| Title | : | The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0385738757 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780385738750 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 362 |
| Publication | : | First published October 12, 2010 |
Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.
There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.
The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.
There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.
The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, #2) Reviews
-
During this entire book, I counted how many times Thomas ended up passing out or sleeping either at the end of a chapter or paragraph and did you want to know what the finally count was?
29.
29 times this guy blacked out!! Out of 360 pages, Thomas left you with the cliff hanger of "and finally he slept" 29 times. Sounds fun, doesn't it?
If this didn't annoy you at all, reread this book (NOT RECOMMENDED) and realize that this dude spent most of his life passed out. Then try to tell me you didn't notice it.
Although this book was fast passed, a lot of it was filler and this book could really just have been shrunken into about 100 pages at the max.
I gave this book 2 stars only because James Dashner was able to create such real characters by giving them actual human qualities. This is mostly referring to Newt and Minho since they seemed the most real and fleshed out. This compared to other characters like Thomas who had about as much personality and emotion as a burnt piece of rat meat on a stick. He's also about as smart as that which I don't understand since all the Gladers were suppose to be extremely smart children who where put in the maze from the last book because of their high IQs.
Apart from the few inconsistencies in this book, the one thing that never made any sense to me was that if everyone in there is suppose to be named after super smart person (like Isaac Newton, etc), then who is Frypan named after?
If someone figures it out, please tell me.
EDIT: P.S I think I get that Frypan is a nickname now thanks. -
The lyrical genius of Dashner brings out such heart-wrenching emotions that I often have to pause to collect myself.
“Anybody else wanna pee their pants and cry for mommy?”
Thomas's innermost thoughts have this je ne sais quoi.I felt her absence. It was like waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth..
(Somebody, please, send help)
What the mess is happening to this plot? Instead of a giant maze, we are faced with the zombie apocalypse and a desert. Whiplash.
Essentially, we have a few hundred pages of running, panicking, poor decision making and filler. I'm absolutely torn as to whether I disliked the lazy writing or the shoe-horned romance more.
LAZY WRITING
Anyone else notice that every twist and turn plays perfectly into WICKED's Evil Grand Plan.
But don't worry, whenever things become absolutely hopeless...there's convenient reemergence of essential memories so that they can continue along WICKED's path.
Anytime something inexplicable happens (which happens a lot), Dashner throws out the either the memory-wipe or the all-knowing-government excuse. It's such a cop-out.
Honestly, Dashner keeps trying to make WICKED a thing but it just doesn't work for me.
I mean, how serious can I take an uber-evil government when their grand scheme was to build a maze with slime-monsters to . It's like socks-and-sandals - sometimes you just know when something ain't gonna work.
THE SHOE-HORNED ROMANCE
What in the world was Dashner thinking? Teresa and Thomas have this little candle-flame of a romance that's become a roaring bonfire poised to take down several city blocks.
When and where did this develop? Oh right, they both have a vague memory of...before...back in WICKED... (*cue my mental breakdown*)
But, wait.
There's more.
What's better than a shoe-horned romance? A shoe-horned love triangle.
(somebody shoot me)
(please)
Audiobook Comments
At least they chose a good narrator (Mark Deakins) for this series.
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What the hell? Even though I have sometimes enjoyed a book and not really liked the sequel, it's very rare that I would love one and absolutely hate the other. I desperately tried to finish it but I was bored, I kept getting distracted by either my family, my cats or some random fluff on the carpet... so I just skim-read it to the end and gave myself a basic idea of what the conclusion was.
I truly loved
The Maze Runner, even though quite a few people found it annoying - particularly the protagonist - and not the best written book ever. I found myself dragged into the maze with them, trying to solve the mystery - why are they there? How do they get out? Can they get out? And so on. But this second in the trilogy(?) was so disappointing. Thomas was even more annoying, we'd already lost the best character (Chuck) at the end of book one and the story just didn't grab me. Maybe because it took me a while to get what they were meant to do - cross a desert basically - and when I got it I thought "how lame".
I just felt nothing for this novel, the characters, the plot. I wanted it to end and that's never good. Mostly I felt as if Dashner himself didn't know where he was going with it. Where
The Maze Runner was structured and clever, this story all felt a bit random and haphazard. I found myself wishing that the author could have just rounded the first book off at the end and not bothered with a second installment - it seemed more like a money-making scheme than a contribution to the overall story. Plus, Thomas must be both the most boring and unrealistic character ever.
Another thing that annoyed me in both books, but stood out more in this one because it didn't have a gripping plot to distract me from it, is that the author tells you everything. A good author knows how to show the way things are, if that makes sense, and it makes for much better writing. Dashner continually tells the reader what Thomas or whoever is feeling rather than letting them realise it for themselves; instead of saying something along the lines of "Thomas' eyes grew cloudy with suppressed tears", he would instead say "Thomas was really upset". And, therefore, it simply did not flow. But the worst thing for me is the constant inexplicable 'sensing' going on. Countless times in the novel Thomas "just knows" that something is dangerous or an individual can be trusted because he gets a "feeling" - and just how the hell does he do that? There is no rational explanation for it and the author doesn't seem to be developing some sixth sense storyline as of yet. It all seems a bit ridiculous to me. That's why I won't be reading
The Death Cure, it's unfortunate because I was really looking forward to this sequel. -
3 stars
I seriously don't know how to feel about this. It's a total mess.
I loved the first book, but I am not sure I like this one that much.
I don't enjoy the writing style at all. I didn't mind it in the first book, but in the second it just became more unbearable.
I loved the characters in the first one, now I don't even care for them at all.
Not sure if I will read the last one. -
Sigh. I don't know how to write a review for this book without it sounding like a full-out rant. So I guess I'll just rant.
First of all, I will admit that I only have myself to blame for picking up this (audio)book. I wasn't a fan of the first one, and yet I still decided to give The Scorch Trials a try. Somehow, this one was worse than the The Maze Runner. How so? Let me count the ways...
