The Maze Runner Book Review

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Fast-paced and full of suspense The Maze Runner is hard to put down. The description of the Glade sounded like an organized teenage boy Neverland. The boys have no memories of family or the past. Each one arrived in a metal box in the middle of the Glade and the only way out is for them to work together to solve the maze. Thomas is the questioning main character who wants to know why the Creators put them in the middle of a shifting puzzle. His goal is to become a maze runner, fight off the monstrous slug-like creatures that guard the maze, and get all the boys safely home. Thomas' questioning ways makes many of the boys dislike him.

I started to wonder when a "Wendy" would show up when a mysterious girl makes her debut on page 54. Her appearance makes the boys wary and they start to blame Thomas for the disturbances in the normal balance of Glade life. James Dashner brilliantly keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next. Will the boys be able to solve the maze? If they do, will their lives be any better? Will their memories come back to them or are they better off not knowing?

This is the first book in a trilogy. The second book is The Scorch Trials (also in the Walpole High Library). The Maze Runner will be in movie theaters in September. Read the book and connect with the author, James Dashner at his website http://jamesdashner.com/.