The Maze Runner (Book 1)

I am 40 years old and my wife and 2 of my children read this book and said good things. I decided to see what the buzz was about and picked it up. It didn't take long for me to realize this was the kind of book that I would not be able to put down. In fact I stayed up late and read the entire book in a single day!I have read some of the negative reviews of this book and I just don't get it. I think that there are some people who enjoy pontificating and sounding important more than providing relevant feedback about a book. Perhaps they feel smarter or more important than they really are by dissecting a book without trying to understand the reasons for some of the things they say they dislike.I have read hundreds of novels in my life. I focus on the main purpose of a book, which is to entertain me with a good story. The Maze Runner definitely delivered a great story. I found myself wanting more and not wanting to put the book down. I think some of those nay sayer out there really didn't take the time to see the brilliance of the story.There were some who complained about the made up slang language of the Glade. And yet youth, especially boys, are always creating their own expressions and in fact, most adults look at them in amazement when the say something that seems to make no sense or even seems dumb. Does nobody remember the common use of "tubular" in the 80s? In fact in different sub cultures and different parts of the country, different young people come up with all kinds of slang terms. Some of them like "cool" of the 50s stick forever and don't seem to last. Others like "groovy" come in and out of style and even change meanings. Then we have 80s terms that came and went and few survived.So for me the slang of The Maze Runner worked just fine and was not only believable, but actually made it more real to me. In Lord of the Flies their own unique vocabulary and slang made it a classic and yet detractors point fingers at The Maze Runner. It makes no sense to me.I loved the story, the mystery, the action, the questions that I kept asking just as Thomas asked them. The characters seemed very real and believable to me and those who claim there was no enough development just irritate me. The seem to forget that this story takes place in about a week. There is only so much development of characters that can take place in that period of time and make the story still feel real. Further, there are other books that focus so much on detail and character development that the story suffers. The Maze Runner balanced both nicely. The story was based on characters who had lost their memories. The development of characters was taken at an appropriate pace.I thought the writing style was easy to read but not simple or ridden with cliches like other books. Basically I really enjoyed this book!The purpose of fiction is to tell a story that causes the reader to enter another world and the Maze Runner did that for me. This story gripped me and didn't let go.The story is of teenage boys who come into a place they call "The Glade" that is surrounded by a Maze...which also has dangerous creatures called "Grievers" roaming within. They have lost the memory of their lives before being brought to the Glade. They send runners out into the maze daily to try to map it out and find a way you...but the maze changes daily so they search for a pattern in the changes. They have a rigid social structure and set of laws. They have a society and have created their own slang and way of doing things and way of seeing life. They all have jobs and responsibilities and there is a hierarchy with authority figures called "Keepers". Thomas joins the "Gladers" and soon helps the "Gladers" see life differently than they had before.The attempt to get out of the Maze without being killed or "stung" by the Grievers while still maintaining order is the prime reason for getting through each day.Things change when a girl is send into the Glade, the first girl and the last to enter...ever.This story kept me wanting more and I am now reading the sequel, The Scorch Trials, and I can't wait for the story to continue.Read this book and ignore the negative reviews because every book has some and the negative reviewers are misguided and focused on the wrong things!

