REVIEW: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

TITLE: The Scorch Trials

AUTHOR: James Dashner

PUBLISHED: October 2010

GENRE: YA, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic,

SERIES: Book #2 of the Maze Runner Trilogy

WHERE I GOT IT: ebook borrowed from the library

READ FROM: February 28^th to March 2^nd 2013

NOTE: I try my hardest to give a spoiler free reviews but sometimes when talking about a book it is hard to keep it that way. When that is the case I like to warn readers that my review will give things away. This review might have some things that could spoil parts of the story for you. So read with caution or skip down to my final thoughts on the book.

ABOUT BLURB: Solving the riddle of the maze was supposed to be the end but instead the Gladers find that WICKED is not done with them yet and has given them the task of crossing the scorch, the most burned out and dangerous section in the world, and get to a safe haven in two weeks time. It's not as easy as it sounds since the Cranks are at every turn and WICKED is up to their old tricks again, throwing variables at them that not even Thomas would have expected. Will they finally find answers and a cure in the safe haven?

WHAT I HATED: I was a bit disappointed by this book considering I really loved the Maze Runner. For the most part it was good. There were new pieces to the puzzle thrown into the mix but it really didn't answer anything. I really didn't expect all the answers, after all there is another book but DAMN I wanted something!

Instead we are giving a small explanation for the point of the Trails that made me scratch my head because I fail to see how mapping patterns in the “kill zone” would help them create a cure for the flare. I just don't understand the logic. The only thing I can think of for that to be true is if the flare was actually a mental disease. Yet we know that can't be true because numerous times we are told that the flare was a man made disease that got out and spread rapidly. I only hope that we will get answers in the third book but from what I have been reading I am not expecting much. Which makes me think how can you write a trilogy with no answers!?

I also found numerous sentences that rubbed me the wrong way. I hate the use of the phrases “all to well” and “it was all he could do”. I don't know why but they bug me and I noticed it a lot in this book. So much that eventually I started focusing more on that then the story itself at one point which was a shame.

CHARACTERS: I also have started hating Thomas. I found his lack of understanding of why Teresa “betrayed” him annoying. Like seriously? You should be royally pissed at WICKED for making her do that not start to boo hooing about how he can't believe she still did it. She should have let you DIE Thomas she didn't because your her FRIEND so FORGIVE HER ALREADY! It really makes me question if he would have done the same for her if the situations were reversed? He seemed to really distance himself from her once the new “love” interest Brenda came on scene. I can't really decide if this is supposed to be a love triangle or what because I really don't find it to be that convincing if it was. I hated Brenda right from the beginning and I never really saw Teresa and Thomas ever getting together anyways.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I really do like the concept and the strange twists that are thrown at us but I hate that we never get any answers. I really want there to be a really good reason for everything, I really really do! I hope that the last in the trilogy gives us some answers because I felt like the second book gave just gave us more questions then answers. Right now I still don't see the POINT of what WICKED is making them go through. I don't see why if the flare infection is contagious and transmitted so easily why are these people who are immune not in a laboratory being tested to find out why they are immune. What makes them so different from everyone else?

Having said all that I’ve come to realize that even though I love the YA genre and ever since I challenged myself to actually think about a book I finish more critically then I have in the past that I am still looking through and reading this as an adult. Reading the reviews from younger readers makes me feel that maybe I am just being too critical of any story and that maybe I should enjoy the book for what is is and not be so picky.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars