The Maze

by Jordon Greene

Kayden Walker is a typical sixteen year old high school student. He hates school, thinks he can't go a day without talking to his girlfriend, and his phone is perpetually in his hand.

Stuck on the family's yearly October beach getaway, Kayden reluctantly tags along for an excursion into a Halloween-themed maze that his mom found online. It's a small, rundown facility about thirty minutes off the beaten path with rusted doors and a rotted wooden edifice.

There's only one problem when Kayden's family and a newlywed couple enter the maze. Once you enter, you're not allowed to leave.

Warning: This is an extreme horror story. Some content may be disturbing to sensitive readers.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

68 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2017

About the author

Jordon Greene is an award-winning author and software engineer raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. His work ranges from tense horror thrillers to cute romance stories, however, Jordon's heart is most invested in writing young adult romance stories where both young and young-at-heart readers alike can feel the acceptance and worth they so deserve. Since his debut young adult novel in 2019, Jordon's stories have reached young readers with messages of diversity, found family, and hope while also handling difficult issues.

An alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.S. in Political Science, Jordon works professionally as a senior software engineer. When he isn't writing or at work you can usually find Jordon at his favorite little coffee shop with his found family, cuddling with his little demon spawns (aka cats), or posting online about his latest Asian-pop music or BL drama obsession. Jordon lives in Kannapolis, NC with his children Genji and Freyr (aka the aforementioned demon spawn).

Jordon is the award-winning author of EVERY WORD YOU NEVER SAID and A MARK ON MY SOUL.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gory little read with a big impact.
A fun storyline which fits in with Halloween 🎃
I would have liked a bit more information on Jasper's background and his reasons for building such a terrifying maze.
The ending left me dangling and wanting more...could we be looking at The Maze 2 ?? I hope so.
I'd like to read a lot more of Pumpkinface.🎃😳
All in all a bloody, fast paced book with plenty of nasty moments.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐'s for keeping me interested and on the edge of my chair.

[Cameron Chaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a super quick, bloody little read. It's nothing too special, as the characters are pretty surface-level and there were some repetitions in the writing. But odds are you're going to pick this up if you're looking for a gory Halloween story. This is definitely it! I wouldn't say it's scary or suspenseful, but it is definitely not for the squeamish as the warning on the cover suggests. Take heed!

[Doris Kissack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gore gore gore! If you want adventure with family atmosphere go to the maze. This roadside stop will have all your senses working overtime. Unlike a cornfield maze this is indoors which traps all the odors. And also has many paths to choose from. With such a cheap entrance fee who can refuse to enter? Have fun on this adventure with memories to take home. I recommend this short story all the way!

[Todd Condit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of gore and a great setting but lacked everything else.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for spooky season, who needs to read about a spooky fall Halloween maze? But watch out, this one might be deadly.

[Prithiv Chandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bringing life into each primal dread and covering the pages in blood, [Jordon] constrains you to confront the extremes of the human range.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very quick read but I couldn't put it down. I loved the action.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a nail-biter, not much storyline but lots of gore. Heed the warning and watch out for the pumpkin heads.

[Megan DeMartino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for any and all things horror. The spooky, the macabre, those intangibles that send chills up your spine.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this short 68-pager, but what an absolute disappointment.

There is a time and a place for gore, and this book understood neither. I mean honestly, what the hell did I just read?!

I also take pride in my *very* strong constitution. Working in the veterinary field, I'm seen my share of blood, guts, filth, and gore. It's part of my daily routine. I've had my hands abdomen-deep in emergency exploratories while contemplating what I plan to cook that night for dinner. It takes a lot to turn my stomach, and when I say it was an honest struggle not to upchuck during a large portion of this story, that's putting it lightly. If this had been one page longer, I'd have called it.

Looking for a gruesome snuff film with no depth or purpose? Enjoy!

[Langel Catan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Very Graphic! Nice ending though! I don't know if I will ever go to a haunted house again. Thanks Jordon!

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this at Barnes & Noble and had to get it! It was gory and brutal and I liked it a lot.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I’m done. Extreme horror isn’t for me. I should have thrown in the towel after Matt Shaw.

But I LOVE horror attractions, and the idea of a backwoods Halloween maze hooked me. And I thought maybe the ‘extreme’ tag is just an exaggeration. But it wasn’t.

Okay - two things. I don’t think I’m that bad with gore. I used to skip through the SAW movies to find the goriest bits. But maybe it’s worse reading it written down, because the intestine section had me in a hot sweat - it was horrible.

Secondly - why does extreme horror have to equal rape or sexual assault? And why is it always the female characters who suffer?? At this point it genuinely feels like male authors just want to play out a fantasy - and I’m not saying female authors don’t write it too, but I’ve just encountered it with sooo many guy horror authors and it makes me so uncomfortable.

Other than that, the dialogue here is super cringe, and there’s not much tension. It’s all just walking around and then bam, gore. I wanted a spooky maze, why can’t anyone write a nice spooky maze story??

