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The Maze Runner #1
The Maze Runner
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE....
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.
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 expanse enclosed 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, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.
The Gladers were expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up- the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home... wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he might just have some answers- if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.
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 expanse enclosed 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, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.
The Gladers were expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up- the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home... wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he might just have some answers- if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.
375 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2009
About the author
James Dashner
107 books35k followersJames is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67,641 reviews
December 4, 2013
You know how sometimes you're running really fast from a horrible creature and, in a moment of panic, you turn around to see how close it is only to run straight into a brick wall?
No?
I don't know what that's like either.
But that inattention to detail would probably totally screw you over because a.) now you're knocked unconscious and b.) the creature is going to devour you. Good job.
I guess this is kind of like Lot's wife looking back on Sodom only to be turned into a pillar of salt.
And it is also kind of like reading The Maze Runner.
Stick with me.
The first half of James Dashner's The Maze Runner maintains a superbly frantic pace. Thomas, our empty-shell-of-a-protagonist is thrust, via the Box, into a curious and unfriendly world populated by dozens of teenage boys. He remembers nothing, and the boys are uncooperative, refusing to reveal any details regarding their home, the Glade. The Glade is surrounded by stupendously tall walls, outside of which lays the Maze. During the day, the Maze is (kinda sorta) safe. But at night, the Grievers emerge. These are half slug/half woodshop tools that enjoy slicing and dicing apart anyone unfortunate to encounter them. They can also sting you, which causes much mayhem and requires the administering of Grief Serum, which triggers the Changing.
SIDEBAR!
What Is It With Authors Of Dystopian Novels Capitalizing Really Important Words? It's Annoying. Find A New Stylistic Approach That I Can Later Become Exasperated With.
Anyway, Thomas' situation is bleak, made bleaker when a number of unfortunate coincidences causes him to bear witness to some truly awful acts of violence. Let's just say one untrustworthy soul is unwittingly tossed into the Maze at night and then a girl (not a boy!!!!!!!!) suspiciously arrives the day after Thomas.
All of this, despite the Unnecessary Capitalization and the boys using completely pointless terminology like klunk and shuckface, is totally kitty fantastico. The constant psychological mystery keeps nagging doubts at bay and the variety of personalities that populate the Glade is totally believable. They talk like teenagers, they (generally) act like teenagers, and they form cliques and factions the way teenagers would.
(From here on I'm covering up "spoilers", even though I think they're total nonsense and hilariously awful. And because I advise you not to read this book, you should click them. Just keeping the haters at bay.)
Then Thomas the Maze.
And the book falls apart.
For those of you paying attention, here's where the running into a brick wall metaphor arrives full gale.
Dashner, whose prose has heretofore been mediocre but serviceable, completely fails his audience. He writes himself into a corner. He knows it, we know it. Thomas, who has always been slightly unlikeable and jerky becomes even more unlikeable and jerky, and the plot holes start opening up like the really bad similes peppered throughout the narrative. How does Dashner patch them up? Seriously.
Yup. The girl who mysteriously appeared and tells him . It doesn't. It just creates a frustrating deus ex machina that could have been avoided, but isn't.
As Thomas's character stumbles upon more and more unbelievable clues, like the book loses its momentum significantly.
In fact, despite tearing through the first half of the book, I had to put it down. Afterwards, every time I looked at that stupid green cover, I found myself filled with dread - knowing full well that what remained would irritate me.
And it did.
Sometimes when the first book of a trilogy ends on a cliffhanger, I feel compelled to continue. I don't care what happens to Thomas and the rest of the characters. Maybe they'll smoke lots of pot, form a commune, and grow daisies. Maybe they'll turn into Grievers. Maybe they'll run into Katniss and Peeta and become BFFs.
But I will let you, gentle reader, find that out for yourself.
No?
I don't know what that's like either.
But that inattention to detail would probably totally screw you over because a.) now you're knocked unconscious and b.) the creature is going to devour you. Good job.
I guess this is kind of like Lot's wife looking back on Sodom only to be turned into a pillar of salt.
And it is also kind of like reading The Maze Runner.
Stick with me.
The first half of James Dashner's The Maze Runner maintains a superbly frantic pace. Thomas, our empty-shell-of-a-protagonist is thrust, via the Box, into a curious and unfriendly world populated by dozens of teenage boys. He remembers nothing, and the boys are uncooperative, refusing to reveal any details regarding their home, the Glade. The Glade is surrounded by stupendously tall walls, outside of which lays the Maze. During the day, the Maze is (kinda sorta) safe. But at night, the Grievers emerge. These are half slug/half woodshop tools that enjoy slicing and dicing apart anyone unfortunate to encounter them. They can also sting you, which causes much mayhem and requires the administering of Grief Serum, which triggers the Changing.
SIDEBAR!
What Is It With Authors Of Dystopian Novels Capitalizing Really Important Words? It's Annoying. Find A New Stylistic Approach That I Can Later Become Exasperated With.
Anyway, Thomas' situation is bleak, made bleaker when a number of unfortunate coincidences causes him to bear witness to some truly awful acts of violence. Let's just say one untrustworthy soul is unwittingly tossed into the Maze at night and then a girl (not a boy!!!!!!!!) suspiciously arrives the day after Thomas.
All of this, despite the Unnecessary Capitalization and the boys using completely pointless terminology like klunk and shuckface, is totally kitty fantastico. The constant psychological mystery keeps nagging doubts at bay and the variety of personalities that populate the Glade is totally believable. They talk like teenagers, they (generally) act like teenagers, and they form cliques and factions the way teenagers would.
(From here on I'm covering up "spoilers", even though I think they're total nonsense and hilariously awful. And because I advise you not to read this book, you should click them. Just keeping the haters at bay.)
Then Thomas the Maze.
And the book falls apart.
For those of you paying attention, here's where the running into a brick wall metaphor arrives full gale.
Dashner, whose prose has heretofore been mediocre but serviceable, completely fails his audience. He writes himself into a corner. He knows it, we know it. Thomas, who has always been slightly unlikeable and jerky becomes even more unlikeable and jerky, and the plot holes start opening up like the really bad similes peppered throughout the narrative. How does Dashner patch them up? Seriously.
Yup. The girl who mysteriously appeared and tells him . It doesn't. It just creates a frustrating deus ex machina that could have been avoided, but isn't.
As Thomas's character stumbles upon more and more unbelievable clues, like the book loses its momentum significantly.
In fact, despite tearing through the first half of the book, I had to put it down. Afterwards, every time I looked at that stupid green cover, I found myself filled with dread - knowing full well that what remained would irritate me.
And it did.
Sometimes when the first book of a trilogy ends on a cliffhanger, I feel compelled to continue. I don't care what happens to Thomas and the rest of the characters. Maybe they'll smoke lots of pot, form a commune, and grow daisies. Maybe they'll turn into Grievers. Maybe they'll run into Katniss and Peeta and become BFFs.
But I will let you, gentle reader, find that out for yourself.
January 24, 2012
This book was recommended for fans of the Hunger Games series, a series that has become one of my favorites. I began The Maze Runner excitedly, hoping for an equally enjoyable, dystopian adventure. I didn't find it.
The plot was intriguing and kept me reading; in fact, it was probably the only reason why I kept reading. Some writers are able to seamlessly integrate characterization and good writing with a fast-moving plot; James Dashner is not one of them. The pacing is strange, and Dashner's use of cliches became very irritating.
The main character, Thomas, was annoying. Rather than allowing his readers to feel what Thomas feels, Dashner chooses to tell. We are told many times how "frustrated" and "confused" Thomas is, but we can't identify with him. Some of the supporting characters, such as Minho and Newt, could be interesting, but they remain secondary to Thomas. In addition, I was frustrated with the character Teresa. Teresa is the only female main character; instead of making her an intriguing, powerful female, she is christened with flimsy adjectives such as "very pretty" and "smart", becoming yet another 1-dimensional character. I realize that this is a plot-driven story and not a character-driven one, but I would hope that the characters would at least be appealing to the reader.
Criticism aside, I found the book enjoyable, and the plot kept me hooked. I felt that the epilogue was well-written and I might seek out the rest of the series when it is published. Ultimately, it's unfortunate that Dashner's poor writing takes away from a good story line; in the hands of a writing master, I believe that The Maze Runner could have been something extraordinary.
2.5/5
EDIT: More than a year later, I have not procured any other books in the series, nor do I intend to. Personally speaking, this is one series better left alone.
The plot was intriguing and kept me reading; in fact, it was probably the only reason why I kept reading. Some writers are able to seamlessly integrate characterization and good writing with a fast-moving plot; James Dashner is not one of them. The pacing is strange, and Dashner's use of cliches became very irritating.
The main character, Thomas, was annoying. Rather than allowing his readers to feel what Thomas feels, Dashner chooses to tell. We are told many times how "frustrated" and "confused" Thomas is, but we can't identify with him. Some of the supporting characters, such as Minho and Newt, could be interesting, but they remain secondary to Thomas. In addition, I was frustrated with the character Teresa. Teresa is the only female main character; instead of making her an intriguing, powerful female, she is christened with flimsy adjectives such as "very pretty" and "smart", becoming yet another 1-dimensional character. I realize that this is a plot-driven story and not a character-driven one, but I would hope that the characters would at least be appealing to the reader.
Criticism aside, I found the book enjoyable, and the plot kept me hooked. I felt that the epilogue was well-written and I might seek out the rest of the series when it is published. Ultimately, it's unfortunate that Dashner's poor writing takes away from a good story line; in the hands of a writing master, I believe that The Maze Runner could have been something extraordinary.
2.5/5
EDIT: More than a year later, I have not procured any other books in the series, nor do I intend to. Personally speaking, this is one series better left alone.
March 18, 2010
This book would have been great IF:
1) the characters had some personality
2) the main character - Thomas - weren't such a Gary Stu and showed some character development and growth instead of conveniently "remembering" important information to advance the plot
3) the book weren't filled with atrocious made-up slang - "shuck-face," really, is this supposed to be cool?
4) the villains - Grievers - were actually scary or dangerous
5) the maze had some kind of mystery about it and not limited to moving walls and un-threatening prickly Grievers
6) the plot weren't based on constant withholding of information by everyone and releasing it 200 pages later than it should have been
7) the smartest of the smartest kids actually did something smart and uncovered some mysteries of the maze during the 2 years spent there
8) the death of main characters evoked any feeling in readers
9) the book weren't so slow-moving (thanks to constant withholding of info) and BORING!
In the present form "The Maze Runner" deserves nothing more than an OK rating for moderately interesting premise. The hype and comparisons to "The Hunger Games" are unwarranted.
1) the characters had some personality
2) the main character - Thomas - weren't such a Gary Stu and showed some character development and growth instead of conveniently "remembering" important information to advance the plot
3) the book weren't filled with atrocious made-up slang - "shuck-face," really, is this supposed to be cool?
4) the villains - Grievers - were actually scary or dangerous
5) the maze had some kind of mystery about it and not limited to moving walls and un-threatening prickly Grievers
6) the plot weren't based on constant withholding of information by everyone and releasing it 200 pages later than it should have been
7) the smartest of the smartest kids actually did something smart and uncovered some mysteries of the maze during the 2 years spent there
8) the death of main characters evoked any feeling in readers
9) the book weren't so slow-moving (thanks to constant withholding of info) and BORING!
