Let's Hear it for the Boys The Kill Order by James Dashner

Published: August 2012

Publisher: Delacourt Books for Young Readers

Pages: 336

e-copy: Publisher and Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

I loved  The Kill Order, but it was most definitely not what I was expecting.  I was expecting Thomas and Teresa - a la Maze Runner - and to find out how they ended up in the Maze in the first place.  What I got was Mark and Trina and the end of the world as we know it. 

The Kill Order describes how the world falls apart in the first place, how the survivors struggle to keep going, and how everything seems to conspire against them.  I absolutely fell in love with Mark and Trina and I was completely horrified by what happened to them.  Mr Dashner is not afraid to kill off his characters damn him, and he seems to love to put them through the worst trials possible. They just keep pushing through and never completely give up, even when things are at the blackest.    I have since discovered that ranting and raving at the book in front of you does not actually alter the words inside - who knew! 

Kill Order is exciting, mysterious, alarming, tragic and apocalyptic fiction at its best - well I thought so anyway.   I'm kind of assuming that The Kill Order is the first in another trilogy, because it doesn't actually answer the questions that are asked about WICKED in the series. but I can't find anything anywhere that confirms that for me. I really hope it is though, because I'm not ready to give up on the world and characters yet.  It actually reads like a first in series, because of the ending,  and there is still so much more to tell us. I've read several reviews where readers have been disappointed because it doesn't answer those questions, but it didn't bother me too much, I'm just seriously hoping there will be more.

If you're interested in what we thought of the Maze Runner series check out our reviews Maze Runner Curlypow: Maze Runner Christinabean: The Scorch Trials Curlypow: The Scorch Trials Christinabean: The Death Cure.  Wow, I had no idea we had written so many reviews about it.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Published: September 2010

Publisher: Random House Childrens Books

# pages: 360

Copy provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

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.
Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.
The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

Review

Every now and again you find a book that just grabs you and won't let you go. That's what happened for me with 'The Scorch Trials' This sequel to 'The Maze Runner' lived up to all my expections.

The premise is not new - people struggling to survive after an apocalyptic event - but the way it has been executed is. Kids are being manipulated and they don't know why. They are pawns in someone else's game. In this book, our main protagonist, Thomas, has had some of his memories return, but instead of helping him, they just serve to confuse him even more. Thomas and the other gladers that survived the maze have even more trials to complete - and even less resources to help them this time around.

There is lots of emotion in this book. Fear, anger, dispair, disappointment, betrayal - all of it negative. I found myself empathizing with the characters. How could they be expected to carry on? There were some parts where I actually felt my stomach turning, and I became nervous. I wanted to stop reading, because I knew another bad thing was going to happen. But you can't stop reading, because you have to find out if ,and how they all survive.

' Someone said "You better hold him down. Legs and arms." Though his mind still floated in fog, those words didn't sound good. A flash of light on silver in his vision, the fading sun's reflection on ... a knife? Was it glowing red? "This is gonna hurt somethin' awful."

In my heart I know that the end of the next book will be positive. It has to be! These kids can't survive much more. I have to read it and find out what happens, even though I know it will be a struggle for the characters. What is going to happen to Tom and Theresa, Brenda, Minho, Newt and all the others. I don't know, but I can't wait to find out.