1. Character development. James Dashner deserves an award for achieving the impossible by being the first author to establish negative character development. I cared even less about the main characters than I did in the first book. Everyone started to blend together and there was no one character with any distinguishing features. Thomas/Minho/Newt were practically interchangeable, and I swear Teresa and Brenda were the same person. Oh, I guess Jorge's dialogue was pretty memorable though... in the sense that every sentence he said ended with the word "muchacho." I don't think it can get any more stereotypical than that. Putting the main characters aside, it seemed like Dashner just threw up his hands and said "Oh, shuck it!" when it came to giving the other Gladers even a splash of personality.
2. Writing style. This is the type of book that convinces me anyone can get a book published. Something about the way Dashner describes things is so offputting that it just makes me cringe. The dialogue is predictable and not at all clever. Emotions are for the most part relayed through phrases like "Thomas was angry" and "Thomas didn't know why he was so frustrated." Some of the descriptions were akin to a five-year old's writing. I distinctly remember one part where Thomas was taken aback at the sight of blood, and he called it "crimson goo." ... Let's all take a moment to reflect upon such inspired word choices.
3. Storyline. While the Scorch Trials are considerably "action-packed," they somehow don't feel substantial. I couldn't put my finger on why this bothered me so much at first, but I think I've figured it out now. This book was like a YA and crappier version of the TV show LOST. A series of mysterious events occur, monsters pop out of nowhere, the motives behind WICKED are unknown, memories are clouded, etc. While that's all fine and dandy, the thing that's irksome is that there is no way every single one of these mysteries will be explained in the last book. What was the purpose of the maze? What are Grievers? How do Thomas/Teresa/co. have the ability to communicate telepathically? How did WICKED choose what variables to include? Why was it necessary for Thomas to be betrayed? Okay, even if they're not answered in the second book - fine. I like suspense as much as the next person, and I enjoy guessing... but if Dashner thinks he can build me up and not answer a SINGLE one of these questions, then he is delusional. And if these questions ARE answered in the last book and I'm totally wrong.................... I apologize for jumping to conclusions, Mr. Dashner. Maybe I shouldn't be so prematurely irritated. (But I seriously doubt he'll deliver.)
4. This entire book is pointless. As in, it literally contributes nothing to the plotline. It doesn't feel as if any forward progress has been made. I bet if I read The Maze Runner, skipped this book, and went straight into The Death Cure, I wouldn't be missing out. The important outcomes of this book can be summarized in about three sentences; I feel like Dashner wrote it just to make the series a trilogy.
Anyway, sorry for being a rambling Debbie Downer. I feel better for getting all that out though, whew... unfortunately, I'm just setting myself up for more self-inflicted torture because I'm still going to read The Death Cure. I've already made it this far, so I owe it to myself to justify the pain of reading The Scorch Trials and at least finish the damn series. I mean... the third book can't be worse than this one... right?
... Right? -
”Too many questions. Too many shuck questions, all without answers.”
And that about sums it up! I swear, by now I’m as confused and angry as Thomas and with all the shit WICKED pulled off I can’t help but wonder if they might be “past the gone” already. But I’m getting ahead of myself so let’s start at the beginning, right?
We’ll make it easy and begin with the similarities between the movie and the book:
- The characters
- There’s a girl named Brenda
- There is some sort of wicked party (no pun intended, seriously. *lol*)
- …. Let me think… let me think….
*tumbleweed moment*
Okay, I think that’s it. XD
As you can see there is basically nothing the movie and the book have in common and I’m not entirely sure which one I liked more. I mean they are so different that you can’t even compare them with each other. For some reason I think that the movie made a whole lot more sense though. *lol* Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, but damn did it leave me with many questions! XD There happens so much and we never get a freaking explanation for anything that happens. It’s actually kinda frustrating and if James Dashner wrote this book solely to annoy us and to turn us all into big question marks… Well, I guess he achieved his goal because I am one hell of a big question mark right now! *lol* Well done, James, well done! ;-)
Newt burst out laughing. “You’re one depressing piece of klunk, slinthead. Nah, with all those corpses magically disappearing and the brick walls, I’d say this is something more like the Maze. Weird and impossible to explain. The latest and greatest mystery. Maybe our next test, who knows. Whatever’s going on, we’ll have a chance, just like we did in the bloody Maze. I guarantee it.”
I have absolutely no clue, how Newt and Minho even managed to take all those happenings in stride, but I guess by now the weirdness of it all is just another part of their pretty messed up lives. XD Maybe that’s the purpose of Wicked? To get them used to madness? Seriously, by now this theory seems to be as good as any I could possibly come up with. *lol*
Thomas rolled his eyes. “I never said jack about me being braver than anybody. I’m just sick of hearing people’s voices. Yours included.”
Minho snickered. “Slinthead, when you try to be mean, it’s just freaking hilarious.”
No wonder, Thomas is grouchy as hell. If I’d be in his shoes I’d most certainly be testy too, especially after all the shit that went down at the end of this book.
I mean WHAT THE HELL??!!
To say nothing makes any sense anymore would be the understatement of the century. And THIS is putting it lightly! *shakes head*
”He didn’t care about the others anymore. The chaos around him seemed to siphon away his humanity, turn him into an animal. All he wanted was to survive, make it to that building, get inside. Live. Gain another day.”
I don’t want to give away all too much of the plot so I think I’ll leave it at that, but suffice it to say that this was one hell of a freaky, weird and crazy ride. >_<
I’m so confused and I have absolutely no clue whether I liked this book or not. I read it pretty fast and it definitely had my attention, but all those questions and the fact that none of them were answered somehow left a bad taste in my mouth.
Based on my indecision I’m giving this three stars and I really hope that the last book will make more sense again. *lol* -
I AM SO CONFUSED RIGHT NOW.
I hate it when people do that. Don't you just want to tell them," okay, calm down. It's not like writing in caps is going to get your point across any further." But I just had to, because my brain is bursting at the seams after reading The Scorch Trials.
I love Thomas' name! I know my enthusiasm is quite unnecessary, but I've never seen the name Thomas used for the protagonist of a book. And a great one, too. Now there are other references besides that darn Thomas the Train and Thomas Edison... boring.
Anyway, this book was titillating. Sometimes I felt like Dashner was purposefully being a big tease by pulling the wool over Thomas' eyes one too many times, but I still loved it. There was something in the book about killing someone to get food... I don't think I would kill for the next book in the series, because then I'd be sent to the crazy place, but I still want it really really bad. REALLY, REALLY BAD. Now I'm doing it again...
Now I can do my homework in peace. Hopefully. I'll probably surf the web for other people's thoughts on the ending instead...
Until The Death Cure.
Want to see my future reviews? Follow me
here. -
The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner, #2), James Dashner
The Scorch Trials is a 2010 young adult post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and the second book, fourth chronologically, in The Maze Runner series. The novel was published on September 18, 2010 by Delacorte Press.
It is preceded by The Maze Runner, and followed by The Death Cure.
A film adaptation was released on September 18, 2015 by 20th Century Fox.
The book starts with Thomas and the other teenagers known as "Gladers", who had escaped from the Maze in the previous book, sleeping in the dormitory they were brought to by a group of rescuers.
Thomas is woken by a telepathic communication with Teresa, the only girl from the Glade, who is afraid.
As he wakes up, he finds that the facility is being attacked by Cranks, aggressive zombie-like people that have been affected by a plague known as "the Flare." Cranks aren't crazy and zombie like when they first catch the flare.
When they aren't past gone, when they aren't trying to kill everyone, they can act normal. He and the others escape into the facility's common area and discover that their rescuers are dead.
They also find that Teresa is missing from her room, and in her place is a boy named Aris Jones. Aris explains that he escaped from a similar Maze experiment, dubbed "Group B," in which he was the only male.
The boys then discover tattoos on their necks assigning them specific roles. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پنجم ماه اکتبر سال2016میلادی
عنوان: دشت جهنم؛ نوشته: جیمز دشنر؛ مترجم: آیدا کشوری؛ تهران، نشر بهداد، سال1394، در430ص، کتاب دوم از سه گانه ی دونده هزارتو؛ شابک9786009356157؛ موضوع مجموعه داستانهای سه گانه از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م
گمان میکردند حل «هزارتو» پایان کار باشد...؛ «توماس»، باور داشت که فرار از «هزارتو»، به معنای آزادی او، و بیشه نشینهاست، اما «اهرامن»، هنوز کارش تمام نشده است؛ مرحله ی دوم تازه آغاز شده...؛ در «دشت جهنم»! هیچ قانونی وجود ندارد؛ هیچ یاری و کمکی در کار نیست، یا پیروز میشوید، یا میمیرید؛ بیشه نشینها، دو هفته فرصت دارند، تا از «دشت جهنم»، سوزانترین بخش دنیا، عبور کنند؛ و «اهرامن» به حتم، متغیرهایی برای آنان در نظر میگیرد، و نمیگذارد اوضاع بر وفق مرادشان باشد؛ دوستیها آزموده میشوند؛ وفاداریها از هم میپاشند؛ هر رخدادی شاید رخ بنماید! اکنون دیگرانی نیز وجود دارند؛ نجاتشان، بستگی به نابودی بیشه نشینها دارد، و آنها نیز مصمم هستند که نجات بیابند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 12/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 12/09/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی -
Picking up exactly where The Maze Runner left off the surviving group of young men and Teresa find themselves possibly in a safe haven in the real world… but are they safe, and is it really the real world? Within days they are once again stuck in a world of uncertainty, conspiracies and mass insanity, although this time they are always on the move with an enforced mission for survival over a 100 mile trek across the Scorched lands!
I'm afraid this was a huge anti-climax for me, even though on the face of it I could see how the writer was trying to ratchet up the drama - it all felt way too forced and I felt that the overriding conspiracy was near ridiculous. I did feel that the dystopian reality was quite interesting, but I didn't feel that I really got to know it, despite reading the book through the lens of the cast who with forced(?) collective insomnia should have been a perfect lens to look at it through. A weak 5 out of 12, I'm afraid.
2022 read -
Sorry to break the bad news But...Guys..You have to Run Again...
No no, not the maze..but here..Welcome to the new Trial...
