The Maze Runner (Book 1)

I am 40 years old and my wife and 2 of my children read this book and said good things. I decided to see what the buzz was about and picked it up. It didn't take long for me to realize this was the kind of book that I would not be able to put down. In fact I stayed up late and read the entire book in a single day! I have read some of the negative reviews of this book and I just don't get it. I think that there are some people who enjoy pontificating and sounding important more than providing relevant feedback about a book. Perhaps they feel smarter or more important than they really are by dissecting a book without trying to understand the reasons for some of the things they say they dislike. I have read hundreds of novels in my life. I focus on the main purpose of a book, which is to entertain me with a good story. The Maze Runner definitely delivered a great story. I found myself wanting more and not wanting to put the book down. I think some of those nay sayer out there really didn't take the time to see the brilliance of the story. There were some who complained about the made up slang language of the Glade. And yet youth, especially boys, are always creating their own expressions and in fact, most adults look at them in amazement when the say something that seems to make no sense or even seems dumb. Does nobody remember the common use of "tubular" in the 80s? In fact in different sub cultures and different parts of the country, different young people come up with all kinds of slang terms. Some of them like "cool" of the 50s stick forever and don't seem to last. Others like "groovy" come in and out of style and even change meanings. Then we have 80s terms that came and went and few survived. So for me the slang of The Maze Runner worked just fine and was not only believable, but actually made it more real to me. In Lord of the Flies their own unique vocabulary and slang made it a classic and yet detractors point fingers at The Maze Runner. It makes no sense to me. I loved the story, the mystery, the action, the questions that I kept asking just as Thomas asked them. The characters seemed very real and believable to me and those who claim there was no enough development just irritate me. The seem to forget that this story takes place in about a week. There is only so much development of characters that can take place in that period of time and make the story still feel real. Further, there are other books that focus so much on detail and character development that the story suffers. The Maze Runner balanced both nicely. The story was based on characters who had lost their memories. The development of characters was taken at an appropriate pace. I thought the writing style was easy to read but not simple or ridden with cliches like other books. Basically I really enjoyed this book! The purpose of fiction is to tell a story that causes the reader to enter another world and the Maze Runner did that for me. This story gripped me and didn't let go. The story is of teenage boys who come into a place they call "The Glade" that is surrounded by a Maze...which also has dangerous creatures called "Grievers" roaming within. They have lost the memory of their lives before being brought to the Glade. They send runners out into the maze daily to try to map it out and find a way you...but the maze changes daily so they search for a pattern in the changes. They have a rigid social structure and set of laws. They have a society and have created their own slang and way of doing things and way of seeing life. They all have jobs and responsibilities and there is a hierarchy with authority figures called "Keepers". Thomas joins the "Gladers" and soon helps the "Gladers" see life differently than they had before. The attempt to get out of the Maze without being killed or "stung" by the Grievers while still maintaining order is the prime reason for getting through each day. Things change when a girl is send into the Glade, the first girl and the last to enter...ever. This story kept me wanting more and I am now reading the sequel, The Scorch Trials, and I can't wait for the story to continue. Read this book and ignore the negative reviews because every book has some and the negative reviewers are misguided and focused on the wrong things!

