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.