The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is blank. 

But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.  

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark. 

The Gladers were expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home...wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is insolvable. 

And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers - if he can only fins a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

I often find it difficult to get into a "boy" book. It's usually just weapons, fighting, and unceasing action. Now, I'm not all about "feelings" all the time, action all the time can be a little much for me. What can I say, I'm a girl. However, The Maze Runner was not one of those books.

The action and mystery here were absolutely perfect. Every time I thought I had things figured out and there was going to be a little break, something new jumped out of nowhere taking me by surprise just as much as all the characters.. This scenario might be annoying in another setting, but it totally works here. It was just enough mystery and intrigue to keep me furiously flipping pages to find out all the answers. In fact, I had to keep covering up the next page so I wouldn't get ahead of myself in my excitement and skip forward.

No one character really stood out, but I liked most of them. I wish Teresa had been more present in the story, but hopefully there'll be some more about her in the next books. I was also a little confused about Thomas and Teresa's relationship since it popped out of nowhere, but thankfully, so were they.

Final thoughts: This was an absolutely fantastic start to the series. If you're up for a fast-paced action-filled dystopian-esque mystery this is the book you need. Seriously, if you've been putting this one off, you definitely need to pick it up. Also, it's an especially good "boy" book if that's what you're looking for.


Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publish Date: October 2009
Pages: 379
Series: Maze Runner #1
Rating: 4 stars