"The Maze Runner (TMR), by James Dashner, an interesting title for an interesting novel. It was partly for the reason of the interesting title that I chose to review the book, that I even decided to read it in the first place, and only after completing the read do I recognise its importance. It plays a major role, or should I say it's the name designated to the major role our protagonist plays in the story. "He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air" Engaging, as every opening of every novel should be. Thomas, our protagonist, comes to, after what seemed to him like an endless sleep, in a seemingly make-shift elevator, surrounded by who seem to be ordinary teenage boys. Confused, as you'd expect, he begins with a torrential flow of questions, the answers to which aid him in realising that he had been abducted, and sent to a very primitive version of what we know to be a normal town. We learn that this has been a re-occuring thing, the arriving of a new boy on the same day of every month, for two years now, and that the only information the boys are in possession of is their first names. The place they have been sent to, was christened with the name 'the Glade', and is situated in the heart of an ever-changing maze. A maze in which dangerous creatures reside. The boys have cleverly banded together, each taking it upon themselves to provide one necessary need for the community, be it becoming a farmer and providing food or taking up the role of a builder and making sure their simple homes and hospitable. What Thomas is interested in, however, is the selective group, namely 'The Maze Runners', who spend their days exploring the maze, desperately searching for a way out. Thomas soon discovers that all odds for escape whatsoever, aren't in their favour. This becomes even more unnerving when a girl, the first to ever set foot in the Glade, makes an unexpected arrival the day after Tom's. Teresa, the girl, is unconcious at first, and upon the crowding of the gladers around her body, she jolts to life with a note in her hand, reading "The end is near". Mass panic erupts as a result and subsequent occurences lead most of the gladers to believe that all hope is lost. With all blame pointed in his direction, what will his next move be? Will he and the others unearth the secret to their escaping? Or will they remain in the Glade, in fear of whatever horrible fate awaits? This novel is entertaining, through and through, what with its uniqueness that makes it stand out from other Young Adult (YA) fictional novels, the deep characters that add to the enjoyment of reading the book, and the strange way in which the story is written. Speaking of the author's use of strange, yet intriguing, language in the book, James Dashner creates, within TMR, a completely renewed way of speaking. It isn't uncommon that in a story, you find certain aspects of the characters' speech, that seem unusual and different to what we would classify as the norm. Dashner takes this to a new level entirely, incorporating into modern English, small words such as 'greanie', 'shank' 'klunk', 'shuck', the meanings of which I'd rather keep out of this review, for your sake. It doesn't seem like much, but when these words are thrown into every second sentence, the experience changes drastically. "You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!", just a particular example of the word's use, when Tom got a bit too aggitated. The concept of character building in TMR similar to other YA novels in that the protagonist grows and develops, to some extent, but there is also a noticeable difference. Said difference is due to the fact that the characters know nothing about themselves or their lives prior to their arrival in the maze. This creates the possibility that it's somewhat difficult for the readers to form opinions on the characters, because the factors responsible for shaping the individuals are unknown. Despite the obvious difficulty it's clear as day the type of person our protagonist, Thomas, is. Sixteen year old Tom, of height five foot nine, with soft facial features and an average build. All this information is brought into light by other gladers' speculations at the beginning of the book. The fact that Thomas himself, doesn't know how old he is, or is unable to describe what he looks like without the aid of a reflection, the fact that he is unsure of his basic profile, creates questions in our minds and most of us read on as a result. The one thing, besides his name, that Tom is certain of, is his daring and determined personality. Even the readers, are sure of this by the end of the first chapter, when Thomas confides in his new friend 'Chuck', that he wants to be a maze runner. There isn't a doubt in our minds concerning his personality because Dashner so carefully and cleverly creates the character of Thomas. The story is told from Thomas' point of view, so the character developing is based predominantly on him, but the building of the other characters is also well done. Chuck, for instance, Tom's first friend in the Glade, is portrayed as a young vulnerable boy whom Thomas instantly takes to caring for. The developing of Chuck's character contributes to the fleshing out of Thomas, as a new side is added to his personality; that of a caring older brother. Another noteworthy character in Minho, Thomas' fellow maze runner and pal. The bond between the two characters gives Thomas even more depth and makes him all the more likable. Books are woefully underrated. The lessons hidden behind those all too familiar monochrome wordings are often missed or misunderstood. Even if the reason for your picking up a book isn't solely based on obtaining insight of some kind, the imagination at work in fictional cases, or the wealthy of factual knowledge in others will likely be worth your time. The time taken to read 'The Maze Runner was definitely time well spent. Though the beginning was slow reading for me, most aspects of a good novel were present in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I award it four out of five stars and deem it suitable for what I assume its target market is; young adults."