Book Review by: Sharon Powers.What is as fascinating and perplexing as a trip to the carnival to visit the house of mirrors? What can give the reward of a spiritual journey as you walk through a garden path or stroll through the woods? What tradition fits in with the spooky atmospheres and scary games children and adults utilize as a Halloween activity? What can be as entertaining and educational as a simple game in a Kindergartener's coloring book? And... what prize can you sometimes get from a Cracker Jack's box as a novelty and fun game calling upon your eye-hand coordination? You've probably already guessed that the answer to all the questions is, a maze.The Museum of Unnatural History tells us that a maze is a "confusing, intricate network of winding pathways; specifically with one or more blind alleys..." and that a maze is nothing more than a puzzle that requires a solution and, therefore, "usually has a goal which is meant to be reached."Scientists have studied rats' ability to remember the pathways needed to work their way through mazes set up to test those abilities. Scientists have tested rats utilizing rewards, such as food, no rewards, smells and various other conditions. The rats were tested to determine their spacial learning and memory. The studies conducted with rats and mazes helped scientists understand "general principles about learning" that were then applied to humans.With a title like, The Maze Runner, we shouldn't be surprised that the characters in the novel will be faced with some kind of goal that needs to be reached and to reach that goal, they must traverse the confusing and intricate network of some kind of maze. By the title, we can assume that James Dashner wants the reader to understand what it is like to have to run a maze similar to those the scientists used to test rats abilities. The title prompts me to ask why is the runner running the maze? Is the "Runner" being tested like the scientists tested the rats? And then, almost immediately, I thought of the maze that Harry Potter (and a few other competitors) had to run, in which the runners had to face all sorts of danger and even death. To get started, let's take a look at a short synopsis of the book.SHORT BOOK SYNOPSIS:From the School Library Journal we find out that Thomas, the protagonist of the book, awakens to being in an enclosed space, an elevator, and that the only thing he can remember at all is his first name. Thomas is confused and panicked and he wonders where he is.Coming out of the box, Thomas finds himself with a group of teenage boys, (he thinks) maybe 50 or 60, who look at him and call him a "klunk, shuckface." Feeling confused, Thomas hears someone say that he is now in "The Glade." Thomas asks questions and wants answers, but no one will give them to him. He wants to get away from all these boys, from his "Captors," he thought. The boys seem suspicious of Thomas, but when one boy, Chuck, is assigned to help him, he soon makes friends with him.Thomas must adjust to the life in the Glade, an agrarian community that the boys must work hard to maintain. Life can be harsh for a "Glader"; violation of the rules can cause you to be expelled into the maze, essen- tially a death sentence. Thomas learns that the boys are looking for a way out of their prison-like environment through the maze, but after two years of searching, they are quickly losing hope.Will Thomas and the other boys be able to figure out the secret of the maze, find out why they are captive, and who is behind all the manipulation? Will Thomas and the other boys ever have their questions answered? Suddenly, the boys are all shocked out of their complacency--everything changes. A comatose girl is delivered via the box (elevator) to the group, then the sunlight is turned off, the food deliveries stopped, and the huge gate into the maze is left opened to let the maze's monsters roam the compound. Now they have only one question: How long can they last?Some books are literally filled with memorable quotes. In John Green's, The Fault in Our Stars, for example, there were so many that I had such a really hard time selecting just one as my favorite. This book, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, has the opposite problem. While the prose is simple, straightforward, and eminently readable, I had a difficult time selecting a memorable quote because there were so few. In any event, I did select a quote; here it is:Thomas swallowed, wondering how he could ever go out there. His desire to become a Runner had taken a major blow. But he had to do it. Somehow he KNEW he had to do it. It was such an odd thing to feel, especially after what he'd just seen... Thomas knew he was a smart kid-he somehow felt it in his bones. But nothing about this place made any sense. Except for one thing. He was supposed to be a Runner. Why did he feel that so strongly? And even now, after seeing what lived in the maze? (p. 39)Thomas grapples with conflicting emotions of fear and courage in the face of his desire to become a maze Runner. He feels the strangeness of the juxtaposition of those conflicting feelings and seems to almost take a step back to observe those feelings that he longs to understand. I think many people, especially teenagers in this society, have conflicting feelings because it is so difficult to navigate through the tough teenage years and into adulthood. I am sure that even adults have conflicting emotions at times and may identify with Thomas, too. This is why I think this particular passage was so well-done.THE MAZE RUNNER--BOOK-TO-MOVIE!Any author should be proud of having their book come to the big-screen. Not only will Book 1 of this series be seen on the silver screen, but because the trilogy is so popular chances are better than good that we may see subsequent book-to-movies from this series.Directing the movie is Wes Ball with writing credits going to James Dashner (book), Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T.S. Nowlin (screenplay). Dylan