In the Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3)

                Hello happy readers!  So the bright side to me being MIA for a while is that I did get to finish some books so now I can get ahead so next time things get crazy I won’t get so off track.  That said I finished another book which at the time I thought was the series ender until I found out the new book isn’t a spin-off but is being marketed as book 4 set into the future some.  So while I’m sad it won’t count towards my series ender challenge I did finally finished the original trilogy with In the Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3) by Alexandra Bracken and I can’t believe it took me so long to get there!  I am ready to start the newest book because I let my friend read it first and she loved it so that should be on the horizon before too long.  I previously reviewed the first two books here:  The Darkest Minds / Never Fade.

Rating:  5 Stars

                Many were killed.  Ruby lose someone close to her and looking back could break her.  The ones who survived the LA bombing move north to regroup with their prisoner, a fellow Orange like Ruby who is basically a twisted evil genius.  They are set back but they are determined to regroup and continue to free other Psi kids from the “rehabilitation camps” and bring an end to the corrupt government that has hunted them and covered up the cause of IAAN.  Despite her attempts to save him by erasing herself from his memories Liam is back and a small bright spot in the sea of bleakness.  Still the repercussions of her choice and everything that has transpired since has left everyone with demons as we reach the conclusion to this journey and see what will happen and who will survive. 

                So I read the first two books back in January 2016.  I enjoyed them and meant to continue on but for whatever reason I took a break before finishing it and it just kept getting pushed back.  So with the movie and new sequel coming out I was determined to finish it and be caught up again.  With two years between I was a bit nervous that I would have forgotten things but I was able to dive right back in.  A couple of the names (non-core) were a bit rusty but it was very easy to fall back into this world and remember what was happening.  That says a lot about the writing.

“Everyone needs reality to punch them in the face every once in a while.  Keeps you on guard.”

                The pacing for this book did seem a bit faster than the others.  We are left a bit broken and defeated but not ready to give up.  They need to regroup and figure out the best way to finish this once and for all.  Saving kids from the camps and getting the government exposed for the liars they are seems to be the main focus as it should be.  No one is fighting for themselves anymore they are fighting for a better world for all children which I love.  There is a lot happening with the powers and process.  Everyone has a different theory of what method to use and which would best serve the needs of the group.  This can divide people and it's true you can all want the same goal but have different ways of going about it.  I liked seeing that as it seemed very true to the world they Bracken has built. 

                Ruby and Liam.  I was devastated when she took his memories in the first book.  To have all their sweetness erased and for him to look at her and not know her was hard in book two but in a way some parts of this were harder.  Everyone has been through so much and being in Ruby’s POV I could see all of her pain both for the losses she has suffered and the consequences of her actions.  She is an Orange and while some trust and respect her there will always be the knowledge that she can get in anyones head.  There are parts that have you down but also some very amazing parts that just bring you back up and fill your heart.   

               

                Overall as a series my only downside is that I wish I had read all together and not taken so long in between but that is on me.  Bracken did an amazing job in each of the following books making sure she reminded the reader who everyone was and what happened last without being over the top about it.  I cared for these kids and their fight.  It was such a complex story full of challenging and important issues and I think that for the most part the majority of it was handled though there are still some open questions given the ending but I am hoping with the next book and the time jump we will see more of what became of everyone and the world as a whole.  While this was a story about kids with powers the whole world as a whole suffered in devastating ways during this time and a fact that is never lost. 

                Until next time…