The Kill Order
Ratings149
Average rating3.5
I must say, this one was far better written than the original books from the trilogy. That made the reading experience much more enjoyable.
On top of that, the characters in this story are also much less irritating/angsty teenagers which I find to be quite difficult to find in a Young Adult book (at least in the ones I've been reading). Well Done Mr. Dashner!
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room – that “magical adrenaline rush” situation. Seriously, these characters go through the wringer – thrown around, shot at, sleep-deprived, virus-ridden, and beaten up every five minutes. And yet, they bounce back like it's nothing, tackling every problem that comes their way in some mind-bogglingly complex manner, defying all odds.
In short, it is a nice story that gives a somewhat needed background for the events in the main trilogy. For readers that already read the three main books, this one is not hard to recommend. If you're planning to start now with the series, do not start with this one. What is told in it is not earth shattering news, but it can definitely diminish some of the events of the following books.
Going into this book I was hoping to get some answers to questions that I was left with after reading The Maze Runner series. Unfortunately I didn't get any of those answers. Some of the can scenes are a little repetitive but overall it was a good book. It kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and I never expected it to end the way it did. When I first started this book I immediately thought it was so much better than The Maze Runner series and when I finished it I still felt the same way. Like I said I didn't answer any of my questions I was left with from the other books but on its own it was very descriptive and explained everything that was brought up in this book.
Avoided the “American Idol Results Show” trap of most prequels where the characters perform pointless actions until the few desired answers are reviewed. Still felt a bit like an set up but very enjoyable one.
Very violent... Linda slow at times...
I read it because I wanted it to add something too the Maze Runner series. It did a little, but not much. Probably should have Lemmed it.
The best idea [a:James Dashner 348878 James Dashner https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1204922790p2/348878.jpg] had was the Maze in [b:The Maze Runner 6186357 The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) James Dashner https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375596592s/6186357.jpg 6366642]. Everything past that went downhill.Interesting to see the back story, but it took me way to long to get through the book.
About halfway through I realized I was done with this book, but I read all the way through. I wasn't hoping it would get better, I just had to finish it. The Maze Runner was really good. Really, really good and I would say that I wished it was a stand alone novel, but it did leave you on a cliffhanger and the story was a lot more than could be summed up in just one book I suppose. But it wasn't until The Scorch Trials that I realized Dashner's writing wasn't that fantastic. By the time I got to The Death Cure I really didn't like anyone anymore.
But The Kill Order was a prequel and I thought I would want to know how it all began. What I didn't think about was how depressing it would be. I mean, we already know things don't end up going so great for those who were around when the flares began. So the whole time I wasn't wondering if Trina and Mark and their friends would die, I was wondering when.
So the first half was okay, but then the writing started to fall apart. Conversations he added just to fill in the time were stilted and strange. People don't talk like that, especially not people in dire situations. By the end of the book I was tempted just to skip ahead and see how it ended. Pages upon pages of fighting crazed people. Punching, kicking, scratching...twice we had to read about Mark almost falling out of THE SAME WINDOW. Well, maybe not the same one, but still.
It just wasn't good. I wish I had stopped reading after The Maze Runner.
Good but did not hold my attention as much as the Maze Runner. And it's a story about random people not really how WICKED is formed even though it leads you to believe it is.
I can't even say I'm disappointed because that would imply that I had expectations. This is just a sloppy addition to a series that ceased to be enjoyable halfway through the second book (give or take). I'm not sorry I read it but I am sorry it wasn't better. Perhaps some small distant part of me wanted to be wooed again. I was not. I'm pretty sure this has been our final rendezvous, Dashner.