Kirkus Reviews

Because the universe apparently isn’t a total jerkface today, I actually got my first editorial review for The Darkest Minds today super, super early (the other big trade magazines are: Booklist, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal). You tend to get reviews a little before or a little after your publication date, which is why I was so shocked to see this one appear in my inbox. Kirkus is notoriously tough on books—like, I’ve seen multiple reviews from them that say something to the effective of “this book isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.  The author needs to apologize to the world for subjecting them to it.”  So when you get a good, even a so-so review from Kirkus, it’s cause for celebration.

I got a good review!  They even called the novel “haunting”!  I can’t post the whole thing until the magazine issue comes out on May 15th, but the above is a little clip of it.  I picked this praise out not to humble brag, but because it reflects what I love most about the book, and what I’m the most proud of—the characters.  It also, coincidentally, is what I’ve been the most nervous about.  I love these characters so much that, after I finished writing the first draft and dropped into bed around 4 AM one morning, I already missed being with them.  (Did not miss them quite so much during round after round after round of revision, though.)