The Fever Code

Yeah, I don't think there should be any debate as to what is the best Maze Runner book because it's clearly this one. James Dashner's writing style has improved with each entry in the series, and it is now at a point where his books are actually bearable to read. The characters don't feel like hollow shells anymore, and the dialogue doesn't make you want to rip your hair out.[return][return]The best way I can describe this book is that it feels... warm. Watching Thomas and his friends grow up in the WICKED complex for 10 years is so pleasant. Those early days of Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Newt, and Alby sneaking around the WICKED complex have such a cozy feel to them. I really don't know how else to describe it. Thinking about this book show more always gives me a sense of nostalgia and pleasure.[return][return]Thomas's character is no longer poorly written. He has character development, for once. He starts off fiercely believing in WICKED and their goals despite some bad things that occur to him there. However, as the years pass by and WICKED becomes more and more messed up, Thomas slowly changes his mind and gains a rebellious nature. It doesn't happen overnight; it's a slow, arduous process where Thomas analyzes his ambivalence towards this place over a very long period of time, slowly giving in to the fact that he wants no part of it anymore. It is extremely well-written, and it is a great example of how to do character development properly. [return][return][return]The book is always exciting. James Dashner constantly manages to find a way to spice the story up. He doesn't let it go on for too long without anything interesting happening. He spaces the action scenes pretty well, and the end result is a well-paced, smoothly flowing story that rarely leaves the reader bored. [return][return]My biggest problem with this book is a very odd choice that happens towards the end. I don't know how Dashner could have possibly forgotten about it as it's such an integral part of the story, but he somehow did. The first death in the Glade is portrayed as this massive, game-changing event that will forever alter the way Thomas views WICKED and Ava Paige. Thomas and Teresa storm the Psychs' observation room and demand some answers. Ava responds by saying that this was never meant to happen and that things will be smoother from now on. Cool. But, then, Dashner completely forgets about this element of the story, and, for the remainder of the book, Thomas is practically never concerned about the numerous deaths that happen in the Glade. Bro, I thought George's death was extremely important to you! Do you not give a shit about the deaths of any of these other Gladers? How could Dashner forget to resolve that aspect of the story? Did he just forget about it or was he just not bothered? I don't get it![return][return]Also, this book just further increases my hatred for "The Death Cure". By the end, 4 of the 5 books of this entire fucking franchise are devoted to finding a cure for the Flare. One book's entire aim is to get Teresa to WICKED so that she can help develop the cure, one book involves setting up Phase 1 and Phase 2 of WICKED's trials, and 2 more books are devoted entirely to said trials. All of that, and we end with a last-second Plan B where all the Munies go to paradise, leaving the rest of the world to rot without any cure for the Flare. So stupid.[return][return]In conclusion, this book is extremely entertaining to read, and it is the only one in the franchise (besides maybe "The Kill Order") that I want to revisit yet again at some point in the future. show less

Yeah, I don't think there should be any debate as to what is the best Maze Runner book because it's clearly this one. James Dashner's writing style has improved with each entry in the series, and it is now at a point where his books are actually bearable to read. The characters don't feel like hollow shells anymore, and the dialogue doesn't make you want to rip your hair out.

The best way I can describe this book is that it feels... warm. Watching Thomas and his friends grow up in the WICKED complex for 10 years is so pleasant. Those early days of Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Newt, and Alby sneaking around the WICKED complex have such a cozy feel to them. I really don't know how else to describe it. Thinking about this book always gives me a show more sense of nostalgia and pleasure.

Thomas's character is no longer poorly written. He has character development, for once. He starts off fiercely believing in WICKED and their goals despite some bad things that occur to him there. However, as the years pass by and WICKED becomes more and more messed up, Thomas slowly changes his mind and gains a rebellious nature. It doesn't happen overnight; it's a slow, arduous process where Thomas analyzes his ambivalence towards this place over a very long period of time, slowly giving in to the fact that he wants no part of it anymore. It is extremely well-written, and it is a great example of how to do character development properly.

The book is always exciting. James Dashner constantly manages to find a way to spice the story up. He doesn't let it go on for too long without anything interesting happening. He spaces the action scenes pretty well, and the end result is a well-paced, smoothly flowing story that rarely leaves the reader bored.

My biggest problem with this book is a very odd choice that happens towards the end. I don't know how Dashner could have possibly forgotten about it as it's such an integral part of the story, but he somehow did. The first death in the Glade is portrayed as this massive, game-changing event that will forever alter the way Thomas views WICKED and Ava Paige. Thomas and Teresa storm the Psychs' observation room and demand some answers. Ava responds by saying that this was never meant to happen and that things will be smoother from now on. Cool. But, then, Dashner completely forgets about this element of the story, and, for the remainder of the book, Thomas is practically never concerned about the numerous deaths that happen in the Glade. Bro, I thought George's death was extremely important to you! Do you not give a shit about the deaths of any of these other Gladers? How could Dashner forget to resolve that aspect of the story? Did he just forget about it or was he just not bothered? I don't get it!

