The Maze Runner, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
2009
375
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.
Review:
This book is difficult to put down from the first page. Thomas arrives with no memory of anything aside from what happens from when he opens his eyes forward. As readers, even though it is written in the third person, we are left to discover things exactly as Thomas does, leaving us to feel his fear and confusion as though it is our own.
The plot has quite a bit of action, but also some moments where things go slowly. That could create a problem for the reader were it not for the ever-present questions slowly being answered. While most are resolved, it does leave some unanswered, and brings up new ones. It’s a real cliff-hanger.
This is a good book for reluctant readers while still being sophisticated enough for adults. I recommend it for grade 6 and up.
Content Warning:
Violence
