The Kill Order (Maze Runner Prequel)

The Kill Order (Maze Runner 0.5)

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3.71 of 5 stars 3.71  ·  rating details  ·  15,404 ratings  ·  1,604 reviews
The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series—The Kill Order is a modern classic for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. It can be read alone or as a companion to the action-packed series.

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were ther...more
Library Binding, 336 pages
Published August 14th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Stephen
I would just like to say: How on earth can you rate this without even reading it?

---
It seems that I got an unexpected amount of 'likes' for this so-called review but I still don't get why people rate books without reading them. What are they thinking?

Anyways, I don't think I'll be making a real review because I'm awful at writing.
Blythe
Aug 30, 2012 Blythe rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who don't need character development along with their action
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

There are the books that either have too little action and you're bored to tears reading said book, or book that have too much action, and too little of everything else. The Kill Order tends to fall in the latter category of books, and I'll bet that was where Dashner was intending The Kill Order to fall.

The plot for The Kill Order is simple - it's the end of the world, sun flares are destroying the Earth, and a group of teenagers (are they teenagers?) are trying their be...more
 Imani ♥ ☮
I was only informed that this book was coming out when I was scouring through my Kindle store, looking for free books. And I saw this and I was like, "Hmm...that sure does look like the Maze Runner and the other books in that crappy trilogy". And then I looked at the info and found out that's a prequel.

A prequel.



I don't LIKE prequels. I wanted to know what happened to stupid Brenda and idiotic Thomas. Not Teresa and Thomas (who, by the way, should have been together NOT Brenda and Thomas).

But...more
Emily
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Aneeqah
I can describe this book to you in a single word: disappointment. With a big capital D. See, the thing is, The Maze Runner was one of my favorite series ever… until the last book, which I hated. So the only reason I picked this book up was in hope that it would redeem the series for me and answer my bajillion questions. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The Kill Order just failed to live up to The Maze Runner.

I think the thing that bothered me the most about this book was that it was not about...more
Hayden
Well. First let me start off my saying that I am extremely disappointed about the fact that the series is now done.

I started this book yesterday afternoon, and now, at 2 in the morning, I've finished it. And let me just say HOLY CRAP. THIS BOOK. I CAN'T.
I thought all the other three were good, but this book made me so overwhelmingly....I don't even know. So many feelings. Can I just vent? I'm going to vent, OK?

(view spoiler)[ So first...where do I even freaking begin honestly. Alright, let's j...more
Kyle
Read this review and more over at Living Is Reading!

(The gifs actually work on the blog. Have no idea why they didn't work here, but whatever)

Have you ever seen the movie Elephant? I did a few months back. It was just this sort of random indie film that I heard about because I was researching the Columbine massacre, and I heard that the film was based off of that, although it wasn’t about that event exactly. I’d heard very mixed reactions about it, some people saying it was absolute cerebral...more
~Tina~
The Kill Order is the much anticipated prequel to The Maze Runner series by the incredible James Dashner.
I can't even begin to express how badly I wanted this book. Dashner is one of my all time favorite authors. He's the reason I found my love for post-apocalyptic/dystopic books which provoked me to want to read more in this genre.

This installment takes place thirteen years prior to the initial time setting of the series, which was before Thomas and the Glade, and even before WICKED was create...more
J Omar Vidrio
Es un libro ASOMBROSO, lleno de acción, aventura y personajes entrañables. Nos cuentan muchos del inicio del virus, pero aún quedan incógnitas, esperemos que James Dashner continúe toda una saga pre-cuela. Al terminarlo desearas MÁS. Si te ha gustado la trilogía amaras esta pre-cuela.
Colby
Mar 02, 2012 Colby marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Not to be a freak, but...
holyfreakingcrapi'mexcitedokayididn'treallyevenlikethelastbookverymuchbutohmygodohmygodyesyesyes!

Freakout over.
I'm just really excited to read how this all starts!

EDIT: 3/2/2012
New cover. I really, really like it. Let's just hope that it reflects how good the book is.
Emma Scout
ORIGINAL POST: When I heard this, you don't know how much I started to freak out. It was almost to the point of no return for me. On top of that, the excitement of the movie in 2013 is making me finicky. Hopefully, we will get a clear sight of pre-WICKED and Thomas and Teresa's relationship (even though I have never supported the two together). The thing I am most looking forewords to is Chuck and his parents. Oh, how heartbreaking it will be to see him torn away from his mom. I'm getting teary...more
Alicia Díaz
I demand a sequel to the prequel
Meli
RESEÑA COMPLETA

Ufff, no estoy segura de poder decir algo coherente, lo acabo de terminar y son demasiadas cosas que asimilar.