In the present form "The Maze Runner" deserves nothing more than an OK rating for moderately interesting premise. The hype and comparisons to "The Hunger Games" are unwarranted.
June 4, 2020
Okay so before I start I want to say something.I personally hesitated to read this book because I heard too many bad reviews and things about this book.But let me tell you something.Yeah it has it's problems like the written style but this book has one of the best story plots I have ever read about.And believe,once you get into the book,you will not care about the writing or anything else.I am seriously so angry I haven't read this book early and even more for listening or reading those really bad reviews for this book.I know everyone has their own taste but really I heard things that really discouraged me to read this and they are not true.And one last thing before I continue with my review,this book is awesome without having instalove,or love at all,without having nakedness or anything like that.So if you find this interesting,pick it up and decide for yourself,because for me is totally worth it!
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“If you ain’t scared… you ain’t human.”
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☆☆☆☆☆4.8 RUNNY STARS!☆☆☆☆☆
You can find the full review and more about this book on my blog!
I admire this book,really from the first page to the last.I have been waiting for a dystopian like this.The Maze Runner is a full action pack novel with awesome badass moments and thrilling and suspense scenes.
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“I've been shucked and gone to heaven.”
____________________________________________
The world,the maze is one of the greatest ideas,and it was awesome.The way it was build,with sections and everything,the glade,the grivers,they were all so thoughtful and really well made.I also watched the movie and I must say it is a lot similar to the book,and it has visualized my thoughts.
____________________________________________
“You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!”
____________________________________________
The characters were also great.What I liked was the conversations they had with each other.They felt normal and real,exactly according to their age.Thomas is a great main character,but I don't know he has a thing for crying,and somehow he seemed weak sometimes.Newt was my favorite character.I also liked Teresa and Minho.
____________________________________________
“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.”
____________________________________________
The reason why this is not a 5star book for me,is because of the writing style.Like a lot of people,I had a problem,a minor problem with it.It was annoying,especially at the beginning.Also annoying were the repeated phrases like the names,and the sentences were somehow short and not very rich.But beside that everything was perfect for me!
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“It's kind of hard to ask a dead guy what he did wrong.”
____________________________________________
The story follows a boy named Thomas who finds in a unknown place,with unknown boys.He doesn't remember anything beside his name.Others don't neither.He learns that he's placed in a maze,and there is no way out,at least not found yet.After his arrival,strange things start to happen,things that has never happened before,things that could bring only destruction and death.There must be a way out,and he has to find it!
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“Just follow me and run like your life depends on it. Because it does.”
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I highly recommend this book to every reader out there,and as I said don't judge it before reading it.For me it was awesome,for someone is not,but you should try for yourself!
*Pictures from the review are not mine, I took them mostly from Google images or Tumblr*
December 11, 2020
Here's the Written Review!
Latest BookTube Video is up - a totally serious take on writing Young Adult Lit!
To Summarize: Wellllll...that was convenient...
Thomas wakes up in the middle of a glen in the center a enormous maze. He (along with all of the other guys in there) have no memory of life outside of the maze.
Absolutely blank slates the lot of them...wellll....mostly.
Their entire lives were conveniently erased just enough so they'd have language, motor skills and just enough memory to understand irrigation/farming but nothing of their personal lives.
Every month, a newcomer arrives to the Glade. After a brief orientation, they are sorted into a job and society continues.
The day after Thomas arrives, a girl (Theresa) comes for the first time ever. Thomas and Theresa know each other, but they don't remember how or why.
All they have is a cryptic message - WICKED is good and a sinking feeling that they are responsible for this whole mess. After all, this is YA lit, thus the main form of motivation has to be:
I just...feel like I need to save everyone. To redeem myself.Anyway, the gladers, Thomas and Theresa spend their time mapping the maze, surviving the wilds and....not much else. I suppose they invent their own slang, which gets a bit annoying after the first twenty pages.
“You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!”and
“I've been shucked and gone to heaven.”Besides that bit literary genius, this book wasn't too bad. The adventure and intrigue of the maze was more than enough to keep me entertained.
That being said...Like most memory-absent books, there's a bit of an issue with the longer it goes on, the less believable it became.
I mean, what are the odds that the main characters always seemed to know just enough for the situation and the rest was conveniently shrouded in shadows?
I was rather annoyed with the twist at the end.
It just feels like lazy writing to me.
Audiobook Comments
Read by Mark Deakins - and he really did a great job with tone and inflection. Despite my annoyance with some of the character's actions, at lest we had a splendid narrator.
Other Booktube videos starring this book:
Annnd here's another booktube video:
New week, New BookTube Video - all about the best (and worst) literary apocalypses to live through!
Stuck at home? Got some time on your hands? Want to start a long series? But you don't want a dud?
Check out this booktube video all about which series are worth your time (and which ones aren't)!
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March 24, 2012
Q: if you could edit this book, what would you take out?
A: the words.
. . .
Have you ever had an eight-year-old kid try to describe to you winning a level of a video game? Have you ever had a middle-aged man try to describe to you completing the games section of the New York Times? Did those experiences involve multiple conversations like this:
“What is the maze?”
“Stop asking so many questions!”
I have to say that this book was more boring than having someone tell you in painful detail about winning a video game or finishing a crossword puzzle. It is more boring if only for the constant, "What are you talking about?" "No! I won't tell you!" This book is astonishingly boring. I know that I am predisposed not to like it because there are no female characters (no, I do not count the leggy, blue-eyed girlfriend as a female character), but, really, I ask you: are there any male characters either? If you say, yes, then I challenge you to prove it. Are Mario and Luigi and Princess Toadstool characters in Mario Kart? What about the ducks in Duck Hunt? Are they characters? We have to draw the line somewhere. And I submit to you that there are no characters in this book. Or, at least, there are fewer characters in this book than there are in Duck Hunt.
Also, a couple of things that bothered me throughout:
1. What famous scientist was Minho named after? Okay, I just googled that and apparently Dashner “purposely” named a few characters after scientists who will supposedly exist in the future. Like the only Asian kid in the book. Because there are no Asian scientists today that he could name someone after. *facedesk* And like Zart. Zart and the Asian kid were not named after scientists. *double facedesk*
2. Why can’t the grievers climb over the wall? They obviously can climb. But not over the wall? Did I miss this? At first I thought the kids were in some kind of dome, but then it seemed like it was just a really tall wall. . . . That it was impossible to climb? WHYYY?????
3. What purpose does the telepathy serve? None is the answer. It serves no purpose.
4. Why is this book so, so, so long and boring?
So, maybe a third of the way through the book, I developed this false hope that this book would be some kind of pretty metaphor for children going through the grieving process and supporting each other in loss. I thought, “Oh, grievers! Maybe the challenges of the maze and the bonding of the boys in the glade will have some larger message.” No. This book is not about that. It is about doing the NYT games section and then maybe vague talk of zombies later. Total bullshit.
I have to think this book came out while LOST was still on and before its terrible conclusion, which forced millions of Americans to face the fact that when it looks like a story will have no purpose, it probably has no purpose. I have to think Dashner thought he could bank on the millions of us willing to suspend our skepticism and keep watching a show whose writers clearly had no plan. I am hoping that in the wake of that disaster, we will have grown up a little and be less willing to stand for bullshit like this.
I googled it, and, yes, I was right. Cashing in on gullible LOST audience. Unacceptable.
A: the words.
. . .
Have you ever had an eight-year-old kid try to describe to you winning a level of a video game? Have you ever had a middle-aged man try to describe to you completing the games section of the New York Times? Did those experiences involve multiple conversations like this:
“What is the maze?”
“Stop asking so many questions!”
I have to say that this book was more boring than having someone tell you in painful detail about winning a video game or finishing a crossword puzzle. It is more boring if only for the constant, "What are you talking about?" "No! I won't tell you!" This book is astonishingly boring. I know that I am predisposed not to like it because there are no female characters (no, I do not count the leggy, blue-eyed girlfriend as a female character), but, really, I ask you: are there any male characters either? If you say, yes, then I challenge you to prove it. Are Mario and Luigi and Princess Toadstool characters in Mario Kart? What about the ducks in Duck Hunt? Are they characters? We have to draw the line somewhere. And I submit to you that there are no characters in this book. Or, at least, there are fewer characters in this book than there are in Duck Hunt.
Also, a couple of things that bothered me throughout:
1. What famous scientist was Minho named after? Okay, I just googled that and apparently Dashner “purposely” named a few characters after scientists who will supposedly exist in the future. Like the only Asian kid in the book. Because there are no Asian scientists today that he could name someone after. *facedesk* And like Zart. Zart and the Asian kid were not named after scientists. *double facedesk*
2. Why can’t the grievers climb over the wall? They obviously can climb. But not over the wall? Did I miss this? At first I thought the kids were in some kind of dome, but then it seemed like it was just a really tall wall. . . . That it was impossible to climb? WHYYY?????
3. What purpose does the telepathy serve? None is the answer. It serves no purpose.
4. Why is this book so, so, so long and boring?
So, maybe a third of the way through the book, I developed this false hope that this book would be some kind of pretty metaphor for children going through the grieving process and supporting each other in loss. I thought, “Oh, grievers! Maybe the challenges of the maze and the bonding of the boys in the glade will have some larger message.” No. This book is not about that. It is about doing the NYT games section and then maybe vague talk of zombies later. Total bullshit.
I have to think this book came out while LOST was still on and before its terrible conclusion, which forced millions of Americans to face the fact that when it looks like a story will have no purpose, it probably has no purpose. I have to think Dashner thought he could bank on the millions of us willing to suspend our skepticism and keep watching a show whose writers clearly had no plan. I am hoping that in the wake of that disaster, we will have grown up a little and be less willing to stand for bullshit like this.
I googled it, and, yes, I was right. Cashing in on gullible LOST audience. Unacceptable.
April 17, 2016
“You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!”
2 1/2 stars.
It's funny how just a few years can change everything - your reading tastes, your expectations, your standards... because when I read The Maze Runner in early 2011, I enjoyed it a lot. It seemed fast-paced, exciting and a little scary. Plus, I thought the slang was a nice touch.
Three years and a million dystopian/sci-fi books later and everything about me has outgrown this book. It's not terrible. I can still see why someone who is new to YA dystopias might get caught up in the loosely-plotted (read: nothing happens) drama and think that "shuck" amounts to a clever invention of a new language. But as I was rereading this before seeing the new movie, I realised just how much it pales in comparison to many others in the genre.
The thing about this book is that it is so simplistic and... immature, I guess. I'm not here to simply piss off the book's fans - I enjoyed it too, remember! - and I can still see why it might provide some light entertainment. But... the characters and plot are so underdeveloped. The language seems silly now. The scary Grievers no longer seem scary, but cartoon comical instead.
Dashner uses that tiresome old writing technique called "withholding information" to propel the non-existent plot along. The whole book is built around a single mystery - that of the maze - and our supposedly intelligent-beyond-belief characters keep the novel going by standing around and scratching their heads. It's so lacking in any depth, layers or complexity.
Comparisons to The Hunger Games are frankly quite hilarious when you consider Collins' intricate world, complex characters and clever plot... then consider what Dashner offers up next to it. Not to mention that Thomas is an extremely boring, self-sacrificing MC.
In its defense, though, I was still affected by what happens near the end. I would recommend the book - with some hesitation - for younger readers or those who are new to YA dystopian fiction.
