The Greater Good

Would you sacrifice yourself or somebody else to save more lives? This is a major topic in The Kill Order by James Dashner. The characters in the book have to make decisions like whether to sacrifice an innocent little girl in order to potentially save others from a disease and to kill their friend so they could save themselves. In a situation like the first, I wouldn't know what to do. But, if I was forced to choose, I would say the greater good is worth the sacrifice. 

In some cases, the greater good is worth giving up a person. A quote from the book that supports this is, "Alec walked straight at the Toad, then grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him to his feet, dragging him deeper into the woods." This is the moment in the book where Alec kills the Toad, who is one of Alec's best friends. This was a really tough decision, because nobody should ever have to kill a friend, or be put in that position. So, if one friend could harm you, do you kill the friend to possibly save a group of people that you're with?

The greater good is very specific to each case. Of course, sometimes its totally not worth it. The greater good is a fascinating but really difficult topic, because everything is relative to the situation. Overall, I have really mixed feelings, and I really can't decide. These are very hard decisions, but whatever the person chooses, it should be thought out and planned. 

Teens: Feeling Alone? Read Here.

Imagine you got separated from your group of friends when you're exploring a new place. Now, imagine that place being infested with disease, and you're kidnapped by some of the sick locals. This is the situation the teens in The Scorch Trials are in. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner is the second book in the Maze Runner series. It's a story about a boy named Thomas and his friends, who are put in a wasteland by the government, and they have two weeks to get to a safe house. They're part of a trial group to find a cure for the Flare, a man-made disease wreaking havoc on the world. Thomas always finds himself in not-so-fun situations separated from the group, and he needs to reunite with them and get to a better place. In The Scorch Trials, people can relate to Thomas;s feeling of being alone and needing to find his friends.
Teens who feel lost, or like they're by themselves and they need to move on should read this book because the main character, Thomas, goes through the same thing multiple times. At one point Thomas and another girl, Brenda, are separated from the group, and they got attacked. Thomas had to find his friends so he could feel more confident with his decisions. I think this is because teens enjoy company and the feeling of knowing that someone else has your back, and being able to take a break once in a while. Being around friends gives you this feeling. In troubling times, teens want to be around others, and book characters are no different.
Overall, The Scorch Trials is a relatable book for teens. It shows them that other people go through the same thing as them. A lot of adults think that teens can't handle some books, but I don't think that's true. Teens have to learn from their mistakes, and keeping teens from doing so won't protect them, it'll just make them not see the lesson in their lives. Whether it's metaphorically or literally, teens can learn from teens.