Also, this book just further increases my hatred for "The Death Cure". By the end, 4 of the 5 books of this entire fucking franchise are devoted to finding a cure for the Flare. One book's entire aim is to get Teresa to WICKED so that she can help develop the cure, one book involves setting up Phase 1 and Phase 2 of WICKED's trials, and 2 more books are devoted entirely to said trials. All of that, and we end with a last-second Plan B where all the Munies go to paradise, leaving the rest of the world to rot without any cure for the Flare. So stupid.

In conclusion, this book is extremely entertaining to read, and it is the only one in the franchise (besides maybe "The Kill Order") that I want to revisit yet again at some point in the future. show less

Yeah, I don't think there should be any debate as to what is the best Maze Runner book because it's clearly this one. James Dashner's writing style has improved with each entry in the series, and it is now at a point where his books are actually bearable to read. The characters don't feel like hollow shells anymore, and the dialogue doesn't make you want to rip your hair out.

The best way I can describe this book is that it feels... warm. Watching Thomas and his friends grow up in the WICKED complex for 10 years is so pleasant. Those early days of Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Newt, and Alby sneaking around the WICKED complex have such a cozy feel to them. I really don't know how else to describe it. Thinking about this book always gives me a show more sense of nostalgia and pleasure.

Thomas's character is no longer poorly written. He has character development, for once. He starts off fiercely believing in WICKED and their goals despite some bad things that occur to him there. However, as the years pass by and WICKED becomes more and more messed up, Thomas slowly changes his mind and gains a rebellious nature. It doesn't happen overnight; it's a slow, arduous process where Thomas analyzes his ambivalence towards this place over a very long period of time, slowly giving in to the fact that he wants no part of it anymore. It is extremely well-written, and it is a great example of how to do character development properly.

The book is always exciting. James Dashner constantly manages to find a way to spice the story up. He doesn't let it go on for too long without anything interesting happening. He spaces the action scenes pretty well, and the end result is a well-paced, smoothly flowing story that rarely leaves the reader bored.

My biggest problem with this book is a very odd choice that happens towards the end. I don't know how Dashner could have possibly forgotten about it as it's such an integral part of the story, but he somehow did. The first death in the Glade is portrayed as this massive, game-changing event that will forever alter the way Thomas views WICKED and Ava Paige. Thomas and Teresa storm the Psychs' observation room and demand some answers. Ava responds by saying that this was never meant to happen and that things will be smoother from now on. Cool. But, then, Dashner completely forgets about this element of the story, and, for the remainder of the book, Thomas is practically never concerned about the numerous deaths that happen in the Glade. Bro, I thought George's death was extremely important to you! Do you not give a shit about the deaths of any of these other Gladers? How could Dashner forget to resolve that aspect of the story? Did he just forget about it or was he just not bothered? I don't get it!

Also, this book just further increases my hatred for "The Death Cure". By the end, 4 of the 5 books of this entire fucking franchise are devoted to finding a cure for the Flare. One book's entire aim is to get Teresa to WICKED so that she can help develop the cure, one book involves setting up Phase 1 and Phase 2 of WICKED's trials, and 2 more books are devoted entirely to said trials. All of that, and we end with a last-second Plan B where all the Munies go to paradise, leaving the rest of the world to rot without any cure for the Flare. So stupid.

In conclusion, this book is extremely entertaining to read, and it is the only one in the franchise (besides maybe "The Kill Order") that I want to revisit yet again at some point in the future. show less

Oh man. I have loved absolutely every word of this entire series. It is by far my favorite one and I am sad to see this series go. I have laughed and cried, my heart broke on more than one occasion. It was seriously so good and I devoured every word whenever I was reading. There was plenty of suspense throughout the story and the plot line itself was just amazing and creative. Dashner does an excellent job of pulling the reader in and giving the perfect amount of detail to easily picture each scene.
Admittedly, I was afraid that this particular book would be more on the boring side. I mean, it's the story of how the maze was created, how all the Gladers met, how they went into the maze. I knew some of it would be interesting and that show more there would be a few parts I'd definitely want to read. However, I also thought it would be a lot of technical stuff I honestly couldn't care less about. But no, Dashner found a way to keep it exciting, to put you on your toes. From Crank encounters to just plain awful Psychs, this was definitely not a boring read.
I might be biased but I definitely recommend this and the rest of the series. It is my favorite for a reason, after all. I don't, however, recommend reading the prequels before the main three. It changes the story, knowing how it all started. I liked being able to make guesses, fall in love with the characters (mostly Newt), and find out along with the Gladers what on earth was going on. I think it was smart of Dashner to write these in the order that he did and I honestly think it made the experience that much better. Overall, I'd give this series 10 stars out 5 just for sheer amazingness. I love this series so freaking much and you can bet that I will read them all again and again. I never reread books so that should tell you just how much I honestly love this series. show less