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April 25, 2023
The last page is turned and all I have to say is this:
What for the love of all that's good and pure was this foolishness?
...Aaaaand ..... rant!
-----
When I'm sick - the snotty phlegmy febrile kind of sick - and my brain feels sizzlingly fried, I sometimes turn to easy reading "fluff" to give my neurons a break. Sometimes this strategy backfires and the 'fluffy' book actually tries to break my long-suffering brain cells with its sheer stupidity.
It's not even mediocre; mediocrity would be elevating this book to the undeserved heights. It's simply boring, uninspired, ridiculous and poorly executed.
------
Let me sum up the things that I thought were awful, stupid or just plain ridiculous (apparently my febrile brain likes making lists):
# The dumbed-down plot full of holes that relies on pointless withholding of any useful information. Seriously. When there is no reason for keeping the characters in the dark, all suspense goes out of the window. There was no reason why nobody could tell Thomas what was going on when he showed up in the Glade or when he saw the Doors or the Maze.
# The atrocious unbearable awkward slang. Replacing 'fuck' with 'shuck' and 'shit' with 'klank' for PG purposes does not work when you shove it unto the readers' faces every sentence or so. At least be inventive or make it sound organic, but all that's achieved is sounding like a five-year-old complaining to her Mummy.
# The silver plate on which everything is handed to the absolutely special protagonist. Because Thomas is so special at fragging everything. He doesn't even need to try. Instead, when we need a proof of his awesomeness, the get the sudden impulses and urges that are never wrong, or if that fails, simply a quasi-recollection that saves the day. Which segues into my next frustration point:
# The lack of any character development besides the-author-wants-it-so approach. The author knows what he wants to happen in this book, and he moves the characters along like checkers pieces, just to make plot happen. The characters are just sorta there, are static, and therefore I could never get invested in them enough to care even when some of them died. Especially when the death of at least one of them was pointless.
# The pointless villains and scares that should have been comic relief instead. Yes, the Grievers and the strangely non-menacing way they were portrayed. The Maze that is anything but intimidating (that effect is due to the non-spectacular writing, really). The Changing - oh so scary of experience! - that does not really affect Thomas the Special Snowflake, not even a minor inconvenience.
# The pointless vilifying of perfectly reasonable characters for the sole purpose of making our special protagonist even more snowflake-ish. It's poor Gally, who's labeled as a "bully" before he's had a chance to do anything even remotely bully-ish except for staring at Thomas with dislike. To cement his unlikeability, Gally is described as physically unattractive - because in shallow books like this one if you look like a villain, you must be one. Gally, whose distrust of Thomas is perfectly logical (if any of the characters would take any time to think about it instead of singing accolades to the Special Snowflake).
# The too-stupid-to-live characters. Seriously. Every few pages my reaction was - really? You guys haven't tried that? You haven't thought of this?? You haven't talked about that???? Ugh.
# The action scenes that read like a video game narration. This does not work in real life - even the kind of 'real life' that involves a few dozen of teen boys stranded in a few square miles area where they successfully run a farm, a slaughterhouse and an industrial-size kitchen.
# The "big reveal" that is simply told to us, without anyone really earning it. No, the characters do not work hard just to get the pay-off; they get told all that's happening, like a cheap trick.
# The absolute lack of any suspense or motivation to help propel the plot forward. No, everything is simplistic, childish and therefore strangely light and unconcerning. There is no depth, no real substance, and no complexity. It's page-filler, easy to read, easy to forget.
1.5 stars.
Yawn. A frustrated yawn, at that.
...Aaaaand ..... rant!
-----
When I'm sick - the snotty phlegmy febrile kind of sick - and my brain feels sizzlingly fried, I sometimes turn to easy reading "fluff" to give my neurons a break. Sometimes this strategy backfires and the 'fluffy' book actually tries to break my long-suffering brain cells with its sheer stupidity.
It's not even mediocre; mediocrity would be elevating this book to the undeserved heights. It's simply boring, uninspired, ridiculous and poorly executed.
------
Let me sum up the things that I thought were awful, stupid or just plain ridiculous (apparently my febrile brain likes making lists):
# The dumbed-down plot full of holes that relies on pointless withholding of any useful information. Seriously. When there is no reason for keeping the characters in the dark, all suspense goes out of the window. There was no reason why nobody could tell Thomas what was going on when he showed up in the Glade or when he saw the Doors or the Maze.
While I'm at it, can anyone please explain why the klunky shanking shuckface are the words randomly capitalized? Is the book meant to evoke the thoughts of the German language where the nouns are capitalized? Or was the author too lazy to come up with proper names for places and instead just threw in some capitalization? Foolishness, I say.The frustrating to me approach of never discussing what happened with those who went through the Changing. The lack of curiosity about the only potential exit from the Maze that the boys have found in two (!) years. The pointless doing the same thing over and over again just to come up with the same results, relishing in the special status of the Runners instead of just sitting down to discuss the situation and their findings.
# The atrocious unbearable awkward slang. Replacing 'fuck' with 'shuck' and 'shit' with 'klank' for PG purposes does not work when you shove it unto the readers' faces every sentence or so. At least be inventive or make it sound organic, but all that's achieved is sounding like a five-year-old complaining to her Mummy.
"You're the shuckiest shuck-faced shuck there ever was."I rest my case in the face of this nonsense.
# The silver plate on which everything is handed to the absolutely special protagonist. Because Thomas is so special at fragging everything. He doesn't even need to try. Instead, when we need a proof of his awesomeness, the get the sudden impulses and urges that are never wrong, or if that fails, simply a quasi-recollection that saves the day. Which segues into my next frustration point:
# The lack of any character development besides the-author-wants-it-so approach. The author knows what he wants to happen in this book, and he moves the characters along like checkers pieces, just to make plot happen. The characters are just sorta there, are static, and therefore I could never get invested in them enough to care even when some of them died. Especially when the death of at least one of them was pointless.
# The pointless villains and scares that should have been comic relief instead. Yes, the Grievers and the strangely non-menacing way they were portrayed. The Maze that is anything but intimidating (that effect is due to the non-spectacular writing, really). The Changing - oh so scary of experience! - that does not really affect Thomas the Special Snowflake, not even a minor inconvenience.
# The pointless vilifying of perfectly reasonable characters for the sole purpose of making our special protagonist even more snowflake-ish. It's poor Gally, who's labeled as a "bully" before he's had a chance to do anything even remotely bully-ish except for staring at Thomas with dislike. To cement his unlikeability, Gally is described as physically unattractive - because in shallow books like this one if you look like a villain, you must be one. Gally, whose distrust of Thomas is perfectly logical (if any of the characters would take any time to think about it instead of singing accolades to the Special Snowflake).
# The too-stupid-to-live characters. Seriously. Every few pages my reaction was - really? You guys haven't tried that? You haven't thought of this?? You haven't talked about that???? Ugh.
# The action scenes that read like a video game narration. This does not work in real life - even the kind of 'real life' that involves a few dozen of teen boys stranded in a few square miles area where they successfully run a farm, a slaughterhouse and an industrial-size kitchen.
# The "big reveal" that is simply told to us, without anyone really earning it. No, the characters do not work hard just to get the pay-off; they get told all that's happening, like a cheap trick.
# The absolute lack of any suspense or motivation to help propel the plot forward. No, everything is simplistic, childish and therefore strangely light and unconcerning. There is no depth, no real substance, and no complexity. It's page-filler, easy to read, easy to forget.
1.5 stars.
Yawn. A frustrated yawn, at that.
October 31, 2018
”Sweat drenched his hair, his hands, his clothes, everything. A fear he had never known filled him to the point of insanity.”
Truth be told, I’ve been waiting to read this book for ages! I don’t even know when the first movie came out, but I think it must have been around 2014 or something like that. Anyway, because I didn’t know better back then I just went to the movies and watched the film only to find out that it’s based on a trilogy that was written by James Dashner. Of course I was very intrigued and immediately wanted to read the books before I watched the second movie.
Well, you know what they say about good intentions, right? *lol* The road to hell is paved with good intentions. (Love that saying by the way. ;-P) So you can already guess what I did, I watched the second movie before reading the book and then desperately tried to catch up with this series. Unfortunately the book was always borrowed from my library and already pre-ordered by other people. (Seriously, what is it with you guys in Austria that you all want to read the same book?! XD) And then a couple of weeks ago, I already had given up hope, I stumbled over a second copy of “The Maze Runner” in the children’s section! Haha! Imagine my delight when I finally borrowed it from the library! And the rest? Well, the rest isreading review history as you can see! ;-)
”You and Minho get your butts inside, get yourselves checked by the Med-jacks. You look bloody awful. I want the whole story when they’re done and you’re rested up.”
Considering when the movie came out it’s been a while I saw it, but reading the book I realized that it seems to be pretty close to the movie or rather the movie seems to stick with the book. If there were some changes they obviously weren’t severe enough to notice them so my reading experience remained intact. (I hate it when they don’t stick with the book and make unnecessary changes. >_< You may call it a personal pet-peeve if you wish. XD)
What I found pretty interesting was the fact that in the movie the infected people seem to be like zombies. There was none of that in the book, I mean they are in the maze and don’t have anything to do with people who are infected with the Flare but as I understood it from the various memories of the Gladers it’s more some sort of sickness that drives people mad. I mean I could be wrong there, the memories of the kids are more than just patchy after all, but I still got the impression that the infected are just people that suffer from some sort of sickness. Guess Hollywood thought zombies would sell better? *lol*
Minho snickered and leaned back in his chair. “Man, you are one butt-load of sunshine, let me tell you. I’m with Thomas. I’m with Thomas one hundred percent. If we’re gonna die, let’s freaking do it fighting.”
Well anyway, I still enjoyed the book and as expected I loved book Newt and book Minho to bits and pieces. <3 Those two boys are just amazing and I think with Thomas as the third part of the triumvirate they actually made all the difference! ;-) I loved how the characters complimented one another and the dynamic between Minho and Newt was not only entertaining but also a very good addition to the plot. It made them human and relatable and I literally breathed for their conversations. *lol* Poor Newt though, he’s such a laid-back and matter-of-fact guy and then he has to put up with Thomas’s and Minho’s antics. Haha!
”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.”
Thomas would have laughed if he could, but he was too scared for it to come out.
“Great. We’re all bloody inspired,” Newt answered, then pointed over his shoulder, toward the Maze.
See what I mean? *lol* I still think that was the best pep talk in all history of pep talks though. ;-P The ending was as shocking for me as it was when I watched the movie and I can’t wait to get a hold of the second book. I was warned that the movies differ from the books so I’m really curious how the rest of this series is going to play out.
For now all I can say is that I really enjoyed “The Maze Runner” and that I’m already looking forward to read “The Scorch Trials”. =)
___________________________________
PRE-REVIEW:
This has to be the first series I never actually read but watched at the movies instead. XD
Shame on me, but oh well I’m trying to make amends by reading it now. =)
This has to count, right? And technically speaking it’s not even my fault I never managed to read it. I mean I wanted to read this series for ages but only got the book now.
