The Maze Runner is the first book in the aptly named Maze Runner series and is an interesting if somewhat disturbing teen dystopian novel by James Dashner. It opens with Thomas, a teenage boy who wakes up in what seems to be a dark black box with no way out. He also seems to have no specific knowledge about much of anything, including himself. When the roof opens he is surrounded by a group of teenage boys in a similar condition who introduce him to what they call the Glade. It is a room where there is space for just about everything needed to survive but there is also no escape that they can find. Surrounding the Glade, and also the only place they can go, is the Maze. The maze is just what it sounds like, a giant maze that closes its doors every evening and during that time it changes its layout. Not sure what is going on Thomas is still determined to help out where he can only to discover that the gladers are quickly becoming unsure themselves when routine breaks down the very next day. A new glader is only introduced once a month but for whatever reason the box brings a new one the day after Thomas and it breaks another long-standing rule by bringing a girl.
This book is similar to a lot of other dystopian novels in that it is clearly based in a place where something has happened to affect society in some way. The interesting part is that the book does its level best to hide that fact for the majority of the novel and instead makes it seem like something else entirely is going on. It creates a somewhat different feel to it because of that. Perhaps something else that was interesting is the complete lack of adults in the Glade. All of the gladers are teenagers, even if they are guessing about their ages. This also creates a different dynamic that permeates the events of the story as well albeit in a different manner. The one thing that I really enjoyed about the story though is how the gladers, including Thomas, never seem to give up or give in no matter what is thrown at them. They get scared and afraid but they still go on, despite the overall situation. You don’t see that a lot in literature, not for a group anyway. Definitely makes for an interesting setup for the later books and makes me really intrigued about what is actually going on in this world. I am giving this book four out of five stars.
This is a teen science fiction novel, more specifically a teen dystopian novel. I would think it would hold the most appeal to teens who enjoy either science fiction or dystopian fiction though it may also appeal to older readers who enjoy those genres. There is one thing to keep in mind for this work, like other dystopian novels it does contain some pretty dark circumstances such as character death and similar things. If this is not something you want to deal with or are able to deal with, consider trying something different. The book is not extremely graphic or gruesome considering the age range but it is enough that I would not recommend it for readers younger than their teens. It is a good book though so if it sounds interesting you might consider trying it out. As always, if you do consider sharing your thoughts in the comments.