Thomas wakes up in an elevator and the only thing he can remember is his name. He does not know how he got there or where he’s going. Then the doors open up and he’s greeted by a throng of adolescent boys. When he climbs out of the box he finds himself in a large, walled-off glade. Beyond the walls is an ever-changing maze that has seemingly no solution. It is an entire civilization inside a box and it works but Thomas’s arrival begins a series of events in which everything changes. Then a girl arrives. She arrives off schedule and she arrives in a coma but more importantly she is the only girl to ever come to the glade. Then everything starts to fall apart and all eyes turn to the newcomers. Who are they and what did they bring upon the teenagers?

The Maze Runner is a thriller that does its major job right, it keeps the reader hooked and waiting for what comes next. It is a captivating story with heart-pounding action and a perfect pacing. James Dashner’s novel is a fun read and a fantastic adventure but it does fall short in a couple of categories:

The Story: The Maze Runner is a delightfully horrifying novel with a terrifying premise and exceptional execution. It does not however do as well at keeping the reader guessing until the end. Dashner fails to make the story unpredictable and it leaves the reading wondering why it took the characters so long to figure out what was going on.

The Writing: Easily the biggest fault of The Maze Runner is style. Style and grammar ruined Eragon and made The Hunger Games a new adventure (I had never previously read a story in the present tense). The Maze Runner is weak in both style and grammar but not so weak to make the story not worth reading. The story tries too hard occasionally and is almost too casual at other times. Some sentences were difficult to interpret because of poor wording. Overall this made The Maze Runner a less enjoyable experience but the experience was outstanding nonetheless.

I found myself wishing that I had the sequel as soon as I put the first book down because I wanted to know what happened next. Dashner’s story is incredibly intricate and interesting. He poses ethical questions inside his story but doesn’t leave the reader overtaxed and bored.

The Maze Runner is worth picking up and taking the time to read. It is an easy read and the fast pacing makes it even quicker. Dashner’s novel may not be a masterpiece but it is worthy of being a best-seller. Read it before seeing the movie.

Dashner has acknowledged that his story was heavily inspired by two books: Ender’s Game (which is phenomenal) and The Lord of the Flies (Which I have yet to read). So it stands to reason that fans of either of those books might find something to enjoy in this story. It is dystopian and I found some similarities to Allegiant while I was reading it. The Maze Runner most reminded me of The Killing Room (a movie, not a book). There is something in this novel for many different people to enjoy but fans of Young Adult dystopia will be the most interested in this thriller.