If you have to wait ages for a book at your library it just can’t be helped. *lol*
It’s mine now though, well at least for 3 weeks, so I’m going to make it count! ;-P
Can’t wait to read about “Wicked”, Thomas, Newt and Minho. Boy, I hope Newt is going to be awesome, because he definitely was one of my fave characters in the movies. Let’s hope it will stay that way. *crosses her fingers*
Oh and I still didn’t see the third movie so I might even be able to finish the series and watch the last movie knowing it all! *lol* YAY!
Wish me luck! ;-)
Truth be told, I’ve been waiting to read this book for ages! I don’t even know when the first movie came out, but I think it must have been around 2014 or something like that. Anyway, because I didn’t know better back then I just went to the movies and watched the film only to find out that it’s based on a trilogy that was written by James Dashner. Of course I was very intrigued and immediately wanted to read the books before I watched the second movie.
Well, you know what they say about good intentions, right? *lol* The road to hell is paved with good intentions. (Love that saying by the way. ;-P) So you can already guess what I did, I watched the second movie before reading the book and then desperately tried to catch up with this series. Unfortunately the book was always borrowed from my library and already pre-ordered by other people. (Seriously, what is it with you guys in Austria that you all want to read the same book?! XD) And then a couple of weeks ago, I already had given up hope, I stumbled over a second copy of “The Maze Runner” in the children’s section! Haha! Imagine my delight when I finally borrowed it from the library! And the rest? Well, the rest is
”You and Minho get your butts inside, get yourselves checked by the Med-jacks. You look bloody awful. I want the whole story when they’re done and you’re rested up.”
Considering when the movie came out it’s been a while I saw it, but reading the book I realized that it seems to be pretty close to the movie or rather the movie seems to stick with the book. If there were some changes they obviously weren’t severe enough to notice them so my reading experience remained intact. (I hate it when they don’t stick with the book and make unnecessary changes. >_< You may call it a personal pet-peeve if you wish. XD)
What I found pretty interesting was the fact that in the movie the infected people seem to be like zombies. There was none of that in the book, I mean they are in the maze and don’t have anything to do with people who are infected with the Flare but as I understood it from the various memories of the Gladers it’s more some sort of sickness that drives people mad. I mean I could be wrong there, the memories of the kids are more than just patchy after all, but I still got the impression that the infected are just people that suffer from some sort of sickness. Guess Hollywood thought zombies would sell better? *lol*
Minho snickered and leaned back in his chair. “Man, you are one butt-load of sunshine, let me tell you. I’m with Thomas. I’m with Thomas one hundred percent. If we’re gonna die, let’s freaking do it fighting.”
Well anyway, I still enjoyed the book and as expected I loved book Newt and book Minho to bits and pieces. <3 Those two boys are just amazing and I think with Thomas as the third part of the triumvirate they actually made all the difference! ;-) I loved how the characters complimented one another and the dynamic between Minho and Newt was not only entertaining but also a very good addition to the plot. It made them human and relatable and I literally breathed for their conversations. *lol* Poor Newt though, he’s such a laid-back and matter-of-fact guy and then he has to put up with Thomas’s and Minho’s antics. Haha!
”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.”
Thomas would have laughed if he could, but he was too scared for it to come out.
“Great. We’re all bloody inspired,” Newt answered, then pointed over his shoulder, toward the Maze.
See what I mean? *lol* I still think that was the best pep talk in all history of pep talks though. ;-P The ending was as shocking for me as it was when I watched the movie and I can’t wait to get a hold of the second book. I was warned that the movies differ from the books so I’m really curious how the rest of this series is going to play out.
For now all I can say is that I really enjoyed “The Maze Runner” and that I’m already looking forward to read “The Scorch Trials”. =)
___________________________________
PRE-REVIEW:
This has to be the first series I never actually read but watched at the movies instead. XD
Shame on me, but oh well I’m trying to make amends by reading it now. =)
This has to count, right? And technically speaking it’s not even my fault I never managed to read it. I mean I wanted to read this series for ages but only got the book now.
If you have to wait ages for a book at your library it just can’t be helped. *lol*
It’s mine now though, well at least for 3 weeks, so I’m going to make it count! ;-P
Can’t wait to read about “Wicked”, Thomas, Newt and Minho. Boy, I hope Newt is going to be awesome, because he definitely was one of my fave characters in the movies. Let’s hope it will stay that way. *crosses her fingers*
Oh and I still didn’t see the third movie so I might even be able to finish the series and watch the last movie knowing it all! *lol* YAY!
Wish me luck! ;-)
July 6, 2023
Trying to escape in one of the more average stereotypical fanfiction teenage dystopian young adult nightmare battle royal hunger game mix up clones.
Very average writing
I read pretty much children´s books and YA, especially with a focus on fresh, funny, and unconventional writing styles, but I don´t get the hype around this one, it has just nothing, no complex plots, interesting characters, nothing. It´s always a bad sign if I am losing my focus because it´s boring, implausible, or redundant, which happened several times while reading, but younger readers with fewer airs and graces and not having read the much better other works of the genre, might find it entertaining.
Contrast that with Percy Jackson
In contrast, Rick Riordan is ingenious, he transports more info and gives more edutainment that stays in mind about mythology than the whole Western education system and mixes it up with puns without end and innuendos about the current state of the planet.
Eoin Colfer is one of the most underrated, profound, and best writers in this genre, transporting complicated and difficult topics to kids and teens in an amazing manner.
Others write perfect popcorn blockbusters without deeper meanings, just finetuned and polished until perfection.
But Dashner? It´s not so bad, but it feels so pieced together, using stereotypical characters, no dynamic settings, and plotlines, and just left me with an average meh, nothing new on planet maze, feeling. It´s highly possible that I just don´t like the writing style in general too, but the fact that the ratings don´t skyrocket after the first part (that is often more exhausting to read because of the establishment and introduction of setting and characters and is therefore punished in the ratings if not executed perfectly), but falls instead to 3,7 to 3,8, speaks for an average one hit wonder.
Because of the sheer amount of similar, much better literature, I would suggest just reading the first part (and the fifth one although I haven´t read it, as the ratings seem to speak of an improvement to 4,1 and yes, I am very into collective rating intelligence if it´s a genre one likes (and not strange people going crazy by reading genres they don´t get cozy with or don´t like and punishing the writers with bad ratings) ) or choosing one of the other, amazing series.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Very average writing
I read pretty much children´s books and YA, especially with a focus on fresh, funny, and unconventional writing styles, but I don´t get the hype around this one, it has just nothing, no complex plots, interesting characters, nothing. It´s always a bad sign if I am losing my focus because it´s boring, implausible, or redundant, which happened several times while reading, but younger readers with fewer airs and graces and not having read the much better other works of the genre, might find it entertaining.
Contrast that with Percy Jackson
In contrast, Rick Riordan is ingenious, he transports more info and gives more edutainment that stays in mind about mythology than the whole Western education system and mixes it up with puns without end and innuendos about the current state of the planet.
Eoin Colfer is one of the most underrated, profound, and best writers in this genre, transporting complicated and difficult topics to kids and teens in an amazing manner.
Others write perfect popcorn blockbusters without deeper meanings, just finetuned and polished until perfection.
But Dashner? It´s not so bad, but it feels so pieced together, using stereotypical characters, no dynamic settings, and plotlines, and just left me with an average meh, nothing new on planet maze, feeling. It´s highly possible that I just don´t like the writing style in general too, but the fact that the ratings don´t skyrocket after the first part (that is often more exhausting to read because of the establishment and introduction of setting and characters and is therefore punished in the ratings if not executed perfectly), but falls instead to 3,7 to 3,8, speaks for an average one hit wonder.
Because of the sheer amount of similar, much better literature, I would suggest just reading the first part (and the fifth one although I haven´t read it, as the ratings seem to speak of an improvement to 4,1 and yes, I am very into collective rating intelligence if it´s a genre one likes (and not strange people going crazy by reading genres they don´t get cozy with or don´t like and punishing the writers with bad ratings) ) or choosing one of the other, amazing series.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
September 29, 2019
lord of the flies. the hunger games. the maze runner.
these books gave me life when i was a teenager. i was OBSESSED with high-stakes survival stories, especially with a dystopian atmosphere. and while this is a rare case where i think the film is better than the book, this story is just sooo good.
firstly, can we take a moment to appreciate a lead male protagonist?! while its becoming a more frequent occurrence in recent YA lit, it felt quite uncommon a decade ago. and i adore thomas. he is the perfect balance of being a charmingly reckless boy, but also kind and altruistic.
the pacing in this is nonstop action with so much mystery and intrigue. and while the sci-fi aspects of the grievers and the reason for the maze werent something i originally enjoyed, its grown on me over the years.
regardless, i loved this then and i still love it now.
↠ 4.5 stars
these books gave me life when i was a teenager. i was OBSESSED with high-stakes survival stories, especially with a dystopian atmosphere. and while this is a rare case where i think the film is better than the book, this story is just sooo good.
firstly, can we take a moment to appreciate a lead male protagonist?! while its becoming a more frequent occurrence in recent YA lit, it felt quite uncommon a decade ago. and i adore thomas. he is the perfect balance of being a charmingly reckless boy, but also kind and altruistic.
the pacing in this is nonstop action with so much mystery and intrigue. and while the sci-fi aspects of the grievers and the reason for the maze werent something i originally enjoyed, its grown on me over the years.
regardless, i loved this then and i still love it now.
↠ 4.5 stars
July 14, 2014
Reading this book + No sleep= brain shock
. Oh more like my brain was blown into freaking little bits. I kept thinking about it after I was done. I finished it into the late hours of the night and I kept circling in my head what was going to happen next. The point is moot but I am definitely going to read the sequel The Scorch Trials.
From the start as the reader we have NO idea what is happening. All Thomas can remember is his name. Not where he came from or any specific details of his life. Neither do any of the other Gladers who he meets in the beginning of the book. The place is filled with boys whose sole purpose is to try to get out of this place by solving the maze. They haven't had any luck in two years, but that may all change with Thomas's arrival. Strange things start to happen, and people are pointing fingers at Thomas. Will he be the one to get them out, or the boy who will bring them down?
At first I was having a hard time getting into this book. Nobody wants to answer Thomas's questions, and I got just as frustrated as he did. I actually still don't completely understand why they didn't want to answer all his questions right away. The plot does pick up speed though and you get to meet Newt, Chuck, Minho, and Alby (all important characters in their own right). The world building is good because I got the creeps just thinking about the grievers, and I can feel the desperation but at the same time the camaraderie the guys have with each other. There is also a unique language setup that was a tad-bit confusing at first but you pick it up as Thomas does. The ending certainly is gonna give the series a big shakeup. I really want to see what Dashner has up his sleeve this time.
I read this because of the good reception it was getting, but also because of a display at Barnes & Nobles. They had all these books that were hugely popular within the young adult realm and I had read all of them except, you guessed it, this one. I couldn't have any of that!
Added later: Great news guys, there are making this into a movie! Here is a link to the little info that is out about the movie. Basically nothing but hopefully in the coming months that will change!
Okay the trailer is out! I am officially excited guys.
From the start as the reader we have NO idea what is happening. All Thomas can remember is his name. Not where he came from or any specific details of his life. Neither do any of the other Gladers who he meets in the beginning of the book. The place is filled with boys whose sole purpose is to try to get out of this place by solving the maze. They haven't had any luck in two years, but that may all change with Thomas's arrival. Strange things start to happen, and people are pointing fingers at Thomas. Will he be the one to get them out, or the boy who will bring them down?
