I am really torn on this book. There is part of me that loved this book, and part of me that absolutely hated it. I am sure that some of you are saying, "Michele, if you hated this book why are you giving it such a high rating?" I can do this because although I am not rapturous over this book it is a good book. Will I read the sequel? Yes, I will. This is a good book, and now that I have invested the time and I understand the language the sequel should flow better for me. The Ma...more I am really torn on this book. There is part of me that loved this book, and part of me that absolutely hated it. I am sure that some of you are saying, "Michele, if you hated this book why are you giving it such a high rating?" I can do this because although I am not rapturous over this book it is a good book. Will I read the sequel? Yes, I will. This is a good book, and now that I have invested the time and I understand the language the sequel should flow better for me. The Maze Runner read for me like a foreign language in so many ways because I was so unfamiliar with the slang. The story although sad I enjoyed it for the most part.

The protagonist of this book is Thomas, he is a likable hero. There are other protagonists but, Thomas is the main focus of the story. The antagonists are "the creators". Once a month for to years a boy has arrived in the box, and the boy this month is Thomas. They arrive with no memories of their past lives the only thing they remember is their names. Soon after Thomas arrives "the girl" arrives with dire warnings. There is no one over the age of 17 in this group of boys. They are a well organized group, broken in groups by their jobs. Each time a new boy comes the newest one before them is their mentor as it were. Thomas has Chuck as his mentor. Chuck is a younger and somewhat annoying pal for Thomas.

Each boy works at a different job until they find their job, it all seems vaguely familiar to Thomas. He wants to be a "runner" the most dangerous job and one that not everyone can do. Everyday the "runner's" go out into the maze to map it. The hope being that if they solve the maze they will find the way out.

This is a sad, poignant story. I will read the sequel. ( )

Merideth says: This is a very compelling book, but you do have to wade through the first section. The first several chapeter, which detail the Glade and it's inhabitants -- while necessary -- are not nearly as exciting or compelling as the mystery behind Thomas's arrival and the purpose of the maze. I felt this book really hit it's stride about the 150 page mark. Dashner does a really good job of keeping the reader guessing, and doesn't make his hero a golden boy; in some ways, Thomas is really unlikeable. There's a lot to think about and discuss in this book, and it woudl be a good choice for book discussions. ( )

The Maze Runner, first in a series, is an intriguing story about a group of teenage boys who are trapped in a mysterious place called The Glade. Just outside The Glade is a massive maze that appears to be unsolvable. The main character Thomas has just arrived, with no memories other than his name, yet he occasionally feels some faint traces of feeling that the place is familiar. While he is trying to adjust to his predicament he discovers that there are horrifying machine/beast creatures that attack the boys - especially in the maze at night. Fortunately they are secured in The Glade each night by big stone doors and walls. But what would happen if anyone ever gets stuck out there at night? Who created the maze? How will they ever get home to their families? The next day a girl arrives with a note from the creators and the end is triggered...

This novel sets up what looks to be a very suspenseful story with an end-of-the-world type theme. At first it seems that the action is confined to trying to solve the maze, but by the end of the novel the setting has broadened and new mysteries are hinted at. I look forward to reading the next installment and finding out what is going on. Dashner has created a strange but believable world that captured my interest and kept me reading. At first it felt a little repetitive when the boys circumstances were being described. I enjoyed it more as I got into it and things started happening. The book sort of felt like a computer game to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful science fiction and particularly to teenage boys: what with the heroic young male protagonist, the spots of blood and gore plus the mysteries to solve I imagine it would be a great choice. It has been a while since I read any science fiction and I really enjoyed The Maze Reader. ( )

Unlike the dystopian _Lord of the Flies_, these boys who have been placed in The Glade attempt to keep everyone busy with jobs to avoid depression. ( )

This was a great futuristic teen novel. Kind of like a cross between Hunger Games, City of Ember, and Lord of the Flies. Only thing I didn't get was why was only one girl smart enough to make it into the test. ( )