The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner 

by James Dashner

            How would you feel if you woke up in a strange place where you didn’t know anything except your name? You think you had a family and friends at some point, but you can’t remember any faces, names, or concrete experiences. This is the plight of Thomas, the main character in James Dashner’s The Maze Runner.

            In The Maze Runner, James Dashner tells the story of Thomas, a boy in his late teens, who finds himself in a odd new world called the Glade, inhabited by a group of male teenagers. They rest of the boys don’t remember anything more than Thomas does, but they all know they must somehow escape the Glade. However, in order to escape, they must get through an ever-changing maze, filled with bloodthirsty monsters. Simple enough.

            James Dashner did a very good job of creating believable characters in this book. For example, Thomas is a generally sad young man, so most of his thoughts were negative. The other characters in The Maze Runner are also very well developed. As I read, I often began to think of the characters as real people. For example, Newt takes on the role of leader in the Glade. We see him as being levelheaded, and one who takes charge of chaotic situations.

            The overall theme of The Maze Runner is to never give up, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem.They use many interesting terms in the book, that don't exist really. Like "shuck" is a word they made up, not really knowing what it means exactly. "You are the shuckiest shuck-face in the whole shuck world!"-Minho.  In the book, the boys have been trying to solve the puzzle of the maze for over a year, without any luck. But they keep on trying, and with persistence and teamwork, they are eventually able to find a way out. 

            The setting of the novel is some futuristic time period in a place known as the Glade. The Glade consists of hilly grassland, about 100 by 100 acres, with a small forest in one corner. In the middle of the Glade is a sloppily built house where all of the boys live. Surrounding this is the Maze, which shifts and changes everyday, and seems to be almost infinite.

            I’m not sure if there is another novel quite like this one, but it is a very cool dystopian book. If you like to imagine the possibilities of our future world, then you will love this book. I loved The Maze Runner because it was mysterious, full of action, and a little bit humorous, which are my three favorite qualities in fiction. If you liked Divergent, The Hunger Games, or other futuristic dystopian novels, you will enjoy The Maze Runner.

Drew Hardin