We know how to proceed

In the young adult book adaptation The Darkest Minds – The Survivors, young people with special abilities fight for their freedom in a dystopian future. The Darkest Minds is based on the novel series The Survivors* by Alexandra Bracken. But after part 1 it will no further film sequel give. We’ll tell you how the story continues anyway.

The Darkest Minds is not finished yet

The Darkest Minds was briefly traded as a Hunger Games 2.0 hope, not only because of the leading actress Amandla Stenberg (Rue). But from that potential franchise became nothing.

The trailer shows the potential of The Darkest Minds

On a budget of $34 million, The Darkest Minds grossed just $41 million worldwide. With that, the film stayed far in 2018 behind expectations return. The lack of profit put a stop to sequel plans.

So The Darkest Minds joined the parade of failed youth book series that aimed for a phenomenon à la Twilight, but were not pursued after a single unsuccessful film.

Of course, not all failures are the same. When book adaptations of a novel series tell self-contained stories, they can function as a standalone film. But after the dramatically open end, The Darkest Minds remains unfinished. That’s why we tell you at least how it ends in the books. (Danger, Spoilers for the film and the book series.)

This is how The Darkest Minds continues in the novels by Alexandra Bracken

The young adult book series The Survivors by Alexandra Bracken includes 4 books and various short stories, with the first trilogy telling Ruby’s story.

At the end of The Darkest Minds we are left hanging in the air with a glimpse of something bigger: Two fronts open up – on the one hand the government troops, on the other hand the resistance group of the Children’s League.

To protect Liam (Harris Dickinson), Ruby has erased herself from his memory with her (orange) mind manipulation abilities. Now she goes with members of the Children’s League on missions. Adults and (psychic) ​​youth work hand in hand in the organization, but even here there are traitors.

The Darkest Minds: The Sequels bring you a reunion with old friends

In the league based in free California, Ruby performs Liam’s brother Cole. He tells her about a USB stick with vital information about the IAAN virus that has killed so many children and given superpowers to the rest.

The stick with the valuable data on a potential cure is in Cole’s jacket, which Liam is wearing. So in the second book, Ruby sets out again Search for Liam, find him and restore his memory here. Her betrayal overshadows the relationship for a while, but love slowly blossoms again.

It also comes to reunion of friends – as with the healed Chubs (Skylan Brooks) and with Zu (Miya Cech) who has not found her family as hoped. Other allies and friends like Vida (Blue) and Jude (Yellow) are added.

The President’s son classified just like Ruby Orange Clancy Gray (Patrick Gibson), however, fools Ruby again and infiltrates the Children’s League, which is suffering heavy casualties. Jude dies and Clancy is captured by Ruby.

The Darkest Minds presents the surviving children with a choice

In the third book it turns out that the US government responsible for the virus is for dumping chemicals into America’s water supply. Clancy’s scientist mother, Lillian, wants them cure disease. However, this requires a dangerous operation: a brain implant switches off the powers.

Cole’s secret that he is Red (a feared fire manipulator used by the government) is exposed. He is accepted nonetheless, but then dies. Then Ruby wants to destroy the system from the inside and it comes to Liberation of the children’s camp.

A tentative peace is eventually established, in which the psi children can decide for themselves whether they want to keep their gifts or get rid of them. One future of coexistence is being planned.

Ruby restores her parents’ memories, which she accidentally stole from them as a child during the virus outbreak. Clancy, in turn, takes her orange abilities. Friends Ruby, Liam, Zu, Chubs and Vida stay together, keep their powers and look ahead.

An end as a new beginning for The Darkest Minds?

The main plot ends after three books, the film The Darkest Minds, only the first of which was filmed. But who knows: maybe the failed youth book series will get a second chance as a series at some point, just like His Dark Materials or recently Alex Rider?

Even author Alexandra Bracken couldn’t keep her hands off her world: The Darkest Minds trilogy, which was based around Ruby, ended. The 4th book The Darkest Legacy, released in 2018, tells as a kind spin off later the story of Zu, who is now five years older, continues. A fresh start after the fall of the old system.

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Would you have liked to see a sequel to The Darkest Minds?