The Darkest Minds

• Genre: Fiction; young adult dystopian/science fiction
• Originally Published: 2012
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 870L; grades 8-12
• Structure/Length: 31 chapters; approximately 528 pages; approximately 13 hours, 56 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Ruby Daly is a teenager living in a dystopian future where a mysterious disease has wiped out a significant portion of the child and teenage population, leaving the survivors with extraordinary powers. Ruby has the ability to manipulate minds, the most dangerous power to adults trying to control young people. When Ruby escapes from the government camp where she is forced to stay, she joins a group of other young survivors on the run. Together, they evade the government and seek to uncover the truth about their powers. The novel explores identity, friendship, resistance, and the consequences of resisting authority.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Violence, including gun death; oppression; sexual assault; government control; separation from parents; abuse; physical assault; profanity

Alexandra Bracken, Author

• Bio: Born 1987; American author known for her contributions to young adult literature, particularly in the dystopian and fantasy genres; often explores themes of power, identity, and resistance in the face of oppressive forces
• Other Works: Never Fade (2013); In the Afterlight (2014); Passenger (2016); Lore (2021); Silver in the Bone (2023)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Fear and Betrayal of the Young
• The Importance of Memory
• Choosing Your Own Home and Community

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an increased understanding of the social and historical contexts around internment camps that impact the main characters’ lives.
• Discuss paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Fear and Betrayal of the Young, The Importance of Memory, and Choosing Your Own Home and Community.
• Plan, design, and discuss a handbook for using Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Orange powers for good, based on text details.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the connection between fear and secrecy, Black Betty’s symbolism, and other topics.