As the world descends into a wasteland full of homocidal Crankheads, Stephen is “saved” by WICKED and sent to their HQ. But even though his mother gave him to them, he refuses to play by their rules. He won’t forget his name, he won’t pretend to have no idea of his past.

That notion is quickly expelled when his ‘handlers’ for lack of a better term, demonstrate that they’re willing to take any means necessary to make him behave. As they remind him, him being WICKED is a gift. Not only will he be safe from the world outside but he will be contributing to the Cure. He can save the world.

If that sounds familiar, it should be for this prequel tells the story of Stephen aka Thomas, the maze runner.

This is a pretty engaging prequel even though you know what will happen. WICKED’s set up to be even more cold and conniving in the personal interactions with the kids than ever. Even as they try to brainwash them, they continually condescend and treat them as lab rats, punishing misbehavior in a classic pavalovian response that even though the kids hate to be controlled, they’ll see WICKED as the lesser of two evils.

Plus we get more background on everyone. Newt, Minho,, Chuck, Thomas and Teresa naturally gravitate toward each other which makes them friendship (well exempting Teresa) in the trilogy seem to be almost a subconscious force connecting them despite the Mind Swipes. Plus Chuck is absolutely adorable, showing the group’s little brother view of him and it is doubly tragic that he couldn’t make it.

As for Thomas, we see that he wasn’t the manipulative, brainwashed stooge of WICKED as we were led to believe in the trilogy. In fact, he was resistant and questioning from the beginning albeit too scared to make a move. But after further machinations are revealed in the climax, Thomas cannot condone the manipulation anymore. They may be being used to save the world but it isn’t worth the inmorality of kids killing kids. Not for a cure that may not even be real.

In fact, WICKED seems more like evil mad scientists every book. Or at least the stubborn ones. Having spent their whole lives on this specific blueprint, looking for a cure and deciding the maze is the only way to get results, they refuse to think of other ways. It’s like they cannot accept their way isn’t working so they’re trying to force their solution to fit the problem.

As for Newt, he has additional backstory revealed. Not in just showing the original Gladers time in the Maze (and his suicide attempt) but we find out Sonya from Group B is actually Lizzy, his sister.

Since this was written four years since The Kill Order and longer since the original trilogy, I was wondering if this was thought of in the moment. Because we’ve had no indication before since there was so little pagetime for her. Thomas didn’t even notice any physical similarities between them.

But now I wish we had more insight to how Sonya felt in The Death Cure. While Newt didn’t trust WICKED to return his memories without additional control, Sonya/Lizzy got hers back. She would have remembered Newt and their strong relationship. What if the whole time they were separated she was waiting to get the chance to see him again and tell him? How did she take his death? It just makes the situation more tragic.

Another thing I wonder if it was planned or not was Teresa turning out to be Deedee from The Kill Order because if it was, I would have liked a little more connection in the former book;s prologue/epilogue.

However, it is perfect way of highlighting how much the Cure would mean to Teresa after seeing so much suffering and feeling like her life has to have meaning for the sake of those who died for her to live and to survive, to give the rest of the human race a chance to survive too. In fact, I liked Teresa a lot more in general in this book, her friendship with Thomas being sweet and semi-platonic. Helpful as being Elites with telepathy, only they understand their unique situation in comparison to the other kids. But her more pragmatic, callous side is hinted throughout too and how committed she is to the cause. The events from her past justifying to her that she has to help WICKED through any means necessary.

She shares that mindset with Dr. Paige, the future Chancellor who is finally given a face, and more of a personality after her shadowy memos in the original trilogy. In fact, she’s so manipulative and committed to the cause I’m never sure which feeling is the truth or which is hers manipulating Thomas’ trust. Still, a very good amoral character.

Readers will recognize elements and characters from previous novels like Randall whose kill order memo started this whole mess, the creation of the Grievers, mention of Denver as a safe haven city, and much more.

I just wish that there had been a little more focus on other characters. While it was interesting to see more of the ones I knew, Aris and Rachel got very little page time despite having a similar story to Thomas and Teresa. It would have been interesting to see if their thoughts differed or were similar to their evolution in believing/distrusting WICKED especially as Rachel is implied to have been just as disgusted as Thomas with the ‘any means necessary’ approach.

This was a great prequel book filled with lots of easter eggs and interesting characterization that add new perspective to the original trilogy.

4 stars.