And Thomas, Remember..WICKED is
Goodso shuckin' Wicked
"فيروس الأيبولا الدموي ينتشر في العالم وظهور حالة بنيويورك..الأحتباس الحراري وصل لمرحلة متقدمة... وجماعات تنادي بانقاذ القطب الشمالي"
هل مازلت تعتقد ان احداث تلك الرواية مستحيل تحققها في المستقبل؟؟
اذا شاهدت -واعجبك- الفيلم الأول , لا تنتظر الجزء الثاني وابدأ فورا في قراءة الرواية
تعبت من الجري مع توماس واصدقاءه في المتاهة, التقط انفاسك لأنك ستبدأ الجري في متغيرات اخري وتذكرWICKED is
Goodso shuckin' Wicked
جري في انفاق مظلمة مع تهديدات غريبة باشياء قد تفصل رأسك عن جسمك
جري في صحراء في شمس -في مستقبل ماقد يكون قريبا في ظل كل الظواهر الغريبة التي تسببنا فيها كالأحتباس الحراري- لا ترحم ...بل تحرق لدرجة الشواء, كما احرقت مدن قبل ذلك
جري في نفس الصحراء في وسط عواصف وبرق شديد ورعد يصم الأذان...فقط واصل الجري
جري في وسط مدينة كبري محترقة مع تهديدات بوجود مرضي مصابين بمرض رهيب يحيل الحي الي شبهه ميت, بسبب الشمس..مصابين خطرين ,مجانين وقتلة
ولا تنس ان تجري وتجري حتي تصل الي الجبال في الأفق, في الميعاد المحدد لك لأنك أذا لم تصل الي هناك سيزيد خطورة المرض الذي تحمله
نعم انت ايضا تحمل ذلك المرض....اجري ..اجري لتصل للعلاج
اولا الموضوع
***********
تبدأ الأحداث الغريبة بعد انتهاء احداث الجزء الاول مباشرة
غموض مره اخري واختفاء غامض لتريسا "الفتاة الوحيدة بينهم" وده بيزيد من حيرة توماس طول الرحلة
الرحلة سابقة الذكر
لأن المؤسسه الغريبة "ويكيد" ابلغتهم باصابتهم بفيروس المرض الغريب
والحل الوحيد للعلاج هو رحلتهم الغريبة عبر الصحراء, مدينة كبري محترقه حتي نقطة الأمان ليحصلوا علي العلاج
وبتستمر الرحلة....بيستمر الجري , مع اسئلة اكتر واجابات-للاسف اتعرفنا علي اغلبها في نهاية الجزء الأول- بعضها مكرر
لكن الأهم الغموض وراء تريسا وتصرفاتها الغريبة
*******************************
الأحداث والأماكن بهذا الجزء متنوعة ...وشمسها محرقة
عواصفها قاتلة وممراتها تحت الأرض خطيرة
بالرغم من الملل الذي اصابني في بعض الأجزاء بالوسط للمطارادات والجري الذي لا ينتهي
نجح المؤلف في اصابتي بالتوتر والترقب في كثير من الأوقات وسط الأحداث بمشاهد نجح في جعلها مقبضة
"مثلا صوت استيريو اغاني قوي في حارة مهجورة بالمدينة المحترقة
صوت خطوات وكسر زجاج غريب في نفق مهجور تقترب من الابطال المفترض انهم وحدهم بتلك الأنفاق
والأهم في ذلك الجزء هو توضيح صورة أكبر للعالم الذي تدور به الأحداث
وبعض الحقائق وراء هدف تلك الشركة الغريبة
WICKED
والأهم هو ظهور المجموعة الثانية الموازية لشباب المتاهة...مجموعة من الفتيات وهذا مايزيد الأمور تعقيدا
------------------------------------------------------------
الشخصيات
********
اكتر حاجه خلتني اتردد في التقييم هو الشخصيات
اولا الشخصيات المتبقية من الجزء الأول -عدا تريسا المختفية- اكثر من ممتازة
نيوت ومينهو صارا اكثر اقرب لي عن الجزء السابق, الروح المرحه بالأخص لمينهو -القائد- كانت تخفف الكثير من المشاهد المطولة او المملة في نصف الأحداث
ولكن بعض التصرفات للشخصيات الجديدة -بريندا- كانت مريبة وغير منطقية -وان كنت اتوقع ان يكون هناك تفسيرات اكثر في الجزء الأخير- وايضا تريسا هناك الكثير من الغموض واللامنطقية
ولكن هذا بسبب تعقد الأحداث والتي تمهد للجزء الأخير لذلك لم انقص كثيرا من التقييم
ونجح المؤلف -عشان كده زودت التقييم- في رسم الصراع النفسي للشباب بعد كل الأختبارات والرحلة المعقدة...بالأخص حيرة توماس, وقرار الشباب الأخير
---------------------------------------------
النهاية
*******
Page Turner مرة أخري
سريعة ولغة سهلة واحداث متلاحقة
وان كنت بدأت أشك أن دور النشر تشترط ان يكون اجزاء الثلاثيات الشبابية الجديدة لا تقل عن 330 صفحة ,لأن هناك شئ من التطويل في هذا الجزء
ولكن علي اي حال لن ينقص ذلك كثيرا من تقييمي
وان كنت مازلت اري ان الجزء الأول كان متكاملا اكثر قليلا عن هذا الجزء
بقدر اعجابي بالجزء الا ان النهاية المفتوحة جعلتني معلقا من حافة التشويق حتي قراءة الجزء الأخير
واعتقد ان كان قرارا سليما -بالرغم من التشوق- بعد انتهائي من قراءة الجزء الأول انتظار مشاهدة الفيلم للبدء في الجزء الثاني لتسهيل تخيل الأبطال بشكل افضل
ولكني انصحك الا تنتظر ابدا مشاهدة الجزء الثاني من الفيلم فالجزء الثاني اسوا بكثير من الرواية , بعد ان تشاهد الجزء الأول ابدأ فورا في قراءة الجزء الثاني
للدخول للشخصيات والعيش معهم بشكل افضل
بل و...الجــري معهم
محمد العربي
Running From
19 Oct. 2014
To
23 Oct. 2014 -
“So we’ve had to up the ante, and now it’s time for Phase Two. It’s time for things to get difficult.”
Damn I love this series!
So Thomas and the Gladers have escaped the horrors of the maze, only to be thrown into a world even worse than the one they left behind.
Full of secrets, mysteries and red herrings I was completely gripped following the Gladers journey through the Scorch, to the alleged safe haven
We get new characters introduced, Jorge and Brenda, and we get to see what the awful disease The flare that has been ravaging the planet really does to people.
Thomas, Minho, Newt and the others must fight these cranks and follow instructions given to them by the mysterious WICKED. But what is WICKED really up to? And how does it involve the Gladers? When another group turn up, who have also just escaped a maze similar to their own, the boys are even more confused.
Non-stop action with twists and turns everywhere, I’ve been loving my reread of this series and can not wait to carry on! -
Thomas, honeybunch? We need to talk.
What exactly happened here? In the first book, you were a huge Gary Stu, yes, but you also captured my heart with your endearing awkwardness. You were a confused little boy that awakened the mama bear in me and made me want to take you in my arms and squeeze you til all the insecurity is gone. For the Scorch Trials, I still wanted to play the mom, but the kind that whacks you a new one so you'll sort your shit out.
