Still recommending this series to teens in my library. It’s fast paced and full of action. Students are starting to ask for dystopian books again and I’m revisiting all the old favorites. I’ve never read past the first book in the series but I’m so glad I took the time and read the second as well.

This is one of my favorite series of all time and I've already re-read it. The writing is fantastic, the world building incredible, the characters realistic. Love everything about these books.

Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book to read and review.
I was excited to jump back into Bracken's dystopian world and I was not disappointed.
Since Darkest Minds ended more abruptly for me than I would have liked, I was anxious to see where Bracken would take the story.
I'm happy with how she did it. I thought for sure with the ending of the first book she would not find a way out of it, but she did.
I loved the new cast of characters she introduced, and the old ones she brought back to us.
The evolution of Ruby's power into something a bit different also made for a good twist to the story. And her maturity rings out a lot in this book.
Definitely some romance and some back stabbing, as was to be expected.
An overall great experience which I'm glad I continued on with.

The Story:
I didn’t have time to reread The Darkest Minds before jumping into this book. I was able to slowly remember all that had happened so it wasn’t necessary to reread though I think it would have been helpful since I was foggy on some of the details. Never Fade picked up where the last ended and gave the reader a new viewpoint from within the League. I found this incredibly interesting to see things from their side and to get a feel for their everyday tasks.

As with The Darkest Minds, Never Fade had wonderfully descriptive action scenes yet had real heart. I felt the pacing varied from slow to fast but though it is a long book it didn’t drag (though I could easily see some pages edited out).

This is one of those sequels that is nearly impossible to write a spoiler free review because so much has happened from where our character’s journey began in the first book. I love Bracken’s writing and feel that it pulled me into the story and kept me riveted to Ruby and her struggles.

The Characters:
Ruby has grown so much since we first met her character. She is much stronger and has started to understand her ability though she still hates possessing it. Throughout the book she struggled with her choices in regard to her old friends and tried, in her own way, to make amends for her guilt. I love how well developed and rounded she is. I find her emotions to be incredibly realistic and relatable.

I found both this and the first book greatest strength to be the connection I’ve formed with the characters. We do get to see some of the characters from The Darkest Minds but the majority of the book is focused on the people that Ruby comes to know in the League. I connected to the new characters easily, especially Jude. He is the perfect foil to Vida’s bravado and Ruby’s coldness. Jude’s loveable nature and anxiety helped to connect me with what was happening to them and really brought an element of relatability (since I’d be freaking out and anxious like he was).

Final Thoughts:
Though Never Fade is a bit long in parts the story moves fairly fast and the characters are once again the strongest feature; a stellar sequel that progressed the storyline and characters effectively. Needless to say, I can’t wait for book 3.

I included the first in the series in the dystopian/contemporary section of my university course on children's and young adult literature. A lot of students enjoyed the first and I've recommended the sequel to many! Exciting, fast-paced, and a fun read.

Requested and downloaded this book back in 2013 with every intention of reading it but then it expired on my device before I had the chance. Have felt bad about that and as a result haven't wanted to leave a review but with more and more publishers relying on Feedback ratings I need to clear out some of these older titles in my queue.

She does it again! Author Alexandra Bracken had me from the first page with this one. I love this whole series and every single word on every single page. I wanted to throw the book a few times, but I didn't I swear, I did yell at a couple times though!

Alexandra is awesome. I would read her shopping list. This series is one of my all time faves.

This is one of the most intense books I've read this year. I devoured this book filled with horrifying ideas, events, and possibilities. It was heartbreaking, sweet, and at times hopeful.

The sequel was amazing and here's a few reasons why: Ruby's so strong and determined to make things right. I love her strength and her ability to make the hardest choices ever. I loved seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I loved the snark between Vida and everyone else. Vida's soft inside, but she fights to hide it, creating a prickly exterior that adds some humor relief. The cliff-hanger ending leaves me anxiously waiting to see how it all wraps up in the final book.

I didn't get a chance to read this before it expired on my nook. I'm sorry! I do own the entire series in hardcover, but I've only read the first book. I read it when I wasn't in the mood for more dystopian fiction and haven't gone back to it yet.

Sorry, requested but did not get around to reading.