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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
2017 Rating: 2 Stars
2021 Rating: 2 Stars
Spoiler Free TLDR:
Good enough plot and writing. Okayish world building and one dimensional characters.
Recommended for fans of 'The Maze Runner' series who just can't get enough.
---
Content Advisory:
-7 uses of "h**l"
-2 uses of "d*mn" and it's variants
-5 uses of "c**p"
-2 kiss scenes
-MC's girlfriend falsely insinuates her and MC were intimate
-Incredibly gruesome scenes
-Tons of death scenes
----
Plot: 3/5
-The Flare virus being released
-MC and friends looking for answers on the virus
-MC and friends rescue an immune child
-MC gets separated from friends
-MC catches the virus and we witness the MC slowly succumb to it
-MC reunites with his friends
-MC delivers immune child to scientists and MC and friends die
Decent enough fast paced plot, but the fact that there wasn't any connection to the characters majorly hindered it. I enjoy stories like this (i.e. TLOU), but to make these type of stories work, you have to make sure the audience cares about the characters, and I didn't.
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Writing: 3/5
-Bits of humor
-Suspense balanced well
-Action focused and fast paced for the first half. Second half seemed to drag
------
World Building: 2/5
Didn't do incredibly much to build on the lore and world associated with the series. We see a tiny bit of the sun flares as well as how the virus started, but that's it. The book didn't really add much that we didn't already know. Probably, for me, would've been much better if we could've seen more of what the world was like right after the sun flares.
------
Characters' Rating: 1/5
Forgettable and one dimensional. Didn't spend enough time with any of the characters besides Mark and Alec, and Mark only got a teeny bit interesting after the virus kicked in. I can't say anything memorable about these characters, because there wasn't anything.
------
Overall Enjoyment: 1/5
Gruesome Scenes that are on the same level of horror books. I didn't learn anything much more about the world, and wasn't connected to the characters in any way. Second time reading this book, and probably won't read again.
Loved:
-Info-Dumps via various dreams
-Chapter 67 was actually pretty sad
Nitpicks:
-Catoony evil reason for the virus being released
-Mark and Trina kissing when they're supposed to be quarantining
-Alec throwing punches in the tunnel to the people who asked where he was going
-Mark's is an idiot mentioning Deedee to the cult. They left her behind because they thought she was "evil", she already told you that
-Tons of deus ex machinas
------
Notable Quotes:
-“You know what?”
“What?” she asked.
“Today is going to be a perfect, perfect day.”
Trina smiled and the waters of the stream continued to rush by, as if his words meant nothing.
2021 Rating: 2 Stars
Spoiler Free TLDR:
Good enough plot and writing. Okayish world building and one dimensional characters.
Recommended for fans of 'The Maze Runner' series who just can't get enough.
---
Content Advisory:
-7 uses of "h**l"
-2 uses of "d*mn" and it's variants
-5 uses of "c**p"
-2 kiss scenes
-MC's girlfriend falsely insinuates her and MC were intimate
-Incredibly gruesome scenes
-Tons of death scenes
----
Plot: 3/5
-The Flare virus being released
-MC and friends looking for answers on the virus
-MC and friends rescue an immune child
-MC gets separated from friends
-MC catches the virus and we witness the MC slowly succumb to it
-MC reunites with his friends
-MC delivers immune child to scientists and MC and friends die
Decent enough fast paced plot, but the fact that there wasn't any connection to the characters majorly hindered it. I enjoy stories like this (i.e. TLOU), but to make these type of stories work, you have to make sure the audience cares about the characters, and I didn't.
------
Writing: 3/5
-Bits of humor
-Suspense balanced well
-Action focused and fast paced for the first half. Second half seemed to drag
------
World Building: 2/5
Didn't do incredibly much to build on the lore and world associated with the series. We see a tiny bit of the sun flares as well as how the virus started, but that's it. The book didn't really add much that we didn't already know. Probably, for me, would've been much better if we could've seen more of what the world was like right after the sun flares.
------
Characters' Rating: 1/5
Forgettable and one dimensional. Didn't spend enough time with any of the characters besides Mark and Alec, and Mark only got a teeny bit interesting after the virus kicked in. I can't say anything memorable about these characters, because there wasn't anything.
------
Overall Enjoyment: 1/5
Gruesome Scenes that are on the same level of horror books. I didn't learn anything much more about the world, and wasn't connected to the characters in any way. Second time reading this book, and probably won't read again.
Loved:
-Info-Dumps via various dreams
-Chapter 67 was actually pretty sad
Nitpicks:
-Catoony evil reason for the virus being released
-Mark and Trina kissing when they're supposed to be quarantining
-Alec throwing punches in the tunnel to the people who asked where he was going
-Mark's is an idiot mentioning Deedee to the cult. They left her behind because they thought she was "evil", she already told you that
-Tons of deus ex machinas
------
Notable Quotes:
-“You know what?”
“What?” she asked.
“Today is going to be a perfect, perfect day.”
