The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

360 pages

"Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety...until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated--and with it, order--and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim...and meal.

The Gladers are far from done running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder--does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?" -Book Jacket

*SMALL SPOILER ALERT*
The second book in The Maze Runner  series is equally as good as the first and if you are a fan of Lost  you will love this series. So far, after two books, there are more questions than answers. You don't know who to trust/believe. You don't know what's real, and you still don't know who or what WICKED really is, although Teresa keeps reminding Thomas that "WICKED is good."

Thomas and his friends have been intentionally infected with the Flare and are separated from Teresa within the first few pages. They find out that they are one of two groups of "test subjects" to survive the Maze, the other group consisting of all girls and one boy, the Teresa counter-part. In addition, they find themselves with new tattoos indicating what their roles are to be in this second set of tests. Thomas's role is to be killed by the other group. Minho's is to be the leader and I really like his character.

The Scorch is a crazy place and the Cranks are frightening (think your worst nightmares frightening). You could absolutely visualize them, unlike the Grievers in the first book. Thomas and his gang meet up with some new people (in the early stages of the Flare) in the Scorch and it sets a love triangle in motion for Thomas. Together they try to help each other meet their deadline of making it to the safe haven. Again, the ending leaves you hanging, but Thomas finally becomes proactive instead of reactive. I can't wait for the last book. Oh wait...I'll have to, because it doesn't come out until October!