Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Library Binding
$8.43

Paperback
$9.84

Buy used:

$8.43

FREE delivery May 22 - 29. Details

Or fastest delivery May 16 - 20. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by ThriftBooks-Phoenix

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Other sellers on Amazon

Used (5) from $8.43 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

James Dashner

+ Follow

More books from this author

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner Series #2) (The Maze Runner Series) Library Binding – October 12, 2010

by James Dashner (Author)

4.4 30,432 ratings

Book 2 of 5: The Maze Runner

See all formats and editions

Read the second book in the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. The first book, The Maze Runner, is soon to be a major motion picture starring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Will Poulter, and Aml Ameen and hits theaters September 19, 2014! Also look for James Dashner’s newest book The Eye of Minds, book one in the Mortality Doctrine series.

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.

Praise for the Maze Runner series:

“[A] nail-biting must-read.” —Seventeen.com

“Wonderful action writing—fast-paced…but smart and well observed.” —Newsday

“Breathless, cinematic action.” —Publishers Weekly

“Heart-pounding to the very last moment.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Exclamation-worthy.” —Romantic Times

“Gripping reading.” —Booklist

From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up–This dystopian novel begins where The Maze Runner (Delacorte, 2009) ends. Thomas and the rest of the group's escape from the Maze and the horrifying creatures called Grievers has proven to be short-lived because WICKED, the group behind it all, has another trial in store for them. Sun flares have destroyed most of the Earth, and a virus called the Flare has ravaged its population. Infected people turn into zombies called Cranks that attack and eat one other. The kids are told that they have the Flare but if they succeed in surviving the second trial, they will be cured. With few supplies, they must travel across 100 miles of hot and scorched land within two weeks to reach a safe house to receive the cure. When Teresa, Thomas's best friend and the only girl in the group, disappears, and he loses the ability to communicate telepathically with her, he and the other guys determine to find her. As they trek across the barren desert encountering crazed Cranks, the teens' loyalty to one another and the group is tested. The fast-paced narrative and survival-of-the-fittest scenario is reminiscent of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008). Although these characters aren't quite as compelling and their made-up slang takes a little getting used to, each character's personality is distinct. The unresolved ending will leave readers impatiently waiting for the conclusion to the trilogy.–Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About the Author

James Dashner is the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series as well as the books in the 13th Reality series and The Infinity Ring. He is also the author of The Eye of Minds, the first book in the Mortality Doctrine series. Dashner was born and raised in Georgia but now lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains. To learn more about James and his books, visit JamesDashner.com or follow @jamesdashner on Twitter.

From the Hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1

She spoke to him before the world fell apart.

Hey, are you still asleep?

Thomas shifted in his bed, felt a darkness around him like air turned solid, pressing in. At first he panicked; his eyes snapped open as he imagined himself back in the Box--that horrible cube of cold metal that had delivered him to the Glade and the Maze. But there was a faint light, and lumps of dim shadow gradually emerged throughout the huge room. Bunk beds. Dressers. The soft breaths and gurgly snores of boys deep in slumber.

Relief filled him. He was safe now, rescued and delivered to this dormitory. No more worries. No more Grievers. No more death.

Tom?

A voice in his head. A girl's. Not audible, not visible. But he heard it all the same, though never could he have explained to anyone how it worked.

Exhaling a deep breath, he relaxed into his pillow, his razor-edged nerves settling down from that fleeting moment of terror. He spoke back, forming the words with his thoughts.

Teresa? What time is it?

No idea, she replied. But I can't sleep. I probably dozed for an hour or so. Maybe more. I was hoping you were awake to keep me company.

Thomas tried not to smile. Even though she wouldn't be able to see it, it would be embarrassing all the same. Didn't give me much choice in the matter, did you? Kind of hard to sleep when someone's talking directly into your skull.

Waa, waa. Go back to bed, then.