Trina smiled and the waters of the stream continued to rush by, as if his words meant nothing.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Bastante bien. Mejor de lo que esperaba. El problema con esta precuela es que es una precuela. Siento que no aportó mucho a la trilogía. A pesar de eso, como novela en si, estaba llena de acción, siempre estaba pasando algo y no te aburrías nunca. Igual sufre mucho del defecto, que para mi tiene la trilogía de Maze runner, la mayoría de los personajes no tienen personalidad. Pero bueno, en sí el libro me gustó, la historia es interesante y quiero continuar con la otra precuela.
This prequel really should be marked as book 4 in the series rather than 0.5. It would have ruined quite a lot for me had I read it before the trilogy.
I didn't enjoy the writing in this one quite as much as in the trilogy but I did appreciate getting some back story to the Flare. It's pretty understandable after seeing such horror (this is quite a lot more disturbing than the trilogy, as it focuses on the madness of The Flare) how people could have been driven to construct the Maze etc., even if they did sacrifice a lot of their humanity to do it.
I didn't enjoy the writing in this one quite as much as in the trilogy but I did appreciate getting some back story to the Flare. It's pretty understandable after seeing such horror (this is quite a lot more disturbing than the trilogy, as it focuses on the madness of The Flare) how people could have been driven to construct the Maze etc., even if they did sacrifice a lot of their humanity to do it.
Holy. Shit.
I'm trying to get my bearings right now because I finished the book like 2 minutes ago and I'm still reeling.
Ok so this book is literally non stop from about page 100 until the end. Literally. Non. Stop. No breaths to catch up and understand until about the second to last chapter and then THE END. I just can not even think straight. I really wanted to have a well thought out intelligent review but I just can't give that right now. The last 50 or so pages are soul-crushing and revealing and I feel like I was just punched in the gut. It fits so perfectly with the series and my brain is just buzzing out of control right now.
Let's try to make some sense of this review. Now that I've blabbered. So the ending basically killed me emotionally, but it worked so. well. with the rest of the novels. What got me with this book and the entire series really is the way it made me think constantly and critically even when I wasn't reading it or focusing on it. My brain has been consumed with those too-deep topics that we hate bringing to the front of our consciousness because it makes us too dizzy and self-consumed. I've been wracking myself with thoughts of humanity and the future and the ideals of existence and holy crap on a cracker I don't even know how to end this damn review.
Just read the series. Then read this prequel. Just do it. It's a great read and it really makes you walk away with a sparked sense of being that we all have but needs to be ignited every once and a while.
I have read other reviews about this saying it was mindless action with no plot. But it is COMPLETELY THE OPPOSITE. Just like those who didn't like the 2nd book in this series, The Scorch Trials, they are looking too much into the side details that were meant to be just that, side details. The cult and sacrificial references were not meant to be so strictly criticized. They were more there for the pure fact that humans go a bit dark side when their brains are rattling inside their sick, bruised, and bloody skulls.
Anyway, I say stop worrying too much about the details and focus on the big picture that Dashner was trying to draw out. Let your mind wander and freak out a little bit on you. I promise it won't hurt as much as the Flare does.
I'm trying to get my bearings right now because I finished the book like 2 minutes ago and I'm still reeling.
Ok so this book is literally non stop from about page 100 until the end. Literally. Non. Stop. No breaths to catch up and understand until about the second to last chapter and then THE END. I just can not even think straight. I really wanted to have a well thought out intelligent review but I just can't give that right now. The last 50 or so pages are soul-crushing and revealing and I feel like I was just punched in the gut. It fits so perfectly with the series and my brain is just buzzing out of control right now.
Let's try to make some sense of this review. Now that I've blabbered. So the ending basically killed me emotionally, but it worked so. well. with the rest of the novels. What got me with this book and the entire series really is the way it made me think constantly and critically even when I wasn't reading it or focusing on it. My brain has been consumed with those too-deep topics that we hate bringing to the front of our consciousness because it makes us too dizzy and self-consumed. I've been wracking myself with thoughts of humanity and the future and the ideals of existence and holy crap on a cracker I don't even know how to end this damn review.
Just read the series. Then read this prequel. Just do it. It's a great read and it really makes you walk away with a sparked sense of being that we all have but needs to be ignited every once and a while.
I have read other reviews about this saying it was mindless action with no plot. But it is COMPLETELY THE OPPOSITE. Just like those who didn't like the 2nd book in this series, The Scorch Trials, they are looking too much into the side details that were meant to be just that, side details. The cult and sacrificial references were not meant to be so strictly criticized. They were more there for the pure fact that humans go a bit dark side when their brains are rattling inside their sick, bruised, and bloody skulls.
Anyway, I say stop worrying too much about the details and focus on the big picture that Dashner was trying to draw out. Let your mind wander and freak out a little bit on you. I promise it won't hurt as much as the Flare does.
Meh. I really liked the original trilogy but this book wasn't as good.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A costado un poco mantener el ritmo, pero una vez empieza las explicaciones, uno esta pegado en querer saber que es lo que pasa despues. Mi conclusion es que el CCP es una organizacion llena de gente estupida.