This is by far one of the greatest books I have ever read. And I am a very, very, VERY picky reader! (I don't even like the Narnia books that much!) I love reading books with "Fandoms" and not much else. So, after watching the first movie of The Maze Runner, I couldn't wait to see what happened to my favorite characters, and I took a chance and bought the trilogy (not knowing that there was in fact a prequel, but that is a whole other ballgame ;) ). All I will say, is that James Dashner does NOT disappoint! The story is thick and intense, with a surprise around every. Single. Corner. The way James wrote it, his chapters are only a few pages long (4 or 5 pages each) and at the end of every one, there is something new and exciting happening that you just can't stand to not know! The characters are alive and vibrant, practically flying off the pages with who and what they are. Each and every character has his/her own dialogue that they use throughout the series, making them all the more unique and lovable. Just the characters themselves are amazing! Everyone's looks are explained to the reader in such detail that you can just see them right in front of you! Every person is different, and has something different about them. The character Newt has a limp (why, you don't know yet), the character Chuck is the youngest one and wonders about his family. Everyone is different, and not one is the same! And after you get so far, you develope a relationship to these characters and root and cheer for them throughout the whole entire series! You feel bad when they feel bad and you feel happy when they feel happy! James Dashner did it right! And James Dashner really connects with your feelings in these books. When someone gets hurt, or killed, you can just feel the sadness overtake you, or the anger rush to your head when you want to jump through the pages and save that person. I will admit, I teared up at the third book (sorry, no spoilers), it really had me. And I have NEVER cried over a book before. Never. But this book, this series, really got to me. All the emotions flying around in this book make it sooooo believable. It makes you want to help the characters, or want to choke them to death (no pun intended for those who have read The Death Cure). It really pulls at your heartstrings, or makes your heart soar in happiness. It is amazing! Also, I have read some reviews where "they say Shuck, Shuck it, Klunk, Slinthead too many times!". Well, I got news for you: Those words are forever in my dictionary! (Just cuz you're jealous that you can't write a book, doesn't mean that you have to dog everyone else) One of the only characters to use those words (more than like three times, thank you very much) is the character Minho, who is in fact a hilarious sassy-pants. But the way he says it is not annoying; he knows when to use it to be funny, and he knows when to use it when he is serious. And I am very thankful that James Dashner made the characters use Klunk, Slinthead, Shuck, rather than a few other choice words that he could have used . . . And also, the whole series is kid-friendly, yet made to capture the imagination in teenagers and adults. The story is so easy to follow, and there are so many things going on, yet you never feel lost trying to remember so many different names of places or people, etc. Everything is explained, whether it be in three sentences or throughout the whole series. But there is not one question that goes unanswered. You just have to be patient for some rather than others, and in order to find out what you want, you have to read more than 5 pages. Everything I have ever wanted in a mysterious, end-of-the-world-without-being-creepy book is right here! This is definitely a book worth buying, no matter who you are. This is a must read! It is absolutely worth every penny!! I wish I had a review from a person like me, so I am going to give one myself: If you take anything away from this review, just take my advice. Please buy this book. You will. Not. Regret. It. PLEASE IGNORE EVERY BAD REVIEW OUT THERE! Trust me :) Happy reading, see you in the Glade!

