The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Titel: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte books
First published: 2009
Pages: 374 (Hardcover version)
Series: The Maze Runner trilogy
Star rating: *****

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. 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, open expanse surrounded 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 the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

This was just non-stop action from page one as we follow Thomas on his adventure in the glade along with all the other Gladers.

I really liked all the mysteries in this novel about the world of the Glade and to follow Thomas as he and his fellow gladers try to solve it. It seemed as if no one in the glade knew the truth and I couldn’t wait to find some answers to all the questions just like most of the characters.

Bringing me to the characters; Thomas was likable main character, I wasn’t loving him but his reasoning seemed well… reasonable. He did have his flaws but also some strengths as well. He reacted like I think a lot of people would if they were thrown in to the Glade.

The side characters were great as well and all had an amount of depth to them. Bringing me to this: CHUCK! Yes, I don’t really have more to say on that subject besides the word above. 

The glade was just so creepy because it sometimes felt so real and the maze and those sneaky monsters… I liked how the Gladers had tried to build a society thinking there was no way out of the mysterious maze. They seemed sometimes a little to mature for their age because not everyone would some up with a system that actually worked.

All together I really liked this novel and will definitely read The scorch trials sometime soon because I have so many unanswered questions that I can’t wait to get answered. 

Before I fall by Lauren Oliver

Titel: Before I fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Collins
First published: 2011
Pages: 470 (Hardback) 
Series: Stand alone
Star rating: *****


What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing

This novel was just magnificent. It’s not the kind of novel I would usually read, but it had gotten so many rave reviews so I thought I would give it a shot anyways. I am so glad I did ‘cause it was just splendidly brilliant –a turn you learn from British commentators while they cheer for the British rowing team.

The big thing, for me, in this book was the main character. Samantha Kingston or Sam. In the beginning she was one of the really popular girls and so on rather stereotype as to what you see in movies. Someone I couldn’t relate to at all, I having never been that kind of person. But she changed. She grew up and learned so much about the world in that last week compared to her entire time in High school. It was a really wonderful journey to take with her, as I slowly began to relate more and more to her.

The plot was really wonderfully done, and the pacing was really good. Oliver didn’t dwell too long on 1 day but didn’t just skip through it in a couple of paragraphs. In my version there was about 60 pages to each day and that was sufficient. Each day would bring a whole new aspect to Sam’s character and show how our small actions can change the lives of so many people. 

The emotions felt so real in this book so that in the end I cried even though I had expected the ending I still cried it was just that good. I cared so much for the characters that I just went: “No…” with eyes sparkling.

In conclusion (Yeah!) I thought that this book is just brilliant and Oliver’s writing is beautiful making you flow with the story and meet some splendid characters in the way as you go on an adventure with Sam to become a better human being.