No. I'm good. He stared at the bottom of the bunk above him--featureless and darkly fuzzy in the shadow--where Minho was currently breathing like a guy with ungodly amounts of phlegm lodged in his throat. What've you been thinking about?

What do you think? Somehow she projected a jab of cynicism into the words. I keep seeing Grievers. Their disgusting skin and blubber bodies, all those metal arms and spikes. It was way too close for comfort, Tom. How're we gonna get something like that out of our heads?

Thomas knew what he thought. Those images would never leave--the Gladers would be haunted by the horrible things that had happened in the Maze for the rest of their lives. He figured that most if not all of them would have major psychological problems. Maybe even go completely nutso.

And above it all, he had one image burned into his memories as strongly as a branded mark from a searing hot iron. His friend Chuck, stabbed in the chest, bleeding, dying as Thomas held him.

Thomas knew he would never forget that. But what he said to Teresa was: It'll go away. Just takes a little time, that's all.

You're so full of it, she said.

I know. How ridiculous was it that he loved hearing her say something like that to him? That her sarcasm meant things were going to be okay? You're an idiot, he told himself, then hoped she didn't hear that thought.

I hate that they separated me from you guys, she said.

Thomas understood why they had, though. She was the only girl and the rest of the Gladers were teenage boys--a bunch of shanks they didn't trust yet. Guess they were protecting you.

Yeah. I guess. Melancholy seeped into his brain with her words, stuck to them like syrup. But it sucks being alone after everything we went through.

Where'd they take you, anyway? She sounded so sad that he almost wanted to get up and look for her, but he knew better.

Just on the other side of that big common room where we ate last night. It's a small room with a few bunks. I'm pretty sure they locked the door when they left.

See, told ya they wanted to protect you. Then he quickly added, Not that you need protecting. I'd put my money on you against at least half these shanks.

Only half?

Okay, three-quarters. Including me.

A long stretch of silence followed, though somehow Thomas could still sense her presence. He felt her. It was almost like how, even though he couldn't see Minho, he knew his friend lay only a few feet above him. And it wasn't just the snoring. When someone is close by, you just know it.

Despite all the memories of the last few weeks, Thomas was surprisingly calm, and soon sleep overpowered him once more. Darkness settled on his world, but she was there, next to him in so many ways. Almost . . . touching.

He had no concept of time passing while in that state. Half asleep, half enjoying her presence and the thought that they'd been rescued from that horrible place. That they were safe, that he and Teresa could get to know each other all over again. That life could be good.

Blissful sleep. Hazy darkness. Warmth. A physical glow. Almost floating.

The world seemed to fade away. All became numb and sweet. And the darkness, somehow comforting. He slipped into a dream.

He's very young. Four, maybe? Five? Lying in a bed with blankets pulled to his chin.

A woman sits next to him, her hands folded in her lap. She has long brown hair, a face just beginning to show signs of age. Her eyes are sad. He knows this even though she's trying very hard to hide it with a smile.

He wants to say something, ask her a question. But he can't. He's not really here. Just witnessing it all from a place he doesn't quite understand. She begins to talk, a sound so simultaneously sweet and angry it disturbs him.

"I don't know why they chose you, but I do know this. You're special somehow. Never forget that. And never forget how much"--her voice cracks and tears run down her face--"never forget how much I love you."

The boy replies, but it's not really Thomas speaking. Even though it is him. None of it makes sense. "Are you gonna be crazy like all those people on TV, Mommy? Like . . . Daddy?"

The woman reaches out and runs her fingers through his hair. Woman? No, he can't call her that. This is his mother. His . . . mommy.

"Don't you worry about that, honey," she says. "You won't be here to see it."

Her smile has gone away.

Too fast the dream faded into blackness, leaving Thomas in a void with nothing but his thoughts. Had he seen another memory crawl up from the depths of his amnesia? Had he really seen his mom? There'd been something about his dad being crazy. The ache inside Thomas was deep and gnawing, and he tried to sink further into oblivion.

Later--how much later he had no idea--Teresa spoke to him again.

