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A review by beaktastic
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
4.0
Another exciting read from James Dashner, as Thomas & co. continue to fight for their lives and try and figure out what is going on.
The Scorch Trials picks up pretty much immediately where The Maze Runner left off - Thomas and the other Gladers have escaped the Maze and have been taken somewhere safe... or so they think. Before long, they are thrown headfirst into more challenges. WICKED tell them they have been infected with the Flare, and they're only hope of survival is to cross the Scorch within two weeks and reach the Safe Haven if they want to be cured. But it sounds a lot easier than it really is, and Thomas and co. find themselves fighting for their lives. To make things worse, Teresa has mysteriously disappeared, and been replaced with a strange boy called Aris, with whom Thomas shares an interesting secret...
This was another exciting read. I loved reading more about Thomas and the gang and seeing them face completely different problems to the first book, but with familiar themes and ideas. It was interesting to see how they adapted to the various problems they had to face.
It was a bit of a mind thriller as well as an exciting rollercoaster. There were parts where you could tell that WICKED were just trying to mess with the Gladers heads and such, but then there were other parts where you were unsure about whether or not they were behind some of the stuff that was going on. It was confusing yet intriguing at the same time and I found myself constantly guessing what was going on, like the Gladers were.
At the same time though, I felt like Dashner still hasn't explained everything. Some of the unanswered questions from the first book remained unanswered, and he introduced more things that I was confused about. I think I can guess some of it, but it would be nice for Dashner to explain in book 3 why some of the stuff that happened had to happen... if that makes sense... for example,
I felt like the characters had grown and developed somewhat to the first book, particularly Thomas, but at the same time I felt we didn't get to see favourite characters such as Minho or Newt develop enough. I felt like Dashner tried to suggest they had grown through their actions and interactions, and to suggest a greater level of friendship and camaraderie than we necessarily saw in the first book, without showing this development happen. Despite this though, I do think Dashner's characterisation of his characters and his ability to make Thomas a more sympathetic and relatable protagonist has grown and improved and will likely improve further in the next book. Thomas wasn't quite as thick and annoying as he was in the first book, apart from.
Throughout the book are scattered 'dreams' Thomas has of his pre-amnesia self and Teresa as they grow up before they enter the Maze and things they learn and overhear. This is obviously to give the reader more backstory and hint at things which will probably be discussed in book 3, but at the same time it just kinda felt like lazy story telling to me a bit... Every few chapters Thomas would fall asleep and dream-remember more stuff about him and Teresa and WICKED.
Overall though, an exciting book, full of twists and turns keeping both the characters and the readers on their toes, plus an epilogue to keep the reader hooked and hint at stuff for book 3. A good read. Onto The Death Cure!
The Scorch Trials picks up pretty much immediately where The Maze Runner left off - Thomas and the other Gladers have escaped the Maze and have been taken somewhere safe... or so they think. Before long, they are thrown headfirst into more challenges. WICKED tell them they have been infected with the Flare, and they're only hope of survival is to cross the Scorch within two weeks and reach the Safe Haven if they want to be cured. But it sounds a lot easier than it really is, and Thomas and co. find themselves fighting for their lives. To make things worse, Teresa has mysteriously disappeared, and been replaced with a strange boy called Aris, with whom Thomas shares an interesting secret...
This was another exciting read. I loved reading more about Thomas and the gang and seeing them face completely different problems to the first book, but with familiar themes and ideas. It was interesting to see how they adapted to the various problems they had to face.
It was a bit of a mind thriller as well as an exciting rollercoaster. There were parts where you could tell that WICKED were just trying to mess with the Gladers heads and such, but then there were other parts where you were unsure about whether or not they were behind some of the stuff that was going on. It was confusing yet intriguing at the same time and I found myself constantly guessing what was going on, like the Gladers were.
At the same time though, I felt like Dashner still hasn't explained everything. Some of the unanswered questions from the first book remained unanswered, and he introduced more things that I was confused about. I think I can guess some of it, but it would be nice for Dashner to explain in book 3 why some of the stuff that happened had to happen... if that makes sense... for example,
Spoiler
Why did Thomas HAVE to be betrayed? Was it just to stimulate certain patterns in his brain? Or was it something else? What the hell actually happened in the gas chamber after that? I don't get it? And why were Teresa and Aris allowed to just admit to it all and go on their merry way afterwards? Why was the whole book basically setting this situation up? I JUST DON'T GET IT. I get that Thomas is clearly their favourite Candidate or whatever, but still. It just doesn't really make a whole load of sense to me apart from to create drama... I dunno, hopefully Dashner will elucidate on this in book 3.I felt like the characters had grown and developed somewhat to the first book, particularly Thomas, but at the same time I felt we didn't get to see favourite characters such as Minho or Newt develop enough. I felt like Dashner tried to suggest they had grown through their actions and interactions, and to suggest a greater level of friendship and camaraderie than we necessarily saw in the first book, without showing this development happen. Despite this though, I do think Dashner's characterisation of his characters and his ability to make Thomas a more sympathetic and relatable protagonist has grown and improved and will likely improve further in the next book. Thomas wasn't quite as thick and annoying as he was in the first book, apart from
Spoiler
the bit with Teresa and Aris towards the end - it was so obvious I thought that there was some kind of trick going on, but it was just so confusing generally that I can't really blame Thomas I supposeThroughout the book are scattered 'dreams' Thomas has of his pre-amnesia self and Teresa as they grow up before they enter the Maze and things they learn and overhear. This is obviously to give the reader more backstory and hint at things which will probably be discussed in book 3, but at the same time it just kinda felt like lazy story telling to me a bit... Every few chapters Thomas would fall asleep and dream-remember more stuff about him and Teresa and WICKED.
Overall though, an exciting book, full of twists and turns keeping both the characters and the readers on their toes, plus an epilogue to keep the reader hooked and hint at stuff for book 3. A good read. Onto The Death Cure!