The Maze Runner #3 The Death Cure

Presenting The Maze Runner #3 The Death Cure by James Dashner.

Here is the summary of the book:

The Trials are over. WICKED is planning to restore the survivors' memories and complete the final cure for the Flare.

But Thomas has already remembered more than they think. And he knows WICKED can't be trusted...

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine. Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

The book of aimless and goalless wandering is what I would call it. The Death Cure disappointed me very much. The Maze Runner series holds a lot of promise and if worked on better, the series could have shattered the norms of the same style of story telling prevalent in this genre with the insert of a fresh branch with this series. But it feels like James Dashner spent all that passion and drive in creating the first, declining in finesse as we went from there to Scorch Trials to finally The Death Cure. The story could have gone n in any direction in this finale...... but 'what ifs' can't change what is in the final result and it was most disappointing to read through.

Poor Thomas and the Gladers had enough of WICKED messing with their minds after what went on at the Maze and Scorch Trials. The Death Cure sees them be given the chance of their memories returned. But they are at an impasse. After much deliberation, bar Thomas, Minho & Newt everyone also decided to get their memories returned. Each and everyone of them are wary but the three boys reasoning that WICKED may not actually return their memories decide to run. What follows is that along with Brenda and Jorge, the boys decide to make a run for it before WICKED takes drastic measures on them.

Don't get me wrong here, I love James Dashner's style of writing. I love the first two books very much and I liked The Death Cure to an extent as well but ..... there has never been more of a disappointing finale than ever. No answers given whatsoever. Teresa relegated to a side role and side character Brenda suddenly becomes the heroine (WTF!) Somehow Thomas gets messed up too, making a lot of questionable decisions. So, the events of The Scorch Trials leaves a not so good image in his mind of Teresa that didn't mean he should just ignore her and trust Brenda when she clearly lied her way through his trust. Moreover when given the opportunity to regain his memories to actually know what his role was in WICKED ........

Then there was Chancellor Paige, who was she and just what was her role in getting the survivors to the safe zone and the rest of the Flare-induced to fend for themselves. I liked New very much, he was the glue and while Thomas' flat emotions at what he had to do didn't make much of a difference on his demeanor. Dashner did justice to his character and I was saddened by his loss. Minho should also have been given more room to breathe. There are million different things the author could have done to justify this finale. Each and everyone of them much better (in my opinion) than the unsatisfactory finale we get here.

I am not sure I want to recommend this book ..... Pretty much only the first two books are the good ones, so you should give them a chance but check this book only at your peril and that too only to see how James Dashner ends it.

"Held a lot of promise but unsatisfactory results"

Genre :     Young Adult, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Chicken House

Release Date: 5th April, 2012

My Copy: bought (paperback)

Rate:             3/5 (Liked It)

Other Books in the Series(review links):

           #1 The Maze Runner 
           #2 The Scorch Trials

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