Book Thoughts: The Death Cure

Title: The Death Cure
Author: James Dashner
Series: Maze Runner #3

I was really excited to get my hands on this one after the first two books in the trilogy. I don't know whether it was that I hadn't read the earlier books in a while or what, but The Death Cure didn't really live up to my expectations.

It was still good -- I still liked the characters and it was fascinating seeing the development of everything with the illness and the real world outside the maze and all of that. It was a fascinating setting, but it felt... redundant?

I don't know. I think there could have been a lot more closure (I wish there had been), I think the story could have ended better. Not plot-wise, but writing-wise. I wanted to see a better conclusion to the trilogy.

Mind you, even knowing that I would be kind of disappointed, I would still definitely read it, because after the first two, you have to know how it ends. And I feel like I'm making it sound like it was a terrible book -- it wasn't. It just wasn't up to par with the first two-thirds of the trilogy.

Book Thoughts: The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Series: Maze Runner #1

When Thomas wakes up in the lift and finds himself in a strange place called the Glade, he has no idea what to expect, mostly because he knows nothing about himself - not his name, not who his parents are, not his birthday, nothing. The other boys quickly inform him that one new boy arrives every thirty days, that he will have to work but should be safe, and that he must never, ever enter the Maze. There's one problem with that: Thomas feels drawn to the Maze, and knows right away that he is meant to be a Runner - one of the Gladers who enter the Maze every day, trying to map it out and find some sort of pattern, some sort of escape.

It took me a while to get into this book, although part of that was probably because I have had so much going on with school and college applications and my thesis project that I haven't had much time for reading. Once I did get into it, though, I loved this book. So much. The premise is just fascinating - an unsolvable maze, a mystery girl, a conspicuous lack of memories...plus the plot is not totally focused on romance. AND I didn't completely figure out what was going to happen before the end! Bits and pieces of it, maybe, but I was still totally taken aback by a lot of what happened, which I love.

And Thomas is a great character. I don't find a whole lot of male protagonists that I actually like in YA, so that's cool, but even if male protagonists were the most common thing ever, Thomas is awesome. And I love the other characters as well - mystery girl (whose name I'll not tell you, since you don't find out until probably almost halfway through the book) totally kicks butt, and Chuck and Newt and Minho are all awesome too.

There is so much to love about this book. Thomas, the plot, just the whole thing. The beginning's a little slow, but do not give up! The Maze Runner will totally rock your socks off. Because it's awesome like that.

Book Thoughts: The Scorch Trials

Title: The Scorch Trials
Author: James Dashner
Series: Maze Runner #2

*Potential spoilers for book 1*

I'm going to try to avoid too many spoilers for The Maze Runner, but the premise of this book is based on the fact that in the end of the first one, they escape from the maze, so that's kind of a big spoiler right there (although maybe not...I dunno, guess it depends how you look at it). Anyway, The Scorch Trials is set in the Scorch, which is basically post-apocalyptic Mexico. Thomas and the other Gladers race against time and the mysterious Group B, apparently composed entirely of girls, to get to the mysterious "safe haven" within two weeks. If they fail, their lives are forfeit.

I felt like The Scorch Trials did an excellent job of maintaining the same sort of feel as the first book but without blatantly repeating itself. I loved the new characters (particularly Brenda), although I'm still making up my mind about Aris. I loved finally seeing what the outside world looks like. James Dashner has created a fascinating post-apocalyptic dystopian universe, and I know I for one am absolutely fascinated by WICKED and I can't wait for the final book in the series so I can find out what's up with WICKED.

My one complaint is that the walking through the desert started to drag in places, but on the whole, it was really well done and it very rarely slowed down. It kept me turning pages, eager to find out what happened. And just to put this out there: Thomas is a kick-butt protagonist. Seriously, he's awesome.