Author: Ria

The final book in The Maze Runner series, it took me a while to get onto this! If you’re following the series *spoiler alert!* Thomas and the other Gladers are now out of the Trials and with a chance to get their former memories and help WICKED find the cure for the Flare. But unlike some of the other Gladers, Thomas is not so fond of WICKED, he can remember more that they even realise and he’s not so ready to trust them. 

Once a series that started off strong, with The Maze Runner, I really ended up disliking The Scorch Trials. So you can imagine my apprehension at getting this one over and done with. But I did find the first part of the book much less confusing than Scorch Trials, the purpose of the Maze, the Trials and why WICKED are doing this are fully exposed, questions are finally answered and we, as readers, can finally concentrate on Thomas’ story. Over complicating the plot and introducing too many new elements/secrets was my main bug bear of Scorch Trials, but Dashner goes back to a simple survival of the fittest story archetype with The Death Cure and I’m definitely grateful for that. There is one major plot twist towards the end that I think he put in for the sake of making us readers shout ‘NO!’, but the final epilogue will make you forgive him a little…I think…

So in summary, the series is definitely worth following – if only so you can keep up with the hype of the new film adaptation that’s due to come out next year. 

The second novel in The Little Blue Envelope’s series, Ginny is back from Europe, back home and college applications and normality after the craziest trip of her life. Having lost the last blue envelope on in Greece, Ginny’s resigned herself to not knowing how her Aunt’s story ended. Months later she’s contacted by a boy in London who’s found her bag and the final letter. Naturally Ginny heads back over the pond, staying with her newly found Uncle, expecting to say a final farewell to the letters. 

But hey there’d be no story if the book ended there. Getting the last envelope is just the start of another adventure. 

I have to say I enjoyed this part of Ginny’s story much more than her first. Before a kind of whiny American girl who never really experienced life and ambled around a little, Ginny’s now older and wiser after her first trip to Europe. It’s almost as if the thought about finally finishing her Aunt’s story has kicked her into high gear, she’s a fighter and willing to stand up for herself a bit more. That doesn’t mean the book is completely devoid of teenager feelings, with romance rearing it’s angst-y head. All in all though it’s better read than it’s predecessor and the ending will leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling inside.  

A story cycle exploring themes of music, the passing of time and love, this is one of my first forays into the world of short stories. Ishiguro, author of such novels as Never Let Me Go and Remains of the Day, regales five short stories where we meet a whole range of characters. The stories take you around the world, from a mysterious high rise hotel with some odd clientèle to the dreamy streets of Italy and it’s piazza musicians to an ordinary London flats with a well-meaning friend stuck in the middle of a sparing couple.  

I’m used to song cycles with musical theatre but story cycles are something very new to me, and I struggled getting into the stories at first. However, as I went through each story and saw the themes develop I actually found myself enjoying the last few stories. I think this deserves a re-read, much like I had to with Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro’s style is rather dreamy and the stories do linger if you give them a chance.