O'Brien will play Thomas, Ki Hong Lee will play Minho, while Aml Ameen will play Alby, Blake Cooper as Chuck, Thomas Brodie Sangster as Newt, Will Poulter as Gally, Dexter Darden as Frypan, and Kaya Scodelario as Teresa. This movie is rated PG-13.WHAT I THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK:WHAT WORKS FOR ME: This book's audience, geared to grades 6-10, I would say is primarily focused on boys in grades 6-10. Even so, I would not exclude girls of these ages from reading this book because I used to read stories like this when I was in middle school and high school. So, if you are a girl that likes not only dystopian novels, but one in which the protagonist is a boy, then go for it. And...girls, don't forget that the one girl in the novel is an important player!I think young men of this age in our society face many of the feelings the protagonist feels. Young men can easily identify with feelings, say, of confusion and anger when restricted to their home or bedroom, or put on suspension by parents. Some of the themes of the book deal with imprisonment or confinement, holding cells, and unjustifiable injury, pain, and death, inflicted as a result of being confined in "The Glade."Second, I like other themes in the book, as well: Fear and Confusion; Rules, Justice, and Judgment; Freedom, Exploration; Memory and a Loss of identity; Mystery and Secrets, Trust and Sacrifice and a real big theme, the Manipulation of the children's lives by unknown, unseen others. James Dashner has a lot going on in this book, but the one big advantage he has in addressing these themes is that with "Dystopian" novels, many of these themes are readily present.The messages in the book seem to convey to the reader those that are typical of themes and messages found in other dystopian novels. I've reviewed a number of "dystopian" novels, two, for example, are The Giver by Lois Lowry; and Divergent by Veronica Roth (You can see those reviews and discussions of dystopian society by clicking on the links). Dystopian novels typically criticize society and the brutal methods they employ to control citizenry through usurpation of power.Many things work for me in this book. Dashner's ability to create a mystery for not only the character in the book, but for the reader to experience, as well, is amazing. Even at the end of the book in the "Epilogue," where we learn more about the "Chancelor, Ava Paige," (and her "Associates"), mystery still pervades the story. The information we learn about what the mysterious group intends--through a "Memorandum" that the Chancelor sends to her Associates--is shocking and is, quite naturally, the springboard with which Dashner propels us into the next novel of the trilogy.The writing style is simple and straightforward, dialog (at times) perfunctory, but effective. Style and word choice is typical for readers in this age group. Finally, since Dystopian novels are all the rage right now, it seems a great vehicle in which to write about teens struggling to survive, grow, feel safe, and be able to trust. Well-done James Dashner.WHAT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME:While Dashner kept the story moving well from the beginning, and showed us how intelligent teenagers can be, how innovative and courageous and capable they can be, and infuses lots of good action sequences in the story, he kind of blows it all at the end. In highschool, I was running a race in a track and field event. I was ahead and knew I would win, I crossed--what I thought was--the finish line and stopped running. It wasn't the finish line. I had made a mistake. Everyone ran passed me and I lost the race.Up until we get to the last couple of chapters it went well, but then something happened and the story immediately lost the momentum it had all along. Those chapters are like my track and field event where I stopped running. We then get to the Epilog where the story picks up again. Shocking events propelling us into the next book are given us. Those last couple of chapters should have been cut out, entirely (of course, leaving in the Epilog). Lawyers have a saying that applies here, too. "When you've finished presenting your case, stop talking."MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING:The intended readers for this book, as I said, above, is for grades 6-10. Many heavy-duty themes exist in this book, everything from death, mayhem and violence, societal abuse of children (including theft of children), horrible suffering of children (the change) including screaming, judgment of death by children against other children, etc. My point is, anyone who knows they are sensitive to these themes in literature should consider before they read. Parents, you know your child best, and must judge whether or not your child is mature enough to read about these themes.That being said, many redeeming qualities exist in this book. Children will, most likely, be able to identify with certain characters or situations. Moreover, the teens in this book exhibit noble qualities, like bravery or courage, tenacity, steadfastness, intelligence, loyalty and integrity. So, a balancing of considerations may be in order. As a guideline, the movie is rated PG-13 for "thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images."MY RATING: Because of all the reasons I have stated, above, I give this book 4 stars out of 5. If the ending had not stalled-out, I would have given the book a better rating.Thank you for joining me this week as we got to take a look at a very exciting dystopian novel for young people grades 6-10 (or adults--after all, I enjoyed it and I'm an adult!). I sincerely appreciate that you took the time to read my book review of this trending novel that is coming to theaters September 19, 2014. Please join me again, next week as we look at another exciting new read. Have some fun this week and don't forget to read at least a little bit everyday.Until next time......many happy pages of reading.My love to you all.Sharon.

