The Maze Runner by James Dashner

374 pages

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is blank.

But he's not alone. When the lift doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers are expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home...wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers - if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind." -Book Jacket

Mr. Patterson, this is how dystopian/science fiction is done. This book was such a fun ride. I saw it described online as The Hunger Games + Lord of the Flies. That was a pretty enticing description, but there's no cannibalism in this book...or kids killing kids for sport. The Gladers are actually very organized in their "society." Alby and Newt have been in the Maze the longest (two years) and are in charge. There are rules, jobs, and consequences. Order is everything. There are Keepers who are in charge of each job assignment and they make up a council that makes all the decisions. I was impressed by their ability to have such a high-functioning and orderly existence.

Runners go out into eight different sections of the Maze every day in the hopes of figuring it out. As soon as Thomas arrives he knows that he is supposed to be a Runner for some reason. But first he has to prove himself and earn the right to be considered for a Runner. He does that, somewhat accidentally, by getting stuck out in the Maze overnight while trying to help two Runners who he can tell won't make it back into the Glade before the doors close. The reason they don't want to be stuck in the Maze at night? Grievers, mechanical/biological creatures whose sound is easier to imagine than their appearance based on their description, come out at night. No one's ever survived a night in the Maze. The Griever's sting causes The Changing - a gruesome transformation that lasts a few days and allows you to remember parts of your past - if you can survive it, i.e. make it back to the Glade and get the Serum.

I could not put this book down. The ending was awesome...the epilogue contained a great twist. I thought Teresa's character was a bit underdeveloped. I didn't feel any attachment to her like I did with some of the other characters, but I'm hoping that will change in the next book. Book 2 is called The Scorch Trials and I just might have to go get it today.