The Maze Runner
James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Pages: 374

Rating: 5 stars

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.

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.

I loved this book. There is no other way to put it. I had been looking forward to it since before its release, but for some reason I never read it. I had heard people such as Gail preach of its awesomeness, yet I just kept reading other things. What a dumb thing to do, as this book is one of the most amazing things you will ever read. It is by far the best dystopian.

I will now put things into even further perspective. I had a blogger friend who hadn’t read The Maze Runner yet to rate The Maze Runner on a scale of House of Night to Brightly Woven. If you didn’t know, I find Brightly Woven to be about the world’s greatest book. The Maze Runner lands a solid 9 on this scale, maybe even higher. It is pure geniusness. In case you haven’t realized this, I love this book a lot.

The Maze Runner is a book that you will not be able to put down. Right away on page one, you get caught up in the story. Thomas, the main character, lands down in the Glade and has no idea where he is or what is going on. You are kind of in the same boat, and you experience that same sense of discovery that Thomas does. As you discover what is going on and WHAT the Glade is, you just get more involved trying to figure out all the other little details of the plot.

I really enjoy a good dystopian. Lately, dystopians haven’t been living up to my expectations, but I found The Maze Runner to go beyond every expectation I have for it. I can’t really put my finger on it, but lately every dystopian I read, there’s something just a bit off about it, or some aspect that just lets me down. The Maze Runner did this is no way, shape, or form.

Something I really liked about The Maze Runner was the lack of romance. Lately, it seems every book pushes romance, and particularly in dystopians, I find these to fall flat and usually end up with me not liking the book. The Maze Runner instead has a very strong essence of friendship, which felt so real, and I was really happy the Dashner did not try to go the other way and try to push a love story.

The Maze Runner is definitely a thrilling read, to keep you on the edge of your seat. There are several scenes where the tension and suspense are so intense, and you were basically falling out of your chair to find out what happened next. The evil beings in The Maze Runner are these half machine and half creepy creature called Grievers. They are so creepy and the name makes them even scarier.

The characters were a lot of fun. All the characters were so vastly different. The qualities in each weren’t really repeated, and it was really unique. These characters are in this world where they have to live their own lives, and their strongest qualities seem to be brought out most. In some, their strongest quality is evidently what leads to their downfall. Teresa was my favorite character of the book, hands down. I liked the strength she brought with her.

The plot will keep you guessing until the very last page. James Dashner doesn’t let you figure out everything, and as soon as you figure out one small detail, you’re left with about 5 more to figure out. I also feel the urge to mention my love for the cover and how I think it captures the essence of the Glade perfectly.

I have found a new favorite author. Please now excuse me, as I am leaving and going to reading more of The Scorch Trials, which is just as good as The Maze Runner so far, and I may be slightly addicted. And by slightly, you should realize I mean extremely addicted ;)
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Other people who have reviewed this book:

Ticket To Anywhere
Good Books and Wine
The Crooked Shelf