Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Summary (from Goodreads):
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.
The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: I'm going to start by saying that I really do love reading new Dystopia books, and The Maze Runner is a great addition!

The Story stars out with us meeting Thomas. He wakes up in a "lift" having no idea who he was, where he was, or how he got there. He only remembers his name. Then we are greeted to the people of the Glade, which consist all of boys. Thomas is the new "Greenie", or the newest comer to the Glade. The Glade is surrounded my a giant wall which has an even bigger Maze outside of it. So, why are all these boys here? Well, we don't find that out until later.

The book is told in third person and, personally, I really enjoy third person perspective. The whole concept of this novel is so original! It's one of those books where you have to stop and think about how the author could come up with such a thing!

So, we go on this journey with Thomas, were he wants to become a Runner (one of the several jobs at the Glade), only problem about going into The Maze? You better watch out for Grievers. They are horrible monsters that infect the Maze. I found them to be pretty scaring, let alone extremely ugly, sounding. I get chills just thinking about them.

After several days in the Glade, Thomas witnesses many things that quite honestly would scar a person for life. This is a creepy, exciting story with surprising twists at the end that left my questioning I ever thought could be going on in the book.


Look for the Sequel of The Maze Runner, The Scotch Trails.

You can visit James Dashner's blog --> here.

Book Info.:
Reading Level: YA
Published by Random House (Delacore Press)
375 pages