The Fever Code is the second of two books that chronologically pre-date James Dashner’s main Maze Runner trilogy. Most online book sites now have these two books listed as prequels, but IMHO, this one should be read as book #5 as ordered on the author’s website. The reason for this is that both prequels – but The Fever Code especially – give away major spoilers about the main trilogy. A large part of the fun of reading The Maze Runner and it’s sequels is the air of mystery and suspense surrounding what the Maze is, why the kids are in it, and what’s going to happen to them in the future. Well, The Fever Code basically gives away nearly all the answers to those questions. If you’re a reader who doesn’t really care about show more spoilers, then it may be easier to read the books in chronological order, but if like me, you’d much prefer to figure out the answers to all the mysteries as the characters reveal them, then you should definitely read the prequels after reading the original trilogy. I for one am extremely happy that I did.

Unlike The Kill Order, the first prequel, which had an entirely new cast of characters, The Fever Code simply takes readers back in time about a decade before The Maze Runner begins. Except for the prologue, which is from Newt’s POV, showing what happened when he and his sister were taken by WICKED, the book is written entirely from Thomas’s third-person perspective. It starts right after Thomas (originally named Stephen), who was only about five years old at the time, came to live at WICKED headquarters after his mother, who was suffering from the Flare, turned him over to them. From there it takes us through all of his years training with WICKED, some of which were spent in near-total isolation, until he, Teresa, Aris, and Rachel were chosen as the “elites.” This meant that they were WICKED’s top candidates from among all the immunes they were training, and as such, they were tasked with working on the building of the Mazes and the implementation of the experiments that would take place inside them, as well as helping to oversee the projects once subjects were inserted. I very much enjoyed seeing Thomas’s evolution over this time and his thought processes about everything that was happening around him and the things he was working on. From the very first days at WICKED, he proved to be someone with a strong will and an independent streak, as well as a well-developed sense of right and wrong. While he wants to believe that what WICKED is doing is a good thing that will help mankind, as he uncovers more and more secrets and realizes more things about the organization and what they’re doing, the less he’s on board with it. Seeing how he was before having his memories wiped and being inserted into the Maze shed a lot of light on how he ended up becoming the savior of the story.

The Fever Code doesn’t have the relentless pace or constant sense of danger that most of the other books in the series have, but as a YA book, it does still contain some mature content that could be objectionable for some readers. There’s no sexual content, not even kissing. There are occasionally a few mild bad words, but nothing too bothersome. However, there are various forms of violence throughout. WICKED took all the characters when they were just children, some by force, and they’re essentially using them as guinea pigs in an experiment to find a cure for a disease that they, themselves, created. A couple of times the kids are tortured. Deliberate physical pain is inflicted on Thomas when he’s only five years old, and a Griever is used to psychologically torture another character who’s probably just a young teen at the time, while Thomas is made to watch. There’s a scene where all the kids are taken to the Crank (humans who’ve basically turned zombie after being infected with the Flare) pits as punishment. After some of the kids are inserted into the Maze, Thomas sometimes struggles with watching them on the monitors each day, especially when bad things start happening, including some of them dying. There’s a somewhat bloody scene where Thomas must fight off and kill a scientist who’s turned Crank. Probably the most potentially disturbing part, though, is when Thomas and the other elites are sent to kill a number of WICKED officials and employees who’ve been infected. Most of the people are past the Gone and are more Crank than human at that point, but it still disturbs Thomas to have to do it. However, most of it is done without a great deal in the way of blood and gore. Since some of these things could potentially distress younger readers, I would probably only recommended the book for kids about fourteen and up who wouldn’t be bothered by the things I mentioned.

