The Maze Runner
by James Dashner
Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in "the glade" for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. There are some great, fast-paced action scenes, particularly those involving the nightmarish Grievers who plague the boys. Thomas is a likable protagonist who uses the information available to him and his relationships (including his ties to the girl, Teresa) to lead the Gladers. Unfortunately, the question of whether the teens will escape the maze is answered 30 pages before the book ends, and the intervening chapter loses momentum. The epilogue, which would be deliciously creepy coming immediately after the plot resolves, fails to pack a punch as a result.
My personal favorite type of book is adventure. The Maze Runner hit the spot. It had a little bit of suspense, mystery, and adventure. This book reminded me of the Percy Jackson series, especially The Labyrinth. In the beginning I could tell that Thomas was special because of his attitude about the Glade. The other Gladers cried and cried for at least a week, when Thomas was fine the next day. He also felt more comfortable in the Glade compared to the others. I enjoyed the fact that when everyone realised that Thomas was smart, they decided to work together to figure out the patterns in the Maze. I admire how much bravery some of the Gladers had, because they were willing to lose their lives, in order to try to get the group to safety. However, I didn't like the ending very much because one of my favorite character/relationship was ruined. On the other hand, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series! The epilogue was a real cliff hanger!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah that The Maze Runner was filled with adventure, but I had many other feelings when I read this book too. At some points I felt sad, relieved, happy, relaxed, on edge, and many more. At one point when I felt very sad was when Thomas had lost his first and best friend he had at The Glade. I was relieved when most of the gladers came out of the battle against the Grievers alive. I was happy when Thomas protected his two closest friends from the glade. I felt on edge when the woman who ran WICKED was satisfied when Thomas's friend died. Making me feel all of these emotions is what made me keep coming back for more. I loved this book. I recommend this book to everyone because it has a little bit of everything in it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Hannah and Mikayla. The Maze Runner was filled with lots of action and adventure. Because of this, The Maze Runner reminded me of Divergent and The Hunger Games. All three books had a main character that never gave up no matter how big or hard the situation was. I think that the message in all three books is to never give up because whatever you are trying to overcome, you will do it. Thomas supported this message by never giving up in the glades. Even though a few of his close friends didn't make it through, Thomas held his head high and kept fighting. Because of this, Thomas is my new role model. He has showed me that when times get though to keep going. The Maze Runner was a book that I never wanted to put down. There were some sad parts that got to me, like people dying all because of the glades, but overall this was definitely one of my top five favorite books. I think everyone should get a chance to read The Maze Runner.
ReplyDeleteThe Maze Runner was an aMAZ(E)ing book. It was full of adventure that kept me of my edge of my seat. I agree with Maggie, The Maze Runner reminded me of the books Divergent and the Hunger Games. The three books main characters are determined to accomplish the “impossible”. Thomas was determine by fighting through the obstacles in the glades. His determination really stood out when his friends didn’t make it.
ReplyDeleteAs well as having an awesome message, The Maze Runner had many emotions. I was sad when Thomas’s close friends didn’t make it through the maze. I was happy when Thomas helped his friends in the glades. There were many more emotions throughout the book. The Maze Runner, is an outstanding book, and I would recommend it to everyone.
The book The Maze Runner had a very strong message to me, and that was to always protect your loved ones. For instance, Thomas risked his life to save Alby and Minho by entering into the Maze when it was closing. This was very brave of him because he had people telling him not to enter the maze during the night since no one has ever stayed alive in the maze when it closed. But Thomas didn't listen to them, and he successfully stayed alive through out the night. Also, in order to help Thomas and everyone also get out of the maze Thomas risked going through the changing by getting stung from the grievers. This was very courageous, since he could have gotten killed. Another example, is when Chuck took the blade for Thomas. Unfortunately the blade struck him in the chest and Chuck died. This was one of my favorite books I've ever read, and I would recommend this book to others.
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