The Maze Runner Trilogy

I am always looking for books to read that my high school students will read and love as much as I do.  I hope by reading this, some teens will be interested enough to pick up a book and be transported to another world besides those found in video games.

Sometimes I find books that I cannot get past the first chapter.  Sometimes I find books that take me at least a fourth of the way to get through before I determine it is worth reading. Sometimes I find books that capture my imagination and I cannot put it down until I have read the last page--then I regret finishing the book so soon because I don't want it to end. 

This weekend I read James Dashner's The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure.  I only planned on reading The Scorch Trials this weekend because one of my students, who only likes realistic fiction (yes, you know who you are) read The Maze Runner and wants to continue the series.  I am glad that she found a book that takes her out of her comfort zone. 

These were two books that I could not put down because I wanted to know what happens to Thomas and Teresa.  I had read The Maze Runner this past summer and thought it was written more for the middle school level reader and had a slower pace than the next two in the series.  But a person has to read The Maze Runner to know what Thomas and the rest of the Gladers keep referring to. 

The Scorch Trials introduces us to two new characters, Brenda and Jorge, who Thomas has to decide if he can trust.  Thomas and the other Gladers are sent to the “scorching” part of Earth to survive the next phase of the trials.  There they meet Cranks, fans of man eating zombies, will enjoy this part. 

In The Death Cure, Thomas learns something about himself and others as they escape from WICKED (oh, the irony), trying to save themselves and human kind. 

Similarities to other books: 

Both The Hunger Games and the Maze Runner Trilogy deal with the dystopian society.  In both I wonder who the main character will choose to start a new life with.

At one point in The Death Cure I was reminded of Unwind by Neal Shusterman during a surgery scene. 

As I have read the prequels to The Mortal Instruments, I am looking forward to reading the prequel to The Maze Runner trilogy.

I hope you enjoy reading some of these books!