The Maze Runner by James Dashner

THE MAZE RUNNER by JAMES DASHNER

Movie Rating: PG-13 for violence and gore all involving teens
Book Rating: @@@@@
Swearing: None
Inappropriate Scenes: 1 comment is made about a boy getting dibs on a girl
# of Pages: 374 (paperback)
Genre: YA Dystopian/Sci-fi
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Back Blurb:

EVERYTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE....

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 thirty 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.

My Review:

"There's something for everyone in James Dashner's  finest, The Maze Runner..."

     A wonderfully crafted dystopian world that seems so realistic you will turn the pages with wide-eyed wonder.
     Rarely, do I read a book that reads on the same level as The Hunger Games. And everyone knows that The Hunger Games ranks 1st on my favorite book list, but The Maze Runner is a very close second. Very close.
     Pros:
     Nearly, everything about this book was a pro. I found no plot holes, all the characters were very real-to-life, and most of all, the plot was believable. I liked how nothing was rushed with certain character backgrounds giving them a sense of mystery and enough unanswered questions to make me start reading the second book the moment I got it.
     I especially enjoyed the fact that Mr. Dashner didn't make everything all perfect. Too good to be true = boring. There were deaths, there were injuries. Nothing was happy go lucky like a lot of books try to be.
     Cons: 
     It was slow start. But if you could get to chapter 3 then you were golden and the rest of the book was nonstop action. The only thing hard to process was the Glader's language. All the new slang was disorienting at first but the further and further I immersed myself in TMR I came to realize that the slang helped me become a part of the Glader's world and understand them a little bit better. So, in truth, this con becomes a pro after time.
     Conclusion:
     Even with the slow start TMR will be enjoyed by the young and old, the male and the female, the dystopian lovers and non-dystopian lovers. There's something for everyone in James Dashner's finest, The Maze Runner.