Scorch Trials by James Dashner

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.-Goodreads

Whew! Hang on. Scorch Trials by James Dashner takes off from the first page and keeps the action coming for nearly the whole book. The sequel to The Maze Runner, this book doesn't suffer from the dreaded second book syndrome. Rather it takes the boys from the Glade, where they had escaped at the end of book one, and places them on the Scorch where the daily temperatures and sunshine are so high that they have to travel at night and where lightening storms are deadly. In addition to the physical trials the boys have to endure they also have to escape from disease-crazed cranks and have to contend with girls who are on a similar path.  All the while Thomas is learning that he is somehow the kingpin but he doesn't know what that means or what WICKED wants from him. He is never sure who is on his side either, especially Teresa who was his ally in the glade.

With so much attention being given to the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins this year it is very fun to have another action series to turn to next.  In fact, this series is the second most checked-out series in my library right now. Like Catching Fire, this book doesn't allow the action to drop and it places the action in just enough different setting to keep the interest high.  I liked this book a lot. I don't often read more than the first book in the YA series because I want to familiarize myself with a variety of materials, books, and authors, but you can bet that I will the first in line to read the last book in this trilogy, The Death Cure, when it comes out in October 2011. And I already know, because of the teaser at the end of this book, that the action will continue in book three in a new setting once again.

Have a hard-to-please, action-addict reader that you are still trying to decide what to get for a gift this Christmas?  May I recommend The Maze Runner and it's sequel, Scorch Trials by James Dashner?


Happy Reading!