How the hell did you go from this:
To this:
Half the book was you mooning over Teresa and this other girl, Brenda. Are you sure Nora from
Crescendo didn't undergo a hostile takeover? For a book that claims it's The Hunger Games for dudes, you have more Paranormal Romance vibes than THG does, what with the goo-goo eyes, she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not, and a completely unnecessary love triangle."That they were safe, that he and Teresa could get to know each other again. That life could be good."
"Oddly, the thing that stood out the most to Thomas was Teresa's last name."
"Thomas found himself hoping she was the Brenda girl Jorge had mentioned."
"Brenda didn't take her eyes off Thomas. As for him, he still felt the tingle that had shot through his entire body when she'd touched him with her lips."
"Something stirred inside him, mixed with guilt and longing for Teresa."
"Once again, Thomas felt a ridiculous surge of guilt like he was cheating on Teresa. He couldn't help that this girl was so touchy-feely."
Teresa, Brenda, why do you even exist? There's no difference between the two of you. You're not characters, you're props used to further Thomas's love life. That's your label: Thomas' Love Interest 1 and Thomas' Love Interest 2.
And both of you are impossibly gorgeous too. I'm against the large amount of hot male love interests in YA and I'm against you too. Remove the fanservice headband and grow some personality. Please.
Minho, babe, you were the only thing that kept me afloat in this sea of teenage hormones and mediocre writing. You were a gem in the first book: leader of the Runners, competent, yet you ran off during an extremely important moment. That only made me love you more because you were reacting exactly like an a scared teenage boy. Then, you redeemed yourself further by coming back to help Thomas.
Here, you're the leader, the rock that keeps everyone moving. Even when the people you're supposed to protect die, you push on, not allowing yourself to cry.
You should be the main character, not Thomas. I perked up when you entered the scene, and face-palmed when you departed (because Thomas had to go off for 'bonding time').
It's because of you that I'm going to read the last book. And to find out what happens. Mediocre writing and sucky romance aside, the author can spin an entertaining story.
So stay alive and stay wonderful.
Sincerely,
A fan who's still holding out for the magic of The Maze Runner.
P.S. If you kill Minho for a shitty reason, I will be very unhappy. Which will not end well.
My review of The Kill Order
My review of The Maze Runner
My review of The Death Cure -
Holy klunk, this book is INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!
-
I am FLYING through these books!
Okay now it feels like the movie and the book are two completely different things. Again, I'm not complaining. I love both of them but I do admit that it was hard picturing all the 'new' scenarios since my mind kept going back to the movie ones.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate Newt? He's the sanest and smartest person among all of them. Such a sweety...ugh I love him.
Oh also... Minho's character's a bit unrefined..borderline rude. I mean I know I sound like a kid 'O my gosh he ish sho rood' i just think the movie Minho is better. This one...not so much. -
I'm more confused than ever!!!
-
WICKED is good. Nah.
Where should I begin? Firstly, this was by no means as good as the first book. The first book was a mix of thrill and adventure and the mystery surrounding everything was something that gave the chills.
On the other hand, the second novel failed to give me the goosebumps and I would sometimes lose interest. The storyline felt dragged on and phase two was a boiled potato. I felt like Mr. Dashner put all the characters and had them running around like pigs for nothing. It kind of got on my nerves and frustrated the hell out of me.
The only reason I gave this 3 stars is because it finally picked up on the last 70 pages or so and more happened in those pages than the rest of the book. Although, I still feel baffled and the mystery has gotten old.
The characters, well, they're an add to the story. I love Mihno, Newt and Thomas, when he is not complaining. I love their conversations and I really laugh with them and their Glader words.
The Betrayal plot might appeal to you, the author managed to pull that off nicely and managed to distance two characters, completely.
The ending? Confusing as hell. I mean alright, I love me some tight cliffhanger but this one was a bit too baffling for me to handle. Why does Mr. Dashner want to perplex the storyline even more? I want to get down to the core of it and I want to finally find out what it is they're doing all those things for. -
Una segunda parte de la que esperaba poco y que me ha sorprendido gratamente. Me ha gustado bastante, aunque no tanto como El corredor del laberinto.
Eso sí, veo algunos cabos sueltos y personajes que no han evolucionado nada.
¡Con ganas de leer el tercero ya! -
Here we go again!
Just when they think they are all safe and in a place where there is food and water and showers and bed... nope, doesn't last very long.
They wake up from their little safe place to all kinds of weirdness, dead people hanging from the ceiling, cranks (crazy sick people) trying to get in the windows, Teresa gone and replaced by a boy named Aris, and other stuff.
THEN, they get locked in a room and when they are allowed out all of that stuff is gone and things are changed. Then after a rest and what not, some dude sitting at a desk behind a glass wall shows up. He's just reading like nothing is going on while the boys gorge themselves on food. I mean what the..... Then he starts telling them about the next trial, like the first one wasn't enough.
EXCERPT
"It's simple, really," he said, his tone so matter-of-fact one would think he'd just given them instructions on how to turn on the showers in the bathroom. "There are no guidelines. You have few supplies, and there's nothing to help you along the way. Go through the Flat Trans at the time indicated. Find open air. Go one hundred miles, directly north, to the safe haven. Make it or die."
And some do die. They have to go through more crap like metal balls taking off their heads, freak lightening storms, crazy people with their noses cut off, people trying to kill them, a few more monsters. You know, the run of the mill kind of stuff.
I don't know. I sat here trying to figure out what to rate it and I finally went with 4 stars because I still love most of the characters. Minho is my favorite. I just want to find out what is going on and I guess I will have to wait until the end book. Arggggg.. although WICKED did show up a few times in the book, but they are still secretive and I want to smack them!
MY BLOG:
Melissa Martin's Reading List -
re-reading this book was tHE BEST DECISION!!
I read this book for the first time a couple of years ago and I honestly could barely remember anything that happens... So when the trailer came out and it looked amazing I felt a re-read was needed!
