The Death Cure

Ugh, what a slog.

It's been a long time since I've read anything of Dashner's, so the writing style came at me like I was reading it for the first time. I want to call it a lot of "telling, not showing", but there's something to his verb choice that aggravates me. There's an awful lot of "Thomas now saw..." and "Thomas understood that..." and "It was obvious to Thomas." The deeper I got into the audiobook, the more grating these descriptions were. Thomas was at all times both omniscient and clueless. Always making the exact right choices to get in the exact wrong situations from which he'd make the exact right choice to get out of... and then end up in another wrong situation, from which he'd make (you guessed it!) the exact right choice show more to escape. And on it goes. It was repetitive and monotonous.

Usually when I continue a series I'm not particularly in love with, I'm in it for a character. And almost always, *somehow*, I pick the character that the author chooses to kill off or otherwise destroy in the next book. I don't know how I do it - it's a knack, I guess. But that happened again here where we were and will forever be stuck with THOMAS. Boring, shallow, unexciting Thomas. If you're going to have a Chosen One (which now he indisputably is) at least make him interesting. The concept of this series remains really interesting, but its execution is subpar.

I'm definitely done with this series. THE DEATH CURE was a long walk to nothing. There was little to no character development, little to no plot progress, and the writing was grating. There are so many better books to read by authors who do not sexually harass women and then gaslight them. show less

I'm just gonna say it. I believe that the ending of the Maze Runner franchise is one of the worst endings to any story I've ever encountered in my life. I honestly couldn't believe it the first time I read the series. It is absolutely atrocious. This book, in general, is pretty freaking bad, but the ending is downright abysmal.[return][return]As I've mentioned a couple times, Minho and Newt are the only two characters in the entire franchise whom I remotely give a crap about. One thing I like about this book is that we finally get to see some humanity from Minho. In the previous entries, it seemed like all Minho did in life was crack jokes and do his job. Here, however, a bit of his human side is seen after Newt gets the Flare. That show more brings me to my favorite part about this book: Newt. I love how they ended his story. It is tragic and well-written. Newt is practically the only good constant throughout this whole series. Consequently, his death is the only moment in the whole series that brings a tear to my eye. Couldn't give two shits about any other deaths, sorry. [return][return]Besides that, this book freaking sucks, dude. Unlike the first two entries, the plot isn't even that great. The story is unbelievably boring and uneventful for the most part. Despite this being the shortest book in the trilogy, it somehow feels more sluggish than the first two. Not much happens until the last hundred pages, then it's revealed that the Right Arm is planning to take WICKED down, so that happens, the protagonists go back to the Maze and fight some Grievers again for nostalgia bai-, I mean, rescuing some Immunes, and a couple hundred people make it to paradise on the other side of a Flat Trans. The end.[return][return]Actually, you know what? I'm not gonna go that easy. Let's look at this ending more closely. The entire point of this whole trilogy is finding a cure for the Flare virus, right? The first and second book are dedicated ENTIRELY to Phases 1 and 2 of the Trials, respectively. Thomas is the final piece to the puzzle of designing this cure, and it almost happens. However, we can't have satisfying conclusions. We can't have something that was built up for an entire fucking trilogy actually get resolved. Instead, at the very last motherfucking second, Chancellor Paige comes out of nowhere and instructs Thomas to take all the remaining Immunes to paradise in order to begin civilization again while the rest of the world drives itself to extinction. Are you fucking kidding me, dude? After all that set up, we're just going to resort to a hastily prepared Plan B and leave the rest of the world to rot? How am I supposed to root for these protagonists? How am I supposed to feel satisfied with this ending? It's fucking insulting, man. [return][return]Add to that the fact that the ending in paradise lasts all of 3 pages, and you have one of the worst endings ever written in fiction. We aren't even told which of the Gladers from Group A and Group B survived. We don't even get to see this new civilization flourish. The whole fucking story just... ends. Are you serious? [return][return]For the last time, I'll mention that I don't like Dashner's writing style. The dialogue sucks, and the characters couldn't be any shallower. New characters are introduced left and right, but tons of them feel like the exact same person. It's clear Dashner didn't put an ounce of effort into making them remotely unique or interesting, so he settled instead for having them be just some extremely flat, one-dimensional puppets who do nothing more than drive the plot forward. [return][return]Sigh... I don't really have much else to say. I felt a ton of emotion at Newt's death, and I had the slightest sense of nostalgia seeing the protagonists back in the Maze, but, other than that, this has got to be one of the worst endings I've ever read in my life. I don't want to think about it ever again. show less

