Beyond the Night by Alexandra Bracken
The Darkest Minds 3.5
Part of the novella bind up, Through the Dark
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: October 6th, 2015
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Purchase
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 183
Summary (from Goodreads):
The government-run "rehabilitation camps" have been shut down, but kids with Psi powers are anything but free. Sam would rather be on her own than put in the care of a foster family and given the "cure"--a dangerous procedure that unclaimed kids across the country are being forced to undergo. But there's more at stake than just her own safety. Sam once made someone a promise, and the time has come to fulfill it. Now that she's out of her camp, Mia only has one thought in her head: finding Lucas, her beloved older brother.
Beyond the Night takes place after the events of In the Afterlight. Rehabilitation camps are a thing of the past. Many kids are reunited with their families. But while camps, PSFs, and skip tracers aren't problems anymore, this new reality has a new set of challenges for psi kids.
This novella primarily follows Sam and Mia on their journey to try to get Lucas back to himself after his traumatic Red training.
Sam is so different in this novella than she was in the rest of the series. Granted, I don't remember Sparks Rise that well, I'm pretty sure that she's a lot more reserved in this one. It's like her and Ruby switched places. She is no longer the confident, unafraid girl who stuck up for Ruby in Thurmond. It's Ruby's turn to be brave for Sam.
Mia is a new character in the series. She is Lucas's little sister. Sam and Lucas were going to find her when their Thurmond escape failed. She is fierce throughout the whole novella. In the beginning she also seems to be pretty angry. She blames Sam for what happened to Lucas in Thurmond. She eventually works through her feelings and her and Sam become friends again.
This novella gives us insight into the world of The Darkest Minds after the camps end. It has a lot of the same elements as the rest of the series. First of all, our favorite crew makes an appearance. There's road trips, running from government officials and people looking to sell psi kids for profit. There are moments that will break your little heart, but it ends on a hopeful note.
Overall, if you have read this series, but not the novellas, you really need to. They give you a lot of insight into things that happen between books. Now that I've finally finished the last Darkest Minds novella, I feel like I need to start over and reread ALL of it in order.
---
Liam's Story by Alexandra Bracken
The Darkest Minds 1.6
Received for preordering Passenger
I think you can still get it if you sign up for her newsletter??
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Preorder Prize
Format: eBook
Pages: 49
Liam's Story takes place right after the ending of The Darkest Minds. Liam finds himself alone and slightly confused. He has gaps in his memory and a nagging feeling that he shouldn't leave yet. He drives around kind of aimlessly until he finds another kid to look out for.
This story is 49 pages long and is basically just a look into Liam's head. Liam has always been one to look out for other kids. This story kind of shows his internal battle between looking out for others and looking out for himself for a change.
It's really not a happy story, but it gives you an idea of what Liam did after The Darkest Minds. I loved it. Liam is my favorite character and I want to know more about him!!
Have you read any/all of the Darkest Minds novellas? If you haven't, I obviously HIGHLY recommend them.