This book was so fast paced and I just couldn't put it down!! Nearly every little chapter ends in a cliff hanger so I found myself saying "just one more chapter" at the end of every chapter...
The bromance and sass between the gladers in what stood out to me because it's just so great and I feel like the maze runner movie didn't quite grasp it.
The twists in the story get my every time and I really don't know how to feel! James Dashner literally keeps you gripped until the very last page where I was wishing for more pages!
At times I was actually quite scared when reading this because the cranks really creep me out!! The description and action sequences are really well written, making it easier to follow and understand.
I am sO EXCITED for the movie now!! And if any of you are thinking "I might re-read it before the movie comes out" then I recommend you do it because I assure you that you'll not regret it!! -
from Maze to Desert
mystery to tedium...
magic gone; I fled
-
“The betrayal meant he couldn't trust her anymore, and his heart told him he couldn't forgive her.”
This book is as good as the first one, but honestly, the movie sucks. I legit adored the ideas in The Maze Runner. James Dashner successfully delivered enjoyment to me when reading his books. In The Scorch Trials, the game is changed, they don't run away anymore but have to find something or someone instead. The first 30% of the book was refreshing regarding that I did want to take a break from ordinary YA books. Still I found this exciting and had everything I could have asked for.
Thomas doesn't develop much in the second book. He's what he is and we learn about him even more with his new adventure and survival. The obstacles are more challenging and hard to overcome. I've seen the bigger scale of the story in this book that Dashner intended to show us since The Maze Runner.
“Anybody else wanna pee their pants and cry for mommy?���
So many new characters show up, but still I focus on the same old characters like Minho, Newt, and Teresa. I didn't quite feel any connection to the new ones, to be honest. Yet the pace of this book is surprisingly fast and I didn't see the twist at the end coming. Dang ! You shocked me again, Dashner !
“Can you do that?” Thomas asked.
“Huh?”
“Kill someone three times.”
“I’d figure out a way.”
-
OH SHIT, IT LOOKS AMAZING. SOME TEASER PHOTOS FOR THE SCORCH TRIALS MOVIE.
There's more but these are the best, WHO ELSE IS EXCITED? -
Okay first Mockingjay and now this? What is going on? I honestly can't even put into words what I felt so lacking in this installment, but I just felt so bored the entire time. Where the first book was so insanely mysterious and really baited you along in finding out what was going on, I feel like I don't want to know what's going on anymore.
What seems to be really going on is getting SO annoying. WICKED is evil. But then they save Thomas. But then they get his girlfriend to curb stomp his head in. Then they save them in the end. Then they betray them again. EXACTLY like the ending of book one. It just felt so repetitive by the end, and Thomas's endless "Oh Teresa I love you, wait I hate you, wait where's Brenda I miss her" became grating on my nerves.
I don't even feel like overlaying the plot. It gives away way too much way too soon, you know exactly where they are and where they need to go very early on, losing that first book mystery and charm within 100 pages.
I wanted to love this. You guys know that The Maze Runner holds a special place in my dystopian heart. I just.. can't. It evolves on the overall mystery, but I just feel that there isn't much to find out anymore. We know Thomas and Teresa helped WICKED out. They want to know why. Um.. because they're trying to save the world? Isn't that obvious? Yeah the methods are unorthodox, I just wanted to kinda yell at the characters sometimes at how idiotic they sounded.
And there's just not enough answers (that I also feel may NEVER get answered, for some reason). Like what the hell were those metal balls that decapitated people? Or that room that Teresa threw Tom in in that cave that gassed him to health? Or those creatures lacking mouths, eyes, ears and any orifices, but with glowing orange bulbs all over their body? I almost feel like I want answers less to the big questions, but more to these really really odd occurrences.
And then there's the new Group B of girls that we learn have to kill Thomas. But change their mind. And a new kid Aris (who was with Group B in their Maze) seems to be touchy-touchy with Teresa. But turns out they really... aren't. I think. And Thomas and the Gladers group up with Brenda and Jorge, Cranks they met in a huge old city and who help them along. But Brenda turns out to be a mind reader/talker person, too. So that means I can't trust her anymore? I... guess.
TO MUCH, man. It bordered on contradictory most of the time and hit frustrating all the time.
Let's hope The Death Cure helps me fall back in love with the series. I have this hunch that they're gonna throw them back in the Maze. Or a new Maze. I dunno. It's probably me just wanting to go back there, it was so brilliantly realized and it's own character. The Scorch, on the other hand, besides creepy lightning storms... *yawn* -
I was expecting things to finally clear up at the end of this book, instead I was left with even more questions than before...
Up until 80% I really enjoyed the story though, and I'll probably read book 3 as well, because I just have to know how all of this is going to play out.
3.5 Stars. -
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, James Dashner is my freaken Hero!!!!
WOW you guys! Just O M G, WoW!
If y'all liked The Maze Runner, you'll LovE The Scorch Trials! It's unbelievable!
James Dashner as once again created a none stop, action packed adventure that will blow your ever loving Shuck-Sticks-Cranked mind.
With new characters and all your favorite crazed-lingo-Gladers, comes a story of constant struggle to survive, a once again, Trial that are even more terrifying, dangerous and insane as The Maze.
The Scorch is a hot mess of deadly obstacles that are created by the (seemingly good) WICKED (World In Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department) and set up to test the survived Gladers. Test what, you might ask? Can't tell ya, since even the smallest detail will give away the entire reasoning behind this mind boggling book. There is so much that happens and there is so much I wish I could say, but I will say that all your questions will be answered from the first one, but be warned, by the time you reach the last page, your mind will be spinning all over again.
JAMES! Your.Killing.Me!
