The Maze Runner by James Dashner
In honor of the Maze Runner movie, which comes out in the United States on September 19th, I've decided to review the book and sum it up for those of you who plan on seeing the movie first. This is most definitely a book I have read before, three times actually, so I like to think I know what I'm talking about.
One of the great things about this book is that it's all narrated from the main character Thomas's point of view. This is also an annoying aspect of the book because when we first meet Thomas, he's 99.9% clueless about what is going on. So we learn things and meet people as Thomas does.
From what I've heard (thanks to interviews with the cast and such being on YouTube), we can expect the same viewpoint in the movie, learning things as Thomas learns them. If you haven't read the book, prepare for total confusion-slash-curiousity.
The book starts off with a boy (Thomas) who is trapped in a metal box. He doesn't know how he got there, he doesn't know exactly where there is, he is totally confused as well as scared. He doesn't remember himself. Thomas only remembers his name, and nothing else about his life. He remembers basic things, like the sun and moon, but doesn't know where those memories come from. After a long period of time passes, the box opens and Thomas is greeted by the unfamiliar faces of other boys, varying in age. He is pulled out of the box by one boy called Alby, who is seemingly the leader. After being told to keep his "shuck" mouth closed and follow directions, he's left on his own. No one will tell him where he is, or what they're doing there, but Thomas is persistent with his questions.
A few of the things Thomas learns quickly:
There is only boys in this new environment. They've set up a community, and everyone has a job. The group of boys live in a clearing that they call The Glade, and they call themselves the Gladers. Surrounding The Glade are four giant walls, with large openings in each one. These openings are the Doors into The Maze. Self-exlpanitory, The Maze is a giant maze set around the clearing. In the several years they've been there, no Glader has ever found an exit. The Doors close every night and open again every morning, keeping The Maze out, but the boys in. No one goes into The Maze at night. No one survives in The Maze at night, because that's when the Grievers come out and the walls begin to shift. Every day, boys called Runners go out into The Maze, mapping it out to try and find an exit. As soon as he sees the Runners, Thomas knows that's what he wants to be. The Gladers though, don't let just anyone be a Runner, and especially not a Greenie. A new boy is sent up in the box once a month. No one else in the Glade remembers anything about their life before The Maze except for their name.
Running, Grievers, W.I.C.K.E.D., beetle-blades, a whole new vocabulary that the Gladers use, everything is new to Thomas. It's frustrating, and he wants to get out of The Maze as much as everyone else, even after only one day there. He just feels like there has to be something he can do to help, something important that lies in his lost memories.
The day after Thomas arrives, a girl is sent up in the box with a message. She is the last one. And while no one ever has any memories when they arrive in the Glade, the girl does. She remembers Thomas, even if he doesn't remember her. After that, things begin to get weird.
If you've never heard of The Maze Runner, well I definitely recommend reading the book! It's very well written and it is fun to try and figure out the mysteries in the story before the main character does. (It's not likely, but still fun to try.) If you're one of those people that would rather just watch the movie, well I still hope you'll read the book first so that when the movie does come out you won't be floundering in confusion, but either way the movie trailer is below!
Confessions of a Bookworm: It's a pet peeve of mine when people watch the movie instead of reading the book. The two media types are completely different, and by just watching the movie you're experiencing a whole different story-line that's more screen-friendly.
Okay, well that's all I have to say on the matter of the book! After I see the movie I'll probably post a book vs movie comparison, but that will have to wait until after the 19th.
Oh, one more thing! If you've already read The Maze Runner, there is a sequel book! Two, actually. That's right. The Maze Runner is a trilogy! I'll be blogging about the second book, The Scorch Trials, as soon as I find the time, and a post about the third book, The Death Cure, will follow close behind. There is also a prequel, The Kill Order, which I may or may not blog about. (I haven't made up my mind yet.)
One of the great things about this book is that it's all narrated from the main character Thomas's point of view. This is also an annoying aspect of the book because when we first meet Thomas, he's 99.9% clueless about what is going on. So we learn things and meet people as Thomas does.
From what I've heard (thanks to interviews with the cast and such being on YouTube), we can expect the same viewpoint in the movie, learning things as Thomas learns them. If you haven't read the book, prepare for total confusion-slash-curiousity.
The book starts off with a boy (Thomas) who is trapped in a metal box. He doesn't know how he got there, he doesn't know exactly where there is, he is totally confused as well as scared. He doesn't remember himself. Thomas only remembers his name, and nothing else about his life. He remembers basic things, like the sun and moon, but doesn't know where those memories come from. After a long period of time passes, the box opens and Thomas is greeted by the unfamiliar faces of other boys, varying in age. He is pulled out of the box by one boy called Alby, who is seemingly the leader. After being told to keep his "shuck" mouth closed and follow directions, he's left on his own. No one will tell him where he is, or what they're doing there, but Thomas is persistent with his questions.
A few of the things Thomas learns quickly:
There is only boys in this new environment. They've set up a community, and everyone has a job. The group of boys live in a clearing that they call The Glade, and they call themselves the Gladers. Surrounding The Glade are four giant walls, with large openings in each one. These openings are the Doors into The Maze. Self-exlpanitory, The Maze is a giant maze set around the clearing. In the several years they've been there, no Glader has ever found an exit. The Doors close every night and open again every morning, keeping The Maze out, but the boys in. No one goes into The Maze at night. No one survives in The Maze at night, because that's when the Grievers come out and the walls begin to shift. Every day, boys called Runners go out into The Maze, mapping it out to try and find an exit. As soon as he sees the Runners, Thomas knows that's what he wants to be. The Gladers though, don't let just anyone be a Runner, and especially not a Greenie. A new boy is sent up in the box once a month. No one else in the Glade remembers anything about their life before The Maze except for their name.
Running, Grievers, W.I.C.K.E.D., beetle-blades, a whole new vocabulary that the Gladers use, everything is new to Thomas. It's frustrating, and he wants to get out of The Maze as much as everyone else, even after only one day there. He just feels like there has to be something he can do to help, something important that lies in his lost memories.
The day after Thomas arrives, a girl is sent up in the box with a message. She is the last one. And while no one ever has any memories when they arrive in the Glade, the girl does. She remembers Thomas, even if he doesn't remember her. After that, things begin to get weird.
If you've never heard of The Maze Runner, well I definitely recommend reading the book! It's very well written and it is fun to try and figure out the mysteries in the story before the main character does. (It's not likely, but still fun to try.) If you're one of those people that would rather just watch the movie, well I still hope you'll read the book first so that when the movie does come out you won't be floundering in confusion, but either way the movie trailer is below!
Confessions of a Bookworm: It's a pet peeve of mine when people watch the movie instead of reading the book. The two media types are completely different, and by just watching the movie you're experiencing a whole different story-line that's more screen-friendly.
Okay, well that's all I have to say on the matter of the book! After I see the movie I'll probably post a book vs movie comparison, but that will have to wait until after the 19th.
Oh, one more thing! If you've already read The Maze Runner, there is a sequel book! Two, actually. That's right. The Maze Runner is a trilogy! I'll be blogging about the second book, The Scorch Trials, as soon as I find the time, and a post about the third book, The Death Cure, will follow close behind. There is also a prequel, The Kill Order, which I may or may not blog about. (I haven't made up my mind yet.)
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