Fue un libro grandioso que me hizo sufrir como loca. No fue lo que esperaba, creí que iba a narrar todo el proceso de armado del laberinto y CRUEL, me sorprendió encontrarme con una historia independiente a Thomas y compañía, con personajes nuevos.
También creí que todos los interrogantes que La cura mortal nos dejó iban a tener su respuesta, pero en el fondo sabía que Das...more
Jalyn
Brief summary
Before the Maze, before the Scorch, before WICKED was even formed, came the sun flares that changed the world as we know it. Mark and Trina survived what they thought was the worst thing to ever happen to the world, but are now faced with a devastating disease that is ravaging the United States. They, along with some friends, are determined to find the cure that must be out there somewhere and to do that they need to find the people who started it all.

What I liked
I really wanted to...more
Emily Rose
Aug 17, 2012 Emily Rose is currently reading it  ·  review of another edition
Well since this series just went utterly downhill with every sequal, that better mean that the prequal will be good.

:/
Liana
I wanted to read this book before I got any further in the Maze Runner series. I only read the first book, and when I found out there was a prequel I knew I had to read it first. Well, since it's a prequel, people might think that reading this first would be better than reading the whole trilogy and
then reading this. IMHO, I think that if there's any prequel it's better to read the whole trilogy/series first before reading the prequel so you don't spoil anything for yourself and have your quest...more
Cayden E.
I have finally finished the last book to the Maze Runner Trilogy the book was called The Kill Order I was stunned at what happened at the end of the story so these are the exact words of what they said, "This is a good one maybe we should name this one Thomas".This was one of the best prequels I have ever read in my entire life.All of these people that are in this book all got to live in safety at the end of the book so for them it must of been a happy ending.When you are in the middle of the st...more
Erika
Before reading the book:

Wow, this sounds interesting!
_____________________________________________________________

After reading the book:

Well, that was disappointing...

I'm gonna warn you guys, and you should take it seriously as a fair warning:

Do NOT read this book and/or review if you haven't read the ENTIRE Maze Runner Trilogy.

Just don't if you're planning on reading the trilogy. At least not if you don't want to get spoilers for the whole three books.

Now that it's set i will start off by ment...more
Arturo Guzman
Este libro es lo mejor, James Dashner se ha convertido en mi autor favorito, la forma en la que expresa todo es wow!!. no puedo asimilar lo que ha sucedido en la historia y en mi vida despues de terminarlo. Todo. hubo momentos en que temblaba al leerlo, reia a montones, y el final: ese final en el epilogo que me dejo sin aliento de verdad!!!! wow wow wow...... 1000 estrellas de 1000!!!!!
Crosly Anderson
WOOOOOW. THE COVER LOOKS AMAZING. It's the Flare! I loved the Maze Runner Trilogy, and I don't care about peoples comments to make me stop obsessing over this book(Yes, Jake, I mean you...).

The Kill Order! Sounds miserable if you ask me(ordering to kill, or kill in order? Hmmmm). Dashner, Dashner, what have you made for me this time???

An answer to all my questions? Newt or Minho's point of view? PLEASE? And even a back story about the Purge.

Dashner better not make me groan. I hear my friends co...more
Paris Rome
Much like the other books. A constant quest to get from one place to the other. I hate that the story changed on how the virus was released back then but it is told in book one that it was incidental. That the CDC was hit by the sun flares but some how the truth was lost in the time span. Also is the people responsible for the release the same that created WICKED? I can't remember from thomas description of Teresa if the wound she had was the same as Deedee's? Are they really the same girl? If s...more
04TylerL
The Kill Order 2012
James Dashner 324 pages

Audience - people who like suspense
Problem - Mark and Alec try to find Trina, Lana, and Deede
Setting - Its good, and the setting is everywhere
Main Charecters - Mark, Trina, Lana, Alec and they are all protagonists

Summary - Mark, Trina, Lana, and Alec are in the mountains when they get attacked by some bad people in bergs (flying ships). They escape but there village was destoyed. They find a little girl and takes her along with them. When Mark sleeps he...more
Muddy Kinzer
"Kill Order" is the prequel to the "Maze Runner" trilogy, which I, and my oldest son, thoroughly enjoyed. I was excited to read it because "Maze Runner" posed so many interesting questions and I was hoping they'd get answered in this prequel. Some did, and some didn't, but my overwhelming reaction to this novel was that there was too much action and not enough story. That being said, my son and his friends loved this book and the entire series.

