Thomas is an average teenage boy that wakes up inside a random metal box. He is rescued by a bunch of rough looking boys, some older than him, some younger than him. He can’t remember anything about himself. All he knows is his name and that he is not supposed to be in what the boys call the Glade. Thomas learns quickly that all the boys have memory loss and some have been there for about two years. They have their own ways of living life, one of them is attempting to solve the mystery to the Maze that stands outside the walls of the Glade. Being a maze runner is instantly what Thomas wants. The day after Thomas arrives, another “newbie” comes out of the box, which is unusual in the Glade. To the Gladers’ surprise, the newbie is a girl named Teresa. She instantly goes into a coma, but a note in her hand reveals that she is the last newbie to ever arrive in the Glade. They all know things are about to change. Thomas gets his wish at being a maze runner when he steps outside the walls of the Glade one night to rescue their leader, Alby. He and a boy named Minho survive the night in the Maze, which is something no one has ever done before, when Thomas discovers a way to fight creatures called Grievers that kill the Gladers when the leave the safety of the Glade. Minho, who is the head of the maze runners, is impressed and suggests that Thomas starts training with him as soon as possible. Thomas starts his training with Minho and picks it up quickly. Then the mysterious girl, Teresa, wakes up from her coma. Thomas suspects she is familiar to him even though he can’t remember anything. She tells him that she thinks they were friends in the past and even share a telepathic connection, which scares Thomas slightly at first. Due to their telepathy, Teresa and Thomas become close as the days pass. Over time, bizarre things start happening in the Glade and things start to come to a close. After solving puzzles, dreaming events from the past, fighting the Grievers, and going through a process called the Changing, the Gladers figure out a code that is needed to stop the madness and will help them escape the Maze.
The Maze Runner is a brilliant story and it couldn’t have been written any better. The story line is impressive and jumps out at you. I never saw anything coming. Thomas’ thoughts and ideas help lead up to the climax and help give the reader a better perspective of what is happening inside the Glade and the Maze. The story coming from Thomas’ POV was defiantly the way to go. The life of the Gladers captured my attention, and even though I thought it would have been interesting to see what their life would have been like without the resources of electricity and food, it was original and realistic unlike some other books I have read.
Honestly, I think James Dashner is a genius. He has a way of making you grab onto the characters. I stuck with them though the three out of four books in the series and I was upset when their part of the story was over. He uses phrases familiar with this generation of people, which helped make the story realistic in my opinion. Mr. Dashner will be successful in all his writing years. The Maze Runner has even become a movie that will be released soon, and I am excited to go see it. I am truly happy for him. He is a talented writer, an inspiration to me.
Would I suggest this book? Absolutely. It is intended for young adults, but I think that anybody would like it if they gave it a try. Joining the journey of Thomas and the Gladers is not a decision you will regret. This book and series has easily become one of my favorites. I give it a four and a half out of five stars.