The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner was… unexpected. It was not at all what I predicted it to be and I am glad that it wasn’t.

            He can’t remember anything, except that his name is Thomas. Coming out of the Box and into the Glade was a harsh experience: he was surrounded by teenage boys that didn’t seem too welcoming in a less-than-ideal environment. He was also surrounded by a Maze. These boys have tried to solve this Maze for over two years, but there is one problem: every night, the walls move and vicious monsters, the Grievers, come out. Runners are the only ones that can go into the Maze, and Thomas feels drawn toward the Maze; he knows that he wants to be a Runner. But the next day, the first girl to ever appear in the Glade shows up, and that’s when things start to go crazy. Thomas and the girl, Teresa, know that the end is coming, but they need to figure out how to survive it.

            At first, Thomas seemed distant and ordinary, but as the story continued, his true colors began to show. He was brave, courageous, and smart. He risked his life several times for people that he hardly even knew. He was also strong and did not freak out very easily. Most people would have gone crazy right away in his circumstances, but Thomas never let the craziness take him. Although we only knew Teresa for a short time, I liked her instantly. She was tough and didn’t play the damsel in distress, at all. Another good thing about Thomas was that he knew that. Teresa was also really smart and she seemed caring, even though we didn’t see it right away.

            The plot was amazing. I was pulled into the story almost immediately and the mystery kept me guessing. I wanted so badly to figure out the mystery of the Maze before the characters did, but they were too smart for me; I couldn’t figure it out until they did. The mystery was alluring, as was the many things about the outside world that this book doesn’t tell you. I hope that more of my questions are answered when I read the next book!

            This book was on the NYT Bestseller list and when I first started to read it, I was like, “What’s all the hubbub about?” When it began, I thought it was just an average story, but then it really pulled me in. Dashner is excellent at keeping the reader invested in the story because I could hardly put it down after I started reading it! And that ending! Oh my. The sequel, The Scorch Trials, came out a few years ago and you can bet your buttons that I will be reading it immediately!

This book amazed me. 5 Smileys!