The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Book two in the blockbuster Maze Runner series that spawned a movie franchise and ushered in a worldwide phenomenon! And don't miss The Fever Code, the highly-anticipated series conclusion that finally reveals the story of how the maze was built!Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn't done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch--the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers' destruction--and they're determined to survive.Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off. The Maze Runner and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and Maze Runner: The Death Cure are all now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O'Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.Also look for James Dashner's edge-of-your-seat MORTALITY DOCTRINE series!Praise for the Maze Runner series:A #1 New York Times Bestselling SeriesA USA Today BestsellerA Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the YearAn ALA-YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults BookAn ALA-YALSA Quick Pick[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and Lost. --EWWonderful action writing--fast-paced...but smart and well observed. --Newsday[A] nail-biting must-read. --SeventeenBreathless, cinematic action. --Publishers WeeklyHeart pounding to the very last moment. --Kirkus ReviewsExclamation-worthy. --Romantic TimesJames Dashner's illuminating prequel [The Kill Order] will thrill fans of this Maze Runner [series] and prove just as exciting for readers new to the series. --Shelf Awareness, StarredTake a deep breath before you start any James Dashner book. --Deseret NewsEditorial ReviewsPraise for the Maze Runner series:A #1 New York Times Bestselling SeriesA USA Today BestsellerA Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the YearAn ALA-YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults BookAn ALA-YALSA Quick Pick[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and Lost.--EWWonderful action writing--fast-paced...but smart and well observed.--Newsday[A] nail-biting must-read.--SeventeenBreathless, cinematic action.--Publishers WeeklyHeart pounding to the very last moment.--Kirkus ReviewsExclamation-worthy.--Romantic Times[STAR] James Dashner's illuminating prequel [The Kill Order] will thrill fans of this Maze Runner [series] and prove just as exciting for readers new to the series.--Shelf Awareness, StarredTake a deep breath before you start any James Dashner book.-Deseret News- From the PublisherHundreds of pages into this sequel to The Maze Runner, one of the teen subjects of a survival experiment on postapocalypse Earth wonders aloud, hat this is really all about. Readers may be asking that, too. In The Maze Runner, the teens, their memories erased, searched for a way out of a deadly maze; their escape, led by Thomas, was short-lived. As volume two opens, the boys learn they are infected with the Flare, a virus that has killed millions and produced a population of nearly insane, disease-ravaged cranks. New orders from WICKED, a coalition of surviving governments, have the boys marching across a wasteland toward a promised cure. Though some facts are teased out, the narrative bogs down under the weight of unanswered questions. What is the purpose of torturing these kids? How is making them into killers ensuring the survival of the world? Why would government leaders name themselves WICKED? Hopefully answers are forthcoming in volume three. In any case, fans who are already hooked will gobble this down, particularly those who don't mind anemic female characters and a high body count. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)- Publishers WeeklyGr 7 Up--Thomas and his fellow Gladers thought they were safe at the end of The Maze Runner (2009). They had solved the Maze and were overjoyed to leave the glade. Their joy and relief are short-lived. The Earth is a wasteland and more dangerous trials await them. The boys are instructed to travel 100 miles and cross a vast wasteland that has been ravaged by solar flares. When they reach their destination, each survivor will be given immunity to a virus called the Flare that has infected the population. Along the way, the Gladers battle extreme heat, Cranks (bloodthirsty humans who have an advanced case of the Flare), and more. Narrator Mark Deakins turns James Dashner's thrilling and suspenseful novel (2010, both Delacorte) into a nail-biting audiobook. He masterfully portrays the bewilderment and sheer exhaustion of the Gladers as they try to find meaning in the latest bizarre and cruel experiment. Tension mounts as Deakins plays with the story's pacing. Fans of the first title will not be disappointed and will eagerly await the conclusion to the trilogy.--Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN- School Library JournalThomas led the Gladers to safety in The Maze Runner (2009). But after just one night's rest, the survivors are told that a true haven is still a long way off.To reach it, they have to pass another trial: crossing an expanse of scorched earth while being pursued by the Cranks, humans infected by the Flare, a disease that inflicts madness. If they can just make it to the designated meeting point on time (and alive), they will be met by a rescue team from the shadowy organization behind these trials, receive the cure to the pandemic and never have to face danger again. Constantly on the run and threatened, the Gladers struggle to win. Thomas tries to protect his friends while searching for Teresa, the lone girl from the Glade, and grappling with elusive returning memories. Taut and bleak, continually intriguing and surprising, this is a solid sequel that keeps both Thomas and readers wondering what is really going on. Hooked readers will hope they won't have to wait long for the answers that have been promised in the next installment. (Science fiction/thriller. 12 & up)- Kirkus Reviews