The Death Cure by James Dashner (Book #3 in the Maze Runner Trilogy)
Narrator: Mark Deakins
Source: Sacramento Library
Finished: 12/17/11
Rating: 6 out of 10
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 336
Published: 2011
Synopsis (from VOYA): After surviving the maze and scorch trials, Thomas is again forced to confront his beliefs regarding the “cure” that WICKED claims to have within their grasp. Without understanding his importance to the cure and subsequent survival of the human race, he defies the government organization at every turn while trying to determine along the way who is friend and who is foe. As his list of friends grows smaller, Thomas relies on survival instincts to help him last just one more day in a world gone amuck with madness.
* * * mild spoiler alert * * *
Overall Impression: This whole series had been strange for me. I’ve really liked the concepts and ideas Dashner created — but I think a lot was lacking in the execution department. Out of the three, this one was my least favorite, mostly because there were so many loose ends. (Thomas never gets back his memories, for example. And “WICKED is good?” Nothing ever explains that fully.) Again, the concept was decent, wrapping up the series in a way that felt fairly true to the story, but it fell flat in terms of the writing and the overall plot and character development. Several of the characters, for instance, felt dispatched of without much ceremony. Which may have been Dashner’s point, but it still left me feeling empty.
That being said, there are some very interesting ethical choices that Thomas has to face in this book (in the entire series, actually) that would make it an interesting book to discuss in a group. I also enjoyed the way the plot twisted and turned — I truly never knew where Dashner was going and I was usually pleasantly surprised, even if I did wish things were fleshed out a little more. If you’re a fan of YA dystopian, give this one a shot. If you’re on the fence, you might want to skip it — there are better series out there.
Positives: An original concept that kept me guessing throughout all three books.
Negatives: Flawed execution in the writing and development.
Narration: Mark Deakins does a perfectly serviceable job with this series. Not stellar, but better than others.
Other books I’ve read by James Dashner: The Maze Runner (review) and The Scorch Trials (review)
Other blogger opinions:
S. Krishna’s Books: “The Death Cure didn’t quite live up to the incredible story that was The Maze Runner, but it was a satisfying conclusion to an exciting series.”
That’s What She Read: “As much as I loved the first two books, I cannot help but feel slightly disappointed with this last novel and the overall series.”
Not meaning to be rude, but it actually does explain how WICKED is good. You just have to get into it. Wicked is trying to get a cure to The Flare, even if it means torturing kids. And to be honest -unless I was a Glader- I would join WICKED. I would sacrifice 60 or so people for the sake of Mankind. Also, personally, this book is my favorite of the series.