The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, Book 2) Kindle Edition

The first one wasn't a literary masterpiece, but I enjoyed it. This one was just painful. Possibly the stupidest book I've ever managed to finish. A high body count doesn't make for an interesting read.All the bits about founding a society were gone, replaced by a series of events that just felt like sheer randomness. People would get kidnapped only to be rescued half a chapter later. There was no forward momentum, just a bunch of running in place. The kids end up almost exactly at the same place in the end as they started in the beginning, with very few additional answers.A bunch of kids died, but they were all NPCs (literally labelled as having no importance whatsoever) and no one even bothered to stop for even the pretense of mourning. There were what, eleven people in the group and Thomas couldn't even figure out their names.Very few of the puzzles could be solved mentally. Most of them were "press x not to die" - style. Survival seemed to rely on flipping a coin. And when anyone who had any actual story relevance got hurt, it never actually had any effect on the plot. Got massive burns? Don't worry. They won't have any impact on you at all, despite the fact you're running across a desert with no water. (Not that there was much thirst, despite the fact that they were traveling on something called The Scorch.)Instead of learning anything interesting about the world, most of the main character's internal runtime is devoted to the world's most tepid love triangle. I felt like I was being slapped to death by red herrings. Does she love me? Is she going to betray me? No, because you're stuck in a stupid YA book that thinks senseless plot twists cause adrenaline rushes.Then there were the portions of the book that just made me burst out laughing. ARE YOU AFRAID OF ZOMBIES STEALING YOUR NOSE? DO YOU BELIEVE BRAIN DISEASES CAN BE CURED BY FEELZ? DO YOU LIKE HISPANIC PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS ADD MUCHACHO TO THE END OF THEIR SENTENCES? IF SO, THIS BOOK MIGHT BE FOR YOU!!!Or, to reiterate: ugggggghhhhhh.

Having escaped the villainous maze that kept him and his fellow Gladers trapped by WICKED, Thomas believes that he and his friends are now safe from harm. But then Teresa, Thomas' strongest link to his forgotten past, disappears, and the illusion of sanctuary shatters when the Gladers are forced to go on a harrowing quest across the sun scorched earth. Nothing is familiar, everything deadly. Stalked by heinous monsters far more evil than the Grievers ever were, bizarre and devastating weather, the dark, insane victims of the world wide virus known as the Flare, and a mysterious other group of Gladers - who may just want Thomas dead - the survivors of the Maze Trials are running out of time, and may end up paying with their lives...OK, so, I read the first book, The Maze Runner, and was hooked. It was honestly the best young adult novel I had read in a while, and I was on fire to get The Scorch Trials (no pun intended). I was very pleased when the book came earlier than expected, and I began to read immediately.Well...To be honest, it wasn't that great of a story. I mean, I loved reading it and all, don't get me wrong, but it was just the kids walking across the desert, and slowly getting bumped off by new monsters (um..please tell me if anyone else was upset when Thomas didn't save Jack). Maybe Dashner was trying to do away with unnecessary characters... but, if that was a case, he could have tried a tad bit harder. I mean, Jorge - I'm sorry if that isn't how it's spelled - was barely in it, after the initial bargaining scene.Another thing...wow. WHAT was with that movie?

(Coming from someone who has read it twice) The 2nd book of “The Maze Runner” series wrote by: James Dashner “The Scorch Trials” is without a doubt one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year as well as the series! If you read the first book in the series, then you need to read “The Scorch Trials”. If you are into dystopian novels, action, adventure, survival, and even zombies then this book great for you.(Warning there are spoilers in this review) “Thomas” and his friends have just been picked up by “W.C.K.D” The evil corporation that has been putting them through these tests. “W.C.K.D” gives the kids pizza when they get back from the maze and the next morning wake up in a weird room in “W.C.K.D”. “Thomas” is still morning over the death of his best friend “Chuck” and the rest of the guys that were lost in the “Maze”. “Thomas, Newt, Minho, Teresa, and a few other Gladers” escape W.C.K.D after learning that (spoiler!) they wanted to kill “Thomas” all along and that they put them in the maze. The Gladers escape with the hopes of not being captured and being tested on anymore but soon come to realize just what the “Flare” is face to face out in the “Scorch”. This story is amazing and almost seems hopeless for the “Gladers” but new faces will come into play in the story as well as losing some key character along the way.This story is different from the “The Maze Runner” where everything was being controlled by “W.C.K.D” but now Mother Nature and the “Flare” control them and what they plan on doing in this hopeless story for a cure of the “Flare”. The choice is yours to whether to read this badass book about survival and zombies! Or you could just not read it at all.