At first I was having a hard time getting into this book. Nobody wants to answer Thomas's questions, and I got just as frustrated as he did. I actually still don't completely understand why they didn't want to answer all his questions right away. The plot does pick up speed though and you get to meet Newt, Chuck, Minho, and Alby (all important characters in their own right). The world building is good because I got the creeps just thinking about the grievers, and I can feel the desperation but at the same time the camaraderie the guys have with each other. There is also a unique language setup that was a tad-bit confusing at first but you pick it up as Thomas does. The ending certainly is gonna give the series a big shakeup. I really want to see what Dashner has up his sleeve this time.
I read this because of the good reception it was getting, but also because of a display at Barnes & Nobles. They had all these books that were hugely popular within the young adult realm and I had read all of them except, you guessed it, this one. I couldn't have any of that!
Added later: Great news guys, there are making this into a movie! Here is a link to the little info that is out about the movie. Basically nothing but hopefully in the coming months that will change!
Okay the trailer is out! I am officially excited guys.
August 12, 2024
Have you ever been told that if you follow a certain path, you will receive a certain outcome? You diligently start down that path, and then someone keeps moving the finish line; You never had any chance of achieving the outcome.
Enter The Maze Runner.
Thomas is brought up in a box; his memory is erased, but he is welcomed into a community of boys in The Glade. Each day, the boys try to figure out a way out of a maze. Except the maze changes every day.
Will the boys be able to solve the maze before it is too late?
The Maze Runner was originally published in 2009 so I am a bit late to the party. But I’ll bring chips, so it’s all good, right?
In some ways, the idea of an ever-changing maze is probably more relevant today than it was back in 2009 as the path to success seems to be constantly changing.
The Maze Runner starts off very strongly with Thomas emerging from the box, finding himself in a new world. Attention grabbed.
However, the book starts to go downhill from there because connecting emotionally with this book is difficult.
Here’s the deal: there are way too many characters. There are at least 12 different named characters in The Glade. There are also many different jobs and places to remember. In fact, I went back and reread the first 10% of the book and started to take notes. Because the characters have their memories wiped, they have very limited backstories. How can you cheer for a character when you know next to nothing about them?
Maze Runner really reminded me of Skyward by Brandon Sanderson because it also had a lot of made-up swear words. These words came across as cheesy and a bit awkward.
Additionally, I think that I would have enjoyed this book more if I was someone who could visualize. While reading this book, I was thinking, “I bet this book would make a great movie.” Well, apparently, I have been living under a rock, because it is already a major motion picture. And guess what? They replaced the cheeseball made-up swear words. Holy mothballs! (See cheesy and awkward!)
Finally, but most importantly, when I read The Maze Runner, I just kept wondering how this book would have been different if Blake Crouch either authored it or did a re-telling. Enough time has elapsed since the initial publication of Maze Runner that Blake Crouch should definitely consider a new take on this book. Crouch can amplify the storytelling, develop the characters, and just generally mess with our minds, leading us down a certain path, only to take us in a different direction.
Overall, The Maze Runner has some very solid, interesting science fiction concepts, but there were too many underdeveloped characters.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
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Enter The Maze Runner.
Thomas is brought up in a box; his memory is erased, but he is welcomed into a community of boys in The Glade. Each day, the boys try to figure out a way out of a maze. Except the maze changes every day.
Will the boys be able to solve the maze before it is too late?
The Maze Runner was originally published in 2009 so I am a bit late to the party. But I’ll bring chips, so it’s all good, right?
In some ways, the idea of an ever-changing maze is probably more relevant today than it was back in 2009 as the path to success seems to be constantly changing.
The Maze Runner starts off very strongly with Thomas emerging from the box, finding himself in a new world. Attention grabbed.
However, the book starts to go downhill from there because connecting emotionally with this book is difficult.
Here’s the deal: there are way too many characters. There are at least 12 different named characters in The Glade. There are also many different jobs and places to remember. In fact, I went back and reread the first 10% of the book and started to take notes. Because the characters have their memories wiped, they have very limited backstories. How can you cheer for a character when you know next to nothing about them?
Maze Runner really reminded me of Skyward by Brandon Sanderson because it also had a lot of made-up swear words. These words came across as cheesy and a bit awkward.
Additionally, I think that I would have enjoyed this book more if I was someone who could visualize. While reading this book, I was thinking, “I bet this book would make a great movie.” Well, apparently, I have been living under a rock, because it is already a major motion picture. And guess what? They replaced the cheeseball made-up swear words. Holy mothballs! (See cheesy and awkward!)
Finally, but most importantly, when I read The Maze Runner, I just kept wondering how this book would have been different if Blake Crouch either authored it or did a re-telling. Enough time has elapsed since the initial publication of Maze Runner that Blake Crouch should definitely consider a new take on this book. Crouch can amplify the storytelling, develop the characters, and just generally mess with our minds, leading us down a certain path, only to take us in a different direction.
Overall, The Maze Runner has some very solid, interesting science fiction concepts, but there were too many underdeveloped characters.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
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June 21, 2010
I've just finished and all I can say is holy shuck! This book is awesome!
I was a little bit scared when I started this book that I wasn't going to like it as it is my first real dystopia/sci-fi book I've read. After about 110 pages it got to the point where I couldn't put it down for anything even while eating dinner I had it one hand and when bedtime came I wanted to stay up all night and read it.
The plot was fast paced, suspenseful and full of suprises. The twists and turns this book took shocked me unlike any other book I've read. It also has some creative lingo but I found it easy to understand and I actually think it added to this books charm. The ending was amazing but left me with so many questions that I need answers for RIGHT NOW and I really wish October 12th would hurry up so I can read The Scorch Trials.
All I have to say is read this book (especially you, Morgan :D).
I was a little bit scared when I started this book that I wasn't going to like it as it is my first real dystopia/sci-fi book I've read. After about 110 pages it got to the point where I couldn't put it down for anything even while eating dinner I had it one hand and when bedtime came I wanted to stay up all night and read it.
The plot was fast paced, suspenseful and full of suprises. The twists and turns this book took shocked me unlike any other book I've read. It also has some creative lingo but I found it easy to understand and I actually think it added to this books charm. The ending was amazing but left me with so many questions that I need answers for RIGHT NOW and I really wish October 12th would hurry up so I can read The Scorch Trials.
All I have to say is read this book (especially you, Morgan :D).
December 10, 2021
The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1), James Dashner
The Maze Runner is a series of young adult dystopian science fiction novels written by American author James Dashner.
The series consists of The Maze Runner (2009), The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011), as well as two prequel novels, The Kill Order (2012) and The Fever Code (2016), and a companion book titled The Maze Runner Files (2013).
The Maze Runner is the first book in the series and was released on October 6, 2009.
A group of teenagers, who call themselves the "Gladers" are left in a strange place which they call the "Glade". The Glade is surrounded by four doors, leading to the Maze, that close every night at sundown and open in the morning. Beyond the walls of the Glade is the ever-changing Maze, populated by horrifying, biomechanical creatures, called Grievers.
Every month, a newcomer, nicknamed "Greenie", joins the Gladers, sent by a lift they call the Box. Each newcomer has all past memories (except language and other common things) wiped out. The only thing that they remember is their name. They are watched by mechanical beetles, called 'beetle blades' which belong to their 'creators'. Each beetle blade has the word "WICKED" stamped across its back.
The ultimate goal of the Gladers is to find a way out of the Maze. To do so, certain Gladers called "Runners" venture into the Maze every day, to map it in an attempt to find a pattern in the Maze that would lead them to find an exit. The main character, Thomas, arrives at the Glade. Shortly thereafter, a girl (Teresa) is sent up through the Box, arriving in a coma, and bringing the message: Everything is going to change.
She bears a note saying "She's the last one. Ever." Thomas becomes an object of reverence, suspicion, and great curiosity to the Gladers due to his ties to all of the strange happenings in the Glade, fueled greatly after he becomes the first to survive a night inside the Maze. Together with new friends, such as Chuck (the second-newest newbie), Newt (second in command of the Gladers), and Minho (Keeper of the Runners), he begins to solve the mystery of the Maze and search for a way out.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پنجم ماه سپتامبر سال2016میلادی
عنوان: دونده هزارتو؛ نوشته: جیمز دشنر؛ مترجم: آیدا کشوری؛ ویراستار نیما کهندانی؛ تهران، نشر بهداد، سال1393، در438ص، کتاب نخست از سه گانه ی دونده هزارتو؛ شابک 9786009356133؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
کتاب در شصت و دو فصل نگاشته شده است؛ فصل نخست، صفحه یک؛ فصل شصت و دو ص431؛
هنگامی که «توماس»، همراه با گروهی از نوجوانان، در محله ای باور نکردنی و مارپیچ، در آسانسور از خواب بیدار میشود، هیچ چیز از جهان بیرونی را، به یاد نمیآورد، به غیر از رویاهای عجیب و غریبی، درباره ی سازمانی مرموز، که با عنوان «دبلیو.آی.سی.کا.ای.دی» شناخته میشود؛ تنها با چیدن تکه پاره های یادمانهای بگذشته، و پیدا کردن نشانه هایی که در مارپیچ یافت میشود «توماس» امیدوار است، بتواند برهان اصلی آمدنشان به آن مکان، و راهی برای فرار از آن را پیدا نماید؛ «توماس» میفهمد که همگی پسرها با آسانسور وارد بیشه شده اند و هر ماه با ورود یک پسر دیگر یکی به گروهشان افزوده میشود؛ آنها سرانجام مجبور میشوند، راهی برای خلاص شدن از آن مکان، پیدا کنند، اما با راهی مارپیچ، و تودرتو، روبرو میشوند؛ که اطراف آن را دیوارهای بزرگواری در بر گرفته است، و درِ ورودیِ آن هر چند وقت یکبار باز میشود؛ و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 18/09/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Maze Runner is a series of young adult dystopian science fiction novels written by American author James Dashner.
The series consists of The Maze Runner (2009), The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011), as well as two prequel novels, The Kill Order (2012) and The Fever Code (2016), and a companion book titled The Maze Runner Files (2013).
The Maze Runner is the first book in the series and was released on October 6, 2009.
A group of teenagers, who call themselves the "Gladers" are left in a strange place which they call the "Glade". The Glade is surrounded by four doors, leading to the Maze, that close every night at sundown and open in the morning. Beyond the walls of the Glade is the ever-changing Maze, populated by horrifying, biomechanical creatures, called Grievers.
Every month, a newcomer, nicknamed "Greenie", joins the Gladers, sent by a lift they call the Box. Each newcomer has all past memories (except language and other common things) wiped out. The only thing that they remember is their name. They are watched by mechanical beetles, called 'beetle blades' which belong to their 'creators'. Each beetle blade has the word "WICKED" stamped across its back.
The ultimate goal of the Gladers is to find a way out of the Maze. To do so, certain Gladers called "Runners" venture into the Maze every day, to map it in an attempt to find a pattern in the Maze that would lead them to find an exit. The main character, Thomas, arrives at the Glade. Shortly thereafter, a girl (Teresa) is sent up through the Box, arriving in a coma, and bringing the message: Everything is going to change.
