Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Number of Pages: 374

Rating:  4/5

Release: October 6, 2009

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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

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I'm going to keep my review short and sweet because I know you guys have better things to do =P

The Maze Runner was the kind of book that made you want to stop reading but held your interest enough that you just can't put the book down. The main character, Thomas, was alright; a bit whiny and annoying in the beginning but that's only because he wanted answers and no one was willing to give them, so that was understandable. However, he does evolve throughout the novel and accepts the fact that he probably won't get answers unless he finds them himself. My favourite characters were Minho and Newt, two of the few people "in charge" of the the Glade. They were characters that I would want to be friends with; they were funny, sarcastic, determined, hard-working, scared.

There's more than enough mystery to keep you glued to the pages; however, there are many secrets that don't get revealed until the end or not at all. For the first couple hundred pages, I found myself constantly wondering when we would learn about everything that was going on and it was frustrating. But I kept reading because I knew that sooner or later, we would learn a lot of information and it would be worth the wait. The last hundred pages were action packed; I cannot be more anxious to read The Scorch Trials. If you're able to stick with a book to the end no matter what, then pick up this book. The end will be well worth it!

-S

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