Overall, I thought that The Fever Code was a really good book that gave me some valuable insights into the characters and their motivations, particularly Thomas and Teresa. I feel like I understand them better after reading this story, which makes their later actions in the main trilogy even more understandable. I also very much enjoyed seeing their friendship blossom, as well as their connections with all the other characters like Alby, Newt, Minho, and especially Chuck. Seeing how close they were before being sent into the Maze makes their friendships inside the Maze even stronger, but it did sadden me a bit knowing the outcome for some of them already. There were perhaps a couple of things I took issue with from a logical standpoint and one scene that was pretty predictable, but for the most part, I was able to overlook those things. I also have to give the author credit for throwing in a zinger during the final pages, something we didn’t already know, but that will make re-reading the original trilogy even more interesting the next time around. It was kind of a jaw-dropping moment that made the entire book worth it just for reveal. So for me, The Fever Code was every bit as good as the other books in the series. show less

This was a definitely improvement from book four, giving Thomas and Teresa's backstories and revealing all they knew about how and why the Maze was built. It was certainly engaging. But I'm still disturbed by how violent this world is. From the cranks to the scientists to the government, everyone seems willing to sacrifice others without a thought. It's the Hunger Games, but even darker. It's also a reminder of why everyone loves Thomas so much. In the midst of all the horrifying, terrible things surrounding him, he never loses hope, hoping against all hope that just maybe he can make a difference. That doesn't make the stuff happening to him any easier to watch, but it makes me, as a reader, also hope on his behalf.

Recensione sul blog: http://thereadingpal.blogspot.it/2017/11/recensione-150-maze-runner-il-codice.ht...

La C.A.T.T.I.V.O. è buona


Ho letto tutta la trilogia e l'altro prequel, quindi mi mancava solo questo libro per completare la serie. Mi aspettava da un sacco di tempo sullo scaffale TBR, e finalmente raggiungerà i suoi fratelli!
In questo prequel scopriamo tutto il lavoro che c'è stato dietro alla creazione dei Labirinti e delle Radure, come anche per la ricerca di una Cura.
Ritroviamo i personaggi di sempre, più giovani e piuttosto diversi da come li conosciamo: Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Mihno, Sonya, Aris, Chuck, Rachel... è in questo libro che diventato come li conosciamo nella trilogia. Quanto mi mancavano!
Rispetto a La Mutazione ho show more trovato questo prequel più sensato. C'erano cose che nella trilogia non abbiamo scoperto, e qui ci vengono date le risposte. Come sono stati presi i ragazzi? Chi sono i membri della C.A.T.T.I.V.O.? E come si è arrivati ai Labirinti?
In realtà da quello che diceva il fandom anni fa ci si doveva aspettare una certa relazione m/m che alla fine non si è vista proprio per nulla. Davvero un peccato, ma è stato comunque bello vedere il legame di amicizia che c'era tra i ragazzi prima di entrare nella Radura.
Thomas è un bambino di otto anni quando lo rapiscono. C'è una scena davvero tremenda in cui lo torturano ed è davvero bruttissimo. Perché sappiamo che viene fatto a molti dei ragazzini e nonè l'unica volta in cui accade. Eppure vediamo che non si lascia abbindolare tanto facilmente dagli scienziati, e questa è una delle cose che mi piace di più del suo personaggio. Fino alla fine, cerca di non soccombere alle loro condizioni. È totalmente diverso da Teresa, che nella trilogia principale odiavo e per cui l'odio, grazie a questo libro, è aumentato. Quel finale, poi... Vorrei tirarle un pugno!
Aris e Rachel non sono molto esplorati, ed è un peccato. Più che di Teresa avrei preferito di gran lunga leggere del Gruppo B (sempre ignorate, quelle ragazze, eh...) e di Rachel e Sonya. Oh, Sonya! Quei pochi momenti in questo libro in cui è comparsa mi hanno distrutta.
E Newt! Povero Newt... Sono felice che sia stato esplorato così tanto in questo romanzo (anzi, il libro comincia proprio da lui!) perché nella trilogia era uno dei miei personaggi preferiti. E questo romanzo mi ha ripagata per quella maledettissima scena nella trilogia. Non ne parlo perché è uno spoiler, ma mannaggia alla miseria...
Mihno ha sempre la bocca larga ed è sempre il mio preferito in assoluto. Quello che gli hanno fatto quelli della C.A.T.T.I.V.O. prima di mandarlo nel labirinto mi ha fatto capire assolutamente che quella stupida frase che usano sempre è davvero, totalmente e irrimediabilmente, una balla. Checché ne dicano gli scienziati e Teresa.
E a parte Teresa, che vince il premio "Personaggio più odiato di tutta la serie", al secondo posto ci va la dottoressa Paige. Di cui non mi sono fidata per tutto il libro. E, guarda un po'... Che disgustosa bastarda.
Nel complesso la storia è piena di punti davvero emozionanti, per un motivo od un altro. Mi sono davvero affezionata a questi personaggi, e lasciarli con questo ultimo libro è davvero triste per me. E guardare i film non è la stessa cosa.
Forse ho trovato la traduzione migliorata rispetto agli altri libri, e questo ha reso anche la lettura di gran lunga migliore. Nel complesso, un'ottima lettura. show less