Nicky's Reviews > The Maze Runner

James Dashner’s The Maze Runner is the first book of a trilogy which joins The Hunger Games and Divergent series as an action-packed thriller with an omnipotent authority. With the popularity of dystopian books in young adult literature, there’s a huge possibility of everything sounding the same. However, The Maze Runner is a refreshing take on the genre with enough suspense, thrill, and originality to keep readers interested.

The book begins with Thomas, who remembers nothing but his name. He is thrown into the “Glade,” a green pasture surrounded by a huge stone maze. Thomas encounters a large group of teenage boys in the Glade; they have built a home there for the past two years. None of them remember anything but their names, and struggle to make sense of who sent them there and for what purpose. During the day, the boys run their small community and carry out jobs like farming, butchering, and “running the maze.” At sunset, huge slabs of stone slide shut, closing the massive labyrinth for the night. Grievers – half machine half “gigantic slug” monsters, roam the maze screeching and groaning. A day after Thomas's arrival, a girl is sent to the Glade, which triggers a series of dangerous changes, the most terrifying one being that the maze doors stay open, letting the Grievers in. It is now up to Thomas to run the maze and figure out the code written in the movements of the walls. It is their only chance at escaping the Glade and finding their way out of the maze before they are all killed.

Dashner creates a likable but also realistic hero with Thomas. He is vulnerable and shows it, but demonstrates true bravery, intellect and a passion to do the right thing, even if it means challenging who he once was. The book ends with a heart-stopping twist, but leaves readers craving to know what happens next. Once readers make their way into Dashner’s maze, they’ll find themselves wonderfully lost in what he has created.