When Thomas wakes up in a dark lift, headed upwards to who knows where, all he can remember is his first name. He has no idea where he came from, who he is, or how he got where he is. When the door above him opens, he discovers he’s “welcomed” by other teen boys, in a large expanse, called The Glade, surrounded by tall stone walls. The Gladers also have no memories of their lives before – they only know they’ve been virtual prisoners in the maze for about 2 years. They know that every morning, the large stone doors open and runners head out into the maze to map it out (since the walls moved the night before) to try to find clues to their situation and a way out. Every month a new boy is delivered on the lift, and the Gladers expected Thomas. What they don’t expect is that the next day, an unconscious girl is delivered, along with an ominous note that everything is about to change.
Thomas must quickly piece together an understanding of the Maze, the Glade and the guys he’s got to work with. He also has to figure out why certain things about the Glade seem so familiar to him, and why he has such a strange feeling about this girl. He’s got to prove himself to the other Gladers since he knows he’s supposed to be a runner in the Maze and he knows he must have answers somewhere locked in his memory.
In The Maze Runner, James Dashner’s forthcoming title from Random House (October 2009), the reader is immediately swept up into a fast-paced, action-packed, sci-fi thriller where we are just as confused, frustrated, and scared as Thomas and the rest of the Gladers. Dashner skillfully creates a world where the memory wipe is so complete and the clues so ambiguous, the reader wonders right along with the guys: is it a prison? an experiment? a reality/survival show? a torture chamber? a dystopia? a training camp for some kind of army? or something worse? I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book trying to piece together the skillfully placed hints and clues and using all my willpower not to turn to the end of the book to see what the maze really is and why these teens are trapped in it (I’m glad I didn’t, since the suspense is such a powerful component to the story).
Dashner’s writing is precise, economical and succinct, which allows the reader to experience the story right alongside Thomas with minimal narrative trappings. His plot is tightly structured and the story moves along at a breakneck pace which adds to the overall urgency and intensity of the plot. The mystery is carefully constructed and clues are leaked out in the most tantalizing way, keeping everyone guessing about the unknown future, the frightening past, and the dangerous present. Thomas’ voice is authentic, his confusion palpable, and his character & psychological struggles carefully drawn. He’s the kind of protagonist to whom readers (especially guys) can relate to and root for as he comes to terms with who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s got to do to survive.
The powerful first book in an anticipated trilogy, The Maze Runner can stand up alongside the other classics in which its seeds were sewn – books like The Lord of the Flies, Ender’s Game – because it’s about people struggling to maintain their humanity in an unforgiving environment stripped of choices, civilization, and compassion.
- Posted by Cori
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