Holy Moses, Batman! I didn't see this one coming! The Maze Runner, by James Dashner has been talked about and recommended, but for some reason I didn't pick it up until now. maybe it was the mediocre cover? I don't know why it took me so long to pick this one up, but now I am kicking myself, that's for sure! This was butt kicking story full of exciting characters, a crazy prison-like world, and enemies of all kinds. The Glade is far from perfect, but the Gladers, young boys who all found themselves transported to the Glade in an elevator with no memories of who they were and how they got there, make do with what they have. Every boy works, either taking care of the animals, slaughtering, cooking, basic maintenance, building, or as runners. The Runners are the best of the best- a group of boys who leave the safety of the Glade's walls every day to explore the Maze outside for a way to escape. When Thomas wakes up in the elevator, he is the beginning of many weird things that bring life in the Glade to a new level of terror. Every night the walls to the Glade close to protect the boys from the horrors of the Maze, the Grievers in particular. Grievers are giant monsters that are part creature, part machine. They look like giant blobs with mechanical arms wielding saws, needles, claws, and other mechanical terrors. When Alby, the leader, and Minho, Keeper of the Runners, get stuck in the Maze just as the doors are closing, Thomas runs to help them and they all get stuck in the Maze. No boy has ever survived a night in the Maze with the Grievers. But Thomas' quick thinking and bravery keep both an injured Alby safe and allow him and Minho to kill Grievers- something the boys never thought was possible. When a girl, the first girl ever, comes up the elevator barely alive, the Gladers begin to suspect things are changing. When the sun disappears and the walls don't close, they know they must find an exit immediately or they Grievers will kill them one by one. But what lies outside the Glade and the Maze is something none of the boys could have expected. This is a GREAT book for anyone who loved the Hunger Games series and is waiting (impatiently) for Mockingjay to hit the stores. The books are very, very different dystopias, but they have the sense of excitement and fervor you can't help yourself from being sucked into. This book is so dangerous and exciting, it would be a great way to suck a student into reading. I would suggest the book for high-skilled middle schoolers to high school students. The world of the Glade is intricate, but not confusing. This is also a wonderful book for male and female readers alike. Even if you aren't into the recent dystopia boom that has rocked the YA genre, you should give this book a chance. It is just as good as Hunger Games, but it contains a world that stands on its own with a vengeance. The Gladers, while still trying to maintain order and live their lives, NEVER give up on the hope that they can escape the Maze. This hope is the backbone of this story and will keep you wanting more. The ending is a little abrupt and opens up so many more questions than it answers, but the sequel, The Scorch Trials, is due out in October, and I am willing to bet it will be just as powerful as the first book. So if you need some adventure and an all-consuming read, pick up The Maze Runner. You won't be sorry!

I want to start off by saying that I enjoyed this book a lot. I loved the story; it reminded me a little of a cross between Hunger Games and The Long Walk (by Stephen King) with a completely different sci-fi twist. What is great about the concept and how it was delivered is that it is highly intriguing and makes you want to just keep reading and try to unravel on your own what is going on before the characters do. I can best explain my feelings while reading it as I was reading a sci-fi story that I was also making into a detective story in my mind. And it definitely left me hanging enough to want to continue reading the series so all the pieces of the puzzle can come together so I can get the big picture of what is going on. I also was able to get a good idea of the settings (Maze, Glade) from the description that was given, which is important to me because I like to get good mental images while reading. Maybe I enjoyed the story so much because I have always been a big fan of sci-fi and if you aren’t into sci-fi you may not enjoy it as much. But I can honestly say it was a fun read for me. Now for the bad. I feel like this book was rather simply written. It felt like Dashner’s choice of language could be novice at times and his description of peoples’ moods and the way he expressed their emotions was pretty basic (E.g. “He said in an excited manner” “He said absently”) and the made up slang used by the Gladers really did get on my nerves at times. Also, there was very little character development. By the end of the book I didn’t feel like I really knew and of the characters. I even had a hard time being sympathetic towards them at times when they were going through something tragic because I wasn’t emotionally attached to them at all. I also feel like the timing in the book was off. Gladers had been in maze for years working on it and someone new shows up and a few days later everything is solved. I get that Thomas had some connection but I also feel like the revelation was too fast and slightly anti-climactic. As far as the Grievers, I know a lot of people were unhappy with them but I am intrigued. I am holding out hope that they will be in the other books and that they will be explained more and actually have an interesting back-story. Overall, I did enjoy the book. It is good for a quick read and not too intense in terms of making you overthink things or have to re-read passages. The story is interesting and moves quickly and the mystery behind everything makes you want to keep reading. I wish you could give half stars because I would give this book a 3.5. If I were judging on story concept alone I may give it a four but the problem I keep coming back to is the characters. I am the type of reader who loves to be pulled into the characters’ lives. I want to feel their emotions and I want to miss them when they are gone. For that reason I decided to go with three stars. I am holding out hope that the next two books improve in that aspect and the storyline continues to be good.