Tom, something's wrong.

From the Hardcover edition.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Delacorte Press (October 12, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Library Binding ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385907451
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385907453
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 13 years, from customers
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.74 x 1.2 x 8.56 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.4 30,432 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

James Dashner

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

James Dashner is the #1 NY Times Bestselling author of over a dozen books, including The Maze Runner series (movies by 20th Century Fox, now owned by Disney). He grew up in Georgia but now lives in the Rocky Mountains with his wife and their four children. For more information on him and his books, events, etc., please visit jamesdashner.com.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

30,432 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Cshaf51

AMAZING, You will second guess yourself over who can be trusted, and feel apart of you thinking that perhaps "Wicked is Good"

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2014

Verified Purchase

I am a huge maze runner fan. I read it just to prep for the movie, since Dylan O'Brien is playing the lead who happens to be my favorite actor. I didn't expect to be into this series that much, but I am addicted. It is the best trilogy I have read, and I'm on book three now, and The Scorch Trials is probably my favorite of the series thus far.

This picks up immediately from where everything left off in The Maze Runner, and what makes it so good is you don't have to wait for the action to pick up. This book isn't like the first one where you had 150 pages of calmness with little spurts of adrenaline (which is still wonderful) and then 200 more of on the edge of your seat page turning. This one is more like 50 pages of confusion and calmness, then 300 pages of edge of your seat page turning. It is a fast read, with so much action in it that I'm surprised it is only 360 pages. It has everything the first book had, action, a slight hint of horror (not really scary but definitely some scenes get your blood rushing and clinging to every moment) and friendships form and some are broken. In this book, the basic synopsis is (and I'll try to not have any major spoilers in this) but basically, WICKED has the gladers getting ready for the second phase of the trials. This is to cross a 100 mile stretch of land and get to the safe haven. They have been inflicted with the Flare, a disease that threatens life as we know it, and getting to the safe haven will grant them a cure. Along the way, they encounter numerous people with the flare that are crazy and are trying to kill them (as the flare seems similar to rabies, it makes it's host go insane and become aggressive and want to kill everything in it's path before finally killing it's host), along with many other situations like abandoned cities, underground tunnels, silver globs that can kill you, more of wicked's mechanical monsters, and the sun that can give you 2nd degree burns in seconds, no shelters, and nothing but desert for the 100 miles. It is brutal. Friendships are tested, some no longer can be trusted. Some act out in times of desperation, threatening the system. New characters are introduced, and once more Dashner gives us some awesome names like "rat man". Who can be trusted? Can anyone be trusted? Who is telling the truth? Are there more out there? Who is secretly working against the group for wicked? Can we cross the scorch as a group, or can we not even trust those we thought had our backs? What is freaking going on!!!! You have to read to find out!!!! This book is insane, and so much better than book one. It is the perfect combination of action and confusion. And by the end, you may find yourself have a slight feeling in your heart that wicked is good. (But that may or may not last long, I'm not sure having just begun book 3.)

If you give book 1 at least a 3 or 4/5, you will love this one too, and then love the entire series. This is probably the second best book I have read to date, after TFiOS. But it is so close to knocking that one down, which I didn't think for me personally would be possible. I love this book sooooooooo much. It is much more cliffhanging and puts you on on the edge of your seat so much more than book one.

One note: I like to put this in there in case you haven't read book one, or any of TMR seires. People keep comparing this to THG and Divergent. This is a trilogy that stands completely on its own. The only major similarities are they are trilogies, it is a world that isn't how we know it today, and it does revolve around a group of teens. I can see slightly more similarities with Divergent, and can see why people make this argument, but it is still an amazing journey and I got much more out of it. It is a wild story, one I can't even fathom how Dashner came up with it. If one makes the argument it is just another HG or Divergent, they need to wake up. It is to me, better than both of these series. The basic run down of the entire series is a group uses a group of kids to conduct experiments on their brains in order to develop a cure to a disease that threatens human existence. They do this by sending these kids into impossible situations to observe their behavior, even if it means they will die in the process. If this sounds like THG or Divergent, someone needs to reread the series. Read it, its awesome and so much better than these two other trilogies, both of which I completely loved.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Mishellter

