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The Book Nook: The Maze RunnerFriday, January 20, 2012 By Megan Shen
Title: The Maze Runner (first book of the Maze Runner trilogy) Author: James Dashner Genre: YA Science Fiction Rating out of 10: 8 Summary: Thomas wakes up in an elevator to find that the only thing he remembers about his former life is his name. He arrives in the Glade, a clearing inhabited by about fifty other boys whose memories had also been wiped blank. The Maze, consisting of huge walls filled with monsters called Grievers surrounding the Glade, closes its entrances every night. And when the pathways open up again in the morning, the boys find that the walls’ positions have completely changed. They know that their only hope of escape is to figure out how the Maze works. When a girl arrives the next day, it sets off a chain of events which begins to reveal the dealings of a mysterious society responsible for their situation. Opinion: This novel is a page-turner for sure. Packed with action and adventure, the author does a beautiful job of creating a visual environment. The characters are very “real” and believable as teenagers despite their far from normal environment. At first, the plot starts out a little slow, but soon picks up pace as Thomas and the Gladers delve into the mysteries of the Maze. At the same time, the emotions of the boys are well-captured and you feel like you share the boys’ frustrations as they experience setbacks. However, at times you feel like the writing is a bit too simple and a little generic. The suspense did keep you reading though, and I will say that the end is a shocker and you’ll want to continue reading in the trilogy. If you enjoyed… other dystopian science fiction titles such as The Hunger Games , you should definitely check out The Maze Runner trilogy. |