This is by far one of the greatest books I have ever read. And I am a very, very, VERY picky reader! (I don't even like the Narnia books that much!)I love reading books with "Fandoms" and not much else. So, after watching the first movie of The Maze Runner, I couldn't wait to see what happened to my favorite characters, and I took a chance and bought the trilogy (not knowing that there was in fact a prequel, but that is a whole other ballgame ;) ). All I will say, is that James Dashner does NOT disappoint!The story is thick and intense, with a surprise around every. Single. Corner. The way James wrote it, his chapters are only a few pages long (4 or 5 pages each) and at the end of every one, there is something new and exciting happening that you just can't stand to not know! The characters are alive and vibrant, practically flying off the pages with who and what they are. Each and every character has his/her own dialogue that they use throughout the series, making them all the more unique and lovable.Just the characters themselves are amazing! Everyone's looks are explained to the reader in such detail that you can just see them right in front of you! Every person is different, and has something different about them. The character Newt has a limp (why, you don't know yet), the character Chuck is the youngest one and wonders about his family. Everyone is different, and not one is the same! And after you get so far, you develope a relationship to these characters and root and cheer for them throughout the whole entire series! You feel bad when they feel bad and you feel happy when they feel happy! James Dashner did it right!And James Dashner really connects with your feelings in these books. When someone gets hurt, or killed, you can just feel the sadness overtake you, or the anger rush to your head when you want to jump through the pages and save that person. I will admit, I teared up at the third book (sorry, no spoilers), it really had me. And I have NEVER cried over a book before. Never. But this book, this series, really got to me. All the emotions flying around in this book make it sooooo believable. It makes you want to help the characters, or want to choke them to death (no pun intended for those who have read The Death Cure). It really pulls at your heartstrings, or makes your heart soar in happiness. It is amazing!Also, I have read some reviews where "they say Shuck, Shuck it, Klunk, Slinthead too many times!". Well, I got news for you: Those words are forever in my dictionary! (Just cuz you're jealous that you can't write a book, doesn't mean that you have to dog everyone else)One of the only characters to use those words (more than like three times, thank you very much) is the character Minho, who is in fact a hilarious sassy-pants. But the way he says it is not annoying; he knows when to use it to be funny, and he knows when to use it when he is serious. And I am very thankful that James Dashner made the characters use Klunk, Slinthead, Shuck, rather than a few other choice words that he could have used . . .And also, the whole series is kid-friendly, yet made to capture the imagination in teenagers and adults. The story is so easy to follow, and there are so many things going on, yet you never feel lost trying to remember so many different names of places or people, etc. Everything is explained, whether it be in three sentences or throughout the whole series. But there is not one question that goes unanswered. You just have to be patient for some rather than others, and in order to find out what you want, you have to read more than 5 pages.Everything I have ever wanted in a mysterious, end-of-the-world-without-being-creepy book is right here! This is definitely a book worth buying, no matter who you are. This is a must read! It is absolutely worth every penny!!I wish I had a review from a person like me, so I am going to give one myself:If you take anything away from this review, just take my advice. Please buy this book. You will. Not. Regret. It.PLEASE IGNORE EVERY BAD REVIEW OUT THERE! Trust me :)Happy reading, see you in the Glade!

