The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is such a good book! This novel is simlar to the Hunger Games, and it contains the concept of a different world. Although it was a little boring and slow in the beginning, it quickly got better and became one of my favorite books. It forced you to keep reading, because every page had something surprising and interesting incorporated into the story.

If you like books about different worlds, adventures, and even some scary parts, this is definitely the book to read. It is so different than any other book I have read, and the whole idea behind it is thrilling.

The main character, Thomas, arrives in a new place with no memory of his previous life, he only knows his name. He is trapped in a place called "The Glade" with a bunch of other boys, and together they have to find a way out so they can go back home.

There are two other novels in the series called "The Scorch Trials" and "The Death Cure." I can't wait to read them! Read this book today!

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!

Reader reviewed by darklightkid

As the novel starts, a teenage boy named Thomas is riding a strange elevator up to a place called the Glade. Thomas steps out into a strange world, armed only with his name as he is unable to remember anything else. The first interesting thing about the Glade is that it's entirely populated with teenage boys. The second interesting thing is that it's surrounded on all sides by a deadly Maze. The third interesting thing is that the walls around the openings to the Maze shut every night at sunset and don't reopen till sunrise. If anyone is left outside, they are as good as dead, thanks to the dreaded creatures known as Grievers that stalk the Maze at night.

Thomas makes a quick friend - young Chuck, who until Thomas' arrival was the most recent Newbie, or Greenbean, in the Glade. He makes a quick enemy, too - Gally, who has major anger issues and will do anything to get rid of him. He forms a tenuous, terse semi-friendship with some of the Maze's top rankers - Alby, a black guy who serves as the de facto leader; Newt, Alby's second-in-command; and Minho, an Asian who is the official leader (having been in the Glade two years, longer than any of the other inhabitants) but often is out in the Maze looking for a way out, as he is the chief of an elite squadron known as the Runners.

But immediately the day after Thomas shows up, he is followed by another - a rarity because new arrivals only come in once a month; a double rarity because this time the new arrival is a girl; a triple rarity because she comes with a cryptic message: "Everything is going to change."

And change it does. All the normal rules of the Maze are broken as the Gladers make a mad dash to try and figure out how they will escape - if in fact it's even possible.

This is a novel that should come with a government health warning: "Do not read if you have high blood pressure, recent injuries, or pregnancy. It is one of the wildest literary roller-coaster rides you will ever read. Before reading, please ensure you have signed the waiver form I20CK [a totally random code btw] in triplicate, absolving the publishers and author in case of accidental heart failure or other illness."

Do not miss it, whatever you do. Also keep an eye out for copies of the sequel, "The Scorch Trials."

Reader reviewed by Carly

I loved this book! It was a little slow in the beginning but after you get past that, it is so good! There are twists and turns all the time and you will not believe what happens in the end. I can't wait for the sequal, I'm sure it will be just as good as this book if not better!!!

Reader reviewed by GBC

Thomas wakes up in an elevator.  He has no idea how he got there, only remembering his name.  Thomas finds himself in a very strange place.  Basically he is in a large courtyard in the center of an even larger maze.  Daily runners are sent out to map the maze, but must be back by nightfall.  At dark, the gates close and strange beings roam the maze, being left out overnight is certain death.

However, things change after Thomas's arrival.  The next day the first, only, and last girl comes up the elevator.  She bears a note saying that no more supplies will be coming.  Things begin to change in the Maze and Thomas, and the others, realize it is now or never.

Reader reviewed by BookBegger

Tomas woke up in a box, remembering nothing besides his own name. He finds himself in the Glade surrounded by the Gladers, who are boys that live in the Glade. For the past two years the Gladers have been searching the maze that surrounds them, trying to find an escape. No one knows why theyre there, they only know that they hate the Creators (the people who brought them there). Tomas was there for only a day when the box came up with another person, a girl. Not only has there never been two people come from the box in the same month, but there has never been a girl. Tomas was sent there for a reason. The girl has triggered something and the horrors of the maze are released to the Glade. What is happening? Who is Tomas? Is it the end of the Gladers?

The Maze Runner was amazing! I couldnt put the book down, James Dashner made the characters realistic with real emotions. At parts I was afraid for the Gladers, at the same time I was eager to keep reading. The plot was well thought and the writing was great.

Full of suspense, mystery, and adventure The Maze Runner will have you on edge the whole time.

For more reviews and book updates go to my blog, Books To Beg For. 

Reader reviewed by Sab H.

If I had to describe this book in few words I would say it's a... wild
ride. I am beyond amazed and stunned at Dashner's ability to keep me
helplessly glued to the pages. I don't think I've ever been so glued to
any book as I was to this one. Despite the fact that this has none of
the qualities I normally like in a book, I think this was an incredible
reading.

The action in the plot is infinite. My heart was racing
the whole time. I think I even had trouble breathing in some parts.
Seriously. On top of that the writing was impeccable. I loved the new
Glade-slang he threw in there. The characters were great, and I really
enjoyed that they were all male, with only one exception. It was really
interesting to see boys interact among themselves without women around
and under pressure.

The cover is fitting and draws attention. I
definitely recommend this book. In overall, it was awesome. If you
loved the Hunger Games series, you will love this trilogy. I am
desperate for the next book!