She bears a note saying "She's the last one. Ever." Thomas becomes an object of reverence, suspicion, and great curiosity to the Gladers due to his ties to all of the strange happenings in the Glade, fueled greatly after he becomes the first to survive a night inside the Maze. Together with new friends, such as Chuck (the second-newest newbie), Newt (second in command of the Gladers), and Minho (Keeper of the Runners), he begins to solve the mystery of the Maze and search for a way out.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پنجم ماه سپتامبر سال2016میلادی
عنوان: دونده هزارتو؛ نوشته: جیمز دشنر؛ مترجم: آیدا کشوری؛ ویراستار نیما کهندانی؛ تهران، نشر بهداد، سال1393، در438ص، کتاب نخست از سه گانه ی دونده هزارتو؛ شابک 9786009356133؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
کتاب در شصت و دو فصل نگاشته شده است؛ فصل نخست، صفحه یک؛ فصل شصت و دو ص431؛
هنگامی که «توماس»، همراه با گروهی از نوجوانان، در محله ای باور نکردنی و مارپیچ، در آسانسور از خواب بیدار میشود، هیچ چیز از جهان بیرونی را، به یاد نمیآورد، به غیر از رویاهای عجیب و غریبی، درباره ی سازمانی مرموز، که با عنوان «دبلیو.آی.سی.کا.ای.دی» شناخته میشود؛ تنها با چیدن تکه پاره های یادمانهای بگذشته، و پیدا کردن نشانه هایی که در مارپیچ یافت میشود «توماس» امیدوار است، بتواند برهان اصلی آمدنشان به آن مکان، و راهی برای فرار از آن را پیدا نماید؛ «توماس» میفهمد که همگی پسرها با آسانسور وارد بیشه شده اند و هر ماه با ورود یک پسر دیگر یکی به گروهشان افزوده میشود؛ آنها سرانجام مجبور میشوند، راهی برای خلاص شدن از آن مکان، پیدا کنند، اما با راهی مارپیچ، و تودرتو، روبرو میشوند؛ که اطراف آن را دیوارهای بزرگواری در بر گرفته است، و درِ ورودیِ آن هر چند وقت یکبار باز میشود؛ و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 18/09/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
March 16, 2022
The author of The Maze Runner was charged with sexual harassment. This has been a PSA.
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 10, 2013A premise full of promise, but after 150 pages, how can there still be no answers? Deliberately withholding information becomes frustrating not only for the protagonist, but for the reader as well. The fact that Thomas does not demand more answers from his fellow captives makes it difficult to sympathize with or care what happens to him. The spoilers for the book make it sound intriguing, but I can't wade through another 200 pages before it gets to the point.
Aside from a few physical differences and "bad" or "good" actions, the boys tend to blend together as well. They're not fully fleshed out or unique in any way, and for a book that's centered around characters in a bleak environment in a desperate situation, this is a most unfortunate weakness.
Aside from a few physical differences and "bad" or "good" actions, the boys tend to blend together as well. They're not fully fleshed out or unique in any way, and for a book that's centered around characters in a bleak environment in a desperate situation, this is a most unfortunate weakness.
January 25, 2018
As in Harry Potter Grades system, Exceed Expectations
Didn't expect I'd Like it that much. Easy fun thrilling read..Hard, Mysterious Dangerous Maze though..
الرواية فعلا فاقت توقعاتي..أولا اللغة سهلة جدا "يمكن أسرع رواية انجليزي أقرأها" يمكن لانها لفئة عمرية معينة
لكن بدأت تشدني جدا...تبدأ بأحداث غامضة وغريبة ثم ينكشف جزء بعد كل فصل لغاية ماتحس أنك متوقع كيف تنتهي...لكن تظل المفاجأت حتي أخر فصل..وأخر صفحة
أولا الموضوع
-----
ففي بداية الأحداث بيفوق بطل الرواية "توماس" ويلاقي نفسه في مكان غريب، ارض واسعة محاطة بأسوار عالية..مجتمع كله اولاد تحت العشرين سنة
لا يتذكر اي شئ عن ماضيه..ولا عائلته ..ولا كيف جاء الي هنا..ولا حتي اسمه بالكامل فقط اسمه الاول "توماس"..ويرفض جميع من حوله ان يعطيه اجابات ..او حتي تلميحات عن سبب وجودهم هنا
المكان ده محاط بأربع بوابات كل بوابة بتخرج علي متاهة ضخمة عملاقة..الاولاد عايشين فيها بقالهم سنتين وهم من أسس المجتمع ده في الجزء المغلق في وسط المتاهة
كل يوم بيحاولوا يخرجوا يكتشفوا مخرج للمتاهة..بدون معلومات عن اي شئ يساعدهم وتتطور الاحداث بدرجة كبيرة من اول فصلين في الكتاب...ومفاجأت اكبر جدا..سواء لتوماس اللي مش عارف اي شئ، او حتي لباقي الشباب بالمتاهة اللي بيستجد متغيرات جديدة لمجتمعهم
زي أن يصل لأول مرة فتاة
ومعها رسالة. .. إنها الاخيرة
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
الأحداث تتصاعد ويظهر ألغاز أكبر.. حسيت بملل شوية بعد نصف الرواية يمكن لأني حسيت اني شفت أفلام كتير بالفكرة نفسها بنهايات مختلفة
لكن فعلا ترجع أحداث الرواية لمسار مختلف عن أي فيلم شفته
والمؤلف أحتفظ ببعض اﻷلغاز واﻷسرار فعلا صعب الواحد يستنتج حلها ، ويجبرك انك تكمل قراءة ، وزي ماقلت قراءة سهلة ومثيرة
وقبل نهاية الكتاب كان بيتأرجح بين "جيد و جيد جدا" لكن بصراحة النهاية حسيت انه 3 ونصف نجوم بس
وقبل مااقفل لقيت المؤلف ضارب رصاصة
Epilogue
ترجع الكتاب تاني للجيد جدا "4 نجوم" وأكثر...واكيد الاجزاء الجاية ممكن توصله للممتاز
وفعلا تجعل الجزء الثاني شيئا صعب انتظاره
Hardly Can't Wait
ولكن المهم انه قدم لنا رواية مغلقة الاحداث...وليست مبتورة لجزء ثاني
يعني علي الأقل معضلة الجزء الأول بيتم فكها
لكن لسة القصة أكبر
**********************
ثانيا الشخصيات
************
في الاول صعب تتعاطف مع الشخصيات للغموض اللي بيغطي الموضوع كله الا مع شخصية واحدة فعلا فقط الطفل الأصغر سنا
يمكن بسبب الغموض اللي بيحيط باقي الشخصيات
لكن بعد كده حتلاقي نفسك متعاطف فعلا مع كل الابطال
عجبني جدا الدخول في نفسية الشخصيات اللي عاشت شهور او بضع سنوات في المتاهة..وخوفهم الشديد من التغيير
يعني مع فكرة الأمل في النجاة لكنهم في نفس الوقت الخوف منها بسسبب التعود علي الحال اللي هما فيه
ستجد من يرفض الخروج من المتاهة فقط لأنه أعتاد الحبس وصار يخشي الحرية
ودي فكرة ديستوبيا لوحدهتا
رواية فعلا تستحق القراءة ...وزي ما اترشحت لي من موقع رشحها لمن يريد رواية علي شاكلة
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
وThe Hunger Games
والجميل والمميز جدا بها انها لا تستشعر باي تشابهه في اي من خطوط الروايتين في تلك الرواية، يعني غير العاب المجاعات تماما.. ستشعر وكانها فكرة أصلية بحق
ديستوبيا مختلفة شبابية
*******************************
تحديث "19 اكتوبر 2014 " الفيلم
********************
الفيلم رائع جدا، نجح فعلا في رسم الاماكن والشخصيات زي في الرواية بالضبط..حتي مواقع الاحداث كانت شبيهه جدا بغلاف الرواية الاصلي وتصويرها المكتوب في احداثها
بدأت في قراءة الجزء الثاني بعد ماشفت الفيلم فورا، فيلم رائع..لكن لاتحرق احداث الرواية انك تشوفه الأول...اقرأها اولا
محمد العربي
من 26 فبراير 2013
الي 9 مارس 2013
Didn't expect I'd Like it that much. Easy fun thrilling read..Hard, Mysterious Dangerous Maze though..
الرواية فعلا فاقت توقعاتي..أولا اللغة سهلة جدا "يمكن أسرع رواية انجليزي أقرأها" يمكن لانها لفئة عمرية معينة
لكن بدأت تشدني جدا...تبدأ بأحداث غامضة وغريبة ثم ينكشف جزء بعد كل فصل لغاية ماتحس أنك متوقع كيف تنتهي...لكن تظل المفاجأت حتي أخر فصل..وأخر صفحة
أولا الموضوع
-----
ففي بداية الأحداث بيفوق بطل الرواية "توماس" ويلاقي نفسه في مكان غريب، ارض واسعة محاطة بأسوار عالية..مجتمع كله اولاد تحت العشرين سنة
لا يتذكر اي شئ عن ماضيه..ولا عائلته ..ولا كيف جاء الي هنا..ولا حتي اسمه بالكامل فقط اسمه الاول "توماس"..ويرفض جميع من حوله ان يعطيه اجابات ..او حتي تلميحات عن سبب وجودهم هنا
المكان ده محاط بأربع بوابات كل بوابة بتخرج علي متاهة ضخمة عملاقة..الاولاد عايشين فيها بقالهم سنتين وهم من أسس المجتمع ده في الجزء المغلق في وسط المتاهة
كل يوم بيحاولوا يخرجوا يكتشفوا مخرج للمتاهة..بدون معلومات عن اي شئ يساعدهم وتتطور الاحداث بدرجة كبيرة من اول فصلين في الكتاب...ومفاجأت اكبر جدا..سواء لتوماس اللي مش عارف اي شئ، او حتي لباقي الشباب بالمتاهة اللي بيستجد متغيرات جديدة لمجتمعهم
زي أن يصل لأول مرة فتاة
ومعها رسالة. .. إنها الاخيرة
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
الأحداث تتصاعد ويظهر ألغاز أكبر.. حسيت بملل شوية بعد نصف الرواية يمكن لأني حسيت اني شفت أفلام كتير بالفكرة نفسها بنهايات مختلفة
لكن فعلا ترجع أحداث الرواية لمسار مختلف عن أي فيلم شفته
والمؤلف أحتفظ ببعض اﻷلغاز واﻷسرار فعلا صعب الواحد يستنتج حلها ، ويجبرك انك تكمل قراءة ، وزي ماقلت قراءة سهلة ومثيرة
وقبل نهاية الكتاب كان بيتأرجح بين "جيد و جيد جدا" لكن بصراحة النهاية حسيت انه 3 ونصف نجوم بس
وقبل مااقفل لقيت المؤلف ضارب رصاصة
Epilogue
ترجع الكتاب تاني للجيد جدا "4 نجوم" وأكثر...واكيد الاجزاء الجاية ممكن توصله للممتاز
وفعلا تجعل الجزء الثاني شيئا صعب انتظاره
Hardly Can't Wait
ولكن المهم انه قدم لنا رواية مغلقة الاحداث...وليست مبتورة لجزء ثاني
يعني علي الأقل معضلة الجزء الأول بيتم فكها
لكن لسة القصة أكبر
**********************
ثانيا الشخصيات
************
في الاول صعب تتعاطف مع الشخصيات للغموض اللي بيغطي الموضوع كله الا مع شخصية واحدة فعلا فقط الطفل الأصغر سنا
يمكن بسبب الغموض اللي بيحيط باقي الشخصيات
لكن بعد كده حتلاقي نفسك متعاطف فعلا مع كل الابطال
عجبني جدا الدخول في نفسية الشخصيات اللي عاشت شهور او بضع سنوات في المتاهة..وخوفهم الشديد من التغيير
يعني مع فكرة الأمل في النجاة لكنهم في نفس الوقت الخوف منها بسسبب التعود علي الحال اللي هما فيه
ستجد من يرفض الخروج من المتاهة فقط لأنه أعتاد الحبس وصار يخشي الحرية
ودي فكرة ديستوبيا لوحدهتا
رواية فعلا تستحق القراءة ...وزي ما اترشحت لي من موقع رشحها لمن يريد رواية علي شاكلة
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
وThe Hunger Games
والجميل والمميز جدا بها انها لا تستشعر باي تشابهه في اي من خطوط الروايتين في تلك الرواية، يعني غير العاب المجاعات تماما.. ستشعر وكانها فكرة أصلية بحق
ديستوبيا مختلفة شبابية
*******************************
تحديث "19 اكتوبر 2014 " الفيلم
********************
الفيلم رائع جدا، نجح فعلا في رسم الاماكن والشخصيات زي في الرواية بالضبط..حتي مواقع الاحداث كانت شبيهه جدا بغلاف الرواية الاصلي وتصويرها المكتوب في احداثها
بدأت في قراءة الجزء الثاني بعد ماشفت الفيلم فورا، فيلم رائع..لكن لاتحرق احداث الرواية انك تشوفه الأول...اقرأها اولا
محمد العربي
من 26 فبراير 2013
الي 9 مارس 2013
April 1, 2015
Thomas comes to the maze in a box, he has no memories of anything other than his name. He learns that he is the "GreenBean" or the newest boy to arrive. They get arrivals once a month.
