Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My Rating: 4 stars

Date Read: July 27, 2014

Source: Purchased ebook

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genres: Young adult, dystopia

Summary (taken from Goodreads): "If you ain't scared, you ain't human."

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Review: It's difficult for me to write about this book, mainly because it's so complex. There's so much mystery, it's hard to review without spoiling something. This whole book leaves the reader wondering, guessing what is happening and what might come next. Every time a question is answered, several more form.

I enjoyed reading this, frustrating as the lack of answers could be. At first the whole world was extremely confusing and hard to get into, especially because all of the characters were thrown into "the Glade" without memories or any idea what to expect. It's difficult to learn about a world that's so blurry in the character's minds, and even by the end of the book I wasn't convinced I knew anything.

An important thing going into this one is patience. It's a book that I, at least, wanted to take my time with and really think about. I found it a great read when I took time off to theorize and consider what could be happening. Also, the lack of answers can be confusing if you're looking for a quicker read - even though it is pretty fast-paced and can be read quickly.

I'm also very glad I did a buddy read on this one - reading with someone else encouraged me to keep reading in the beginning, when I might have put the book down otherwise. If the beginning of this one doesn't hook you right away, I would encourage you to give it another shot - maybe try 50 pages or so before making a decision. It took me awhile, but by the end I really liked this one.