Aughhh, I've completed The Death Cure, the last book of the Maze Runner series, and the prequel The Kill Order. Am I being too picky??? I don't even knowwww~ I just don't relate or feel attached to any of the characters. Maybe I'm too horribly pragmatic but in a catastrophe, I don't see how anyone can afford to repeatedly make ill-thought out decisions (often unopposed by other party members??). Aughhh... I will think more on this...
I don't think I can exhaustively review The Death Cure due to spoiler issues but I'll ramble briefly about it. I think it's almost even worse that there are plot bits I like, because it pisses me off even more that they are either under-developed or overshadowed by the chaos. I think it's the feeling of, I almost have the opinion that EVERY scene you include in a book should have a point. I don't get that feeling. AUGGHHHH, maybe I'm too critical. In addition, it's like, characters that make the tough decisions and are disliked for it don't get a break? No redemption??? No everyone else realising they did what they could with the circumstance?? No sirrreeee. In the end, being noble and IMPULSE-DRIVEN appears to be a better trait.
I really disliked Thomas in this book. I tried my best to imagine Dylan, and nope, I'd still punch him in the nuts.
The Kill Order is slightly snappier mainly because it runs through a quick series of events, but it's format reads rather formulaic of the whole TMR series, going through events in the present, with flashbacks regarding the background story. On the surface, it's one of my favourite types of stories, survival after an apocalypse PLUS disease outbreak! But alas, that makes me extra critical, especially since I have a background in bacteria and viruses. AUGH. It just has so much potential, but it falls short I think mainly because of the main character (which is very unfortunately difficult to differentiate from dear Thomas, oh mannn, I hate to say it but I gotta - that is a major failing). I don't like him, I don't particularly care about his survival, and I think he makes stupid decisions ALL THE FCKING TIME.
I also have a problem because I was super duper impressed when I first read World War Z, because of the realism and the elegance of telling a fully fleshed story in brief accounts from various characters. Arguably, it's perhaps easier to gather a larger perspective by all these hops in POVs, but in this book, our main character is pretty much in the midst of ALL the important EVENTS that culminate in the Maze Runner premise, YET... YET..... it falls short. I got BORED. In the middle of apocalyptic situations. I was that annoying kid going, "ARE WE THERE YET?" I don't know why I just can't connect with Dashner's writing. I don't feel sympathy for the infected, they almost seem there for guro-ness. Perhaps it's too simplistic, and I expect too much depth. It's just so difficult when I don't like anyoneeeeeee~ AUGHHHH~!!
I feel terrible that I can't say great things about it, but this is just the feeling I'm left with. Things could have been so good between us. WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALLLLLLL!!!