“No. I kind of accepted it, in a way. That saving you was worth losing what we might’ve had.” Ch. 56
Title: The Scorch Trials
Author: James Dashner
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
ISBN: 0385738757
Pages: 368
Year: 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Personal Collection
Rating: 4/5
Summary:
[Spoilers for prior book only]. Thomas and the other Gladers have been rescued. They believe their biggest troubles are in the past. They are wrong. The Maze was only the first phase of a larger test W.I.C.K.E.D. is putting them through. And they are about to begin phase two. Dropped in the middle of the dessert, Thomas and his companions must survive an even greater challenge than the maze.
My Thoughts:
My feeling toward The Scorch Trials roughly mirror my feeling toward The Maze Runner. I was frustrated for much of the novel. Not because I wasn’t enjoying it but because we don’t know anything more than Thomas. And Thomas doesn’t know very much. Despite anxiously awaiting the book, I didn’t get to it right away and I started and stopped a lot in the beginning. But once I got about halfway, I was hooked. The Scorch Trials is fast-paced, full of impossible tasks and characters you can’t help but cheer for.
During a difficult, life-altering moment for Thomas, Dashner’s writing shines through:
“Life took its time as it drained from the man, as the light in his maddened eyes faded, as the grunts and the physical strain to hold on slowly quieted and stilled.” Ch. 34
And a few pages later:
“And then, impossibly, they slept.” Ch. 34
And finally, despite the dark, desperate feeling throughout The Scorch Trials, there are a few shining moments of humor:
“‘What the hell’s a beetle blade?’ Jorge asked.
Thomas answered. ‘Little mechanical lizard things that spied on us with cameras in the Maze.’
Jorge rolled his eyes. ‘Of course. Sorry I asked.'” Ch. 42
In the end, I enjoyed The Scorch Trials. And I will eagerly read the final book in the trilogy, The Death Cure, in October.
Other Reviews: Bookshelves of Doom; Reeder Reads; Chick Loves Lit; S. Krishna’s Books
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