The Maze Runner By James Dashner

Series: The Maze Runner #1
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia
Release Date: October 6th 2009
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 3 Stars
Cover Rating: 2 Stars
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.

I am not sure what I expected when I picked up The Maze Runner but I'm positive it wasn't what I got. I had heard The Maze Runner compared to The Hunger Games many times, they are both set in an arena-like location but the similarities end there. This book was very unique and the mostly male characters made a change from the normally female-dominated young adult genre. Although I missed more female presences, I really did enjoy this book. The story follows Thomas after he wakes in a lift -is that an American word too? I thought it was just us Brits who used it - with no memory. When the doors open Thomas isn't alone, he's surrounded by boys who went through the exact same thing but have now been living there for a long time - or you could say as long as they remember. Their lives follow a set pattern which all changes when the first girl ever arrives with a message which will change their lives...

I wasn't very keen on any of the characters in this book really. Thomas seemed quite stiff and his personality was almost non-existent. A few of the other Gladers were slightly more interesting but not by very much. The girl, whose name I cannot remember for the life of me, was also slightly wooden but she was quite a bit more interesting than the rest. It seemed like the author had given her and Thomas near enough the same personality but it suited her loads more. The rest of the Gladers seemed like the same person, some had obvious differences but then others would display the same characteristics later on. One thing I did like about the characters was their community, it was a fully functioning community of teenagers which worked better than you may think.

Overall I found this book very entertaining despite its lack of character development and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I did guess the ending after a little while - or at least I thought I had until a final twist was added in right at the last second. The world building was stunning and it made up significantly for the characters. I would recommend this book to fans of The Hunger Games and the Chaos Walking series.

My Favorite Quote:
“Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked, pulling Thomas's attention away from Alby.
"Go ahead" Newt replied. 
Minho nodded and faced the crowd. "Be careful," he said dryly. "Don't die.” 
"Great. We're all bloody inspired." Newt said.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK