The Death Cure (James Dashner)

I finished reading "The Death Cure" by James Dashner - and almost a month later, I am finally getting to writing about it!

 

The Death Cure is the third (and final) book in the "Maze Runner" trilogy.  (Check out the descriptions of the other two books here and here.)  In the previous two books, a group of kids is basically put through a series of tests and experiments by a group called "Wicked."  We find out that they are trying to find a cure for "The Flare" (which affects the brain and other systems in your body, eventually making you go crazy.)

 

In "The Death Cure," the children are told that it is the final stage of testing by Wicked - that at the end of this, there will be a cure for The Flare.  At an earlier stage of the experimentation, the memories of all of these children were removed.  Now, in this final testing stage, they are being told that they must have their memories restored in order to find the cure.  Thomas has begun to remember bits and pieces of who he thinks he once was and he is convinced that, despite what he may have previously thought, "Wicked" is bad and he must do whatever he can to save himself and the others around him. 

 

Having read this book 10 months after finishing the second book in the series, I found I was still able to follow the plot and understand what was going on...  I liked this ending to the trilogy, and while it didn't tie up everything that you may have hoped for in the trilogy, I think it left things at a point where you could draw your own conclusions about certain story lines.  (Other readers in the world of the Internet, however, disagree with me here - they found that there were too many things left unresolved and that there was so much more Dashner could have done with this final book in the trilogy.  Again, maybe this has something to do with me having removed myself from the characters and plot of the trilogy for long enough to forget the "little things" that were left unresolved.)

 

As far as action is concerned, there are some exciting points in this book, but the first two novels in the trilogy definitely contained more "Oh my goodness!" moments. 

 

I think this was a great Young Adult series - and I know that I have seen these books read by youth in numerous classrooms while supply teaching.  It was different enough from the Hunger Games (which was the series that initially led me to these James Dashner books) and I think it's the type of book that would appeal to youth of both genders. 

 

For those who did read this series and want more of Thomas and his friends - the prequel to "The Maze Runner" series, titled "The Kill Order", was released in August 2012.  Maybe this will help clear up some of the questions that people still have about "Wicked" and their trials... Knowing about why the experimentation started may help people understand why things ended the way they did!

The Scorch Trials (James Dashner)

I have had a great week supply teaching and some of my days even included a bit of prep time (or at least a quiet lunch break) that were ideal reading times.  I also think it's important to add in this post that in the elementary classes I was in this week, I saw "The Maze Runner" (the first book of this series) in the hands of at least three students.

I discovered this series of books by James Dashner after reading The Hunger Games.  I enjoyed The Hunger Games so much that I wanted to find another series that was similar. The first book in this series was The Maze Runner, which I had said I enjoyed, just not as much as The Hunger Games!  (I think the key here is to not compare it to The Hunger Games, since they are about entirely different things.)  I started The Scorch Trials, not entirely sure what to expect out of it after the ending of book one, but I really enjoyed it.  

Thomas and the rest of the 'shanks' who survived from his life in the Maze (see description of The Maze Runner!) are in a new facility.  While they think that they are finally free of this life of chaos, they are forced again to take part in a trial for WICKED (the World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department).  In this book, the boys have a new member thrown on them (Aris) and in two weeks, they must make it 100 miles north through this desert.  Along the way, they meet (and must fight) Cranks, people who have the "Flare" and are basically crazy in the head, as well as a second group of girls who have been going through similar experiments and trials.  There are a variety of "variables" in this trial, so different individuals have different motives throughout the journey.

It sounds weird, but it was really exciting.  The descriptions are wonderful and you can picture everything that is happening along the journey.  Along with 'seeing' the landscapes and the people, Dashner does a great job of making you really feel the emotions that Thomas is feeling throughout the book. 

This is the second book in a series that currently has 4 books, one of which is to be released this summer.  I've been trying to decide if this book could be a standalone book, or if it should be read after the first book.  I think this book is better read in the order it was intended.  While there are some reminders in this book of things that occurred in The Maze Runner, I think a lot of the terminology and experiences that happened in the first book would make you enjoy The Scorch Trials that much more.  

Similar to the last book, it leaves you satisfied at the end, but more so this time, I just want to pick up the third book, The Death Cure, and start it right away.  I would recommend this book, especially for the Young Adult and teen audience.  (And I'll add that after talking to a student at one school this week, the teens are enjoying this series as well!)

The Maze Runner (James Dashner)

Initially, I had only stopped at Chapters to look for the November/December edition of the National Geographic Traveler.  One of my friends will have a photo featured after being a merit winner in the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.  My friends are just so awesome!

Being too early for the magazine (guess they really do mean that it will be out in November), I was wandering around during a 20% off sale.  I wasn't going to buy anything until I walked by the Young Adults table in the middle of the aisle. 

Usually, I notice and kind of smile at how the Young Adults table is covered in vampire books.  I read the Twilight books and, while I liked getting caught up in the vampire craze at the time, I think I'm done with the vampire world (except for maybe the last two Twilight movies, of course).  This time, I also noticed The Maze Runner by James Dashner on the table.  Not being like all the other vampire books on the table, I picked it up and read the back.  I just had a feeling that it could be another book, like The Hunger Games, that would surprise me and bring me to another world.

Let's start with a short description.  Thomas wakes up in a giant box that has brought him to a place called the Glade.  Around the Glade are large stone walls that open each morning and close each night, leading to a huge maze.  This place has a population that is make up entirely of kids - and they're all boys.  No one really knows why they are there or how to get out.  They only know that every month, a new boy shows up in the box, and that whoever sent them there is watching them and is providing them with the food and supplies they need to survive.  A day after Thomas arrives, there's an unexpected arrival in the box - a girl.  Things start to change in the Glade and everyone works hard to find the answers they need to survive and get out of the weird world they are in. 

I'm not entirely sure where to start with my thoughts on this book.  I liked it - just not as much as I liked The Hunger Games.  I found that it took me a little while to get used to the language used in the book.  And, because of "how they do things" when someone first arrives at the Glade, there were lots of conversations at the beginning of the book that I found confusing - I understand that they have a system for how they introduce people to the environment, but there was almost too much running around in my head for the first few chapters.  Once I got some answers, I found that it all made a lot more sense to me. 

I was intrigued throughout the book, really trying to come up with solutions for the problems these kids were facing in the Glade.  (And I feel uber smart because I came up what they tried in Chapter 42 before the author said it.)

You realize that they're all just kids and that they've been forced to grow up because of the situation they were put in.  I think there could be some great discussions around this theme, especially if this book was used in a classroom setting.

I am somewhat satisfied with the ending.  You feel a little relief for the tension you were feeling, but it does leave you with a twist in the Epilogue...  You kind of want more answers - answers which you hope will be answered in the next book, The Scorch Trials.  I'll probably reserve the next book from the library even though I'll have to wait a month or so before it's in (which is good news for the book - there is a wait list for it!). 

If you're in the mood for something a little different - a book that has some real life themes mixed with a lot of imagination - then I'd recommend this.