Great book- my daughter had to read for Summer Reading. Explores topics of how to adapt and overcome fears while building relationships. My daughter read the book in under 2 days.

This is one of the few books that I read AFTER seeing the movie, the movie making me want to read it when I previously had no interest. And I loved it and the premise of the story.The story opens with Thomas, locked in a metal box-like lift that is moving through the darkness. He remembers nothing more about his life than his name, although he has flitting memories of other random knowledge with no connection to anything else. When the Box finally stops, the ceiling doors open and he finds himself surrounded by strangers, boys like him with no memories of their lives before coming to the Glade. Each of them has come to the Glade in the same mysterious way, in the Box with no memories beyond their names. An enormous maze surrounds the Glade behind towering walls, inhabited by mysterious half-human/half-mechanical creatures called Grievers that usually only come out at night, but which are deadly. Because of them, no one is allowed into the maze, with the exception of the Runners. The Runners are Gladers assigned to run through it each day, mapping it and searching for a way through it. From the beginning, Thomas is more curious than most, almost obsessed with finding a way out. He becomes desperate to recover his lost memories and to find answers about the Glade and why they were all there. There are moments throughout the book that underscore that Thomas is somehow different, somehow integral to the Glade and to the Maze and to whomever is behind it all, a mysterious group of people known as WICKED.There is so much mystery surrounding the stroy and the boys living in the community of the Glade. We know of WICKED, but very little about them, about who they are, what they are doing, why they are doing it. That kind of mystery kept me on the edge of my seat, just wondering what was going to happen next in the story.As much as I loved the book, there were a few things that I didn't like. One of these things I understand the purpose of, one I thought was unnecessary detail that just didn't play well, and the third was not really a breaking point either way. The first was the characterization of Teresa. As the only girl in the group, for much of her story within the book, she was rather one-dimensional. Most of the time, she seemed relegated to "pretty girl" status, rather than given a whole lot of strength and intelligence of her own. If it was a purposeful choice by the author, rather than just my interpretation, then I understand it, even if I didn't really like it. It underscored the reality that she was the only girl and that the boys around her just weren't sure how to feel about that. The second thing I didn't like was the use of invented slang among the boys, words like "shank" and "klunk" as a part of their language. It felt too contrived and not natural. For me, it took away from otherwise important moments and gave them a silly quality. The last thing had to do with the telling, rather than showing, of the characters' emotions. We never really got into the characters' heads, primarily Thomas, to feel what he was feeling. Instead, we were told how it was feeling. I am the type of reader that enjoys getting into the heads of the characters and being a part of the story and I didn't have that nearly as much with this read.My Recommendation: However, none of these things were enough to turn me off of the series. I loved the premise, the characters, and the mystery and anticipation of it.

If you're like me, you've had friends telling you to read The Maze Runner for years. You know you should listen to them, but other books always seem to jump ahead on your To Read list. Perhaps you've been waiting for the price on the Kindle or Nook version to drop. It might be that you pushed it aside to read City of Bones or The Fault in Our Stars or Divergent before the movie comes out. Or maybe you're #72 in the reservation queue at the library. Well, I'm here to tell you to stop making excuses (the Kindle price is only $6.99, the movie comes out in February 2014, and switch the library listing to the large print or audio versions, the wait for those is usually shorter) and pick up a copy of this book. Also, you have very smart friends.Part of the trouble might be that The Maze Runner is difficult to explain in a few sentences, which generally isn't something I like about a book. Not that I like boring or uncomplicated books, but if the basics can't be distilled into a few sentences, what I like to think of as a verbal movie trailer, it makes it a hard sell when I'm recommending it to my students (and adults for that matter). But because I know you will love this engrossing and entertaining book as much as I did, here's my attempt...Thomas wakes up in an elevator-like contraption with no memory of his life. Sort of. He can remember what snow is, but not who he might have built a snowman with. He can remember what a forest is, the names for animals, and how foods taste, but not how old he is. He knows there is an outside world, but he can't remember anything about it. His memory is wiped clean. Once out of the box, he enters into the world of the Glade - a Lord of the Flies-esque society made up entirely of teenage boys whose memories have also been wiped (if they're lucky). As he acclimates to his new surroundings, Thomas feels drawn to certain people and tasks, but he's not sure how or why. There is a constantly changing, seemingly unsolvable maze. There are terrible creatures. There are terrible people. And there is mystery. Lots and lots of mystery.The mystery and uncertainty is one of the things Dashner does so well in this book. Yes, the characters are great. Some of the boys are are frustrating (especially in the beginning) and some of them are annoying (Chuck, I'm looking at you) and some of them are likable (I adore Newt and Minho), but all of them are believable and, like Thomas is, you're never quite sure who you should trust. Yes, the story is intriguing (difficult to do in the currently over-saturated dystopian genre), but it's all the not-knowing that I loved. And the mystery of the Glade is shown, versus told, through the boys' actions, their whispers, their flat out refusal to explain ANYTHING to Thomas, and the finer details of their smooth-on-the-surface society.Was I able to predict most of what happened? Yes, but this book's recommended audience starts at 6th or 7th grade. Did it matter that I saw some things coming? Not in the least, I still loved the book. So seriously, no more excuses. Go get this book and don't say I didn't warn you, after the first third you won't be able to put it down. And don't kill me over the ending - this is the first in a series, so nothing is tied up in a nice, smart bow at the end.

Warning: May contain spoilers!After reading the synopsis and having a fascination with mazes and more recently, dystopian type stories, I decided to purchase 'The Maze Runner'. I'm not going to go in depth of the entire story, but I will write in detail what bothered me and made me downgrade the rating to a 3, maybe a 2.5 star. I am being a bit more generous considering the fact that I felt like I was complaining too much about the entire book. First, the biggest issue was that this book was extremely slow paced. The only reason I kept reading was because it was an easy read. Now by easy, I don't mean a great page-turner. Easy as in the font is big and chapters are quite short. But by 200+ pages, it was getting good and I must say from then on, the book was at least 4 stars. I enjoy the whole survival of the fittest idea, so it got better. If only Dashner could cut the beginning short, then it would have been a much better story. Some details could have been left out. Or maybe just shortened.Second, I didn't like how Thomas was in the beginning and how his character seemed a bit over the top to be credible. Maybe I am being a little picky about this, but overall he is a bit overly emotional and sensitive. Even though it's a plausible reason to be afraid of the box, everything else just isn't that scary. How can someone be afraid of the boys he saw for the first time, after being in a pitch black moving box? If anything, he should feel relieved that he sees kids his age. And I think it's too repetitive to always hear how Thomas had shivers down his spine. He sounds like a really big chicken, completely opposite of the Thomas in the second half of the story. I definitely understand that the protagonist has to be an amazing hero, but that doesn't mean you should make him invincible. It just takes all the fun and thrill away because he's too good.Lastly, I was hoping the description of the enemies (the Grievers) would be a lot more scary and creepy. The problem with the Grievers was that it was part machine. And to me, anything that's part machine is less scary. Sure, if I saw that thing in real life, I'd be scared too. But scared only because I don't want to be cut up and stung, not because I don't understand it. I've always thought, that not being able to understand something is the