Maze Runner #2 (Scorch Trials) by James Dashner

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!*

*for those who haven't read the first book.



Judul: Maze Runner #2 (The Scorch Trials)
Penulis: James Dashner
Penerbit: Delacorte Press
Tahun Terbit: 2011
Halaman: 361
Genre: Young-Adult & Dystopia



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SYNOPSIS (CLICK TO READ)

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end.
Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.
There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.
The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.
There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.

Thomas dan teman-temannya berhasil menyelesaikan Maze, keluar dari tempat mengerikan itu. Namun, baru saat mereka lega, ternyata mereka dihadapkan dengan trial yang lain, dinamakan Scorch Trials. Disini mereka harus berjalan di gurun dan menemukan safe haven. Yang mereka tidak ketahui, di dunia luar ternyata lebih mengerikan dibanding Maze, bumi diserang sun-flares, menyebabkan sinar matahari yang sangat menyengat dan mematikan--bisa menghanguskan manusia; dan penyakit bernama the Flare menyebar ke seluruh pelosok dunia. Thomas dan teman-temannya harus selalu ingat untuk: survive, run. Demi menyelesaikan Phase Two ini, demi menyelesaikan dendam mereka terhadap Creators atau WICKED--organisasi dibalik semua kesengsaraan para Gladers. 

"The Flare always win in the end. You lose any chance of being rational, having common sense, having compassion. You lose your humanity." - pg. 204 

source here.

source here.

“He didn't care about the others anymore. The chaos around him seemed to siphon away his humanity, turn him into an animal. All he wanted was to survive, make it to that building, get inside. Live. Gain another day.”

Seperti yang kalian tau review aku disini, aku suka banget sama konsep Maze Runner. Maksudnya, para teenagers yang di kurung disebuah labirin dan harus keluar dari sana secepatnya? Brillian. Tapii, serius, Scorch Trials? Hal yang mereka lakuin cuman untuk menemukan safe haven, terus? Entahlah, aku cuman kurang suka sama konsep Scorch Trials, dan kenyataan bahwa diluar Maze mereka sedang terkena virus the Flare ini. Kurang gigit mungkin ya :) 

Plotnya sih menurutku oke, ada beberapa yang ngebosenin, yaa, ada juga yang seru sampe gabisa berhenti baca. Kebanyakan sih cuman bagian ending dan bagian awal buku. Konfliknya gak seru, gak menarik, gak plot-twisted. Perjalanan mereka dimulai dengan segala keanehan-keanehan (tapi sayangnya gak dijelasin keanehan-keanehan itu SEBENERNYA apa sih), terus mereka harus melewati padang gurun, ketemu sama Cranks (sebutan orang-orang yang terkena virus the Flare), dan pengkhianatan-pengkhianatan yang terjadi dimana semua orang menjadi selfish untuk selamat--ditutup dengan ending yang menurutku keren sihh dan pengen cepet-cepet baca Death Cure (walaupun aku rada gasuka ni buku). Yaa buat plot-plot action-nya sih keren, tapi gak sekeren Maze Runner; rasa penasarannya juga kurang gigit disini dibanding Maze Runner. 

Di sinopsisnya, gatau ya mungkin rada melebih-lebihkan. Maksudnya 'friendships will be tested'? Pada kenyataannya, ya ada pengkhianatan-pengkhianatan terjadi, tapi pengkhianatannya gak sekeren yang dibilang sinopsisnya. Gak tau ya, aku cuman berharap James Dashner bisa buat penjelasan cerita lebih baik lagi :) Kalau dibilang Scorch Trials lebih jelek dibanding Maze Runner sih tergantung ya, ada beberapa juga sih yang seru di Scorch Trials, tapi overall, aku sih kecewa berat sama buku ini. 

Satu-satunya hal yang ngebuat aku tetep baca adalah endingnya. Beneran deh, endingnya kereen dan bikin penasaran banget. Bener-bener plot-twisted dan sangat menyegarkan ketika plot-plotnya menjadi sangat boring. Buat action plots nya sih tetep kerenlah, walaupun plot ceritanya rada mengecewakan gituu. Ada sih beberapa adegan romance, tapi dalam porsi cukup dan gak begitu menye-menye hehee. Walaupun gitu aku cuman merasa adegan romantisnya terasa dipaksakan. Yaa begitulahh.

Tapi yang bagusnya adalah karakter-karakternya berkembang, sifat-sifatnya mulai keliatan, dan pokoknya aku suka sama karakter-karakter disini. :3 Tetep sih Minho<3 NGAKAK BANGET SAMA MINHO LOL. Tapi lumayan suka juga sama Newt, Thomas, dan beberapa karakter lain yang gak kalah kece disini. Aku sih cuman berharap di Death Cure bisa lebih baik lagi. :))

“Yeah, right," Minho said. "And Frypan's gonna start having little babies, Winston'll get rid of his monster acne, and Thomas here'll actually smile for once."
Thomas turned to Minho and exaggerated a fake smile. "There, you happy?"
"Dude," he responded. "You are one ugly shank.”

“He whipped out his sheet, then pulled it over himself and wrapped it tightly around his face like an old woman in a shawl.
'How do I look?'
'Like the ugliest shanky girl I’ve ever seen,' Minho responded. 'You better thank the gods above you were born a dude.'
'Thanks.” 

Overall, buku ini bagus, tapi bisa dibilang mengecewakan kalau dibandingkan dengan Maze Runner. Segala tentang konsepnya yang gak menarik, sinopsisnya yang bikin penasaran tapi kenyataan dibukunya ternyata mengecewakan, dan adegan-adegan romantis yang rada dipaksain; hal-hal itu yang bikin buku ini kalah dari Maze Runner. Dan sebagai sekuel, menurutku buku ini kurang menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan kita. :( Tapi kalian tetep harus baca karna bagi fansnya Minho, kalian akan liat seberapa badass nya Minho disini hehe:D. 

“Can you do that?” Thomas asked.
“Huh?”
“Kill someone three times.”
“I’d figure out a way.” 

Aku cuman berharap (mungkin ketinggian) bahwa Death Cure lebih baik dari Scorch Trials. Gausah deh lebih baik dari Maze Runner :3 Bagi yang udah baca, gimana nih menurut kalian? Apakah buku ini harusnya dapet 5 bintang? Atau sebaliknya? Apakah ada yang kecewa sama buku ini? Hehee jangan lupa tinggalin komentar yaa~ tapi jangan sampai spoiler yaa hehehe kasian yang belum baca bukunya ^^ 

To face whatever WICKED had in store for them. But, he'd do it--and not just to get a cure. He would never stop, especially now. Not after what they'd done to him and his friends. If the only way to get back at them was to pass all their tests and trials, to survive, then so be it. - pg 69.

source here.

source here.

“Sometimes I wonder," Thomas murmured.
"Wonder what?"
"If being alive matters. If being dead might be a lot easier.”  

Check for Maze Runner book review here.

For Maze Runner Movie Adaptation review here. 

For Scorch Trials: Trailer & Posters here! 

Don't miss them!

“Hunger.
It's like an animal trapped inside you, Thomas thought.” 

“I felt her absence. It was like waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth. You wouldn't need to run to the mirror to know they were gone.” 

BIOGRAPHY TAKEN FROM GOODREADS

ABOUT AUTHOR

James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.


MORE ABOUT JAMES DASHNER