The Game of Lives

October 15, 2015
After narrowly escaping the villainous Tangent Kaine's clutches at the conclusion of The Rule of Thoughts (2014), Michael, Bryson, and Sarah are joined by Michael's old nanny, Helga, and a group of rebel Tangents to thwart Kaine's evil plans once and for all. But not all is as it seems. Tragedy occurs, motives are revealed, and foe becomes friend in Dashner's exciting finale. Dashner throws everything he has in to this volume, making for a breathless, action-packed read that will have readers on the edges of their seats. He further explores his hard sci-fi premise, in which beings flow like water between a computer world and a real world, lending the book as much speculative fun as action. The characterization still leaves a bit to be desired; few characters are given the depth and shading the author gives to Michael and Kaine. Moreover, Dashner doesn't seem to have quite enough guts to keep a particularly painful death permanent; the novel's final pages allude to a resurrection that, while sweet, will make a few readers roll their eyes. However, in the broadest of strokes Dashner has stuck the landing, crafting a complete sci-fi trilogy that has little fat to trim and plenty of action, laughs, thoughts, and emotion. These books have notably improved with each outing, making this the best of the bunch. A fitting end to an exceptional trilogy. (Science fiction. 12-16)

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January 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-The cyber adventure continues where The Rule of Thoughts (Delacorte, 2014) left off. Michael has survived his ordeal and doubts not only himself but also everyone around him. Is everyone he knows a Tangent? Where are the souls of those whose bodies are borrowed by the sentient computer programs. Can he trust anyone? Is anywhere safe? Can he even trust himself? And, most importantly, can he stop Kaine from taking over the world with bodies possessed by Tangents? Lovers of science and science fiction alike will thrive in the virtual reality world within the novel. A brilliant merging of reality and fiction, this work doesn't stand alone, so only fans of the previous volumes will be able to jump right in. VERDICT Purchase where the author and the series are popular.-Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford College, Weatherford, TX

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Grades 7-10 James, Sarah, and Bryson are back on cyberterrorist Kaine's trail, trying to stop him from implementing his Mortality Doctrine, which amounts to recycling both humans and Tangents (sentient computer programs) through an endless supply of human bodies essentially stolen from their owners, in order for everyone to live forever. But Kaine is being framed by someone else, and unless the friends and their allies can locate the real game player, all Tangents and their human hosts will die. This concluding book in the Mortality Doctrine series is a flurry of nonstop action and somewhat confusing science that wraps up a little too neatly, relying on convenient returns of characters and sudden reversals of fortune. Still, Dashner's vision of the VirtNet universe is world-class world building, and fans of the series will enjoy the familiarity of the conflict and characters. Read these in order to get the most out of the story. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Dashner's best-seller status and the recent film release of The Scorch Trials from his Maze Runner series will guarantee a crowd for this title.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)