Buddy read: Mari Even tho the first one was already a pain in the butt to get through, Mari really wanted to continue with the books. Since it has been a while I was like: oh well sure, let’s do this. While I already thought that the movies actually elevated the story the author wrote, the second book cemented that believe even more in me. The changes they made from book to movie were well done and made sense. The whole book we again had the predictable chosen one storyline that just never ends and seems to be the whole in your face theme. This time Thomas and his inexplicable intelligence weren’t the driving force, which might sound like a positive evolution, but it’s not. It got replaced by them walking from a to b. That’s it. They are send on this journey, so they try to do it and that is that. Not much thinking, not much else happening. Thomas still has the emotional range of a teaspoon handle and no ideas that actually lead to anything - such a pointless book.

Teil eins dieser Reihe war für mich zwar nicht schlecht, konnte mich jedoch nicht vollends begeistern. Dieses zweite Buch hat das allerdings geschafft. James Dashner fackelt nicht lange und setzt mit dem zweiten Band direkt da an, wo der letzte aufgehört hat. Leider hatte ich deshalb anfangs auch etwas Probleme, mich an all die Namen zu erinnern. Jedoch war dies nach einigen Seiten kein Hindernis mehr und ich konnte die Geschichte genießen. Thomas und die Lichter haben es aus dem Labyrinth geschafft und wiegen sich in falsche Sicherheit. Schon am Tag nach ihrer Rettung ist nichts mehr, wie es war. Die Tests haben gerade erst angefangen. Die Probleme, die ich im ersten Band mit Thomas hatte, konnte ich in der Brandwüste nicht wiederfinden. Ich konnte mich in ihn hinein versetzen und seine Handlungen verstehen. Wem ich immer noch sehr ratlos gegenüberstehe, ist Teresa. Schon im Labyrinth kam sie mir oft falsch vor und als ob sie etwas verbergen würde. Nach und nach hatte ich mich jedoch an den Gedanken gewöhnt, dass sie Thomas nun sehr nahe steht und er sie mag. Doch dann gab es wieder einige Ereignisse, die mich einfach nur geschockt haben und mich sehr an ihr zweifeln ließen. Wo wir gerade von Schock reden – James Dashner hat ein unglaubliches Talent dafür, seine Leser nur das sehen zu lassen, was er möchte, nur um sie dann später mit einer Enthüllung fast zum Herzstillstand zu bringen. Langeweile und Ruhe sind Mangelware, Action ist angesagt. Das ganze Rätsel um ANGST spitzt sich immer mehr zu und flüchtige Erinnerungen, die lückenhaft in Thomas Gedächtnis zurückkehren machen es nicht besser. Überhaupt passieren viele Dinge, für die ich noch keine Erklärung bekommen habe. Vieles scheint bisher sinnlos, aber ich gehe ganz fest davon aus, dass ich in Band drei das Meiste herausfinden werde. Endlich bekommen wir mal ein bisschen was von der Außenwelt und somit der dystopischen Komponente mit: Es gab vor vielen Jahren Sonnenstürme, weshalb viele, viele Menschen gestorben sind. Gleichzeitig breitete sich eine schlimme Krankheit aus, die den Betroffenen langsam die Menschlichkeit raubt, sodass sie instinktgeleitet und aggressiv sind. Das Ende war wieder ein mieser Cliffhanger, sodass ich sicherlich nicht lange warten werde, Band 3 zu lesen. Fazit: Die Auserwählten in der Brandwüste ist einfach von der ersten Seite an unglaublich spannend. Immer wieder geschehen neue unerwartete Dinge, die eine Menge Fragen aufwerfen und verwirren (aber im positiven Sinne). Es war spannend, auch mal etwas von der Außenwelt mitzubekommen und Thomas und die Lichter bei ihrer neuen Aufgabe zu begleiten. Wer diese Reihe noch nicht begonnen hat, sollte das ganz bald tun!

way better than the movies! had a few wtf moments. now my head is spinning but I love it! can brands talk to him telepathically yes or no??? and brooooo wtf was that betrayal (i was shocked like teresa kissed whoooom??) please i was so mad and still am very interested in the development of tommy’s and teresa’s relationship and how their different views on WICKED play out

I tremendously enjoyed reading this continuation of [b:The Maze Runner|6186357|The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1)|James Dashner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375596592l/6186357._SY75_.jpg|6366642]. In many ways, it is better than the first book due to being able to lean into the potential that was set up earlier. The first book was limited by Thomas missing memories and lack of relationships with the people around him, which is a limitation this book does not have. Now, Thomas has more of an idea of who he is, he has friends and allies by his side that he knows with dynamics that we as the reader know as well or have a faster way of understanding due to knowing more about Thomas' character. The interpersonal relationships between these characters and the new people they meet is what makes up this book and I even found myself enjoying the love triangle(s), which I don't do often. They were so intrinsically linked to who the characters are and to the conflict at the core of this story that I don't think this book would have worked as well without. As a conclusion, I'll just say: I liked [b:The Maze Runner|6186357|The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1)|James Dashner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375596592l/6186357._SY75_.jpg|6366642], but I love "The Scorch Trials".

One word to describe this book: traitor. This whole book is literally unnecessary and I‘m not saying that because I didn’t like it, I‘m saying that because I‘m sorry for these damn kids. They‘ve been through hell just so they can be in WICKED‘S bloody hands again?! They deserved so much better. Also Teresa? I loved her in the movies but bro in the book she is a traitor through and through. ARIS? Are we talking from MY Aris? My innocent baby? HE SHOULD BE A TRAITOR?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! Well at least Minho is still my Sassy queen

i enjoyed the first book actually a lot more, but it was still very thrilling and I couldn't stop reading and spent every free minute on reading until i was through. i think this whole relationship between thomas,brenda and teresa is simply unnecessary. like i do understand that those skills of them are important for the story, but why get this love-triangle-thing into an already interesting & amazing storyline? Excited to start 'the death cure' next

So I have several complaints about stuff in this book. But I'm still so fucking curious as to what the hell it is all about I'll probably keep reading the series... I just wanna know what's going on there? But anyway, one big thing stood out for me (in a negative way). The following is sort of spoilery, though I think I'm not really giving away much story-wise. Marked it as spoilery anyway, just to be safe. So, I have one MAJOR complaint. Why the fuck did Thomas not talk to Aris when he got seperated from the Gladers? It happened TWO times. He KNEW he could talk to Aris in his head, he did it before they left through the Flat Trans thingy. I know back then he chose not to because of reasons. But during the time he was seperated he repeatedly wondered where the others were. Why the fuck would you not get over your issues and use a very simple way to find out? Like mh, maybe just ask the guy who's probably with them??? What's the point of this telepathy-thingy if you don't fucking use it! Except with your girlfriend to talk about others while they are around, that's the perfect use of course! Like after a certain point in the story, I got why the author didn't write it, story-wise. But it IS a very obvious thing the character should've tried. And it bugs me to no end that the super, know-it-all, having-great-instincts, doing-everything-right guy Tommy conveniently forgot about this little trick. Seriously, it frustrated me. I need a bit of distance from this series for a while. But I'll probably be back cause I have more fucking questions than received answers with this second book. You'd expect to at least get some answers, even while raising more questions in a sequel right? Well nope, not with this. You get no answers, while the questions increase significantly. This series is seriously frustrating to read. And it's not even *that* well written imo...

I give up on this series (even though there is only one book left). The whole thing had a really interesting set-up, world-wise, but it kind of just fell flat. I did not get why Thomas had to to do all the things he did (don't want to put in spoilers, but if you read this book, you probably know what i mean), it did not really go anywhere. Nothing really gets explained and while that was still mostly okay in the first book, it's not in the second. You get the feeling the author doesn't really know all the 'background' either and the world this is set in feels random and just confusing.

Attention, Cliffhanger! >:( I really loved that book, it was so intense and exciting to read. The characters were awesome and the plot got better and better. I still kinda like Teresa so far, IF she told the truth in the end. Brenda is badass but I rather see her as a buddy of Thomas. At some point of the story, I got like REALLY scared and creeped out. "How is this even allowed to be YA?!", I thought then and reminded myself of another book which was horrific and badass the same time. Seems to be the new and cool YA topic. Anyways, I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait to read The Death Cure! :)

Ich habe nicht vieles zu sagen. Jahreshighlight. Der Band hat mir genauso sehr gefallen wie Band 1. Der Schreibstil war der Hammer und die Charaktere liebe ich vorallem Thomas Minho und Newt<3 Die Story war komplett andres als im Film war aber auch schon eine andere Story lesen zu dürfen! Die Maze runner Reihe hat mein Herz und ich kann euch diese wirklich empfehlen!! Kauft sie euch! 5+⭐

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ As a huge fan of "The Maze Runner" series, I couldn't wait to dive into "The Scorch Trials" and experience the same level of excitement and intrigue. Unfortunately, my anticipation quickly turned into frustration as I delved deeper into this bewildering mess of a sequel. First and foremost, let's address the elephant in the room: the vast differences between the book and its movie adaptation. It's baffling how a story that was so captivating in its original form could be twisted and distorted beyond recognition on the silver screen. While the first book and its corresponding movie harmoniously captured the essence of James Dashner's thrilling dystopian world, "The Scorch Trials" fails to live up to its predecessor in both mediums. The biggest flaw lies in the convoluted plot, which meanders aimlessly and leaves readers scratching their heads. Gone is the sense of urgency and desperation that characterized the first installment. Instead, we are thrust into a series of disjointed events that lack cohesion and purpose. The story feels like a jumbled puzzle, with no clear direction or satisfying resolution. Even worse, the characters that we grew to love in "The Maze Runner" undergo a complete transformation, and not for the better. Their actions and motivations become increasingly questionable, making it difficult to empathize with them or understand their choices. The character development feels forced and inconsistent, leaving us with a sense of detachment and indifference. Another glaring issue is the lack of world-building. While the first book immersed us in the intricacies of the maze and the Glade, "The Scorch Trials" introduces a post-apocalyptic wasteland called the Scorch. Sadly, the vivid descriptions and atmospheric settings that made the first book so engrossing are sorely absent here. Instead, we are left with a barren landscape that lacks depth and fails to captivate the imagination. Perhaps my biggest disappointment stems from the missed potential of this sequel. "The Maze Runner" had set the stage for a captivating continuation, but "The Scorch Trials" fails to deliver on its promise. It feels like a cash grab, relying on the success of its predecessor without putting in the effort to craft a compelling and coherent narrative. In conclusion, "The Scorch Trials" is a confusing and lackluster sequel that pales in comparison to its predecessor. The disjointed plot, inconsistent character development, and lack of world-building leave readers feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. Moreover, the stark differences between the book and its movie adaptation only add to the overall disappointment. If you loved the first book and movie, I would strongly advise you to temper your expectations for this lackluster follow-up.

English: This book was so great (just like the first one). The style (original) was really thrilling! A utterly good sequel of the triology. The content in the movie btw has nothing to do with the content of the book... exept the gladers walking through desert... So to all the people who liked the first book: READ IT! Deutsch: Das Buch war wieder richtig toll (wie der erste Teil auch)! Der Schreibstil (Originalsprache) war richtig gut (James Dashner halt): fesselnd und spannend. Eine super Fortsetzung der Reihe. Die Handlung im Buch hatte übrigens rein gar nichts mit der im Film zu tun... außer, dass sie durch eine Wüste laufen. Also an alle die den 1. Teil mochten: LESEN!!