The Darkest Minds (novel series)

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The Darkest Minds is a young adult dystopian series by American author Alexandra Bracken. Published from 2012 to 2018 by Hyperion Books for Children/Disney Publishing Worldwide, it includes four main novels and several novellas collected in Through the Dark. The first book, The Darkest Minds, stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for children’s series for eight weeks and reached number three at its peak.

Premise
After a disease called IAAN wipes out most children, the surviving kids develop powerful abilities. The story follows Ruby, a 16-year-old with special powers. She escapes from a rehabilitation camp and joins other youths to find the Slip Kid, a leader who can help them control their abilities.

Books in the series
- The Darkest Minds (2012)
- Never Fade (2013)
- In the Afterlight (2014)
- The Darkest Legacy (2018)

Short stories and collections connected to the series
- Time (2013) — a short story that bridges The Darkest Minds and Never Fade
- Liam’s Story — a short story told from Liam’s point of view between The Darkest Minds and Never Fade
- Sparks Rise (2014) — a novella that connects Never Fade to In the Afterlight
- Beyond the Night (2017) — a novella between In the Afterlight and The Darkest Legacy
- Through the Dark (2015) — a collection of short stories that take place before The Darkest Legacy
- The Rising Dark (2018) — a collection of short stories that take place before The Darkest Minds (published by Quercus)

Reception
The books received positive reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus, with The Guardian offering a more mixed review.

Film adaptation
Film rights were first optioned in 2011 by 21 Laps/Venture to Fox. In 2014, Twentieth Century Fox acquired the rights, and the story was adapted into a feature film released in 2018.