A Vintage Reads Young Adult Review: The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner, 2) by James Dashner, October 12, 2010. 360 pages. Published by Delacorte Press. Source: Own

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. 
Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.
The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off. 
There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.

First Sentence

She spoke to him before the world fell apart.

It has been one of those years where you just now realize that you, or should I say I, failed to talk about a book I read last December...yeah! The problem is that I quite enjoyed The Scorch Trials, I just never found the words, nor time, to discuss it here on the blog.

• Even though I knew that things were not over for Thomas and the Gladers, I was still quite shocked to see the fresh horror that awaited them outside of the Maze. Talk about adding insult to injury there. Seriously though, I don't know who felt worse, me for the characters or the characters when they realized that they were not, in fact, home free. But you know what, the author did a great job of progressing the story line and keeping the intensity rolling; which made it nearly impossible to walkaway from.

• One of the things that really impressed me with The Scorch Trials would have to be the way the author brought the world to life. He did a fantastic job making it so vivid; also makes one glad that the Scorch is fictional and not real. 

• As much as I enjoyed the vividness of the world, it was the characters' stories that really made me like the book. Their actions throughout the book, as they tried to make their way across the hostile land, was like reading about a historical battle because they were all trying to survive yet they did not want to leave any of their wounded behind. In short, it was the human nature on display in all its good and bad. So very interesting.

• The Scorch Trials was probably one of my favorite reads last year. It just had so many facets that made it irresistible. The writing and plot were fast paced; before I knew it, I had read half the book because I could not stand to put it down. Yes, it is gory in the sense that some of the characters face gruesome fates, some that survive them and some that don't, but it is fact no worse them what you come across in most PG-13 movies these days (kind of reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Last Ark).  

Final Verdict: Addicting, as you just can't turn away until you know who's going to be left standing at the end. Fast paced, dark and, well, rather fascinating!

The Scorch Trials earns

A copy of this book was purchased by me. All thoughts are my own.