Friday, October 18, 2013

Review: The Maze Runner


Purchase The Maze Runner here.

Synopsis:

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.


Review:

Okay, so I know I am waaaay behind on reading the Maze Runner series.  To be fair, the books had sounded a bit young for me (and also a bit too Lord of the Flies).  The descriptions I'd gotten had been along the lines of "the dude runs through the maze and tries to figure out the thing."  Not exactly a stunning review.

My expectations were completely exceeded.  As frustrating as it can be, I loved the way readers were kept in the dark for most of the book.  I usually feel that particular mechanic is taken further than it needs to be and is used only to drag readers along to the bitter end, despite a fair to poor storyline.  In this case, however, it allows us as readers to sympathize with the Gladers.  The reader knows as much as they do, and we race along with the Gladers to find a way out of the Maze.

I haven't read the rest of the series, but in my mind, the next few books will make or break my feelings on The Maze Runner.  If the no-information mechanic is run into the ground and we still get absolutely no explanation, I probably won't be as kind in future.  However, for now, I am pleasantly surprised by the opening of the series.

Until next time, happy reading!
-Amanda

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