Very short tack-on that should definitely be read after The Scorch Trials, this is another memory from Thomas's childhood. Where the Flare is seen in strangers who have no real significance to the Gladers in The Scorch Trials, this provides an up-close, emotional glimpse. And it's only 2 pages long and free to read at https://promo.booksamillion.com/save/images/activities/DeathCureJDashner.PDF?&am..., so there's really no downside here. ( )

I meant to read this short story in the proper order, right after The Scorch Trials, but then I completely forgot that it existed.:-) So, I decided to backtrack in the interest of completeness. Thomas’s First Memory of the Flare is free bonus content that is really less of a story and more of a deleted scene. It details the first time Thomas recalls his life before the Maze and gives readers a peek into his family life when he was a child. It’s a little on the bleak side, showing what his father was like after the flare took hold of his mind and body, but also very emotional. Because it’s one of the few times that Thomas remembered his parents, and to the best of my recollection, the only time he remembered them in detail, I thought it was an engaging tidbit. However, at only a couple of pages long, that’s about all that it is. It doesn’t really add anything crucial to the over-arching story, but fans of the series will probably find it interesting. ( )

This story was so short that I don't really have much to say about it. It was an interesting glimpse into an in-between stage of the disease and how it affects their loved ones. ( )

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

Or, optimistically called: The Maze Runner #2.5

But it's only 3 pages.

The good thing is you can read it for free online. Problem is just that it is really, really short. It's like with the Harry Potter prequel. Does it really add something? In my most humble opinion, it does not.

This particularly short story deals with, you may have guessed from the title, Thomas's first memory of the Flare. For the few minutes it took me to read it, it kept me entertained.

But overall I have kind of a mixed relationship with the whole series, as far as I've read (and seen it). I read (and discussed) the first book and was underwhelmed, but went to see the movie anyway and actually liked it quite a lot. So, I wanted to read the second book (which I did and also discussed) but which I again thought was 'mwah' at best. However, I then went to see the second movie which I hoped would be as nice as the first one and it was just really weird. I think it's one of the weirdest movie experiences I've had, since the movie was nothing like the book. As in, they changed the whole plot. And the ending. I was confused for at least 95% of the time. It was just so weird, I don't know how to explain. A friend of mine who didn't read the books said he enjoyed himself, so if anyone was planning to read the second book before watching the movie, perhaps watch the movie first.

The Maze Runner series contains The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure and prequel The Kill Order. Thomas's First Memory of the Flare is a super short story set between the second and third book. Another prequel, The Fever Code, is planned for next year. ( )

3 pgs, Just a memory of Thomas and his parents before the flares ( )