Pretty good

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2013

Verified Purchase

First off, this is a young adult dystopian future book. It wasn't written as a deeper look at society, or to find the layers upon layers of meaning throughout the novel. Don't go into the book thinking that it is. Approach these books as a teenager looking for some entertainment, and you won't be disappointed. I know a lot of people - namely, adults - have very different opinions on this book - on this entire series, actually. I've read several reviews on this series that have torn it apart - citing many different reasons. Some say the characters are all the same and there is little to no character development. I completely disagree. In the first book - The Maze Runner - all of these characters are thrown into the same situation with no memory of life before it. These boys are all gonna seem a little bit the same. It's the nature of the beast - they're in survival mode. But even though they're all in the same situation, I feel that there were many differences in their personalities & I felt closer to some than others. I liked some characters, but certain characters I hated, yet I still understood the characters' motivations. Any book that can illicit that sort of emotional response - hating or loving characters - is a good book IMHO. And it's really interesting to see how these characters have evolved from the beginning of book one, to the end of book two - the ones who made it, anyway. The story was also an interesting one. I'm pretty sure I've never read a book like this one. And I'm also pretty sure that no other "monsters" in any other book gave me nightmares - yet, I had a couple scary nightmares about Cranks - especially after reading the tunnel part. Speaking of Cranks, I've read many reviews that have called Cranks "zombies", and have said that these books are zombie books. Again, I disagree. If I remember correctly, zombies die & come back to life as the "undead" & try to create other zombies by biting them or eating them. The biggest difference is that Cranks aren't dead. They can also be hurt & killed - even if they're not injured in the head. Another big difference is that they can talk - which, IMHO, makes them that much scarier. Dashner has really come up with an interesting "monster" - a very scary, panic-inducing monster. I was definitely terrified of their unpredictable behavior. But there's also the antagonist - WICKED. So, really, there are two kinds of "monsters" or villains, and you aren't quite sure who is worse!
Anyway, I hope I haven't spoiled anybody's reading experience in fact, I hope to enhance it. I read the book in spite of the reviews, and because I didn't agree with them, I had to write a review for myself. I've finished the series, and I have to say, I was entertained by it. (Maybe I'm just easy to please???) I hope you enjoy these books, too!!
Oh! One quick note: these books are GREAT if you have a young teenager - especially a boy - who is a reluctant reader.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Pablo Cafiso

Awesome book!

Reviewed in Canada on October 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

I got it for my daughter as she had read the first book in the series and loved it. Same with this one, she keeps wishing the day had more hours so she'd had more time to go on reading it.

Lakshya

AMAZING BOOK .......POOR QUALITY

Reviewed in India on April 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

book is really nice loved it but quality of book is absolutely poor i have replaced it 2 times still got a very bad quality

Kata

very good

Reviewed in Mexico on November 5, 2014

Verified Purchase

I very much loved this book. Friendship is always part of the game, and know is love. Cant wait to read the third one.

Amazon Customer

A fair sequel to the orginal book

Reviewed in Brazil on October 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

The book of relatively more even than the previous one.
The story keeps your attention during the whole book.
There are even more characters which are fairly developed and the back story is far more unveiled this time.
A must-read book for those who love young-adult literature.

One person found this helpful

Guillermo Lloret Carrillo

Awesome

Reviewed in Spain on August 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

I mean , I have enjoyed this book a lot .There might be people who doesn't think as me but I would give a 10 to both books this one and the previous one . I am really looking forward to read the next one . And there's no much more to say except one last thing .I suggest you reading at least the two first books

See more reviews

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner Series #2) (The Maze Runner Series) Library Binding – October 12, 2010

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

Videos

About the author

James Dashner

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries