Book of the Month - October 2011

The Book of the Month award for October 2011 goes t0...

...The Death Cure by James Dashner

I think that it is safe to say I knew that this would be the book of the month before the book even came out. You all know I love this series as Maze Runner was last December's Book of the Month, and now that I have read each book a few times I think that Scorch Trials may have really deserved it, but as I said in Death Cure's review, it tops both to be the best in the series.

Anything else would be redundant, and since I just wrote Death Cure's review about a half an hour ago, I don't feel like restating all of that, so I'll just leave you plenty of links to the review. Like this one.

Wait, I do have more to say! As I briefly mentioned in the Death Cure review, James Dashner is writing a prequel to the Maze Runner Trilogy! It will be entitled "The Kill Order" and is scheduled to release next August.

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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The Death Cure

The Death Cure
Maze Runner Trilogy
Book 3

James Dashner

Synopsis:
Thomas and the Gladers have been told that they are finally done with the Trials. WICKED has all the data that they need to create the blueprint for a cure. Or so they say... After all of the Lies, Thomas, Minho, and Newt don't know what to believe, and when Rat Man Jansen brings them to get the Swipe removed, the trio decide they don't want their minds messed with any more. After a failed escape attempt and period in confinement, Jansen says that WICKED must restore Thomas, Minho, and Newt's memories, but surprisingly Brenda, who has worked for WICKED the entire time, helps them escape at the last minute. After wandering the surprisingly empty WICKED complex, the group escapes with the help of Jorge and his Berg. After arriving in Denver, the group is confronted by a group known as the Right Arm, a secret organization trying to overthrow WICKED! After all they have been through, all of the friends they have watch die, Thomas, Newt and Minho finally have a chance to strike back at the organization that started it all...

My Thoughts:
Wow. I knew this series was good, one of the best I had ever read, but The Death Cure pushed it WAY over the top. For this first time in my life, I can actually say that I have a favorite series: The Maze Runner Trilogy. (Which won't exactly be a trilogy for long....if you saw my facebook post the other day you already know this: a prequel is in the works! I'm pumped!) Okay, I guess I need to focus just on THIS book. Alright, first of all, James Dashner did a phenomenal job at creating the outside world. I can only imagine how complicated it would be to create a world that is advanced enough to have WICKED's technology, scared enough to be ravaged by the Flare, and is still realistic. However, his description of Denver and the Crank Palace are very believable and logical. Little details such as holographic ads in the city and all of the glass at the Crank Palace being broken for weapons show just how much thought was put into making a realistic environment. Also, the character development is great. The whole conflict with Newt as he nears the Gone is.... well I don't even know how to describe it. You become Thomas in those scenes. The emotion in them is so powerful I had to stop reading for a few minutes just to pull myself back together. Another complicated relationship is Theresa. With her betrayal and love of WICKED she becomes hard to like, but the relationship she and Thomas developed in the first book still makes you want to like her. Although Brenda certainly complicates the relationship. And then WICKED..... I still don't know if they are good or not. That last page of that report at the very end of the book was so strong I was in shock for a few minutes. (I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but I was sort of the same way after finishing Everfound, but even worse this time.) And then how WICKED wants to get the last information from Thomas....it reminds me of Unwind....I really freaked out when they were about to start the final procedure... All of the complexity and detail of this series continues to amaze me, even after rereading the books multiple times. Even more incredible is that each book continued to get better and better, which so rarely happens. This last book captivated me so much I read it in one day. I downloaded it to my Kindle the moment I woke up the day it was released and read until I finished it that night. And this was on a school day. Since then, I have been able to convince a few of my friends to start this series and they have all loved it. Some of them haven't read for fun in years and this series has rekindled a joy of reading. I think that is the ultimate compliment a book can get.

Questions for Thought:
1. How would you react if you were one of those not immune?

2. Would you choose to get your memories back? Why or why not?

3. Would you risk trying to escape, or would you play along with WICKED?

4. Could you really trust Brenda after learning she lied to you in the Scorch?

5. How would you react knowing that Theresa and the other Gladers left you behind?

6. After escaping from WICKED, where would you go? Would you go to Denver to make sure WICKED can't control you anymore, or would you run to some secluded part of the world and start a new life?

7. Would you be able to trust Gally after everything he did in the Maze and immediately after?

8. How would you react to Newt in the Crank Palace?

9. Would you be able to kill one of your closest friends if they desperately wanted it? Especially if it would save them from suffering and hurting others?

10. Would you be able to sacrifice yourself for the hope that it would cure the Flare?


Please leave your comments and answers!

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The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials
Maze Runner Trilogy
Book 2

James Dashner

The Gladers think they are finally safe from the terrors of the maze, sleeping in clean bunks with plenty of food. When they wake up to the acrid stench of the bodies of their now dead rescuers hanging from the ceiling, they know that are far from safe. Outside their windows, humans, or what remains of them, are covered in giant blisters that are rotting their flesh, moaning, looking for relief. Haunted, the Gladers stumble out into the main room to discover that they are to begin a new set of trials: The Scorch Trials. The hardships that plagued them in the maze will seem like child's play compared to the things that WICKED has in mind for them in the real world. To make matters worse, Thomas' one comfort, Teresa, is gone, replaced by a boy named Aris. Aris is from another set of teens that made up Group B, all girls except for Aris, that also escaped the maze. In the morning, the Scorch Trials begin, and the Gladers will have no rest until they reach a supposed "Safe Haven" 100 miles to the north.

Wow. I don't think that this one topped the Maze Runner, but it is hard to compare, especially since they all really form one story. The horrors that face the Gladers are way worse now, facing actual people, some of which are friends. The mystery surrounding WICKED and the controversy in Thomas' mind over whether it is good or not even has me wondering.**SPOILER ALERT** The whole Teresa betrayal still has me confused, the different layers of it make it very complicated. I watched Inception last night (Awesome movie) for the first time and the confusion the book gave me totally made me compare it to the movie. I want to like Teresa, but I can't help but like Brenda as well. While we are still in a spoiler, I am also confused by Thomas' situation at the end of the book. Is he simply being punished for Brenda and Jorge, or can they really not cure the Flare in him (most likely because of the creepy nose-rose guy)? And what is with the whole Brenda in his head? I NEED the next book with some answers! **SPOILER OVER (That was a long spoiler....sorry)** I would say this book is SLIGHTLY less suspenseful, but only slightly. (As you can see, it took me only two days to read it, and there isn't much of a chance on Christmas.) I still totally love the way that questions are not answered, making me anticipate the next book, and even while reading the book anticipate the next chapter. (It also is driving me crazy for the next book. Anyone know when it comes out? I'll look it up later...) Well I'm not really sure what all to say. These book are really great, definitely some of my new favorites of all time.

NOTE: I must caution this book even more so against younger readers. This book is also very intense with lots of violence, and this time there is more blood and gore since many enemies are human. (Once again, there is frequent language in the book, but it is all made-up swear words, so this still isn't really a problem)

What is your take on WICKED? Good, bad, both, neither, right ends but wrong means, etc.

Should Teresa be trusted? Could you ever trust somebody after that kind of betrayal?

How would you have reacted to the question that the soldier asks at the end of the book: Kill Brenda or Jorge?

Thanks for listening (well, reading...) and please leave your comments!