March is Recommended
This month I'm catching up on books people have recommended to me. I hear more advice about good books than I can possibly read, but here are a few at least! Some were suggested by my teens, some by coworkers, some by friends. I hope they recommend themselves to you (oh so cheesy...) ;)
Thomas and his friends, the ones who are left, have finally made it out of the Maze. If he never sees another shuck Griever, it will be too soon. Everyone is anxious to find out who WICKED is, and the purpose of the Maze. Theresa reminds Thomas that WICKED is good. After everything they have been through, that is really hard to believe.
So, they are told they are safe, and the trial is over. They enjoy a shower, some pizza, and a good long sleep...until the Cranks arrive.
Thomas awakes to find the room they occupy surrounded by people infected with the Flare: a deadly disease that is infecting the planet, and has no cure. They are called Cranks. The illness slowly takes over the mind, until bloodlust and insanity are all that remain. Not exactly a good way to go...the boys have to come up with a strategy and quick. They break down the now locked door to the room where they ate the night before, and come upon a gruesome sight. It seems their initial feelings of relief may have been premature.
They can't seem to get out of the complex, and Theresa is missing - replaced by Aris, a boy from Group B. There was another group that ran the maze simultaneously, as we discovered in the last book, but they have all disappeared as well. They play a waiting game until the Rat Man appears, telling them that their troubles are not over. WICKED has plans for them, and it seems they are destined to complete another round of trials. Shortly after he leaves, the Gladers notice tattoos on their necks. Minho's says "The Leader," Newt's says "The Glue," and Thomas' says "To be killed by Group B." It reminds Thomas of the sign outside Theresa's door the night before, the one that called her "The Betrayer." More mind games...
They have been tasked with trekking across the Scorch, a barren wasteland created by the sun flares that have caused so much damage, and led to the release of the Flare virus. The Rat Man also told them that they are all infected with the Flare, and only completing the next trial can guarantee them a cure. The boys set off through a transport, and arrive in an entirely dark tunnel. Slowly but surely, they walk until they arrive in the blinding sun of the Scorch.
Struggling across, they come to a settlement of Cranks. They form an unlikely alliance with some of them who aren't past the Gone, but there are other Cranks with other ideas. Thomas is separated from the group, and he and Brenda continue on, having faith in the others to find their own way. In the town itself, they find monuments declaring "Thomas, you're the true leader." This just adds to the confusion even more, because all the Cranks in the town have seen it too.
Can Thomas and Brenda make it to the rendezvous point in time? Will the rest of their group be there waiting? Does WICKED really have the cure for the Flare? So much happens in this book, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended for middle school and up.
“I was just kidding, shuck-face," Minho said. "Let's all go over there. She could have an army of psycho girl ninjas hiding in that shack of hers."*Library Link*
"Psycho girl ninjas?" Newt repeated, his voice showing he was surprised, if not annoyed, by Minho's attitude,” (Dashner, 2010).
If you liked this, check out:
The Death Cure by James Dashner (Maze Runner, Book 2)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Matched by Ally Condie
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Dashner, J. (2010). The Scorch trials. New York: Delacorte Press.
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