The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Finished The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

Quickie Amazon Summary:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

            Yay, another dystopian future novel about young adults leading the new world order! Or what seems like it anyway. This book is questionsquestionsquestions from beginning to end. I have yet to read the novels following this one, so many of my questions have gone unanswered.

            One of the things I loved about this book was while none of the boys in the Glade knew how they had gotten there or why they were there or where they heralded from, they still had order. They had laws, codes, organization, and leaders. At least for the most part. Of course, it’s full of teenage boys, some older, some younger, so there’s inevitably going to be some disagreement and violence.

            My only complaint about this novel was the odd stream of consciousness the character’s displayed. They had unrealistic reasons for some of their actions, written in a way that seemed forced and unnatural. Like the author couldn’t decide which way to present a plot progression or new twist, so they had this character or that character do or say something that made little sense.

            As a whole, this novel was very enjoyable. I loved the little language they Gladers invented to express disdain or dislike for something. The scene in which the Maze doors remained open overnight was extremely gripping and had me anxious as to what would come next. As you know, the movie adaptation was recently released. I have yet to see it, but judging from the trailer it has a great soundtrack and a solid cast. It’s gotten mixed reviews, but I’ll withhold judgment. All in all, this is a quick and enjoyable read!

Rating: 6.9/10

Quote: “If you're going to decipher a hidden code from a complex set of different mazes, I'm pretty sure you need a girl's brain running the show.”

Purchase here and donate to a charity of your choice using Amazon Smile! I choose The Foundation to Decrease Worldsuck!

Next novel: White Fang by Jack London

Lates,

Tyler