I reckon I’m probably being unfair with the rating but I can’t give it any more stars because I hated it.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book; it's totally up my alley in terms of genre and the author (who willingly admits this his his first foray into the horror realm) was more than generous for allowing people to read and review it in advance. Unfortunately, I didn't find it especially good. It's very short, which can be a good thing, but it's also verbose about inconsequential details, yet somehow lacking in a varied vocabulary (the word "reeling" is used at least 10 times, for instance). An entire paragraph about, plus a dozen more references to, a woman's "ass" just feels like unnecessary padding. The dialogue is forced and unnatural, and probably could've been scrapped altogether in many spots. The book is not without its merits, however, the gore scenes are pretty wonderful. They're described with brutal, almost clinical, apathy.

Imagine reading the movie Hatchet, basically. It's a printed version of a B-movie.

Is it worth a read? Yes, if only for the sensation of having sat through a slasher flick.

[Samantha Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎃👻 Book #7 for #Halloween2021 🎃👻

"The Maze: An Extreme Horror Story" by Jordon Greene

💥Proceed with caution in regards to this read as it is an extreme horror novel and NOT for the faint of heart💥

Kayden and his parents are taking their yearly family vacation, despite his teachers protests that he miss a whole week of school every October. This year is a bit different though, as big brother Teagan can't attend. Nevertheless, their mom has done her best to make this an enjoyable trip without him and on day four they head out for a seasonal maze that claims to hold nothing back for Halloween. Kayden has suspicions it'll be some kiddy maze and not worth their time but what Kayden should really be worried about is whether they'll make it out alive.



💥****CONTAINS SPOILERS****💥


This was a super short read, I finished it in one sitting. It was fast paced and intriguing but ultimately pretty predictable. I REALLY wish it had ended without a final survivor but overall I give it a 3 🌟

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love extreme horror books. Jon Athan is a favorite of mine. His books have depth and feeling to it. A meaning for its gore and depravity.
This one... No plot, no purpose. Just gore for gore's sake. The ending was abrupt and pointless. So basically just snuff.
Its a shame though because it's actually well written. It's just lacks a lot.

Short stories can be hard hitting if done right. Ask Dean Koontz. He wrote "Kittens", which is 3 pages long and is one of the most disturbing stories I have ever read.

[Marcia Honeycutt Roseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you could do anything just because you could? To quote my favorite line from this book: A mad man who got his kicks off some bloody fetish” is what a man named Jasper became when he decided he could horrifically murder people just because he could. Follow a family of three and a newly wed couple through a haunted maze to find out who lives and who dies. You will not be disappointed if you are a fan of suspenseful horror and gore. You may never want to go in a haunted maze or house again. I know I may not!

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Halloween time and you know what that means? It's time for a spooky horrifying maze.

Kayden and his parents Tammy (who loves Horror) and Ken (who hates Horror) go to The Maze whilst on vacation. They have 1 hour to get out or they have to "stay". But what could go wrong when there is a creepy person with a pumpkin mask running around welding a scalpel, nail gun and a knife?

I really enjoyed this extreme Horror novel.

[Lydia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun and quick Halloween slasher read! I liked how fast paced it was, it got straight to the point. I also really liked how it was a slasher story inside of a haunted maze!
And the best part, there was a Bad Omens reference at the beginning of the book! It really set the type of vibe for the book which I liked!
If you are looking for a quick, gory and fun slasher I highly recommend this one!

[Jurnee Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. Not bad, I thought this was a full novel when I bought it online only to receive it and realize it was a short story. I feel like it was good for what it was - gory, tense. I think I just craved a little more depth. Felt like I was reading someone’s first go at extreme horror and while off to a great start, they could use some more practice.

[Bruno Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really like short stories but i do like blood and gore.
If you are looking for a quick read and you are a fan of the genre than this book is definitely for you!
Not recommended for the faint-hearted!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good little slasher short story. It was pretty predictable but most slasher book/movies are. I think it's a solid 3.5 star. I gave it 4 because the author lives in my hometown and it mentioned the big city near it a couple times. Kinda cool 🤷

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

The gore was the best part about this and even that wasn’t great. There was seemingly no purpose to this. Felt repetitive at times and for how short this was I was still dying for it to be over. Not a favorite of mine by a long shot.

[Erica Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept I just wanted more! Not too much character backstories so i didn't care if they died.
I also wanted more background on the actual maze. Overall a quick, gory read and well written.

[ScarletlovesMystery331 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome little novella, I really enjoy how the writer wrote the killer and own main character in the story, but the ending leaves on a cliffhanger. I do hope he makes a sequel book for this character . 👍👍👍

[Dayna Vanover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood and Gore

What a waste of an hour and a half. One of the stupidest books I've read in a while. I DO NOT recommend this book to anyone!

[Jordon Greene]

I hope you enjoy reading this new extreme horror story. I wanted to write something more graphic, so this was the outcome. Enjoy!

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. No redeeming entertainment value to this disgusting story.

[Mariah Otero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this because it was advertised as a very scary book. To me it was just gruesome. Quick and easy read. Not bad but not the greatest.

[Sarah Worrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

What…. did I just read.. remind me to never go to a maze lol

[Josee Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid three stars for me. I’d recommend for a short thrill/horror vibe. Wasn’t a love for me but kept my attention.