Book Review: “The Fever Code”

“The Maze Runner” by James Dashner, a story about a group of teens with no memories but their names stuck in a seemingly unsolvable maze, was first published in 2009 and met impressive reviews from an array of critics. As the subsequent sequels, “The Scorch Trials” and “The Death Cure” followed, published in 2010 and 2011 respectively, the series rose in popularity and in 2014 the film adaptation of the first book was released. 

The films officially cemented “The Maze Runner” as an iconic dystopian series in the league with other extremely popular dystopian titles such as “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “Divergent” by Veronica Roth. 

However, as all readers know, the true magic starts within the pages.

One of the biggest questions that permeated the minds of dedicated “The Maze Runner” readers for the longest time was what happened leading up to main character Thomas’s entrance into the Maze? What were his and many other characters’ roles in creating and participating in the Maze trials? 

Dashner provided answers to these questions with his 2016 novel “The Fever Code,” which acts as the second prequel book in the overarching series. 

While the first prequel, “The Kill Order,” detailed the very beginning of the Flare outbreak, “The Fever Code” depicts many events prior to the first book, right up until Thomas enters the Maze. If it wasn’t already glaringly obvious, there will be spoilers ahead for those who have yet to take a dive into this universe. 

Things I LOVED

James Dashner has the ability to tell stories in a way that successfully sucks the audience not just into the story but the world itself. With four books in the series under his belt by the time this one was written, it appears easy for Dashner to sink right back into this gripping world he created. 

With his humorous writing that works even in intense scenes, Dashner does well in getting across the age and maturity level of young characters who had to grow up at warp speed courtesy of a dying world and an organization blinded by ruthless determination. In that same vein, the entirety of “The Fever Code” serves as an intriguing character study into characters you thought you already knew so well. 

This book explains a lot about why they behave the way they do throughout the core trilogy. Minho’s sarcasm and endurance, Newt’s fear of being alone and Thomas’s curiosity all stem from the people they were prior to getting their memories wiped and sent into the Maze. This proves to the World Catastrophe Killzone Department (WCKD) that they cannot rid their subjects of their every defining feature no matter how hard they try to control every last aspect of their corrupt efforts. 

On the other hand, Dashner also does a fantastic job of getting across just how desperate WCKD is to resurrect the state of the world, to the point where the higher ups are blind to the fact that the world is already beyond saving and a cure is seemingly unattainable.

Things I DISLIKED

It is so difficult to discuss downsides of a series that you’ve poured over and loved for nearly half of your life, much less a book that you waited for with bated breath and could easily read in one sitting. However, there is a primary issue I find myself having with every read. 

Reading this book is sometimes a challenge due to how much I already know about the characters, as well as how much I’ve experienced with them. This issue mostly comes to light in the earlier chapters of the book, where we spend time with our main characters, primarily Thomas, in their younger years. 

While this book is considered a prequel, it contains information that would spoil events in the main trilogy if read first. Thus, after spending lots of time with the characters as teenagers and young adults, spending time with them prior to the main events that I’m so familiar with often proves to be a bit difficult at times. 

While this is something I struggle with throughout the book, it is still fun to pick out character traits early on that I recognize from the main trilogy. 

THINGS THAT ABSOLUTELY BROKE ME

As a long-time fan of the series, this book emotionally attacked yours truly in ways that no other book has ever done before. Having such a thorough background on the characters and growing with them over the course of three books, reading “The Fever Code” showed me parts of the characters that were lost when they were first sent into the Maze. 

One of the details mentioned in the book that truly destroyed me is the fact that widely-loved character Newt was never supposed to be involved in the Maze trials. He was so adamant to stay with his sister when WCKD came to take her away that they brought him along to use him as a control subject, since he, unlike all the other subjects, was not immune to the Flare. This information, paired with Newt’s attempt on his life and his battle with the Flare itself, makes his character arc all the more heartbreaking. 

In addition, Newt actually does end up seeing his sister again in “The Scorch Trials.” However, knowing this detail and seeing how much love they had for each other prior to the Maze trials is heart wrenching since both of their memories have been wiped and they don’t know each other. 

Another moment that broke my heart was the repeated torture that Minho endured. This was not only his punishment for attempting to escape, but his friends’ punishments as well since they were in on the plan. This extended scene takes up the better part of a chapter and shows the reader just how vicious WCKD is in its pursuit for a cure. It is very difficult to watch these characters be tortured in their younger years and how that affects them going forward.

Conclusion

“The Maze Runner” is a series that will likely go down in literary history as one of the most popular Young Adult/dystopian series, and for good reason. With its most poignant themes of found family, the power of hope and more, it serves as a powerful narrative for young minds (and even older ones). 

The series itself remains both timeless and enjoyable. Even as you grow in your literary skills and seek to read above the YA level, “The Maze Runner” will never fail to take you on an exhilarating, classic dystopian adventure.