The Scorch Trials by James Dashner: Review

The Scorch Trials
By: James Dashner
Review Copy received from publisher
Second book in the Maze Runner Trilogy.


Summary (from Goodreads): Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.
In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

My Review: You know that feeling when you've had a dream that you are certain is important, but you're not exactly sure why? Then as you go through the day you remember less and less and can't quite seem to put it all together? Yeah, that's what this ENTIRE book is like. I almost felt like I needed to take notes to put all of Thomas's random memories and thoughts together. Then I could present him with the finished work and say, "Okay, now would you PLEASE tell me what is going on here."

The Maze Runner left me scratching my head. We are twisted in a completely new direction in The Scorch Trials. We've got all the same people, plus some, and a brand new mission. How is it then that  after I have finished reading the book I feel like I know nothing new about Thomas, or Teresa for that matter.  What these characters need is to sit down and have a serious DTR (discuss the relationship. It's a Utah County thing, I think. Anyone else ever heard that term before?) Anyway, unfortunately everyone is trying so hard to stay alive that there just isn't any time to stop and figure out what in the world is going on.

Basically, James Dashner has set up The Death Cure to answer a lot of questions. It's going to be a doozy of a book. Doing a trilogy this way has its pros and cons. Both The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials are books that I read in one sitting. They are intense, fast-paced, and the plot takes many unexpected turns. This book is kind of unusual in that there is no real villain. It's man vs. nature almost, except nature is controlled by man. We aren't sure who is putting Thomas and his friends through these trials or for what purpose, but we are meant to believe that it is for a good purpose.

I really enjoyed the book, and I know that reluctant readers (especially boys) will love the series. However, if you haven't started the series already, I might recommend waiting until The Death Cure comes out later this year lest your brain explode from anticipation.

My Rating:

Profanity: Just the made up stuff like shuck and klunk and such.
Sexuality: None, just some kissing
Drugs and Alcohol: Very mild. But they've got bigger problems than under-age drinking
Violence: Death and destruction, but not gruesome.

Most Anticipated Books for 2010

Happy New Year!

This will be the first year in a long time that I am not making a resolution to read more. Believe me, I read plenty. I've been flipping through some of the Spring Catalogs, and I'm getting very excited about compiling a new "to-be-read" pile. Here is a list of books I am most looking forward to in 2010.

This World We Live In
By: Susan Beth Pfeffer
April 1, 2010

I was absolutely enthralled by "Life as We Knew It," the first book in this series. The writing was so fantastic, I really had to shake myself out of the story a few times.  I'm not much for a book written in journal form, but it was absolutely necessary in this case, and it came off beautifully.

I can't wait to see where the story goes, and knowing the strength of Susan Beth Pfeffer's writing, it's going to go somewhere you don't expect.

Princess of Glass
By: Jessica Day George
May 25, 2010

I have a author-crush on Jessica Day George. There hasn't been one thing she's written that I haven't loved. "Princess of the Midnight Ball" was no exception, and I'm happy to see a sequel to it.

My favorite thing about Jessica Day George is the way she crafts her characters. They are all important, and they all make up a fantastic story. I am sure this book won't disappoint.







The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)
By: James Dashner
October 2010

The Maze Runner is one of my most recommended books this year. I've recommended it mostly for teenage boys and people who liked the Hunger Games. The first book ended in quite a cliffhanger, so I'll be very interested to see how the story plays out in the sequel.


The Hunger Games: Book 3
By: Suzanne Collins
August 24, 2010

Obviously that isn't the actual title or cover art, but who cares! Hunger Games and Catching Fire were the two best books I read all year. I don't think I've been as invested in a series since Harry Potter. This will be a book that I will go get at midnight if I have to.









Crescendo
By: Becca Fitzpatrick
October 2010

Hush, Hush did what I thought was not possible: Get me to read paranormal romances. There is still a lot of story left to be told, so Crescendo will definitely be one that I'm picking up this year.

Spells
By: Aprilynne Pike
May 4, 2010

I liked "Wings" enough to continue on in the series, and that's saying something for me. Plus, she's a local author for me, and I'm really a sucker for promoting them.

But, I will not read any further in the series if Laurel doesn't end up with who I want her to. And, that's a promise. :P








And, that's my list for 2010! I'm sure it will grow as I discover new authors and stories. But, it looks like a fantastic year for YA! What books are you most looking forward to this year?

The Hunt for the Dark Infinity by James Dashner: Review

The Hunt for the Dark Infinity

(The Thirteenth Reality Part 2)

By: James Dashner

 Description: It's been a quiet summer for Tick, Paul, and Sofia, but the latest message from Master George changes everything. The Realities are in danger and from something more terrible than Mistress Jane and the mutated Chi karda of the Thirteenth Reality. People from all Realities are unexplainably going insane. Worse, some Realities are fragmenting, disintegrating into nothingness. Master George has learned that Mr. Chu from the Fourth Reality is working on a mysterious new weapon called Dark Infinity. But no one has any idea how to stop the weapon or even if it can be stopped. To make matters worse, Tick and his friends have been kidnapped, forced to wink from Reality to Reality, solving impossible riddles in order to survive the deadly traps surrounding them. Mistress Jane and Tick find themselves in a race to reach the weapon first but who will destroy it and who will become its master?

