The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

To read our review of the first book in this series click here: The Maze Runner.


Title: The Scorch Trials (Book 2 of The Maze Runner trilogy)
Author: James Dashner
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Rating: Like
Alerts/Warnings: High Violence - Low Swearing.
Premise: "After surviving horrific conditions in the Maze, Thomas is entrapped, along with nineteen other boys, in a scientific experiment designed to observe their responses and gather data believed to be essential for the survival of the human race." (King County Library)
Opinions: This book is a New York Time Bestseller written for teenagers. I read one site that even said it was marketed for 9-12 year olds. In my opinion, do not let them read it until 14 or 15 at the earliest and only if you read it first. Why you may ask? Because this is a VIOLENT book. There is death left and right because this is a world in the middle of an apocalypse. Half the world has been killed by solar flares and the other half is at risk of catching the FLARE, a virus, that is spreading rapidly and with disastrous consequences.

Okay, now that you've had my disclaimers let me tell you what I really like about this book. I was drawn into the storyline and the characters -- plain and simple. If the world faced a major natural disaster that wiped out a good portion of the world and the survival of the rest of the world lay in the hands of two groups of teenagers put into horrendous circumstances wouldn't you be on the edge of you seat wondering if they would be able to do pull it off? Like the first book in this series, I was drawn to Thomas and Teresa as they have a complex past that reveals itself slowly through the story. The big frustration is that WICKED, the government organization placing the teenagers through the trials, likes to turn everything you know on its head. Can you really trust your friends? Is what you are experiencing reality? Who really are the good guys?

This book is an emotional roller coaster ride, but one that was hard to put down. Oh and for those who have read THE HUNGER GAMES many reviewers are comparing this series to that. I personally haven't read THE HUNGER GAMES yet as I'm still on the waiting list at the library. So you will have to let me know which series you prefer.