This book boasts all the things that was wrong with The Maze Runner, and then some. If you don't already know my thoughts on The Maze Runner, you can read my review here. But feel free to read ahead as I will give a brief summary of my thoughts of the series so far. 
 I don't even know where to begin or end with this review, because I usually spend a few days contemplating a book before writing a review, but this time I am posting right away because I am frustrated with it. This review will be a scrambled hazard, much like the book itself. Apologies in advance if the review doesn't make much sense, but to be fair, the book didn't either. 
 So, commence rant. 
 I didn't like The Maze Runner to begin with. I had a lot of issues with it. But I had hope that it would get better. This series is widely known and popular- it even got a movie deal! If the first book wasn't that great, maybe it gets better? 
 Boy, was I wrong. 
 For all my complaints about The Maze Runner, it had an interesting premise, and a mystery that intrigued me. What was the purpose of the Glade? What did the Maze mean? Who created the Grievers? Why was this all happening? I wasn't a fan of the writing style, and frankly, I didn't even care for the majority of the main characters. I ended up giving the first book in the series 2.75 stars. 
 The Scorch Trials earned one star. The lowest of my low. Sorry, Dashner, but this book is a disaster. 
 At the end, I really just can't help but think what was the point? 
 Thomas is as annoying as ever. There are scenes when all the boys look up to him, he takes command of the situation, becomes a great leader. Then there are other moments he is weak, submissive, conflicted. So basically, he had no character development in The Maze Runner, and during The Scorch Trials he had negative character development. Not sure how Dashner managed that. 
 Then there is Teresa. I didn't like her in The Maze Runner. I certainly didn't like her in this book either. First off, this series would have been so much better if Dashner just laid off the romance. It's forced, cheesy, and completely unrealistic. Thomas and Teresa spend very little time together- the only thing that connects them is their past and their telepathic abilities. But yet we are supposed to believe that they formed a bond right off the bat. But all of that sort of progress with characters I didn't even care for was ripped apart in The Scorch Trials, and low and behold, a new love interest, Brenda, appears. 
 Teresa and Brenda might as well be the same person. Generally pretty, feminine yet 'tough', although they are continuously protected by the boys. Brenda sidles up fast to Thomas- for no other reason than he is her ticket to freedom, earn a cure. I mean, there are at least 12 boys her age she could pick from- yet she chooses Thomas. Plus, you would think that with the world falling apart, partial zombies, and almost dying every freaking few hours that would put a dampen on teenage hormones, but no. No, She sidles up to him like a cat in heat, making me believe that Dashner doesn't know anything about realistic romantic situations, but instead bases all of his knowledge off some cheap, terrible harem anime. 
 Moving on from that atrocity, we have the entire group of Gladers. It is mentioned that in the Glade, there were about 60 boys. Very few of them made it out of the Glade. You would think that this would give time to introduce our slimmed down cast- but no. Instead we are introduced to new random characters, and Thomas has more interaction with the newcomers than his own group. Because of this lack of knowledge about these background shadow Gladers, whenever one dies, you feel absolutely nothing. No matter how "terrifying" Dashner tells you the death is, no matter how gruesome, it just doesn't matter because none of the characters are developed. 
 While I felt that in The Maze Runner the characters had subtle differences, by this book they all blended together. Thomas/Newt/Minho/Frypan are pretty much the only Gladers to speak, and they all felt like the same guy. They were all just empty shells, none of them rounded, different characters. 
 When I read a book, I expect to be swept away, to be transported into the realm. I want to feel what they feel, know what they know. Be involved. Be invested. The Scorch Trials does none of this. Dashner spends half of the book explaining random things in great detail, but then tells us how Thomas "feels angry" instead of showing us. 
 This book was a giant waste of time as it was really just the Gladers going from point A to point B with a few bumps along the way and barely any plot development. I am disappointed with this book to say the least. I don't recommend it, and if you want to know what it's really about, ask someone who has read it to explain it. I still plan on pushing through to finish the series because I stupidly bought the entire set together and it would be a waste not to finish it. 
 NOTE: This review is subject to edits and change after further contemplation.