"The Maze Runner" Outruns Expectations

Nick Perez

D Block

6/13/17

The Maze Runner Book Review

When I was first picking up “The Maze Runner”, I did not think much of it. I assumed, despite the hype I had heard about it being a good movie and an even better book, I figured it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I had assumed it was just another dystopian novel with nothing new to offer to the genre, flat characters and a plot that made no sense. What I got was quite the opposite. I ended up finding a great novel with interesting characters and a great story. The outline of the story is increasingly interesting as more information is revealed throughout the novel. The author’s ability to use the right word at the right time helps immerse you into the story and feel for the characters as they go through their trials and tribulations. This book truly is more than any old dystopian novel, and will keep you hooked from the beginning to the end.

The book follows Thomas, a teenager dropped into an unfamiliar territory, surrounded by people who use a strange language and seem to be self sufficient. He is confused, but befriends Chuck, who helps him ease into the new world that he has been thrust into. He demands some answers, but no one seems able or willing to give him any. As he goes from working job to job, he discovers the Runners, a select group of the boys who are meant to go out and explore the maze that surrounds the entire estate. Thomas decides that he wants to become a Runner, which he cannot explain, but is something he feels he needs to do. He is met with very strong disagreement. However, he later rushes into the maze to save two of his comrades and gets trapped. After surviving the night in the maze, everyone in the camp is amazed, and he is nominated to become a Runner. Though this is exciting, Thomas worries if they will ever be able to escape this place that they seem to be trapped in. The plot of this novel is very interesting, and the way the author is able to progress the plot in an effective way that was easier to handle than some other books out there in the same genre. The characters seemed believable and real, with the dialogue making sense, and being believable, though the slang the boys use can be confusing as it is interjected in sentences sometimes at random. Though I haven’t gotten through all of the book, should the novel continue the way it’s going so far. Overall, the plot and writing style of the book are very good, and capture the interest of readers from the very beginning.

Though this book may seem average from the outside, you should never judge a book by it’s cover. I thought this book would be nothing special, another run of the mill dystopian novel. However, the more I read the more interested I become, with the author spinning and weaving an intriguing tale of survival, and mystery. Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone looking for an interesting read, and especially anyone who enjoys dystopian novels. Overall, a great book and definitely worth your time.