The Maze Runner
So apparently I didn’t write a review on this book. WHOA! Massive oversight. I actually came across this book quite a while ago, when it first came out.
The book is a little like William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, but also very much different. I would never ever accuse this book of being unoriginal. This author has suspense writing down to an art. You know something is going to happen, but no idea how you know this or why. There are so many clues, but no way you will understand until the very last page. The characters are hardened children, forced to adult, but all the same… terrified inside.
Brilliant is what I’m trying to say.
The book begins with the lead character waking up in an elevator. He has no memory of his past, but knows that his name is Thomas. At the top he is greeted by a group of boys who welcome him to the Glade. It soon becomes apparent that they all arrived in the elevator the exact same way at regular intervals of time, and the entire population is made up of young boys. They have a functioning government and efficient system. Perhaps this is because the stakes are higher than in The Lord of the Flies. It also could be because they have a steady access to supplies. The sole purpose of their existence is to find an exit to the maze.
The Glade itself is surrounded by the huge walls of a maze, and where they are is the centre. Every night, the entrances into the maze close and the Glade is sealed off for the night. This is a good thing… the Grievers lurk outside those walls. I’m shivering right now. I swear if this was made into a movie, I would have nightmares for the rest of my life based off those things.
It turns into a race against time (for reasons I cannot reveal). Order begins to disintegrate and Thomas, it soon becomes obvious, is not at all what he appears.
I highly recommend this book for anyone. It transcends age. In a time where books are dripping with trashy writing and ridiculous romance, this well written, gripping, sci fi psychological thriller is much more than welcome.
The (AWESOME!!!!) book trailer is below….
AND!!! Keep an eye out for the sequel, The Scorch Trials, coming out October 12,2010.
