If you think page 250 of The Death Cure is painful, this one is an entire new level of pain. I can hardly read without crying due to knowing about Newt’s imminent death, but I do still appreciate finally understanding why the things happened the way they did in The Death Cure. I have always loved Newt so much, and this book just made me bawl my eyes till they’re dry because this sweet boy deserved so much more. He deserved a happier and safer life </3

Will I ever reread this? Honestly, I’d hate to go through the pain again, but if it’s to salvage the littlest moments of Newt, I may just read it again.

The feelssssssssss
Thoroughly enjoyed this read
I am glad Newt got some more time because he was one of my favorite characters

Because of problems with my computer and e-reader my I didn't read the book and my copy has expired.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

it was really interesting to get newt's side of the story. i stayed up all night reading it and would definitely recommend it to maze runner fans. 4/5 stars

What can one say about a book whose beginning and end are known from the outset? It can't really be compared to other books in the Maze Runner series because its whole purpose, really, is to shine light more fully on Newt's character. Nor can it be compared to them because the exploration of his character doesn't take place across a complicated or fast-paced plot such as the others possess. It takes place mostly from the inside, as Newt watches himself descend in the Flare's insanity, with the backdrop of his hurried and necessity-driven friendship with Keisha.

By necessity, then, Crank Palace is short, melancholy, and full of self-reflection. In other words, don't expect this book to be like the other Maze Runner books, but do be open to liking it for other reasons, like the somberly beautiful prose and a character who'll stay in your heart and keep you thinking long after you've finished reading the book.

Crank Palace by James Dashner is a Maze Runner series novella from Newt’s perspective during the latter events of The Death Cure. Newt has the Flare, a virus that will eventually drive him mad. He has decided to leave his friends behind because he can’t bear the thought of them seeing him lose his mind. Or hurt them. Newt never expected to meet Keisha and her young son Dante. He also didn’t expect them to make such a significant impact on his life, and vice versa.

I really missed the world of The Maze Runner. I was so happy to find out about this Newt novella, since he is my favorite character from the series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I loved seeing how Newt lived out his final days.

1 / 5 ✪

May contain minor spoilers for the Maze Runner series.

I picked this up because I wasn’t fully on board with the Flare, and everything that happened in the original trilogy. I wanted the closure, that the final book failed to provide. I was hoping that this would help fill in some gaps, help us understand the Flare, and provide some insight into Newt’s motivations behind his departure and his friends’ journey without him. If by chance you picked this up for the same reasons, you’re out of luck.

Crank Palace is the story of Newt, a six-year old who has lost his friends, but is still stuck in the same imaginary world of a disease that not only drives people insane, but also kills them. Or, he’s a teenager with the emotional range of a six-year old. Or the author just didn’t put enough effort into his story.

I’ve never been a fan of Dashner’s writing style, something I complained about throughout the original series, but came in hoping that it was something that he’d honed with time and practice.

—
<i>Newt wished the Flare was a person so he could kick its arse.</i>
—

Well, that was a mistake.

There is actually a journey in Crank Palace, and some decisions that don’t entirely contradict all the others, unfortunately these are few and far between. While Newt’s attitude towards his friends from the Maze remain constant, nothing else shows nearly the same consistency. Of all the characters in this, Newt is the only one that shows even a hint of growth, and it is counteracted at almost every turn by the rest of the stupid s*** he does.

The other main character, Keisha, is just a walking contradiction. In one scene she shoots someone in a desperate attempt to defend her only child, Dante. Immediately afterwards she attempts to defend Newt as well, someone who she literally just met, and was never suspicious of for a second. Then she worries over staying with him since he has the Flare, and wonders if her kid will be safe. Right after that she leaves Dante with Newt while she heads off on her own.