"Thomas knows that WICKED can't be trusted. They stole his memories and locked him inside the Maze. They forced him to the brink of death by dropping him in the wilds of the Scorch. And they took Gladers, his friends, from him.

Now WICKED says that the time for lies is over. That they've collected all the data they can from the Trials and will rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission: to complete the blueprint for the cure for the Flare. But Thomas must undergo one final test.

What WICKED doesn't know, however, is that Thomas has already remembered far more than they think. And it's enough to prove that he can't believe a word of what WICKED says.

The time for lies is over. And the truth is show more more dangerous than Thomas could have ever imagined.

WILL ANYONE SURVIVE THE DEATH CURE?"

Intense, non-stop, heart-pounding, rip-roaring action would be the best way to describe The Death Cure, the third and final installment in the excellent Maze Runner series. Thomas continues to battle the mind games on all fronts and maneuver between good and evil in a fight to save his life and that of his friends.

After years of tests and mind traps, WICKED has finally promised a cure to those who have survived the Scorch. But of course, can anyone really trust them? There are always strings attached and Thomas’ has been tethered pretty tightly to them. With the unenviable task of leading the group upon his weathered shoulders he must decide carefully if he wants to sever all ties with WICKED or put his life into their hands. His decision is directly tied to the cure…but at a cost. When WICKED offers the opportunity to retrieve all his memories he goes with gut instinct. He hides his secret that he's slowly regaining his memories, fleeting as they may be, but they're enough to plant doubts in his mind about WICKED's ulterior motives. With his friend Brenda, one of the few he trusts implicitly besides his Glader friends, Minho and Newt, they hatch plans for their escape to go searching for answers on their own terms. The Death Cure is where this gang finally takes charge of their fate. Former enemies become allies, former allies become untrustworthy and all the while society is rapidly descending into debauchery around them.

What I have enjoyed most about this series is that you’re just as cynical and confused as the characters are. Every misdirection somehow leads closer to the truth and every easy route is questionable. There is always so much more than meets the eye that you find yourself second guessing everything. It’s so easy to get sucked in and feel the pressure that these kids feel. But these kids are so unbelievably resilient and loyal and ultimately they make this series so fantastic.

The intensity in The Death Cure is relentless and doesn't disappoint. And if you have the special edition which includes never-before-seen classified documents – let's just say that they're intriguing enough to make you wonder if perhaps there's more of the story to tell ...

~ Bel

www.bibliojunkies.blogspot.com show less

I'm just gonna say it. I believe that the ending of the Maze Runner franchise is one of the worst endings to any story I've ever encountered in my life. I honestly couldn't believe it the first time I read the series. It is absolutely atrocious. This book, in general, is pretty freaking bad, but the ending is downright abysmal.

As I've mentioned a couple times, Minho and Newt are the only two characters in the entire franchise whom I remotely give a crap about. One thing I like about this book is that we finally get to see some humanity from Minho. In the previous entries, it seemed like all Minho did in life was crack jokes and do his job. Here, however, a bit of his human side is seen after Newt gets the Flare. That brings me to my show more favorite part about this book: Newt. I love how they ended his story. It is tragic and well-written. Newt is practically the only good constant throughout this whole series. Consequently, his death is the only moment in the whole series that brings a tear to my eye. Couldn't give two shits about any other deaths, sorry.

