THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner
Series: Maze Runner, #3
Publication Date: October 11th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Rating: 
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Summary: Thomas knows that Wicked can’t be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they’ve collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It’s up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.
What Wicked doesn’t know is that something’s happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can’t believe a word of what Wicked says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?
Review Overview:
- Felt disconnected to the characters and I had a difficult time jumping back into the Maze Runner world
- Lacked excitement and high energy that I had loved in the first two books
- Disappointing last book to what had been a pretty entertaining series
I think that it’s quite a problem that I’m struggling to write a review of THE DEATH CURE just a few days after I had finished reading. I was a fan of the Maze Runner series with its action-packed mystery and surprising conclusions. Unfortunately, everything that I loved about the series were lacking in the final installment of the Maze Runner series.
I couldn’t get into THE DEATH CURE, but at the same time, it wasn’t a struggle to read. I read the book in two days, more or less, but I felt entirely disconnected from the reading experience. I just couldn’t immerse myself into the world that Dashner had created. Furthermore there was a lack of variation in the tension of the novel. The characters were always on their toes, watching their backs, and I feel as if the constant high tension just made the novel anti-climactic. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat.
In the previous book, The Scorch Trials, Dashner hinted at a bit of romance. While there are still some suggestions of romantic tension between the characters, Dashner does not delve into it any deeper. At its core, THE DEATH CURE remains to be about Wicked’s “good” intentions to find a cure for the Flare.
I think I’ve always had a problem connecting to Thomas, partly because of the third-person perspective. I just didn’t understand his character which made it difficult to root him on. I was apathetic to his cause the entire time I was reading. There was no one character I particularly liked, nor was there a character that I disliked.
The ending was satisfying because it ties up the story well. I had no lingering questions. But as an ending to a series that I had enjoyed, it was a bummer. I enjoyed the first two books immensely and it’s disappointing to end the series on a sour note. THE DEATH CURE is still worth a read for fans of the series, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
Why I’m Biased: I had high expectations for this book since I was a fan of the series.
About the Author
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Find the Author
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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.
Good ending, but no connection?
That’s an odd combination if I’ve ever heard one. Maybe I’ll read it just to see what you mean. 
I just felt like: Wow, I really don’t care what happens to Thomas but I wonder how this series will end.
It IS a weird combination.
It’s nice that all your questions get answered and the ending ties everything up nicely, but it’s really disappointing to hear you just couldn’t connect to the characters at all with this one and the constant, unrelenting tension actually reduced the intensity instead of increasing it. Thanks for such a thorough review though Cialina!