Despite the countless recommendations I had received for this book since it was published, I decided against reading it until recently for the sole reason that I just wasn’t that interested. The plot seemed dull, and I have never been much of a dystopian kind of person. Now, I wonder what the heck I was thinking. As James Dashner would say, holy shuck! The Maze Runner was AMAZING! This book has officially made it up to my top five best reads of the summer; I was completely blown away. I always find it so much more difficult to write reviews for books that I adore than books I despise, mainly because it is so hard for me to express in words just how phenomenal said book is. I seem to have encountered this recurring problem once again with The Maze Runner, but nonetheless, I will attempt to write a review worthy of this fantastic book.
I must start off with the plot. Thomas wakes up to find himself in a box that opens up to the glade, the central part of an elaborate maze where monsters dwell. From the moment of Thomas’s entrance into the glade, he works to try and recover any part of his memory while also trying to solve the maze and stop the deaths of the boys who live in the Maze with him. It seems as if dystopian books nowadays are sort of merging together; essentially, they all follow the same storyline. Dashner brings something completely different and new to the table with this book. Kids purposefully being trapped in a maze and subjected to countless atrocities for the sake of all of humanity? This idea is so unique and overwhelming; it is completely unfathomable to me how Dashner could come up with a plot idea so new and execute it flawlessly. The plot is very intense and suspenseful, and (much to my delight) eliminates the romantic aspect so many popular dystopians feel the need to include (yes I’m looking at you, Michael Grant). Not that I have anything against a good ole’ romance once in a while- I just feel that (unless done very very well) romance is completely out of place in a dystopian novel. I could go on for hours on this topic, but this is a review on The Maze Runner- not a rant on the many faults of dystopian romances.
Now onto my next favorite part of this book: the pacing. I love how we were kept in the dark along with Thomas. Right from the start, I was utterly bewildered and disoriented- I had no idea what was going on. I could almost taste the frustration radiating off of Thomas; Dashner purposely keeps us confused to build suspense. Some think it’s tedious and slow, but personally, I say it’s genius. The apprehension leaves readers squirming in their seats, flipping pages frantically, dying to know what’s coming. But all the frustration and blind reading was well worth it, for when Dashner finally tells us what is happening I am utterly flabbergasted. Can you say plot twist? From there the whole story picks up speed. Everything is explained, I am no longer confused and Dashner has moved onto the action! The pacing is done perfectly; a slow introduction, slowly picking up pace and then
BAM! Non-stop action from then on out. I love it.
I fell in love with the characters. Dashner has created the perfect mix here. You’ve got the gruff and opinionated Alby, the sweet and naive Chuck, the hard-working and determined hero Thomas, the beautiful and smart Teresa, the strong and hilarious Minho, the likeable second-in-command Newt, and the closest you can get to a secondary antagonist: Gally. There wasn’t a single character that really stood out for me with this book; I just loved all of them all as a whole. They are introduced to us and crafted so perfectly throughout the novel. By the end, they have all grown and developed so much- most become very three dimensional for me. I say “most” here for a reason. One character who I liked, but wished could have been developed a bit more was Teresa. I didn’t feel that I got to know here very well (seeing as she was in a coma for most of the book). I had hoped Dashner could focus on her role in the plot a bit more in the last little section of the novel, but much to my chagrin, this wasn’t the case. I only hope this issue will be cleared up in the next instalment of this series.
As for the writing, this is one of those times you either hate it or you love it. I have to say, for this book, I’m on team “love it”! Dashner includes quite a few made up slang words, sometimes in
place of swear words. For example, “holy shuck”, “go take a klunk”, “shank”, “good that”, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. Originally, I hated this aspect of the writing. It seemed hokey and out of place for me. However, as the story progresses, these words seem to just flow from the tongue, as if they were part of normal vocabulary. I get used to the idea of these strange words and I learn what each means. As a result, the new words lose their irritating side and begin to seem cute and downright hilarious. You can’t help but laugh when adorable little Chuck tells Thomas to “go take a klunk” (klunk being the made up word for poo) or when Thomas unknowingly calls the big boss Alby “shank” (shank being the made up word for newbie). These words popping up everywhere prevent the writing from being poetic or beautiful, but the book is undeniably well written. Dashner definitely has a way with words; he is extremely descriptive and his story just comes alive in my mind.
One last note: the ending. Wow! Dashner sure knows how to end off a book! One of the most suspenseful cliffhangers I have ever read about. I was completely satisfied, but somehow desperate to read the next book.
I set in to this book with high expectations, and James Dashner delivered. I am very pleased with this novel. The plot was unique, the characters were relatable, the pacing was flawless, the writing was good and the ending was the perfect way to tie everything together. I would recommend it to those who enjoy dystopians and suspenseful novels. Overall, a fabulous novel. Now I must get my hands on the Scorch Trials! Can’t wait!
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