Title: The Scorch Trials Author: James Dashner Series: The Maze Runner (book 2) Publisher: Chicken House Ltd Release Date: 5 Jun. 2014 ISBN: 9781909489417 Synopsis Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escaping meant he would get his life back. But no one knew what sort of a life they were going back to... Burned and baked, the earth is a wasteland, its people driven mad by an infection known as the Flare. Instead of freedom, Thomas must face another trial. He must cross the Scorch to once again save himself and his friends. My Review I enjoyed Maze Runner overall but had a few reservations, but I was intrigued to find out more so started to read Scorch Trials. The Gladers are out of the maze, but it's not the comforting end they hoped for, instead the experiments continue, but on a much larger and more dangerous scale. Thomas and his friends must once more band together to try and overcome all the trials an...
For those of you that don't know, The Giver takes place in what appears to be a utopic society. There is no war, no famine, no pain, and everyone is the same. At 12 everyone receives their position/job for the society. The main character of the novel, Jonas, is chosen as the next 'Reciever of Memory'. This is a special position which allows the person in it to live outside the rules of the regular society. This person is allowed to ask questions, and even allowed to lie (something that is forbidden to anyone else). The current 'Receiver of Memory' chooses instead to call himself 'The Giver' as he is slowly going to give Jonas all of his memories from before the time when everyone was the same.
Some of these memories are beautiful, some are terrible, but they awaken something in Jonas and he starts to question the society they are in, to rebel against 'sameness' and to want to be alive and to feel. Jonas must then make a decision for his whole community. Does he want to stay, and hold all the memories of before, or does he want to try to break free, and possibly break the entire community out of their same-ness stupor.
I am actually kind of surprised that this book won the Newbery Award. It is so vastly different than Lowry's previous winner, Number the Stars. I did really enjoy the book and I can see why it is used in classrooms and book groups because I can imagine that it would stir quite an interesting discussion. The ending is somewhat open ended, and while I'd love to believe that the happier interpretation of events is the truth, I am including to believe the more pessimistic take on what happens with Jonas.
P.S. don't forget to check out the trailer for the up-coming movie: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/heres-the-first-official-trailer-for-the-giver
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