Even though I loved this book to pieces, I still loved the first one more, but I think it was because it was so new and brilliant that I was completely blown way. The story is chalked filled with suspense and wonder. I was completely baffled the entire time I was reading this. No skimming-room for this one guys, your going to want to hang on every word. I never knew who to trust, who was good, who was bad, I thought I figured out something only for that idea to be shoot down the next chapter after. The illusion of safety is repeatedly yanked and I found myself frustrated in the best way possible. I can't count how many time I hated this one character and then wanted to believe in-said character in the same breath.
It's complex and maddening, and amazing and I just want to crawl in James mind and go exploring for a few hours, or weeks.
I can go on forever bouncing about this book, but if I don't stop now I'll just end up spoiling something and then I'll get things thrown at me and I have a standard no-throwing-policy, so I'll just quit while I'm a head.
This book was awesome and I'm once again floored by the concept, these characters and the mastermind who pulled it all together.
Loved it! Can't get enough! I want more and I can't freaken believe we have to wait a YEAR to find out what the hell is gonna happen next
Killing me James, Killing me!
Just Shuck it and read this now!! -
The Scorch Trials
This was an awesome books, however not as good as the first.
I loved all the mystery and constant suspense, although Thomas seemed to be sleeping or passing out a lot in this book :')
I feel like not a lot happened, yet a lot did at the same time. This book definitely took a different turn and was very different to The Maze Runner.
I'm excited to see how this ends, because I've heard very controversial things about it!
These books are great so far and I really want to pick up some more of James Dashner's work in the future! :D -
Post-apocalyptic Nightmare!
Wow, The Scorch Trials was definitely a bizarre mind trip, and after everything that was revealed and unfolded, I can’t wait to see how this series ends.
This next installment to
The Maze Runner picks up right where the first book left off. The Gladers have been rescued from The Maze, but their trials are far from over. They are immediately launched into a human nightmare where WICKED uses mental, physical, psychological and emotional experiments to test mind patterns and reactions… for what purpose?? I have no clue yet, but they keep saying their findings will determine the fate of humanity. For pretty much the entire novel you have no idea why The Gladers are being put through these trials as they fight biotech armies, harsh weather conditions, and constant mental games. Thomas and his crew are injected with “The Flare” and promised a cure if they make it through the Trials. Along the way, they come across crazy, infected Cranks and several twists that leaves you wondering who the “wicked” ones really are.
James Dashner is a creative genius. I can’t tell you how amazed I am with his ability to come up with the most bizarre of elements that keep me, the reader, constantly wondering where he intends to take the story and what other crazy twists he can come up with. This story felt like a perfect blend between dystopic and scifi, which have recently become a favorite genre of mine.
There were some harsh lessons in this story and all I have to say is betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. It was hard to see some of the decisions and actions certain characters had to take, but it was well balanced with some interesting new additions to the cast. The entire time, I kept thinking how utterly scary it is that someone of power can easily manipulate and swipe someone’s memory, influence their thinking and determine their fate. This series really pushes the boundaries of possibilities and power. Two elements that when combined with ill intent can have the gravest of outcomes.
I’m looking forward to diving into the last book in the series
The Death Cure to see how this all plays out. Well done! -
"Wow...just wow...This book left me both exhilarated and exhausted. Twist after twist, after twist! And they just kept on coming! If you are looking for a fast-paced read that does not relent then this is it! However, if you have not read the first book you might want to stop reading this review and go read the first book of the series first. This will be here when you get back.
So this book picks up right where the first book ends. Thomas wakes up to screaming and terror and things change and are being flipped around on him every few minutes. Chaos reigns! Even my head was spinning trying to rationalize what is going on. They think they are rescued but the truth is anything but. If you thought they were lab rats in the Maze before, it only gets worse. I really can't say much about the details without taking away from the suspense of it all. Everything changes here. Friends and enemies blur, the truth is unknown. All they know is that WICKED is not done with them. One part stuck with me through the entire book and that is when the boys are told to not trust what they see but to also not trust what the don't see. As a reader it had me second-guessing a lot. Made for a very entertaining read. What I didn't care for is I have no idea where the author is going with this. So many questions and NO answers. Just more questions. It worries me if the answer in the last book will suffice. Will it make sense. These trials are strange and don't seem to make sense for supposedly trying to save the world. So that concerns me all throughout the book. A large part of the story seemed to be created on a whim without flow. It makes me wonder if the writer had an endgame when writing this or just making it up as he went along. This feeling was even more apparent in the re-read. I don't see myself reading this again. I noticed more flaws the second round. For lots of action, adventure and some serious twists and mental roller coaster rides, check this out!
Upon re-reading this, the concerns I had the first time were more blatantly apparent. I noticed more flaws the second time round. Especially the overall question of why. Why theses "tests" why the boys vs girls, and the swaps? So many things that just never made sense. It is worse because I know the ending too. The first time reading I liked it but in reflection, this might be closer to a 3 or 3.5. Leaving it a 4 since I did like it the first time though. -
3.5 Faster than its predecessor. Not predictable at all. With great chemistry between characters. TST is a good sequel in my opinion, but sometimes the action overshadows the main plot line. At the end you still feel kind of confused against this world and its rules but you also get a bigger outlook at it, and that is going to help you understand the actions and emotions our main character has. It is entertaining but it is also just a filler, used to know a bit more our characters while giving us a bit of world-building every now and then. This book is clearly betting everything to the last book.
Las trilogías son complicadas. Y difíciles. Muy poca gente sabe escribirlas bien en su totalidad, es muy fácil caer en el clásico libro intermedio-de-relleno. Y no tengo problema con un libro que sea relleno, siempre y cuando ese relleno sea interesante e importante. Creo que el ejemplo por excelencia es: LAS DOS TORRES de Tolkien. aunque el escribió LOTR como un libro grande y la editorial lo dividió en tres pero me estoy saliendo del tema.
Prueba de Fuego cae en ese hoyo. No se siente que tenga un objetivo real como parte de una trilogía más que como un libro independiente. Y la razón es muy sencilla: Esta trilogía no tiene una trama central. Se siente mas como un libro de aventura donde vas cambiando de escenario y “haber que pasa”. Tampoco tenemos mucho world-building, que seria lo principal en un libro de transición.
