Review: The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publication Date: 2009
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis from Goodreads:

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

My Thoughts

The Maze Runner is one of the few books that I bought without consulting Goodreads or asking any of my friends. There’s just something in the synopsis that got me really interested in reading the book, and I can’t say I regret my decision of buying it on the spot.

It starts off with Thomas waking up alone in a cage-like elevator. When it suddenly moves up and is opened from the top, he finds himself with other teenage boys in what is called The Glade—an expanse closed in by four high stone walls. Nobody knows how or why they were sent there. All they know is that they need to find a way out. But after years of finding no answers, it's starting to seem impossible...

The concept of the book is unique and intriguing. Some points were a bit predictable, but for the most part, Dashner did not fail to surprise me. The story is a bit draggy at first (I actually remember reading a bit then only coming back to it after a few weeks), but once things start unfolding, it becomes a real page-turner. It's a plus that they have their own slang like shank, shuck, and greenie; it makes their whole situation seem that much more real.

As for the characters, I rooted for them but I just didn't feel like they were given enough depth. Maybe that's because they don't really remember themselves either, but it would have been nice to see their backgrounds incorporated into the story somehow. There is not much character development through the novel, but I do admire these guys for being able to devise their own system for survival and never giving up despite the odds being stacked against them. They're pretty resourceful and the ideas they come up with to solve the maze are actually cool. I like that they are viewed realistically; it's apparent how being trapped hardened them and constantly put their survival instincts to the test, making them different from how they started out.

Even though I don't really remember specific details about The Maze Runner since I read it quite a while back, I do remember it as a good, entertaining read overall. If you're into mystery or suspense or anything along those lines, then you should give this one a try!