The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Book Review
Thomas was a boy who knew nothing, except for his name. If you think this might make a predictable plot, think again. This futuristic apocalypse book will have readers jumping out of their seats with excitement.
At this time, The Maze Runner is a pretty popular book. It is the first in its trilogy. I have read both of the other books but this is no doubt my favorite. James Dashner is a top selling author in children’s and teens’ fantasy books.
At the start of the book, Thomas is lying down going up in an elevator. When he gets to the top, many other male teens are surrounding him. The teens say that there are no adults. They have formed a type of government so that when there is a problem the leaders discuss it. They all got into this place the same way Thomas did. They call it the glade. In the glade there is a maze. So early in the morning, teens go out and explore the maze to see if there is a way out. At night, deadly creatures come, called “grievers.” They impale people with their swords and go on a conveyor belt. If you touch them, you get stuck to them and you die. While trying to escape this bad situation, the teens have been taking care of themselves and every month a new teen arrives in that elevator.
The book is written in third person. It is written in a very dramatic way so that you are always in suspense. You’ll even want to read more after the book is over. A theme in this book would be to always stick to it and never give up.
Later on in the book a girl arrives in the elevator, she has a note with her that says she is the last one. She is asleep for many days but when she wakes up, Thomas and she realize they have telekinesis powers. Pretty much they can speak together in their minds. This is very helpful when they want to talk privately about plans and they don’t want anyone else to hear.
A few chapters later, the leader of the people who run the maze gets stuck in the maze. It is becoming night time, so Thomas slips into the maze to try to save the leader. I don’t want to ruin the book for you so I’ll just say Thomas has a hard time getting out the maze and there are many surprises.
I think the book is so popular because of the dramatic tone and twisted plot and for all the unique futuristic situations that you don’t expect. It’s popular for its fast pace -- it will always keep your heart racing. It got 4 1/2 stars by Barnes and Noble.
This book is great for young adults and early teens. I gave it 5 stars and I think you will too.