heard this was a standalone, but the ending left so many loose threads that I'm not so sure anymore. I don't know if it was initial or not. Other than the ending, this story was great and my love for these characters is now eternal. 4 stars!
2 people found this review helpful
Claire Dizon
I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS Five years after the unfortunate events in The Darkest Minds trilogy, Zu takes center stage in this new stand-alone spinoff. Zu embarks on a quest to face the antagonistic forces set upon her and her fellow Psis. The title was fitting considering the fact that the book does get darker as it progresses. Immediately, the reader gets thrown into an anxiety inducing event followed by an unforgettable action-packed scene. Bracken's beautifully descriptive writing (albeit wordy sometimes) gripped me till the last page, leaving me wanting more from the story and its characters. Unfortunately, this novel seems to be the last piece from the world of The Darkest Minds. While the pacing had been slow, the payoff was great. If you were a fan of the trilogy, expect to be hit with nostalgia as some beloved characters indeed makes a comeback. I also loved the new characters that Bracken introduced in the novel even if I wasn't entirely a fan of how they connected to the story. It seemed like the mystery in the novel had been dragged out to further the plot. Otherwise, I appreciated the character development especially from the former characters in the original trilogy. All in all, I thought Bracken did a great job in coming up with another book in the world of The Darkest Minds because its been years since the books came out.
1 person found this review helpful
Lira
I loved it so much! This really is an amazing follow-up to The Darkest Minds series. The book is set five years after the end of In The Afterlight with Suzume "Zu" Kimura as the main character. Zu has gone from a silent child only communicating through pen and paper to someone who can speak confidently in front of a crowd, fighting for kids like herself. After she gets accused of being involved with a horrifying crime, she has to go on the run to find a way to prove her innocence. She teams up with two new characters, Roman and Priyanka, and eventually uncovers some bad things that need to be stopped. Despite its length (almost 600 pages!), I found the plot to be fast-paced with lots of action. It was really great reading about these characters again. I have always loved Zu so I really enjoyed reading her POV throughout the story. Also, I really loved the new characters, especially Roman!
3 people found this review helpful