After reading The Maze Runner (and watching the terrible movie remake), it was agonizing to wait until I could get my hands on the sequel. I literally started it today and finished it in just a few hours – I was that riveted to it!
The book takes off where the last one left off: the boys think they are safe and Thomas is talking to Teresa telepathically. However, they soon awaken to find out that nothing is alright and it is all a trap. There are crazy diseased people outside their windows trying to get in and the people that rescued them are found dead in the hallway. When Thomas tries to find Teresa, he finds another boy instead named Aris. The boys discover that there was another Maze group full of all girls that was rescued and brought to this location and Aris was their version of Teresa. The boys are all stupefied and searching for answers. After a few days, they get a message from WICKED, in which they are told that they are all infected with the Flare and will be sent through another round of trials. This time, they must reach a certain destination in a certain allotted time through a scorching desert in order to be administered the cure; those who choose not to participate will immediately be killed. As the boys pack and prepare for their next trials, they wonder what is in store for them and hope that they get to the cure in time before they become crazy – or are eaten by the diseased waiting outside.
I actually loved the sequel more than the first book, which is quite rare since I find that sequels usually don’t turn out as good. James Dashner, the author, really upped the ante by making the trials more complicated and lacing the plot with treachery. Also, having scenes where Thomas was getting glimpses of old pertinent memories was really interesting as it gave me the opportunity to guess what was going on right alongside Thomas. I’m already on the waiting list for the next book in the series – I can only hope that I won’t be kept waiting for too long!
Happy reading ~