The Maze Runner by James Dashner

   When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. 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, open expanse surrounded 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 the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

     The Maze Runner by James Dashner is fantastic. It is the first book in a trilogy that you will not want to miss. One of the reasons I picked it up in the first place was because I bought it for my sister for Christmas two years ago, and lately I heard that it is being considered for a film adaptation.

     Some of the reasons why this book was so good:

• The spooky and twisted premise. What horrible people would wipe kid’s memories and place them in a hostile environment where they had to fight to survive? The mystery fueled the book, and the way the author brought in some of the answers slowly kept me turning the pages.
• The short chapters. I must not be alone when I say that when books have a lot of short chapters, I read faster, but when books have longer chapters, it slows down the reading. This book was a fast-paced read, with LOTS of action and suspense, with hints of shock at every chapter conclusion.
• The ending. I won’t spoil it, but the way it made it seem happy when you find out it really wasn’t on the last page, was chilling.

     I know that I will the reading the next book in the series, The Scorch Trials, very soon. The final book, The Death Cure, comes out in September, I believe. So excited!

 

Stay hungry, my friends.

-Jacob

 

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