There's a ton of questions about how he got there and why there is a maze that has walls that move every night.
Then there are the Grievers. Which for the life of me I could not find scary. A machine-like slug? Pour some salt on that fucker.
The next day a girl arrives.
It throws the boys into an uproar. A GIRL! and never before has a newbie came through the box the day after another one. Then they realize she has a mysterious note.
It's all about to change. I wish it would because I am dang confused. No complete answers are ever given in this book.
So a sum up of the whole book could be this very gif:
Will I move on in the series? Probably not, it's not the worst book ever but I hate not having answers so I'll just get pissed off if I continue.
December 20, 2016
At first I was a bit put out with this book. I don’t know what it is about male authors, but they can be down right infuriating. Men truly do think on a different wave length and speak another language than women. I was becoming rather frustrated with the lack of information being given, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to endure that sort of aggravation for 300 plus pages. Luckily around page 60 or so, Dashner hit his stride and I became enthralled with this story.
It’s so difficult to write a review that divulges information about the plot without simultaneously giving the plot away. Dashner mastered the art of dolling out need to know information in spades while maintaining an air of mystery that keeps you immersed in the story, craving for more.
The Maze Runner begins with Thomas finding himself memory-less, surrounded by teenage boys of varying ages, in a strange place called the Glade. Thomas immediately begins asking questions, attempting to get his bearings, though answers aren’t forth coming, and the Gladers are none to helpful. Nonetheless, life doesn’t seem too shabby in the Glade. There is a homestead, crops, barns filled with livestock, the sun always shines, and various supplies appear in “the box” each week upon request. There even appears to be order within the Glade, though it is filled with nothing but testosterone fueled teenage boys. There appears to be only a handful of rules, 1. Never threaten your fellow Gladers, 2. Everyone must pull their weight, 3. No one is allowed in the Maze aside from runners, 4. No one is allowed in the Maze after dark. Though the rules are rather self-explanatory, their necessity becomes all to clear once Thomas is allowed to know what lurks behind the stone walls protecting the Glade. While no one knows how they came to arrive in the Glade, why they were sent, or who sent them, they all strive towards a common goal, solving the Maze and leaving the Glade. But once the first ever girl arrives into the Glade, a trigger is pulled, and the stakes for survival are raised.
Despite the fact that I didn’t have an emotional reaction (crying when it was clear that I was meant to), I couldn’t set this book down. I wasn’t scared for any of the characters, my heart didn’t race, but I desperately wanted to solve the freakin mystery. Luckily, there is a conclusion of sorts; however, this is clearly a series as you gain new information that tickles your intrigue before coming to a major halt. Grr. So like all the other suckers, I’m sure I’ll be reading the sequel.
It’s so difficult to write a review that divulges information about the plot without simultaneously giving the plot away. Dashner mastered the art of dolling out need to know information in spades while maintaining an air of mystery that keeps you immersed in the story, craving for more.
The Maze Runner begins with Thomas finding himself memory-less, surrounded by teenage boys of varying ages, in a strange place called the Glade. Thomas immediately begins asking questions, attempting to get his bearings, though answers aren’t forth coming, and the Gladers are none to helpful. Nonetheless, life doesn’t seem too shabby in the Glade. There is a homestead, crops, barns filled with livestock, the sun always shines, and various supplies appear in “the box” each week upon request. There even appears to be order within the Glade, though it is filled with nothing but testosterone fueled teenage boys. There appears to be only a handful of rules, 1. Never threaten your fellow Gladers, 2. Everyone must pull their weight, 3. No one is allowed in the Maze aside from runners, 4. No one is allowed in the Maze after dark. Though the rules are rather self-explanatory, their necessity becomes all to clear once Thomas is allowed to know what lurks behind the stone walls protecting the Glade. While no one knows how they came to arrive in the Glade, why they were sent, or who sent them, they all strive towards a common goal, solving the Maze and leaving the Glade. But once the first ever girl arrives into the Glade, a trigger is pulled, and the stakes for survival are raised.
Despite the fact that I didn’t have an emotional reaction (crying when it was clear that I was meant to), I couldn’t set this book down. I wasn’t scared for any of the characters, my heart didn’t race, but I desperately wanted to solve the freakin mystery. Luckily, there is a conclusion of sorts; however, this is clearly a series as you gain new information that tickles your intrigue before coming to a major halt. Grr. So like all the other suckers, I’m sure I’ll be reading the sequel.
May 16, 2018
“How could anyone be evil enough to do this to us?”
Just as awesome the second time round!
Thomas wakes up in the Glade with no memory of who he is or his past. He is surrounded by boys all just like him, no idea why they are there, some have been there as long as 2 years.
They all keep the Glade running, they grow food, raise livestock and perhaps the most important job - the runners. The runners go out everyday exploring the giant maze surrounding the Glade, attempting to find an escape. Every night the doors close, and no one can get into the maze, or back out!
When another Glader arrives, Teresa - the first girl Glader, things go from bad to worse. Eventually they have to decide what to do. It was so exciting to watch everything unfold, with the terrifying grievers that live in the maze! To see all the secrets and answers come out. I also really liked the ‘glader slang’ the characters used, I thought it was imaginative and at times pretty funny!
Onto book 2!
Just as awesome the second time round!
Thomas wakes up in the Glade with no memory of who he is or his past. He is surrounded by boys all just like him, no idea why they are there, some have been there as long as 2 years.
They all keep the Glade running, they grow food, raise livestock and perhaps the most important job - the runners. The runners go out everyday exploring the giant maze surrounding the Glade, attempting to find an escape. Every night the doors close, and no one can get into the maze, or back out!
When another Glader arrives, Teresa - the first girl Glader, things go from bad to worse. Eventually they have to decide what to do. It was so exciting to watch everything unfold, with the terrifying grievers that live in the maze! To see all the secrets and answers come out. I also really liked the ‘glader slang’ the characters used, I thought it was imaginative and at times pretty funny!
Onto book 2!
December 14, 2018
You know how when people are sad they listen to sad music? I on the other hand read a whole ass sad book. The 'sadness', funnily enough, was the result of watching The Death Cure a thousand times and not getting over you-know-what.
You guys were right though. It was wayy different than the movie (not that I'm complaining or anything I love the movie) Gally's character, the whole maze and everything was much more explicit.
I love Newt so much man. He deserves all the happiness in the world. He's like 99 percent of the reason I started reading this series I'm not even kidding.
"Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked.
"Go ahead," Newt replied.
''Be careful,'' he said dryly. ''Don't die.''
'Great. We're all bloody inspired,' Newt answered.
Newt is one of the best, most understanding character ever and no one can tell me otherwise.
You guys were right though. It was wayy different than the movie (not that I'm complaining or anything I love the movie) Gally's character, the whole maze and everything was much more explicit.
I love Newt so much man. He deserves all the happiness in the world. He's like 99 percent of the reason I started reading this series I'm not even kidding.
"Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked.
"Go ahead," Newt replied.
''Be careful,'' he said dryly. ''Don't die.''
'Great. We're all bloody inspired,' Newt answered.
Newt is one of the best, most understanding character ever and no one can tell me otherwise.
November 23, 2021
the fact of the matter and the unfortunate truth is that this book, in my humble opinion, sucks.
remember in the late 2000s and early 2010s when, if you wanted to read newish YA, your choices were dystopian books about chosen one characters who weren't like other girls and...paranormal romance books about chosen one characters who weren't like other girls?
this managed to transcend that by making the same apply to boys, and also being worse.
this was a snoozefest, the characters were horrible to be around even on the page, and the slang is annoying and dumb. the attempt at A Moral Or Lesson About Society™️ that every single book had to include was so lame. having your protagonist just remember stuff instead of learn it is such a boring, fun-sucking choice that i cannot believe any author would even consider it, let alone rely on it this hard.
i read this book 6 years ago and i still have it in me to get angry about how dumb i think it is.
that says a lot, to be honest. i can't remember the details of books i read last week.
part of a series i'm doing in which iget mad for no reason review books i read a long time ago
remember in the late 2000s and early 2010s when, if you wanted to read newish YA, your choices were dystopian books about chosen one characters who weren't like other girls and...paranormal romance books about chosen one characters who weren't like other girls?
this managed to transcend that by making the same apply to boys, and also being worse.
this was a snoozefest, the characters were horrible to be around even on the page, and the slang is annoying and dumb. the attempt at A Moral Or Lesson About Society™️ that every single book had to include was so lame. having your protagonist just remember stuff instead of learn it is such a boring, fun-sucking choice that i cannot believe any author would even consider it, let alone rely on it this hard.
i read this book 6 years ago and i still have it in me to get angry about how dumb i think it is.
that says a lot, to be honest. i can't remember the details of books i read last week.
part of a series i'm doing in which i
Shelved as 'stay-away-from-this-author'
February 17, 2021NOTE: This is not me imposing my thoughts on anyone. I am NOT judging anyone for reading this book or wanting to support this author. I've got a problem with the author, NOT the reader. This review is for people who take these things into account. Personally, I don't want to support this author. But I'm not forcing others to do the same thing. This is your choice. I just wanted to get this out. Cause someone else did the same thing, and I'm happy about it. I was able to cancel my order for this series after reading that review. Don't take it personally
This author was charged with sexual harassment...
It was 2 years ago...
Even I came to know about it a week ago
I still think many people don't know about this
Heres the link to the article :
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
Just wanted to tell you this...It's ok if they call you a bitch(They will call you a bitch regardless of what you do)
Your safety matters!!