The whole story is based on the letter from the series which sees Newt abandon his friends so that they don’t have to watch him slowly descend into madness, so that they can focus on their mission and cure the Flare. But his range of emotions don’t ever transcend this one moment, and neither does his plan. It’s repeated over and over that he’s leaving them so that they can focus without him acting as a burden, otherwise he may distract them. This is a sentiment I can understand. Literally the only one from him over the entirety of the tale.

<i>The man’s name has finally been revealed as Terry—the most unlikely name Newt could imagine.</i>

He will occasionally remember things from his previous life, but they are few and far between, and won’t mention them until after he’s already exhibited some knowledge he shouldn’t have, only to say “oh yeah, I just remembered it”. It’s an entirely too convenient way of telling the story, and one that mostly just annoyed me. At one point a cell phone becomes central to the plot, when our heroes receive a message from someone in their past they thought was dead. But not only does no one have cell phones anymore, but the cell towers shouldn’t even work. Not to mention that the phone is stolen, so there’s no possible way they could have received a message from anyone they knew. But it becomes a huge plot device, which basically defines the story.

This 100 page novella took me over a week to get through, despite its length. More than once I had to go back to see what the characters were talking about, only to find no mention of it. It’s been a little since I finished the series, but reviewed the specifics before I began this novella. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone—new reader or old.

This book broke my heart into a million pieces! I read the Maze runner series last year, and Newt being my favorite character, of course I had to read this book. I hadn't really considered that that meant that I had to read THAT scene from Newts perspective...
It was a really interesting read. Not only to hear Newts thoughts on everything, but also to really understand what it means to be a crank. I was definitely not ready for it to end when it did, and would absolutely love to hear more of the maze runner series from Newts perspective.

Crank place is a novella from James Dashner that continues the story of Newt and the Maze Runners.

"Newt has ditched his friends because he has the Flare. They are immune but he is not. He doesn't want them to to see him fall into madness. He heads to the the Crank Palace hoping to live out his days. Along the way he meets a mom trying to reach her family. And now Newt knows what he wants to do with his last days of sanity."

It's been a while since I read the Maze Runner books so it took a bit to get into the story. Dashner paints a bleak picture of Post-Flare America. The descriptions of what the Flare virus is doing to Newt are pretty rough. Other Gladers make an appearance but this is Newt's story.

Fans of the Maze Runner series should enjoy a return to these characters

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 23, 2021
James Dashner’s “Crank Palace”, is a novella, part of his series of “Maze Runner” novels. In “Crank” we follow Newt, who separates from the rest of his friends after realizing he has The Flare. Newt finds a friend in Keisha and her toddler son, Dante, and together the three of them run from the Cranks, while trying to come to terms with the fact that The Flare will soon turn them into something unrecognizable.
“The Maze Runner” series was one of my favourite YA dystopian adventures series’ by far, and I was thrilled to be given an ARC of Dashner’s newest “Runner” tale. At only one hundred and nine pages, it definitely counts as a ‘novella’, and I think Dashner was on point with the length of “Palace”, as the story was just long enough to keep my interest, and to bring Newt’s story to a bittersweet end.
Keisha and Dante gave Newt’s journey purpose after leaving his best friends, and I loved seeing Newt’s nurturing and caring side from another angle. I struggled with a bit of the language in this novel, as some of the conversations seemed forced and choppy. I loved Keisha as a character, and she was a definite asset to both Newt’s development and the plot as a whole but I found she was not very developed for someone who was so central to the plot. I wanted more Keisha, and a more formal and flowing conversation structure.
The Cranks are back, some of WICKD returns, and we even get to see a brief reunion with Newt and his other Gladers (Thomas, Brenda, Minho and Jorge) which thrilled me. The heartbreaking ending that we knew was coming still brought on all the feels, but it was true to the original “Maze Runner” plot, which I appreciated.
I definitely believe Newt deserved his own novella, and it opens the door for more stories featuring some of the other Gladers. I am looking forward to seeing if Dashner continues to bring us more Maze stories.

