Scorch Trials by James Dashner
384 pgs
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

Intense does not even come close to describing this gripping, heart-pounding sequel to Maze Runner. Thomas and his companions manage to escape the horrifying maze only to have the briefest of normal moments before they're catapulted into the desolate and blistering wasteland of the Scorch. Desperate to receive the promised cure to a deadly virus called the flare, they are forced to navigate their way through mobs of zombie-like flare victims, unnaturally huge storms and monsters in order to reach the safe haven by the two week deadline. The enormous physical and emotional stress transforms trust into fear and betrayal.The high energy plot moves at a frenetic pace, twisting and turning and placing the kids in hair-raising and often visually painful scenarios. It is not a story for the weak at heart. Although the author does provide a few answers to the burning questions posed in the series, whether W.I.C.K.E.D, World in Catastrophe Kill-Zone Experiment Department, is good or evil continues to remain a mystery. Scorch Trials firmly places this thrilling, brilliant, and terrifyingly realistic series on the forefront of teen dystopian fiction.