El libro es rápido de leer, y muy entretenido. Pero ya no me gusta decir que un libro es bueno por ser “entretenido”, eso me hace recordar Transformers y Divergente. Entretener debe ser un detalle bueno no una característica principal, a mi parecer. Por otro lado, me gusta mucho la interacción Thomas-Newt-Minho los diálogos entre ellos se ven como los de amigos normales, que se echan tierra cuando hay que hacerlo, se ríen, se enojan, pero al final son amigos y se apoyan, de lejos es lo mejor del libro. Agregando que puede a tener secuencias de suspenso juvenil muy buenas y es uno de los mas grandes logros del autor.
Dashner se centra más en las reacciones de sus personajes ante circunstancias difíciles, y eso esta bien expuesto durante el libro. La habilidad de dejar todo de lado para seguir adelante. Y los nuevos personajes me gustaron mucho, sobretodo Brenda y Harriet. También tenemos cierta información extra sobre la situación actual del mundo, pero te deja con mas preguntas que respuestas, justo cuando te esta contando algo importante, algo explota o sucede y la conversación se olvida.
No me gusta la situación Teresa-Thomas. No me gustan, siento que no encajan sus personalidades, ella es muy seca y el demasiado mandilon. Y definitivamente es lo que me hace bajarle media estrella. De no ser por este pequeño detalle le daría las 4 enteras.
Al final, la trilogía en general no intenta más que ser una historia interesante de suspenso y acción juvenil, y siento que esta bien logrado. Desgraciadamente se desperdicia mucho espacio en escenas de acción y se deja de lado la exploración de la tierra devastada que era mucho más interesante. A mi los tres chicos principales me gustan mucho, sobretodo Newt, y eso hace que le siga teniendo cariño a la historia :D
Si lo que quieres es un libro sin mucho desarrollo pero entretenido y con personajes variados y bien expuestos, creo que The Maze Runner es una buena opción. Si buscas algo con muchas respuestas, no lo encontraras aquí. No olvidemos que estos chicos están en un mundo enorme con una situación ya planteada, sin memoria, con gente loca por todos lados y con muchas ganas de no morir. No seria muy lógico que alguien se sentara a explicarles todo. Y claramente esa no es la intención del autor. Para Dashner, cuando el caos viene es mas posible que la gente se organice y agrupe para sobrevivir, el cree mas en ese aspecto del hombre y eso es lo que expone.
PELÍCULA: La he disfrutado mucho. Es claramente una adaptación bastante regular, pero los cambios eran necesarios para hacer una película mas madura, a mi parecer. Y no me molesto nada. Ademas casi pasa lo mismo pero el camino para llegar a eso es lo distinto. Mas unas cuantas subtramas sacadas de la manga, claro. Me gusta mucho la actuación para los tres principales (Thomas, Newt y Minho), y la adición de Brenda fue lo mejor! Las escenas de acción excelentes y la historia mas interesante que en los libros. Ups. Le doy 4/5. -
If you have been following me, then you know
I've been rereading books. Most of them have been big fails, and one or two have approved, but this is not the point in here. What I mean to say is that I read this book as part of that experiment of mine AND for another reason too. Can you guess what's
the second reason?
Yeah, it's the movie.
To be honest, I hated the first one: It was boring, VERY different to the book (and
I didn't particularly love that one), etc. BUT, I can never resist it. When there's a movie coming for a book I have read (even if there's still a long time to wait), I get excited. I get excited even if I disliked the book.
Anyway, that's just why I read the book. Now, what do I have to say?
1. Where, oh where did all the emotion from the first book go?
I said in my review for The Maze Runner that it was predictable and boring at some times, but I can't deny there was sometimes a feel of thrill - adrenaline, if you want it like that. In this one...
NOTHING HAPPENED! We get this rubbish about WHY ARE WE HERE? WHY IS TERESA GONE? WHAT IS GROUP B? OH MY GOD, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?
Ugh, no. I guess this book is just another victim of the middle book syndrome, in which it's just a pointless waste of paper (and money).
2. Characters... again.
Oh, noes, Thomas, you again with your Gary Stu-ish personality, but now it gets even worse. Why? Because we have love interest #2 introduced and she is...
Brenda!
She has no personality, she's boring and annoying. Worse even, she's just... there. Her role in the book is... nothing. I mean, nothing besides being the second option for Thomas. Plus, she sounded EXACTLY like Teresa, so aside being a pointless character, she was a carbon copy of another boring character.
Also, Jorge. What the hell? Was it just me or did he also sound like Minho? And how about Aris? He was like another Thomas!But Thomas wins the medal for the most annoying character in this book.
3. Stop with the useless plot twists.
Seriously, though, this book was even more plagued of plot twists to which an explanation was never given. Add to that plot holes. Why do you mention something you are not going to deepen? And I'm talking about the plague. We get a very little explanation as to what it is, but we never know how it appeared, how it is spread, etc. All we know is that it's deadly and contagious. That's all.
This get me to the world building, which gets ZERO points. There are NO EXPLANATIONS for ANYTHING. First that plague I was talking about, then about the society itself, then about W.I.C.K.E.D (seriously, that acronym is ridiculous). They never explain how the society came to be how it is, and that aspect is CRUCIAL for a dystopian book.
4. The ending was really wtf and ridiculous.
I laughed at it. Why? Because cliched. That's my answer. Besides, it was anticlimactic and (again) precipitated. Why can't you take your time into ending the book without rushing? It feels forced and it just kills whatever emotion (that was not present in me, btw) the reader had up until that point. And also, it felt as if the author didn't know what else to add so TELEPATHY WOO-HOO!
So yeah, in summary, this was boring, cliched, pointless and laughable. My verdict? Damn you Vane for starting the 2015 rereads.