Besides that, this book freaking sucks, dude. Unlike the first two entries, the plot isn't even that great. The story is unbelievably boring and uneventful for the most part. Despite this being the shortest book in the trilogy, it somehow feels more sluggish than the first two. Not much happens until the last hundred pages, then it's revealed that the Right Arm is planning to take WICKED down, so that happens, the protagonists go back to the Maze and fight some Grievers again for nostalgia bai-, I mean, rescuing some Immunes, and a couple hundred people make it to paradise on the other side of a Flat Trans. The end.

Actually, you know what? I'm not gonna go that easy. Let's look at this ending more closely. The entire point of this whole trilogy is finding a cure for the Flare virus, right? The first and second book are dedicated ENTIRELY to Phases 1 and 2 of the Trials, respectively. Thomas is the final piece to the puzzle of designing this cure, and it almost happens. However, we can't have satisfying conclusions. We can't have something that was built up for an entire fucking trilogy actually get resolved. Instead, at the very last motherfucking second, Chancellor Paige comes out of nowhere and instructs Thomas to take all the remaining Immunes to paradise in order to begin civilization again while the rest of the world drives itself to extinction. Are you fucking kidding me, dude? After all that set up, we're just going to resort to a hastily prepared Plan B and leave the rest of the world to rot? How am I supposed to root for these protagonists? How am I supposed to feel satisfied with this ending? It's fucking insulting, man.

Add to that the fact that the ending in paradise lasts all of 3 pages, and you have one of the worst endings ever written in fiction. We aren't even told which of the Gladers from Group A and Group B survived. We don't even get to see this new civilization flourish. The whole fucking story just... ends. Are you serious?

For the last time, I'll mention that I don't like Dashner's writing style. The dialogue sucks, and the characters couldn't be any shallower. New characters are introduced left and right, but tons of them feel like the exact same person. It's clear Dashner didn't put an ounce of effort into making them remotely unique or interesting, so he settled instead for having them be just some extremely flat, one-dimensional puppets who do nothing more than drive the plot forward.

Sigh... I don't really have much else to say. I felt a ton of emotion at Newt's death, and I had the slightest sense of nostalgia seeing the protagonists back in the Maze, but, other than that, this has got to be one of the worst endings I've ever read in my life. I don't want to think about it ever again. show less

I'm just gonna say it. I believe that the ending of the Maze Runner franchise is one of the worst endings to any story I've ever encountered in my life. I honestly couldn't believe it the first time I read the series. It is absolutely atrocious. This book, in general, is pretty freaking bad, but the ending is downright abysmal.

As I've mentioned a couple times, Minho and Newt are the only two characters in the entire franchise whom I remotely give a crap about. One thing I like about this book is that we finally get to see some humanity from Minho. In the previous entries, it seemed like all Minho did in life was crack jokes and do his job. Here, however, a bit of his human side is seen after Newt gets the Flare. That brings me to my show more favorite part about this book: Newt. I love how they ended his story. It is tragic and well-written. Newt is practically the only good constant throughout this whole series. Consequently, his death is the only moment in the whole series that brings a tear to my eye. Couldn't give two shits about any other deaths, sorry.

Besides that, this book freaking sucks, dude. Unlike the first two entries, the plot isn't even that great. The story is unbelievably boring and uneventful for the most part. Despite this being the shortest book in the trilogy, it somehow feels more sluggish than the first two. Not much happens until the last hundred pages, then it's revealed that the Right Arm is planning to take WICKED down, so that happens, the protagonists go back to the Maze and fight some Grievers again for nostalgia bai-, I mean, rescuing some Immunes, and a couple hundred people make it to paradise on the other side of a Flat Trans. The end.