Review: I really liked the first book in this series. And, many of the things I loved about book one continued into book two. It's really refreshing to have active parental involvement in a middle reader/YA book. Often, the parents seem totally out of the picture. In this series, the parents are aware of Tick's role in the realities and support him in his mission, even though it is difficult for them. (Frankly, if they knew half the stuff he had to do, they might be less supportive).

Atticus is a great character. I think a lot of kids (especially boys) can relate to his character. He's a good student, struggles with bullies and self-image. I really liked seeing his character evolve more in this book. He is a loyal friend, and does a good job of keeping the peace between his two friends.

The only complaint I have about the book is that sometimes it's a little technical and long winded. By technical, I mean that James Dashner has obviously put in a lot of effort to make a very complex world/reality. Sometimes the jargon (made up) is a little hard to follow. But, it doesn't take away significantly from the story.

Rating:

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book-A-Likes: This book would be great for boys 9-12 that like fantasy. It's similar to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Harry Potter by JK Rowling, and other books where a group of kids learn their true identities and attempt to save the world.

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Sexuality: None

Violence: Mild. There is a little fighting.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner: Review

The Maze Runner

By: James Dashner

Blurb from back:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Review:

This book definitely kept me on my toes. Similar to Jason Borne in The Bourne Identity and other amnesia-plagued characters, you find yourself trying so hard to piece together the little information given to you by the author into a back story for the character.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is some of my favorite to read, because I really enjoy the aspect of human survival. Every book has its own flavor of how people survive when situations aren't ideal. What I liked about The Maze Runner was the many different conflicts that contributed to the story. Thomas is conflicted about his past, he wants to know who he is and where he came from. But, once the truth begins to come out, he is rightly conflicted about wanting to know more. Thomas is also conflicted about the information that he gives to the leaders of the group, and the information he's holding in his thoughts. There are of course environmental conflicts as would be expected with a group of boys governing themselves. This is increased with the addition of a girl to the Glade.

I liked the characters in the books. Even though there were quite a few to keep track of, I felt like they were all easily distinguishable from each other. Each contributed to the story in an important way. I especially felt a connection to Thomas' first roommate Chuck. It gives a little bit of a softer edge to the otherwise hardened life at the Glade.

I only had a couple things I didn't like about the book, and they definitely weren't deal breakers. The first was the made up slang. I also didn't like it in Ender's Game.  I felt like it really clogged up the dialogue sometimes, and regular slang words would do.

Also, I felt like not enough was done with the female character in the story. This can be easily remedied in the sequel; however, and I'm sure she'll make a bigger impact.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I highly recommend this book for boys, especially ones that don't especially like to read. It's a fast-paced, easy read that will leave you thinking about it for days. I gave it four stars.

Rating:

Profanity: Mild, and it's not actual swear words used in every-day English, but made up slang

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Sexuality: Mildly hinted at when the girl first arrives

Violence: Mild. People do die in the book, but it's not overly graphic.

Books similar to this one: Ender's Game, Lord of the Flies

In accordance with FTC guidelines please note that I received a review copy from Delacorte Press for Young Readers. I was not compensated for this review.

Authorpalooza!

I really feel fortunate to live in a state with so many talented authors! On August 11 I went with some friends to Authorpalooza at a local Barnes and Noble. There were over 30 authors there, and it was so much fun!

First, we kind of camped out at Jessica Day George's table. I have recently become totally obsessed with her books. Dragon Slippers was such a pleasant surprise that I seriously read just about everything else I could get my hands on, and raved about it to everyone I know. I have really enjoyed all of her books, and it was a real pleasure to meet her.

Kind of funny story too. I was talking to my friends about how disappointed I was that Shannon Hale's new book, Forest Born was not going to have the same style of beautiful cover that the others have had. Jessica Day George politely called me out that authors have little to no say in what happens to their book covers. Which is true, and I knew it, but I did feel a little sheepish.


Our next stop was to meet the great James Dashner. What a nice guy! I'm expecting an ARC of his newest book, The Maze Runner sometime within the next month, and I'm so excited to read it. I really enjoyed The Thirteenth Reality, which I will get a review up for sometime.... My pull to the book was that the main character's name is Atticus, which I love! Anyway, can't wait to see more good work from him!
Then I got to meet the very lovely Laura Bingham, author of Alvor. I am just starting this book, but I'm so excited to read it! A book club on Goodreads is reading this, and I was having a heck of a time getting a copy since it wasn't in my library. In the end, I got a nice signed copy. Laura Bingham was super nice, and I'm pretty sure her book will be a big hit. (I'm hoping to see Alvor in a hardcover edition, since I just love the feel of hardcover books.)



Last on our trip was Carol Lynch Williams author of The Chosen One. I haven't read this book either, but I've heard so many good things about it from fellow bloggers that I knew I had to get a copy. Carol Lynch Williams also so nice and I could tell a little disappointed I hadn't read the book yet. But, I promise I'm going to get to it very soon!

This was a fantastic event! I really hope that Barnes and Noble will continue to do events like this, because I really love getting out and meeting authors.

Stay tuned for more reviews from these fine authors and many more!