The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner,  by James Dashner, is an incredible story that sucks you in from the first chapter. The tells the story of a boy, Thomas, who has been placed in a giant maze along with several other boys. Every day the boys race around the walls of the maze, trying to figure a way out - trying to figure out who put them there and why.  Ms. Osur recommended this book to me after she found out how OBSESSED I was with The Hunger Games series. I think I have found my latest obsession.

The book starts out with Thomas being "delivered" into the maze in an elevator-like box with no memory of his life before. He is greeted by a bunch of other boys, all in their teens. He realizes they have food, supplies, shelter - everything they need to survive - in the Glade (what the boys call the space in the middle of the maze where they live).  During the day, every one has a job. It may be planting and harvesting crops, taking care of the animals, butchering the animals, cooking meals, or being a RUNNER. The runners go out into the maze and explore the maze every day, hoping to find an escape.  Every evening the maze walls mysteriously close. No one is allowed into the maze after the walls close - not that anyone would want to be anyway! That's when the GRIEVERS come out. They are these half-animal, half-machine beasts that savagely kill anyone left in the maze after the walls close.

Everything is routine and normal in the Glade until a girl in a coma is delivered into the Glade the day after Thomas does. All sorts of questions are raised and the boys start to turn on one another. Then, everything IN THE MAZE starts to change. 

The Maze Runner follows Thomas in his quest to become a Runner and tries to solve the mystery as to why they are in a giant maze in the first place. As memories start to slowly come back, he starts to piece the puzzle together.

This book had me hooked. I started reading it the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and finished it the next morning! Sleep was not a priority! I was so engulfed in the story and felt like I was in the maze with Thomas and the other characters. The setting is so vividly described and the characters so fully developed - I even cried over a character or two. James Dashner is so descriptive and imaginative, he creates fear for the characters and suspense as you keep turning pages.  This book is a MUST READ - teens, adults...everyone! The novel deals with topics such as government control, individuals fighting against society, and the will to survive. There are definite parallels between our society today and the society of tomorrow in the novel.

Run to the library and get this book out now!:)

**Remember how OBSESSED I was about The Hunger Games?? I would venture to say I enjoyed this even more!!:)  And guess what...there's a sequel!!