Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, October 6, 2009
Pages: Hardcover, 379
Series: #1, The Maze Runner
Book Synopsis (from Goodreads): If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.
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.
Book Review
This is probably my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. It’s so different than recent books I’ve read and I love that the protagonist is a guy and yet I still really identify with him. Sometimes I think there are less YA books out there that capture the attention of both male and female audiences but The Maze Runner really nails it.
This book is all about mystery and the psychological effects of not knowing anything – who you are or where you are and which one is worse?. In many cases in fiction, the main character doesn’t know exactly what’s going on, but the reader is given hints and we can predict a little of what can happen next. James Dashner doesn’t do this at all, and it’s amazing. I was kept in the dark just like Thomas and was just as confused by all the unhelpful answers he received when he asked the boys in the Glade the questions I also wanted to ask.
Another great thing about this book is that all the characters are so unique – they all have completely different personalities and quirks that made each one stand out so even though there are many, I was never confused about who was speaking. Each character had his own tone and dialect that I could pick out as being definably theirs. (By the way, the made-up slang James Dashner created for these characters is hilarious!)
This book was like a puzzle and I was desperately reading so I could find the next piece. I barely put this book down and read until the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. This book is a great ride full of psychological twists and turns and I recommend it to everyone!