As lovely as it was to be back in the Maze Runner world, I do feel that Crank Palace was unnecessary. I was hoping that experiencing the story through Newts POV would add new layers of information, but it didn't at all. It lacked the emotion that I was expecting and there was absolutely no character development.

It was nice to dip my toe back into this universe and I do always love a quick read, but Crank Palace didn't provide me with the information/answers that I was expecting from it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of The Maze Runner and have read the series a few times. Newt was always my favorite so to discover a newish novella from Newt’s POV after he left his friends was bittersweet.

The story gave us an insight into what the Flare did to a person’s mind and what it was like to live among the Cranks. And Newt, as usual, was still Newt. Such a great character.

*Thanks to Riverdale Avenue Books and NetGalley for a copy of this story.*

Crank Palace by James Dashner is an engrossing novella which focuses on Newt. Those who love the Maze Runner books and consider themselves super fans need to read this. Nate has always been a bit of a question mark for me. But, thanks to these pages by Dashner I now know his justifications and outcome of his departure from the Berg.

This book highlights his story and introduces you to Keisha and her son Dante and you learn how they are integral to his future. This book would not be complete without detailed and thoughtful characterization by Dashner. Nate is forced to depend on himself in a way he never has before. A deeper understanding is forged with the same obstacles and devastation we are used to in this series. Crank Palace is an excellent companion to the Maze Runner collection.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Riverdale Avenue Books, Quest in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

A strange but well written suspense novel.Would recommend to anyone who likes mystery novels.Having seen the film's I was very impressed the way the author relayed the story and it was a most enjoyable read thank you.

I really enjoyed reading the Maze Runner series so I was excited to hear see that a short addition was written. This is the story of Newt and what happens to him after he leaves the group. I quickly got sucked back into the time when the Flare was attacking people's minds. I thought it was interesting to get the story from the point of view of someone afflicted with the disease to really see how it affected them. I was glad that Newt found a new family of friends before he succumbed to this awful disease. If you've read the other books, I think you will also enjoy this to see how Newt's story plays out. There was a lot of action and adventure in this short read. Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review. #CrankPalace #NetGalley

A new story that plays out with a new character (Newt) but, the same old story of the flare and the maze and finding a cure. I thought the story was okay, but it felt redundant.

A solid 4 stars from me, which equals 'I really liked it" in Goodreads rating lingo. The Maze Runner has been a series that I absolutely gobbled up, and Crank Palace is no exception. I truly appreciate the approval to read this book as an ARC! Although I love to immerse myself in a good book, it's not often that the story draws real emotion and feeling from me. I will continue to look for Dashner's works as this series has quickly become one of the first I recommend when someone is looking for a suggestion.

Stars 5/5!

Overview:
Leaving only a note, Newt departs the Berg before the Gladers return from their mission into Denver, Colorado. From there, he experiences the gritty nightmare of life on the streets, running from the infected and those hunting them, until he ends up in the Crank Palace, the last dumping ground of those without hope. Although Newt thought he was running away from his friends to save them from himself, along the way he meets a young mother named Keisha and her son, Dante, who end up saving Newt in a way he could never have imagined. (copied from Goodreads!)

Review Time!
(May contain spoilers)

Hi everyone! Today I am reviewing an ARC of Crank Palace by James Dashner that I received from netgalley ! Crank Palace follows Newt after he leaves Thomas Is the others to protect them after he was infected with the flare. I loved the original books and movies and Crank Palace was a great addition even though it was a little bitter sweet because (spoiler alert!) We all know what happens to Newt!😬😭 It was also a little surreal reading about society ravaged by an incurable disease as Dashner did an amazing job connecting the book to current events. Crazy right!? I recommend this book to any Maze Runner fan but warn thee to have their tissue box on hand!
~Cinder🦋

Alright, this is a nice compliment to the Maze Runner series for those of us that are major fans. I enjoyed seeing things from Newt's point of view and I bawled my eyes out. I've always really liked Newt's character so I appreciated the insight from this book.