biggest fear in all of us, and if it was some sort of disgusting mutant, it would be more life threatening and scary. But if it's machine, we all know it could be shut down somehow, someway. Or maybe just the description of the Grievers were not good. Perhaps someone could take this part machine, part jelly thing and actually creep the heck out of me. Not Dashner though.Now on to the few things I did enjoy. As I have said before, the book was good after 200 pages or so. The story picked up and forced everyone to go on fight or flight mode, which made things interesting. There isn't much to go into detail here because everything was kind of expected even though it was supposed to be suspenseful. One thing I particularly liked, which might not be similar to many people's tastes, is that Chuck died in the end. I never hated the guy. I even wished that somehow he magically came back to life, or the woman working WICKED was playing a joke on him, just to see Thomas fall apart. And it was so sad that Thomas couldn't keep his promise. It was a bittersweet scene for me. The reason why I liked it was because it made the book more realistic. Usually in movies and everything else I do, I would like if a very important character, besides the protagonist and antagonist, died. It makes things seems less predictable.One last thing, upon reading the preview for the next book, 'The Scorch Trials', it seemed much more fast paced early in the beginning and the creatures are pretty much zombies. That makes things much scarier and tense. But when I read the reviews for the book, I heard it was going to be slow paced in the second half of the book. And some even say it's best to just skip the second book entirely and go straight for the third. And the reviews on the third aren't fairing any better. So with that, I will probably not read the second and highly unlikely to read the third. It's quite disappointing really. Dashner could've had the perfect chance to make a great sequel, especially with the end of the first and beginning of the second books. Unfortunately, it seems he has a knack for over-explaining details that tends to lead either the first or second half of the book boring.

Phenomenal. That pretty much sums up this book because it is one that is just an all around hit from the characters to the writing to the plot. I completely enjoyed this book, falling into it easily. Though it is written it in third person perspective, it focuses on Thomas and if he doesn't know it, we don't know it. We even get inside his head without it actually being in his point of view which is a unique way to write the book.Thomas' character was an enjoyable one- he starts out confused but quickly pushes past it to try to make things work, find answers, and find his memories. The almost immediate assaults on him only add to his frustration and I think Dashner did a perfect job showing how Thomas fielded all that. He easily could have given up but didn't, even when he was terrified and scared klunkless. Even when he was being completely idiotic, there was still a clear rationale behind his decisions and I was rooting for this character from the start.The rest of the characters are diverse and entertaining. From sweet, kind hearted, talkative Chuck to irrational, hateful Gally and back to temperamental and egotistical Alby, many of the various personalities show through. Despite there being a fairly large number of important players, Dashner wrote each one with enough detail that I never had to try to figure out who was who. It was all clear and easily to take in, even with several being introduced from the start.The plot itself was brilliant and astounding. There was hardly anything that I was able to see coming in this book and even when I had some ideas, they were easily wrong. Things were revealed at a great pace, keeping me interested without ever dragging things out or taking away the mystery appeal. I wanted to find out the truth and some answers as much as Thomas did. The world created is original but I could picture much of it easily since it is so based on the world we know now. Even the Grievers themselves were something that I could envision thanks to Dashner's writing and great use of imagery.If all that wasn't enough, the ending was a perfect cliff hanger to leave me salivating for the next book in this trilogy, coming out this fall. I can't even imagine where things are going to go from here- this book has left innumerable possibilities for where things are going to go. Other than knowing there's more to come, I simply cannot think of what Dashner has in store for his readers and his characters.This one gets 5 stars easily and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes action type books. It is intriguing, extremely well written, with some strong characters. Even at the end of this book, there is still a large amount we don't know even about the characters which is something I think is fantastic in books- it just isn't the same when you learn everything in the first book of a set. This is a book that would make for a great movie with plenty of action to keep it paced.After reading this book, I have a new appreciation for the cover. It isn't immediately grabbing, but it shows the Doors that close every night to lock the Gladers in with the Maze extending behind it. This isn't just some hedge maze- it is massive in size with extremely high walls and the cover helps reinforce its size. The title is also very perfect for this and if I am correct, the next book is called The Scorch which seems just as simplistically fitting.