If you're like me, you've had friends telling you to read The Maze Runner for years. You know you should listen to them, but other books always seem to jump ahead on your To Read list. Perhaps you've been waiting for the price on the Kindle or Nook version to drop. It might be that you pushed it aside to read City of Bones or The Fault in Our Stars or Divergent before the movie comes out. Or maybe you're #72 in the reservation queue at the library. Well, I'm here to tell you to stop making excuses (the Kindle price is only $6.99, the movie comes out in February 2014, and switch the library listing to the large print or audio versions, the wait for those is usually shorter) and pick up a copy of this book. Also, you have very smart friends. Part of the trouble might be that The Maze Runner is difficult to explain in a few sentences, which generally isn't something I like about a book. Not that I like boring or uncomplicated books, but if the basics can't be distilled into a few sentences, what I like to think of as a verbal movie trailer, it makes it a hard sell when I'm recommending it to my students (and adults for that matter). But because I know you will love this engrossing and entertaining book as much as I did, here's my attempt... Thomas wakes up in an elevator-like contraption with no memory of his life. Sort of. He can remember what snow is, but not who he might have built a snowman with. He can remember what a forest is, the names for animals, and how foods taste, but not how old he is. He knows there is an outside world, but he can't remember anything about it. His memory is wiped clean. Once out of the box, he enters into the world of the Glade - a Lord of the Flies-esque society made up entirely of teenage boys whose memories have also been wiped (if they're lucky). As he acclimates to his new surroundings, Thomas feels drawn to certain people and tasks, but he's not sure how or why. There is a constantly changing, seemingly unsolvable maze. There are terrible creatures. There are terrible people. And there is mystery. Lots and lots of mystery. The mystery and uncertainty is one of the things Dashner does so well in this book. Yes, the characters are great. Some of the boys are are frustrating (especially in the beginning) and some of them are annoying (Chuck, I'm looking at you) and some of them are likable (I adore Newt and Minho), but all of them are believable and, like Thomas is, you're never quite sure who you should trust. Yes, the story is intriguing (difficult to do in the currently over-saturated dystopian genre), but it's all the not-knowing that I loved. And the mystery of the Glade is shown, versus told, through the boys' actions, their whispers, their flat out refusal to explain ANYTHING to Thomas, and the finer details of their smooth-on-the-surface society. Was I able to predict most of what happened? Yes, but this book's recommended audience starts at 6th or 7th grade. Did it matter that I saw some things coming? Not in the least, I still loved the book. So seriously, no more excuses. Go get this book and don't say I didn't warn you, after the first third you won't be able to put it down. And don't kill me over the ending - this is the first in a series, so nothing is tied up in a nice, smart bow at the end.

It truly does upset me to face the reality of how I feel about this book now, but I need to say it. I don’t like The Maze Runner nearly as much as I used to. There, it’s out! In all fairness, this was only the second young-adult dystopian novel I had read at the time (the first being The Hunger Games). I was young. I was naive. Back then I wouldn’t dwell on the author’s writing style or his character development. I didn’t care about, much less notice, plot holes and amateur writing. It truly amazes me that I didn’t realize how two-dimensional Thomas was or how the writing was barely tolerable the first time I read it. I know I’m making this seem as though I hate it now, but I still like the book. It’s original, suspenseful, and has several likable characters. ~The Plot~ I always liked the concept of Lord of the Flies, which the author states was his inspiration for The Maze Runner, but it overall left me unsatisfied. The premise for The Maze Runner however, is incredibly intriguing: a group of teenage boys without any memories, trapped in a maze. At first I thought it sounded interesting enough, but something was stopping me from reading it right away. I guess I assumed it was too out of the ordinary to begin reading right away. I’m pretty sure my initial thought of the Maze Runner before reading the synopsis was something like this. The reader has no idea what’s happening from the start, and I will tell you straight out that it gets frustrating. Not a single soul will answer any of Thomas’ questions. Hey, I just got stranded here with the rest of you, and I’d like to know WHY! But, as annoying as that is, it’s also one of my favorite aspects of the book. I needed to know what on earth was going on just as much as Thomas, and I wasn’t putting the book down until I found out, though it did drag on a little too long, if you ask me. Also, I imagine it’d be pretty funny if I was a teenage guy and don’t remember seeing a girl until Teresa showed up… ~The Characters~ According to psychological studies, the average person prefers to have bad news before good news. Hmph, very well. Let’s start with our oh so special snowflake. When I first read Maze Runner I thought he was okay, now however…I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Thomas is one of the most underdeveloped two-dimensional protagonists ever. What Dashner fails to realize is that there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Nearly every heroic, self-sacrificing act Thomas commits in the book is just plain stupid, unrealistic, and frankly, suicidal. I’ve always hated Teresa. She serves no purpose to the plot whatsoever, except to be Thomas’ insta-love interest. Why??? Why does there always need to be a love interest in every one of these teen dystopian novels! If she was actually a useful character I wouldn’t have minded her as much, but she isn’t. Character development? I don’t recall any. Zero. Zip. Nada. She has personality…but it is that of an absolute shuck-face. I love to have a kick-butt female heroine, but she’s just a down-right jerk. “Ah, my Knight in Shining Armor. What, you don’t think I can fend for myself?” Who the heck does she think she is? Chuck was awesome! If you ask me, Thomas didn’t give Chuck the time of day (another reason to hate him), but every time Chuck made an appearance I would quite complaining and listen up. It’s not necessarily that Chuck was the funniest character ever, but he’s just so darn, likable. Oh, and the actor who portrays him in the movie is perfect. Just thought I’d point that out. Oh, Minho. What can I say? I love him! Sarcastic, snarky guys are my favorite! His remarks were the best. I actually liked it when Minho made that less than noble decision in the Maze. That was realistic! I don’t entirely agree with him, but it proved he isn’t a perfect little angel (like a certain other person…named Thomas) Also, thank you James Dashner, for not naming him Kai. Is it just me, or why does it seem like every Asian guy is named Kai or Ky?! Newt was pretty amazing too. He was the voice of reason in this book, whenever Thomas suggested something, well…as Newt would say, bloody stupid, he’s the one who slapped some sense into him. I think I liked Minho slightly more than Newt, but I liked them both, quite a bit. As for the other characters, I wish they were developed more, but they were all so boring that I couldn’t care less. Gally was interesting, but wasn’t in the book that much – a shame really, because it would’ve made the last part of the book all the more emotional. ~The Writing~ I didn’t really pay attention to writing until I actually tried to write a book last year. In doing so, I realized that it’s surprisingly pretty hard to write a full-length novel. I have the beginning and the end, now what do I fill in-between…The number one rule of writing is to show don’t tell. Dashner just tells the reader what’s happening and how Thomas is feeling. I know this probably didn’t bug that many people, but it’s just a huge pet peeve of mine. However, I do like the slang. It was amusing. ~Final Thoughts~ I think what really infuriates me about this book, is that it had so much potential. If a different author wrote this, I think it could’ve been outstanding. I really liked the concept, a few of the characters, and the setting, but it’s overall a very mediocre read. Despite it’s flaws, The Maze Runner was still a fun read that I’d recommend to newer fans of YA dystopias.

"Maze Runner" begins with a teenage boy waking in a moving cargo elevator. He can not remember anything about his life prior to that moment, except he knew his name was Thomas. All of his other memories had been erased. Many things brought about a faint recollection but remained just outside his grasp, like looking at images through an opaque glass. The elevator was moving up, and at the completion of this journey the doors at the top were flung open and a rope was lowered to bring him out. Thomas found himself in an immense square courtyard surrounded by massive walls. In the middle of each of the four walls was a doorway, which he later found led into the maze. He met Alby, the leader, and second in command Newt. All the inhabitants were teenage boys, perhaps 60 total, and ranged in age from about 12 to 18. He had many questions, especially since his memories were gone, but Alby acted like answering questions were an inconvenience he didn't have time for. Newt was a little more accommodating, but for every question he answered Thomas thought of two more. As it was getting late, Thomas was told to get some sleep and he would be shown around the next day. Chuck, the previous "newby," was to find him a place to sleep. From what Thomas was able to piece together, some of the boys had been there for as long as two years. They had runners out in the maze every day, looking for a way out. The other boys all had jobs to keep busy. Farmers, butchers, carpenters, and more, the little community was almost self sustaining. Once every month a new boy would arrive, Thomas being the latest. Once a week supplies would arrive from the creators, the name the boys gave to their keepers. At the end of each day, the runners would come back and make a map of the portion of the maze they explored. They found that the walls of the maze moved from day to day, making it more difficult to find the solution. At sunset, the walls next to each doorway would slide closed and seal the courtyard. On his first night there, Thomas was taken to a window to look into the maze. He got his first glimpse of the grievers, a combination of animal and machine. About the size of a cow, the grievers had no discernible head or tail. They had robotic arms with tools attached which could maim or kill. The arms could be extended or retracted at will, as well as small spikes which the creature used for locomotion. If a person was stung by a griever, they would have to take a serum or face death. The serum caused what the boys called "the change" and consisted of about three days of painful withdrawal like symptoms. However, the change would bring some of the victims lost memories back. The grievers could appear at any time, but they always came out at night. Therefore, the two most important rules were 1) stay out of the maze unless you are a runner, and 2) under no circumstance get caught in the maze at night. On Thomas's second day in the glade, as his new home was known, everything changed. The siren sounded announcing the arrival of another new member. There had never been more than one arrive per month, let alone on consecutive days. Also, this time it was a girl, another first. She was somehow familiar to Thomas, but remained just outside the grasp of his memory. These were not the only things to change. Thomas knew he was there for a reason, but again his lack of memory confounded him. Working with his new found friends, and against his enemies, Thomas must help find a way out of the maze. Time was running short and failure meant a certain death. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this dystopian view of the future. I especially liked the memory wipe and finding out things as Thomas himself was. The cause of the world's problems is very believable and actions of those pulling the strings were understandable, if not loathsome. The action flowed smoothly and the book was hard for me to put down. I would put this on par with the hunger games, although I will have to finish the other two books in the trilogy to get a more complete picture.

カナダからの配送でしたが、手元に届くのが非常に早くてびっくりでした。

The book thrills you since the beginning showing interest characters and scenes. The author inserts you in his world making you fell part of it. The new words and habits become natural to you as you read it. Strongly recommended.

Todo bien

This. Is. The. Best. Book. EVER!! It was recommended by a friend and at first I thought it was going to be boring. Ha. Well, from the second page on I was ashamed to have thought that. I like how the author made up a slang for the boys so as not to make them swear, and (SPOILER ALERT) Thomas and Teresa's telepathical connection is excellent and really adds that extra something. Sorry, what am I saying? This whole book IS that extra something! An amazing book for teens about 11-12 and up (a little violent) and for any age from then! Seriously. This book is only THE BEST.

Un libro que engancha! Una historia muy original y adictiva. No puedo mas que recomendarlo. Lo he leido en ingles y el vocabulario me ha parecido algunas veces algo complicado, pero gracias a WISE y la Kindle lo he podido entender. Me acabo de comprar la segunda parte y no he podido esperar para empezar a leerlo.