The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Pages [hardcover]:374

Opening Lines: He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air. Metal ground against metal; a lurching shudder shook the floor beneath him. He fell down at the sudden movement and shuffled backward on his hands and feet, drops of sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air.

Memorable Quote: I’ve been shucked and gone to heaven.

Favorite Character: Newt

Summary:

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.

Review:

 Where to start? I’ve had this on my TBR list for quite a while now and am glad I finally got around to reading it. The premise of this book sounded so interesting and unique, I couldn’t wait to get into it.

The protagonist, Thomas, is figuring it all out along with the reader, as he has lost his memories [or had them taken away] and knows nothing of life in the Maze. Cool, but not so cool when this means the book drags a little every so often. Taking so long to get information, and then still withholding a bit of it when it’s right there, can be tiring. But I got over this.

 One thing I really liked about this novel was how the Gladers [people living inside the Maze] had developed their own slang words. It shows how different their world is from ours and gives it a little something extra. I chose the quote above because it has an example of slang-plus, it made me laugh when I read it.

When I started this, I didn’t know there were going to be other books! Don’t know why I had that notion, but the sequel comes out in October, and with an ending like this one, I can’t wait to see what happens next. And the author is even working on a third book! I have a feeling I’ll be hooked on this series.

‘The Maze Runner’ gets 4/5 stars.

Warnings: Violence [teenagers are killed]