I saw the movie first and then read the three books in the series. Although I sort of enjoyed the books, they are quite different from the movie and the movie is way, way better. The idea is great, but poorly worked out: characters are shallow and do not seem to have logical conversations. They talk endlessly when things are on the verge of bursting. They react illogically given the dire situations at hand; not natural. Also quite a lot of repetition with all the beasties that appear from everywhere and one beastie simply being a variation on the previous beastie. Language constructs are poor and very simple. The author did unfortunately not exploit a great theme and I therefore gave it only a three star rating.

I have to say I was rather unimpressed with Scorch Trials. I thought the first book was far better.Scorch Trials wasn't exciting or thrilling, it didn't have me on edge wondering what's gonna happen to the characters. I found it quite boring and hard to read. Even though I read it in roughly 4 hours, I think the reason I read it so fast was because I was anticipating something really exciting to happen but it never came.To be a bit more positive I thought the beginning and end were alright. But I was most disappointed with the middle. From everything I've learnt at school, the middle of a book should have a few interesting things happening. Scorch Trials did not succeed that.In the first book I thought Thomas' cleverness showed through very well and you knew from the beginning he was special but in scorch trials I felt like I couldn't connect with the character and Thomas seekers to go along with what everyone else was saying without having a mind and voice of his own.After reading the first book I was eager to read scorch trials to find out what happened to everyone but now I'm not so eager to start reading the third book.Sorry for such a negative review I usually write more positive reviews. Scorch Trials just didn't meet my expectations.

I really enjoyed the first maze runner book. It transported me to a world i had never experienced both in a book and in the real world. The setting,the plotf and thr charactersz were amazingly drawn and presented to me . The plot was extremely intriguing and lured me into buying the second book which i am now going to talk about .The second bok started strongly and i was again lured into the wirld of maze runners. But before i could finish the book i stopped. The book and the main male character was starting to get extremely lovey dovey and slightlhy inaproppriate for yonger readers like me. I havent touched the book since and dont think i will until feel ready to read this sort if gender.I hope i dont sound like i hate these books . I really liked them. If you are a tennager or an adult I would tell you to most certainly read this book. Its unique . Its powerful. And its excellent . Im pretty sure when i reach teenage years i will not be able to stop reading these books.!I just dont feel quite ready to read them rigvht now

While this novel was very fast paced and I certainly didn't get bored while reading it, I found it to be a very disappointing sequel to The Maze Runner. It really just felt a bit like filler as it didn't really expand on the ideas of the first novel at all. In fact, I don't really think that I found out anything that I didn't already know. I'm still none the wiser about what WICKED are doing at all.This is especially disappointing given how unique the previous book was. I loved the concept of the Maze - it was so unique and filled with mysteries. The setting of the Scorch Trials is a desert with insanity zombies. That's far less attention grabbing. Most of the characters also didn't get a lot of development this time around. Important characters like Newt and Minho are relegated to the background and new ones like Brenda and Aris aren't really given enough page time for me to feel as though I got to know them.At least Thomas is still likable, although I worry that he's increasingly becoming a Gary Stu as the novel does have a few messianic hints about his importance. Teresa on the other hand has dropped in my estimations. No spoilers here but I really liked her in The Maze Runner. Now...let's just say that I could stand never to see her again.All in all, I still do want to know how this series finishes if nothing else than to wrap up the mystery of what WICKED's variables are going to be used for. Unfortunately, however, I'm not nearly as excited about this series anymore.

After reading the first book and that being somewhat shadowed by the fact I'd watched the film first I was really looking forward to reading The Scorch Trials and it didn't dissapoint.A FEW SPOILERS AHEADVery early on you realise the maze was just the beginning, Thomas and the Gladers are now facing the next test in blistering heat, with constant manipulation from WICKED and the horrors of the infected. With this book it begins as if they are now finished with the trials, lulled into a false sense of security which is instantly ripped away. It's an intense book that will shock you moment to moment. You realise that WICKED is even more powerful than you might have realised from the first book, hung bodies appearing and disappearing in a moment, invisible walls etc. What I liked most of all is that the author does not waste time, the story flows well and the chapters are short but punchy. What is fascinating about this book and the first is that all these trials and tests are being designed strictly to gather the right information they need for safe guarding humanity and yet they still don't reveal exactly why they are needing all these variables which keeps you guessing. This book will have you question some of the Gladers motives and will give you more of an insight into Thomas' life with flashbacks and incoherent memories.So with all of that I still only give it 4 stars. Why? At times even with all that happens you question how certain characters are motivated - Teresa in particular. But WICKED is good!