Book Review

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Futuristic, Action, Mystery

Rating: 3 ½

Can you imagine waking up in a metal box without knowing how you got there? How about not remembering anything about your past? This is what happened to Thomas. His mind was blank and he could only remember one thing, his first name. After the metal box stop after moving for what seemed to be half an hour, Thomas was welcomed by the bright sunlight and crowd of fifty or so teenage boys. The strange place with four impossibly huge walls surrounding a large courtyard is the Glade. The Glade is divided into four sections, Gardens are where the crops are grown, Blood House is where the animals are kept and killed, Homestead is where some of the boys sleep, and the Deadheads is a graveyard out of the way. This place had looked somewhat familiar to Thomas but he had no memory of it.

He quickly finds out that the other boys have no memory of their past, of themselves, or they are there. Although there is a leader, Alby, who brings conclusion to topics in the Glade. Newt, the second in command, who knows his duty and won’t let anything stop him along the way. Then there is Chuck who becomes Thomas’ friend immediately and stays by his side till the end. In a short time, Thomas finds out that the Glade is inside a maze and some brave people risk the dangers by entering it every day. Not only do they have to stay clear from its monsters, called the Grievers, but they have to navigate themselves out. Every sunrise and sunset, a giant door on each of the four walls of the Glade moves. The runners in the maze must make it back before they close or else they will spend the night locked out with the Grievers, something that no one has ever survived doing. Other that figuring out the maze, there is no way of escaping, alive. Many people have been killed by the Grievers or died trying to leave.

The Gladers follow a sense or order. Each Glader has a job and is responsible for doing it every day. Every week supplies, such as food and clothing, are given to them from the metal box. Every month a Greenie, new boy, comes up in the metal without any memories, just like the rest of them. Not only does the metal box bring a new person the day after Thomas arrived, which has never happened before, but it’s a girl. To add the confusion she carries a note that reads, “She’s the last one. Ever.” Suspicions turn to Thomas and people think that he had something to do with her “triggering the ending” along with other drastic change of events.

I thought that this book was a really interesting book. It was full of action and mystery which made it hard to stop reading. It was also full of surprises which added an exciting twist to the story. The beginning was a bit confusing because neither the character nor the reader really knew what was going on. The climax of the story was very intense and was my favourite part of the story. I was a bit disappointed with the ending which made me lose interest in reading the second book. I gave this book a rating 3 ½. I think that is the ending was different then the book would have been a more memorable book but all together it was very good.