Ok, let's get the inevitable Hunger Games comparison out of the way first and foremost. I hold my hands up and admit that I was drawn to this book by the blurb on the cover which tells us that this trilogy is "A must for fans of The Hunger Games". Being a fan of the aforementioned, and in need of some new literary material to dig into, I must admit that I devoured all three books in this trilogy with much enjoyment. With that said though, whilst granted this is another young adult dystopian fantasy novel; The Hunger Games resurrected this is not. And I'm thankful for it too, because this trilogy really does stand up on its own merit as a thoroughly good read.The Maze Runner is the story of Thomas, a young protagonist who wakes up unexpectedly to find himself at the centre of a large glade encompassed by a gigantic and seemingly unsolvable maze. Keeping Thomas company are a group of young boys who call themselves "Gladers", and are determined no matter what to make the most of whatever their strange and peculiar world throws at them, with the hope of one day escaping the maze for good.Thomas soon discovers that he has entered a very strange and sinister world. Just like his fellow Gladers, Thomas has no recollection of his past, and only knows his name. Aside from their sketchy memories and limited knowledge of a distant life, the Gladers have no idea where they have come from, why they are there, or what the purpose of their peril is. The maze is filled with terrifying mechanical-animal hybrid creatures that would do any Doctor Who episode proud, and to make matters worse, the maze never seems to be the same from one day to the next. Will they ever escape?With the arrival of their catalyst, everything in the Glade begins to change. Nasty twists start happening thick and fast, and dark secrets start to emerge that cast doubts over who the Gladers really are, and whether their captors really are the bad guys. From the first page to the very last, the reader is just as in the dark as the characters, and this is something you will either relish or absolutely hate. Every time you think you know where you are, everything seems to change, again. And for me, this is what makes this book such a great page turner. The chapters are short and plentiful, and every single one finishes on some kind of twist or cliffhanger. Nothing is sugar coated, and there is plenty of blood and gore to be had. But what makes this book so great for me is the prevalence of positive human nature. Hope, love and trust are three big themes in this story, and with everything so upturned, it really is hard to know in whom the reader should invest their trust. At first Thomas seems like the hero of the hour, but as the plot unfolds, the reader will begin to question his suspected murky and mysterious past. Who's telling the truth, and what the hell is this dystopian world really about? Can Thomas really save the day, and do we even want him to?Honestly, this really is a great book. So many twists and turns, it's like a literary rollercoaster that hurls you head first into an environment that you really feel you are a part of. At every twist I found myself analysing the evidence and trying to solve the puzzle. This is so much more than just solving the maze... this is trying to figure out how and why the hell this world was ever created or allowed to exist?Of course, there are flaws. The slang jargon that the boys use can be a bit off-putting at first, and the lack of background story for the reader can be a tad frustrating. I have seen other reviewers who claim that this is a major restriction to character development, but I do have to disagree for the most part. This is actually the weakest of the three books in the trilogy for me (they just get better and better...), and if you are willing to see it through to the end, you really will believe you have actually become a part of this sinister world. I really ended up routing for certain characters (I won't tell you which ones...) and by the end of the third book (The Death Cure) I was absolutely hooked. I just hope that the plans to turn this into a Hollywood franchise finally come to fruition, because I really cannot wait to see The Maze Runner: The Movie.Definitely recommended.

カナダからの配送でしたが、手元に届くのが非常に早くてびっくりでした。

The book thrills you since the beginning showing interest characters and scenes.The author inserts you in his world making you fell part of it.The new words and habits become natural to you as you read it.Strongly recommended.

Todo bien

This. Is. The. Best. Book. EVER!! It was recommended by a friend and at first I thought it was going to be boring. Ha. Well, from the second page on I was ashamed to have thought that. I like how the author made up a slang for the boys so as not to make them swear, and (SPOILER ALERT) Thomas and Teresa's telepathical connection is excellent and really adds that extra something.Sorry, what am I saying? This whole book IS that extra something! An amazing book for teens about 11-12 and up (a little violent) and for any age from then! Seriously. This book is only THE BEST.