Authors like him are just disgusting
I mean I usually put books on this shelf when I don't think I will like that author's work BUT for this author ...I mean it figuratively AND literally
I wish I could say the above tweet was not relatable BUT it is indeed relatable
I think almost every woman goes through this at least once in her lifetime
And if you have never gone through it then I pray to God that you will never go through any of it in the future too
Its just one of the things that women would NEVER want another woman to go through
This article really disturbed me
I hope you all stay safe
just remember this:
This author was charged with sexual harassment...
It was 2 years ago...
Even I came to know about it a week ago
I still think many people don't know about this
Heres the link to the article :
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
Just wanted to tell you this...It's ok if they call you a bitch(They will call you a bitch regardless of what you do)
Your safety matters!!
Authors like him are just disgusting
I mean I usually put books on this shelf when I don't think I will like that author's work BUT for this author ...I mean it figuratively AND literally
I wish I could say the above tweet was not relatable BUT it is indeed relatable
I think almost every woman goes through this at least once in her lifetime
And if you have never gone through it then I pray to God that you will never go through any of it in the future too
Its just one of the things that women would NEVER want another woman to go through
This article really disturbed me
I hope you all stay safe
just remember this:
August 11, 2015
WHAT DID JUST--- OMG.
September 27, 2015
It's 1am, just finished this and it was aMAZEing, see what I did there ;)
Review to come!!
Review (more like gush):
Where do I even start this review...
Okay, so, The Maze Runner is absolutely incredible! I loved it so much!
This book instantly sucked me in, when I really just got it off my shelf to look at it! Haha, I had always been a bit hesitant to read this book, because I didn't think I'd like it much... Boy, was I wrong. I even broke a book-lover rule and saw the movie first, because I was never actually sure if I'd read this! Yet, I still enjoyed the book so much, even though I knew what was going to happen! (Makes me so excited for book 2, because I don't know what's gonna happen)
Reading this made me feel like it was Christmas morning, all jittery and happy. It gave me nostalgic feels even though I'd never read it before... maybe I felt a bit like I did while reading the hunger games... Idk, it's hard to place.
This book caused me severe lack of sleep, not even just by reading late into the night, but also because when I wasn't reading, I was thinking or dreaming about this book! I even read it at every break I got on my biology excursion! I've never said 'just one more chapter' more in my entire reading life! Which I think is fair to say I'm pretty obsessed with it!
I'm SO happy that I loved this book the way I did, because it's been soo long since I've completely and utterly enjoyed a book!
Go read this if you haven't already!
Might go read Scorch Trials now... See ya Goodreads people <3
Review to come!!
Review (more like gush):
Where do I even start this review...
Okay, so, The Maze Runner is absolutely incredible! I loved it so much!
This book instantly sucked me in, when I really just got it off my shelf to look at it! Haha, I had always been a bit hesitant to read this book, because I didn't think I'd like it much... Boy, was I wrong. I even broke a book-lover rule and saw the movie first, because I was never actually sure if I'd read this! Yet, I still enjoyed the book so much, even though I knew what was going to happen! (Makes me so excited for book 2, because I don't know what's gonna happen)
Reading this made me feel like it was Christmas morning, all jittery and happy. It gave me nostalgic feels even though I'd never read it before... maybe I felt a bit like I did while reading the hunger games... Idk, it's hard to place.
This book caused me severe lack of sleep, not even just by reading late into the night, but also because when I wasn't reading, I was thinking or dreaming about this book! I even read it at every break I got on my biology excursion! I've never said 'just one more chapter' more in my entire reading life! Which I think is fair to say I'm pretty obsessed with it!
I'm SO happy that I loved this book the way I did, because it's been soo long since I've completely and utterly enjoyed a book!
Go read this if you haven't already!
Might go read Scorch Trials now... See ya Goodreads people <3
February 6, 2022
With his memory stolen/missing Thomas finds himself transported to the Glade where a population of boys (the Gladers) struggle to survive, as well as work out the meaning of the immense ever changing maze at circles them. The boys tasked with mapping (running in the maze and plotting their journeys) the maze are called Maze Runners. A surprisingly engaging read, despite basic characterisations and dialogue, the overall strong and all consuming mystery content makes it worthwhile. It gets as high as an 8 out of 12, because overall it's so memorable, but I can see how some would just call it a load of pants! On this my second read, the book remained as interesting and compelling.
2022 read; 2019 read
2022 read; 2019 read
June 10, 2012
I enjoyed the Maze Runner, but not as much as I wanted to. It was a great concept, and the story was compelling, the characters and plot twists interesting, and there was no limit to Dashner’s creativity. My big problem was that the characters were manipulated by the story, and not the other way around.
There were so many times when the characters would have figured things out. They’re supposed to be brilliant kids, and yet they are continually clueless about things that are pretty obvious to the reader. And it’s not like the reader has information they don’t. The only reason the characters don’t figure things out is because the author doesn’t want them to. I think Dashner should have trusted his characters a little more, and let the story flow from them, rather than letting them be constrained by the plot he wanted to maintain.
There were so many times when the characters would have figured things out. They’re supposed to be brilliant kids, and yet they are continually clueless about things that are pretty obvious to the reader. And it’s not like the reader has information they don’t. The only reason the characters don’t figure things out is because the author doesn’t want them to. I think Dashner should have trusted his characters a little more, and let the story flow from them, rather than letting them be constrained by the plot he wanted to maintain.
July 29, 2015
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OOOOOOOH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOD
QUIERO MÁS. DIOS. INCREÍBLE. ADICTIVA. AAAHDEBRFTHNJ.
DASHNER CÁSATE CONMIGO. O MEJOR, THOMAS.
El corredor del laberinto es la primera parte de la tetralogía que lleva el mismo nombre. Es una novela cuya película salió el año pasado y que vi antes de leer el libro. Ahora que he leído el libro puedo decir que estoy fascinada con el mundo que ha creado el autor y que nadie puede morir sin leerlo.
Como comentaba, lo más fascinante de la saga es la ambientación y el mundo que crea el autor. Sin duda la idea del laberinto no es nada original, pero sí el claro que hay en medio y la trama que se desarrolla en él. Además de los monstruos, laceradores, que crea el autor y con los que juega todo el tiempo.
La trama de la novela es muy buena. Es original, tiene giros y un desenlace inesperado y que deja con muchas ganas de más. Me gusta la línea argumental que sigue el autor y también cómo entrelaza a los diferentes personajes con la trama. Me gustó mucho la idea general y todo el desarrollo que hay en la novela.
Los personajes también me encantaron. Todos los personajes masculinos tienen una buena profundidad y los protagonistas son fantásticos. Me gusta que cada uno tenga una caracterización diferente y que tengan algunos giros inesperados.
El único personaje que no me ha convencido para nada es Teresa porque es demasiado plano. Parece jugar un papel demasiado importante casi al final y siendo, según la trama, un personaje clave debería haber tenido una mayor profundidad y en sí desarrollo, porque es planísimo.
El corredor del laberinto es una novela ya muy famosa y de la que queda poco por decir, quien no la conozca es porque vive debajo de una piedra. Tenía unas altísimas expectativas por esto mismo y las ha superado, algo poco habitual.
El ritmo es frenético, es una novela adictiva que se bebe rápidamente. Tiene una buena densidad que podría hacer de esta novela algo pesado y difícil de leer, pero sin duda el autor tiene una pluma ágil y sabe enganchar al lector.
En resumen, El corredor del laberinto ha sido una novela que me ha encantado, que me ha dejado con ganas de más y que recomiendo a cualquier tipo de lector porque merece muchísimo la pena.
QUIERO MÁS. DIOS. INCREÍBLE. ADICTIVA. AAAHDEBRFTHNJ.
DASHNER CÁSATE CONMIGO. O MEJOR, THOMAS.
El corredor del laberinto es la primera parte de la tetralogía que lleva el mismo nombre. Es una novela cuya película salió el año pasado y que vi antes de leer el libro. Ahora que he leído el libro puedo decir que estoy fascinada con el mundo que ha creado el autor y que nadie puede morir sin leerlo.
Como comentaba, lo más fascinante de la saga es la ambientación y el mundo que crea el autor. Sin duda la idea del laberinto no es nada original, pero sí el claro que hay en medio y la trama que se desarrolla en él. Además de los monstruos, laceradores, que crea el autor y con los que juega todo el tiempo.
La trama de la novela es muy buena. Es original, tiene giros y un desenlace inesperado y que deja con muchas ganas de más. Me gusta la línea argumental que sigue el autor y también cómo entrelaza a los diferentes personajes con la trama. Me gustó mucho la idea general y todo el desarrollo que hay en la novela.
Los personajes también me encantaron. Todos los personajes masculinos tienen una buena profundidad y los protagonistas son fantásticos. Me gusta que cada uno tenga una caracterización diferente y que tengan algunos giros inesperados.
El único personaje que no me ha convencido para nada es Teresa porque es demasiado plano. Parece jugar un papel demasiado importante casi al final y siendo, según la trama, un personaje clave debería haber tenido una mayor profundidad y en sí desarrollo, porque es planísimo.
El corredor del laberinto es una novela ya muy famosa y de la que queda poco por decir, quien no la conozca es porque vive debajo de una piedra. Tenía unas altísimas expectativas por esto mismo y las ha superado, algo poco habitual.
El ritmo es frenético, es una novela adictiva que se bebe rápidamente. Tiene una buena densidad que podría hacer de esta novela algo pesado y difícil de leer, pero sin duda el autor tiene una pluma ágil y sabe enganchar al lector.
En resumen, El corredor del laberinto ha sido una novela que me ha encantado, que me ha dejado con ganas de más y que recomiendo a cualquier tipo de lector porque merece muchísimo la pena.
March 1, 2017
The Maze Runner is a masterfully plotted mystery. It's intriguing. It draws you in quick and then reveals details at just the right time to keep you turning the pages for more.
While many criticize the characters for being flat, which they are, Thomas and his fellow Maze Runners are at the very least likable. They play pranks, they crack jokes, they bond in inventive ways, and most importantly they're just fun in general. You can't help but like characters that are trapped in an almost literal Hell and somehow make the most of it to the point you secretly wish you were part of it. There's something magical in that.
A story can only go so far with characters that don't really have any meaningful connection to the plot or the setting, though. Any of these guys could've been replaced for any other personality with barely any notice. I think James Dashner really squeezed the best possible plot he could out of the characters he created.
The real pitfall of The Maze Runner is the writing. As Dashner might write, It's really, really bad. So bad, it leaves you feeling nothing in a lot of scenes you should feel loss or adrenaline or relief or... anything.
While many criticize the characters for being flat, which they are, Thomas and his fellow Maze Runners are at the very least likable. They play pranks, they crack jokes, they bond in inventive ways, and most importantly they're just fun in general. You can't help but like characters that are trapped in an almost literal Hell and somehow make the most of it to the point you secretly wish you were part of it. There's something magical in that.
A story can only go so far with characters that don't really have any meaningful connection to the plot or the setting, though. Any of these guys could've been replaced for any other personality with barely any notice. I think James Dashner really squeezed the best possible plot he could out of the characters he created.
The real pitfall of The Maze Runner is the writing. As Dashner might write, It's really, really bad. So bad, it leaves you feeling nothing in a lot of scenes you should feel loss or adrenaline or relief or... anything.
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