REVIEW: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Review by Caroline.

The Maze Runner begins with a frightened boy hurtling into the unknown in a dark lift. Thomas has no idea how he got here and no memory of his former life.

When the lift doors open, Thomas finds himself in a baffling new world, a compound known as the Glade, which is run by teenage boys who speak in a strange dialect. None of the boys knows why he is there but everyone knows the only chance of escape lies in the huge maze that surrounds the Glade. Every day an elite group known as the Runners sets off to try and find a way out, but it’s vital they get back by sundown. That’s when horrible creatures known as Grievers, which are part machine and part monster, come out in their droves....

Things have carried on in this way for some months, but Thomas's arrival marks a shift in events. A strange girl arrives in the Glade and Thomas also starts to realise he has been here before. He has to find a way to unlock the secrets of both the maze and his own memory if any of the Gladers is to survive.

For anyone who enjoyed the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Gone by Michael Grant, The Maze Runner is an absolute must. It hurtles along at break-neck speed and is almost impossible to put it down. I can’t wait for the sequel...

Review by Caroline.

Joe Lownds, aged 11, adds: This was a brilliant book. I felt Thomas’s stress as a reader and was on the edge of my seat. It was an incredibly exciting story and is the best book I’ve read in some time. I give it 9.9 marks out of ten.

The Maze Runner is released in the UK in August 2010.

James Dashner's blog

Book Trailer below

Comments

[Jo]

Great review, Caroline & Joe! I so want to read this book, it sounds amazing! It sounds so gripping! Thanks for the great review!

[Stacy]

I loved this book too. I think dystopia is my new favorite type of reads.

[Becky The Bookette]

I am really looking forward to the UK release of this book. I hear nothing but amazing things about the suspense and action in this book. Thanks for an exciting review.

[Lauren (I Was A Teenage Book Geek)]

I absolutely adore this book - it's so good to see it getting a UK publication. I've never seen that trailer before, it's amazing.

[Sophie]

I want to read this so badly. Great review, Caroline!