Actually, you know what? I'm not gonna go that easy. Let's look at this ending more closely. The entire point of this whole trilogy is finding a cure for the Flare virus, right? The first and second book are dedicated ENTIRELY to Phases 1 and 2 of the Trials, respectively. Thomas is the final piece to the puzzle of designing this cure, and it almost happens. However, we can't have satisfying conclusions. We can't have something that was built up for an entire fucking trilogy actually get resolved. Instead, at the very last motherfucking second, Chancellor Paige comes out of nowhere and instructs Thomas to take all the remaining Immunes to paradise in order to begin civilization again while the rest of the world drives itself to extinction. Are you fucking kidding me, dude? After all that set up, we're just going to resort to a hastily prepared Plan B and leave the rest of the world to rot? How am I supposed to root for these protagonists? How am I supposed to feel satisfied with this ending? It's fucking insulting, man.

Add to that the fact that the ending in paradise lasts all of 3 pages, and you have one of the worst endings ever written in fiction. We aren't even told which of the Gladers from Group A and Group B survived. We don't even get to see this new civilization flourish. The whole fucking story just... ends. Are you serious?

For the last time, I'll mention that I don't like Dashner's writing style. The dialogue sucks, and the characters couldn't be any shallower. New characters are introduced left and right, but tons of them feel like the exact same person. It's clear Dashner didn't put an ounce of effort into making them remotely unique or interesting, so he settled instead for having them be just some extremely flat, one-dimensional puppets who do nothing more than drive the plot forward.

Sigh... I don't really have much else to say. I felt a ton of emotion at Newt's death, and I had the slightest sense of nostalgia seeing the protagonists back in the Maze, but, other than that, this has got to be one of the worst endings I've ever read in my life. I don't want to think about it ever again. show less

Holy Crispy Fried Onions ! Phew, I finished the series. It feels like I had been holding my breath since book 1. It was amazingly torturous and heart stopping and the finale was a shot in the face to all they suffered through. Don't get me wrong it was a HEA of sorts, better than I expected less than I hoped for. What a thrill ride they all were, no a slow one in the series. This last one gives us answers, finally and they are not what I expected. Nothing was black and white it was all twisted. I did not see any of it coming.
I'm really glad I read it. I'm also really glad the torture is over. Thanks Mr. Dashner for a great series.

Spoilers ahead!!!

This was my least favorite book of the series, which is a real let down considering how great Maze Runner was. I was disappointed with Thomas's seeming double standards when it came to himself and everyone else. For instance, when Theresa is being forced by WICKED to betray him Thomas believes she is pure evil. However, when he is being controlled by WICKED and nearly stabs Minho it's okay, because he didn't have control over himself. Really Thomas??

I was also disappointed by how much I ended up disliking Thomas in the end. Newt made a simple request, "kill me before I am past the gone and become a full blown crank". Yet Thomas doesn't honor his wishes until he absolutely has to or he'll be killed by Newt. He refused to show more show his friend mercy because he was too worried about how it would make him feel. Thomas was self centered throughout much of the book.

I also was frustrated that he wouldn't just get his memories back. I'm convinced its because the fact that he helped create the trials was in direct opposition to his desire to view himself as the good guy and hero. In other words, as long as he didn't remember doing bad things, then those things were null and void.

My favorite character in the whole series was Theresa and having her die at the end was just awful, though not entirely surprising. Everything she did from the time she helped create the trials to the point where she sacrificed herself for Thomas was with one goal in mind: save the human race. As self centered as Thomas was, Theresa was spending that same amount of effort thinking about others.

The fact that Thomas winds up with Brenda in the end kind of serves him right, as I saw her as the lesser of his two love interests. Theresa was motivated by her desire to save others, while Brenda was not. Also I find it really frustrating that Theresa had proven herself to Thomas time and again, yet he refused to forgive her for "betraying". Please bruh, did you die? No. So quit whining about how she mistreated you!! Brenda on the other hand lied to him from the get go, as he later finds out that she was a member of WICKED the entire time and was just playing him. But of course, that's okay because Brenda is (I'm assuming here) the hot one. That's a real great message to send out to young readers: its okay if someone lies to you consistently as long as their hot.

Overall, I did love the series. It kept me engaged and I couldn't wait to read the next book. The last book had some disappointing aspects for me, but was still a good wrap up to the series. show less