Right after that she leaves Dante with Newt while she heads off on her own. Then she worries over staying with him since he has the Flare, and wonders if her kid will be safe. Immediately afterwards she attempts to defend Newt as well, someone who she literally just met, and was never suspicious of for a second. In one scene she shoots someone in a desperate attempt to defend her only child, Dante. The other main character, Keisha, is just a walking contradiction. Of all the characters in this, Newt is the only one that shows even a hint of growth, and it is counteracted at almost every turn by the rest of the stupid s*** he does. While Newt’s attitude towards his friends from the Maze remain constant, nothing else shows nearly the same consistency. There is actually a journey in Crank Palace, and some decisions that don’t entirely contradict all the others, unfortunately these are few and far between. Newt wished the Flare was a person so he could kick its arse. I’ve never been a fan of Dashner’s writing style, something I complained about throughout the original series, but came in hoping that it was something that he’d honed with time and practice.

Or the author just didn’t put enough effort into his story. Or, he’s a teenager with the emotional range of a six-year old. If by chance you picked this up for the same reasons, you’re out of luck.Ĭrank Palace is the story of Newt, a six-year old who has lost his friends, but is still stuck in the same imaginary world of a disease that not only drives people insane, but also kills them. I was hoping that this would help fill in some gaps, help us understand the Flare, and provide some insight into Newt’s motivations behind his departure and his friends’ journey without him.

I wanted the closure, that the final book failed to provide. I picked this up because I wasn’t fully on board with the Flare, and everything that happened in the original trilogy. So you see, I’m providing an important service. These two will help a reader on the fence decide if a book is ultimately right for them. Many thanks to Riverdale Books and NetGalley, through which they provided me an ARC! All opinions are my own.įor every outstanding, glowing, 5-star review, there will be a dissenting opinion. I was kindly furnished an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review (I thought). May contain minor spoilers for the Maze Runner series.

The crank palace james dashner