Danielle's Reviews > The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
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Actual rating: 3.5/5

I really was not planning on ever reading this book. The premise never really held my attention and I had heard enough less-than-stellar reviews to keep my distance. I did go see the movie and enjoyed it, but still didn't feel like reading the book. Then, I saw the Scorch Trials. And for some reason, it stuck with me. I kept thinking about the story and the world and one of the characters (Newt, for anyone who cares. Not that it really matters). So, I eventually broke down and read it.

Now, I had quite a few issues with this book. For one, the plot still didn't intrigue me that much (even though I already knew what would happen). But that wasn't a huge deal, seeing as the book was still a very quick read and easy to get through. My biggest issue was the characters. For one, none of them (besides Chuck) ever seem to get developed all that much. And I know a big part of that is explained in the memory loss aspect, but I couldn't really like any of the characters, even Thomas, because of it. Plus, every character was a jerk! I was constantly frustrated by the Gladers' attitudes and how they wouldn't explain anything but got pissed when Thomas didn't follow the rules. Chuck is pretty much the only character who is ever genuinely nice, and thus the only character I truly saw as likable.

The telepathy aspect is weird and I hope it serves a real purpose down the road. I also hope we get more character depth in the next two novels, particularly for Thomas and Teresa.

I rated the book the way I did because, despite my complaints, the book was fast-paced and a compelling read. Even with my not caring about the plot very much, I was able to fly through the book and enjoy myself as I read. I liked how the Glade was described and the slang the boys used, even if I did feel it was overused at times. I liked the ending, though I am unsure which of the women we meet is supposed to be Ava.

I'm not sure how I would have felt about this book if I hadn't already seen the first two movies beforehand, but I am glad I did it this way.
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Reading Progress

September 29, 2015 – Started Reading
September 29, 2015 – Shelved
October 1, 2015 – Finished Reading

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