The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials

File:Scorchnewcover.jpg
Author	James Dashner
Cover artist	Philip Straub
Language	English U.S.
Genre	Young adult, dystopian future, science fiction
Publisher	Delacorte Press
Publication date	October 12, 2010
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paper back)
Pages	368
ISBN	978-0-385-73875-0
Preceded by	The Maze Runner
Followed by	The Death Cure

The Scorch Trials is the second book—preceded by the 2007 novel The Maze Runner—in a young-adult dystopian science fiction trilogy by James Dashner. The novel was published October 5, 2010 by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House. On October 11, 2013, it was reported that Fox had acquired the rights to The Scorch Trials. The movie will be released on September 18th, 2015.

Plot

Protagonist Thomas and the other Gladers have escaped the maze and are put into a dormitory. The next day, the Gladers are in another dormitory, and people called Cranks are moaning and screaming through the windows of the room. The Gladers leave the room, only to find dead bodies hanging from the ceiling, and later find that Teresa, the only girl in their group, has gone missing. Thomas tries to find her with his friends Minho and Newt; instead, they find a boy named Aris, who says that he was in another dormitory before, and woke here.

An alarm rings; and when it stops, food appears on a table, and the Gladers eat. A man in a white suit tells them that he represents a group called WICKED (World In Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department), and that Earth has been ravaged by solar flares, and by a deadly disease also called the Flare. He continues that if the Gladers survive his tests, they could assist in the creation of a cure for the disease. Following his directions, the Gladers go into the open through a deep dark tunnel. Outside is a barren, dry, and hot wasteland. Having left the tunnel, they discover Teresa, who warns them against proceeding; but continue none the less.

The next day, wind and thunder threaten the Gladers. Some are killed during the storm, but most take shelter, including Thomas, Minho, Newt, and eight others. There, they meet another group of people and work with their leader Jorge and his acquaintance Brenda. Thomas is shot and captured by 'Cranks' and rescued by Minho and the Gladers. It is revealed that there were two test groups, whereof Group B captures Thomas, insisting on the necessity of killing him. They put him into a room, in which Thomas wakes up from and comes out fine. It turns out they were ordered by WICKED to do this for reasons not yet known. The two groups meet, and find a place in the desert marked as a safe haven. When they get there, a storm picks up again, and multiple robotic monsters come out of the ground and attack the groups. The groups fight back, and a WICKED space shuttle picks them up, where they are told that the experiments are done. In the epilogue, an email is featured, that WICKED will soon tell the Gladers whether or not they are immune to the Flare.

Characters

• Thomas: The protagonist, a teenage boy who was a Runner in the Glade. He discovers he had some part in building WICKED and the Maze. He can speak telepathically with Aris and Teresa. The tattoos on the back of his neck given to him by the researchers tell him he is "To be killed by Group B". Thomas struggles with many conflicts throughout the book such as becoming the real leader, being betrayed by Teresa and trying to get across the scorch. this makes him hurt and confused.
• Newt: A British boy with long blonde hair, he is the leader of the Gladers after the former leader died in the first novel. He has a slight limp and is Thomas and Minho's best friend. The tattoos on the back of his neck designate him as "The Glue".
• Minho: A Korean American boy who was the Keeper of the Runners in the Glade. He is snarky and aggressive, which gets him in trouble frequently. He is best friends with Newt and Thomas. The tattoos on the back on his neck show the researchers intend for him to be "The Leader"
• Brenda: A girl from Canada who is immune to the Flare, but pretends that she has it. She leads Thomas and the Gladers through the Scorch. She is friends with Jorge. She secretly works for WICKED.
• Aris Jones: Another boy who helped build WICKED; he spent the first novel with Group B. He can speak telepathically with Thomas and Teresa. His best friend - Rachel - was killed when Group B escaped their maze, she also had the telepathic ability. The tattoos on his neck designate him as "The Partner".
• Teresa Agnes: Thomas' best friend before the Glade; she can speak telepathically with Thomas and Aris. She spends much of the novel with Group B, whom she becomes the leader of. She is also under control of WICKED at times, which makes it difficult for Thomas to trust her. The tattoos on her neck designate her as "The Betrayer".
• Jorge Gallaparga: a man who presents himself as the leader of the Cranks. He appears dangerous and psychotic yet also humorous. He is close to Brenda.
• Sonya: A leader of Group B.
• Harriet: A leader of Group B.
• Rat Man: The first researcher to present himself to the group, he is later revealed to be named Janson, a member of WICKED. Thomas develops an intense dislike for Janson.
• Rachel: A girl involved with Thomas, Aris and Teresa before the maze and played the same role as Thomas, but in Group B. Was killed when Group B left their maze.
• Frypan: The cook for the Gladers in Group A.
• Winston: The keeper of the Slicers in Group A, responsible for killing the livestock for food.

Film adaptation

On October 11, 2013, it was reported that Fox had acquired the rights to The Scorch Trials. A screenplay will be written by T.S. Nowlin, with director Wes Ball supervising the scriptwriting. The film will be titled The Maze Runner Chapter II: The Scorch Trials. On July 25, 2014, Ball announced at San Diego Comic-Con International that they want to start shooting in Fall 2014 should its predecessor become a success when it hits the theatres in September 2014; also unveiling a concept image at the conference, which leads us to assume that he will be directing the sequel as well.However, two weeks prior to the film's release 20th Century Fox decided to move ahead with the sequel and pre-production as well as preping the sets began in early September 2014 in New Mexico. Director Wes Ball is set to return, as are actors Dylan O'Brien, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario and Patricia Clarkson. On September 26, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Aidan Gillen was signed in to play the antagonist, Rat Man in the sequel.