Back into my regular week schedule and I’ve kicked it off with Alexandra Bracken’s Never Fade, the second book in The Darkest Minds series. Having read The Darkest Minds during my Spooktober reads, I didn’t get to fully immerse myself into the story world and layers of the narrative, but reading Never Fade has given me that opportunity and more.

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children and turned those who lived into feared and hated outcasts has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future, and who now wouldn’t recognise her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam and the answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart, she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Ruby in the Children’s League gives us a different view into the political tensions and relationships going on here, not to mention a new group of kids to engaging with. Jude, Vida, Nico, and the other kids the League has taken in has a greenness to them (forgive the reference) and its really interesting to see how Ruby, as Leader, reacts to the uncovering of information and the threats facing them. She is, essentially, an interrogator for the League in all but name, and this gives her a strange position of high authority among the kids whether she wants it or not. Not only that, but she has more interactions with the higher-ups than most kids ever do. This all leads beautifully to the dilemma that unfolds after one of the higher-ups, Cole Stewart, is brought back on a prisoner catch.

Side note: Cole Stewart is my favourite character in this series and the fact I might not have mentioned that in previous character discussion posts hurts my heart a little. Cole is an interesting case, and on top of that he is a personality. He plays the older brother role so well, both in and out of Liam’s vicinity, and his interactions with Ruby are very entertaining. You can tell he is smart, certainly leadership quality, and that he will do everything in his power to protect Liam.

The plot takes us all around the country with this one and logistically I’m not sure if it makes sense or is feasible, but looking at it purely from a fictional perspective, it is reminiscent of The Darkest Minds and the gang driving around in Black Betty. Of course, there are differences with the inclusion of Jude and Vida, not to mention Liam’s spotty memory. It makes the content feel refreshing and new even though it made be more of the same from the first book. If you didn’t like that about The Darkest Minds then consider this a warning: there is a lot of moving around. There is more purpose and direction, but it is a familiar narartive.

I really like Never Fade for its glimpse into different aspects of this story world. I won’t say too much, but we see more of the interesting details and characters in this one, and the depths of Ruby’s concerns are set up into a well-plotted, logical argument. This is a series that does feel very YA dystopian, but it has a decent plot trajectory and characters that make it feel less YA directed. It’s a good time, and I recommend this to any YA readers out there. I know that In the Afterlight is a whirlwind of a final book and I am quite excited to see if it hits the same.