Maybe it's the perfect dystopian story for a young...more
Agromisch
The Kill Order is a must read for anyone who like the Maze Runner trilogy. The author kept his word when he said that the maze runner would only be a trilogy so unfortunately we have to abandon Thomas and Teresa’s story in this new addition. The Kill Order is a prequel, which covers how we went from a society like todays to the development of WICKED. (that leads us into the actual trilogy) Before I go on I need to warn you that some spoilers may be included in my review.
The story opens which mu...more
Josh Walbridge
Mark is a 16 year old boy, who lives on the east coast in a year well beyond 2020 (they reference to a civil rights movement/war in the year 2020). A company called the Post Flare Coalition is trying to narrow down the east coast population. They send a deadly virus called the “flare” to the east coast. The flare controls the persons mind, causing them to have spasms, and completely lose their mind, they try to murder someone, then die a slow painful, drawn out death. Mark is trying to save Trin...more
Erin Horn
Having read and enjoyed The Maze Runner series, I had high hopes for this prequel to the series. My hopes were too high, apparently.

Great things about the book, evident in all the Dashner books I've read so far: page-turning action and end-of-the-world tension. Nearly every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, and the characters are almost constantly running or fighting for their lives.

But I think Dashner took his skill for writing thrillers a step too far with this book. The characters almost nev...more
Mary
This is the prequel to The Maze Runner. My son had brought it home from the library and I decided to read it. I could not put this down. LOVED IT! The Earth has been ravaged by solar flares. What's left is a vast wasteland. People have lost everything and everyone important to them. There is tremendous violence and in the midst of that, tremendous hope for survival. All of that hope comes crashing down when Mark learns of a plot by what's left of the government, to perform a mass genocide by inf...more
Holly Goodman
Let me preface my review by saying this: I picked up The Maze Runner early in 2012 after hearing praise for it. I had just finished reading The Hunger Games for the third time, so the writing style of this series was quite a shock to my system. I enjoyed The Maze Runner/Scorch Trials/Death Cure trilogy, but not greatly. Sometimes I had to skip over some repetitive parts. Honestly, hearing that a prequel was being released didn't make me want to clear my nightstand of all the books I was eager to...more
Leanne
The kill order is the long awaited prequal to James Dashners fantastic maze runner trilogy. It endevors to explain the events that lead to the Thomas' adventures in the Glade.

Characters:
When I first heared about this prequel I was expecting it all to be about Thomas and the others from the original trilogy.
The prologue and the epilogue are the only hints at the original characters, the rest of the story follows new characters Mark, Trina and Alec (there are other characters but I would argue tha...more
Evan
The The Kill Order to start off was a flat off okay book. Unfortunately, compared to the other book in the series; Maze Runner, Scorch Trials and Death Cure was a bit of a let down. It was a prequel to these but still had very little explanation of the characters and was a bit on the random side. The previous stories are of a group of people who have to fight a disease that makes you go insane and as well as this deadly disease they must fight the people who are fighting for the cure. Sounds a b...more
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Anyone else think this? *SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS* 53 311 May 17, 2013 05:41pm  
Is The Kill Order as good as the rest of the series? 6 26 May 04, 2013 10:44pm  
Did anyone not really like this book??? 14 33 Apr 29, 2013 08:39am  
Buddy Read Zone: The Kill Order 48 14 Apr 18, 2013 11:55am  
What order should I read them 7 106 Mar 31, 2013 06:15am  
How Does Mark Die?? If He Does 3 21 Mar 16, 2013 09:14am  
Does anyone think Mark and Trina...SPOILERS! 14 80 Feb 02, 2013 10:29am  
The Kill Order (Maze Runner, #0.5)
Virus Letal (El corredor del laberinto, #0.5)
The Kill Order (Paperback)
The Kill Order (Kindle Edition)
The Kill Order (Maze Runner 0.5)

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James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.
More about James Dashner...
The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner, #2) The Death Cure (Maze Runner, #3) The Journal of Curious Letters (The 13th Reality, #1) The Hunt for Dark Infinity (The 13th Reality, #2)

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“Let's get this started, people. It won't be long before we all lose our minds.” 15 people liked it
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