The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Jan 26, 2014 Jamie rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian-utopian, young-adult

This barely earned it's for stars. Just over a 3.5 is more accurate.

For the most part I really enjoyed the story. Yet I feel that the last third of the book was rushed and just threw us a bunch of random bits that don't seem to go together. My mind is still working through the mess of the last few chapters. Nothing is really answered! I ended up with more questions than I started with!

While it starts off really good and the premise is most interesting the ending reveals many gaps in the plot th This barely earned it's for stars. Just over a 3.5 is more accurate.

For the most part I really enjoyed the story. Yet I feel that the last third of the book was rushed and just threw us a bunch of random bits that don't seem to go together. My mind is still working through the mess of the last few chapters. Nothing is really answered! I ended up with more questions than I started with!

While it starts off really good and the premise is most interesting the ending reveals many gaps in the plot that just do not add up. The worst part here is I cannot say much without giving things away!

I liked Thomas' character. Independent, thoughtful, and proactive! Unlike many other characters we meet, he does not accept things at face value. And about time too! Some of the other boys in the Glade have been there for 2 years with no results. He questions solutions, speaks up for himself and is determined to figure a way out.

My favorite character is Chuck. While he is mostly picked on an not a favorite otherwise, I found him to be a great, loyal friend. He is one of the younger boys in the "community" and isn't one of the most skilled but he really tries to help Thomas out and befriend him. Another favorite is Newt. an ideal leader and all around, fair, caring guy. Minho (spelling might be off-listened to audio) I had mixed feelings on I liked him but he also annoyed me a lot.

The fact that a bunch of adolescent boys run the glade alone, from building, to medical, cooking, butchering, farming, etc impressed me. I kept wondering where those skills came from. There must have been a prerequisite skill set to be sent there or something.

One other thing I struggled with was the visualization of the Grievers. I felt more attention should have gone there. Each time my mind tried, it saw something different. Even re-reading this via audiobook didn't help. Except picking up more on the squishy bits.

Overall good, but needed more checking that things matched up throughout the plot and the ending could have been less muddled. I have no problem with open questions in the first book, but I like at least some answered and this just threw me for a loop. ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Megan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019, new-to-me-authors-2019, behind-enemy-lines, july-2019

The was confusing at the start, what with all the alternate curse words and not understanding where they really were or why. I didn't particularly care that much for Thomas, he was a bit annoying and pushing to do things his way so quickly. The fact that a lot of the time that worked out better was disappointing, though it did show how you sometimes need a new perspective to solve things. (view spoiler) ...more

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Jul 08, 2013 Veronika rated it did not like it

Shelves: i-hate-you-so-much, dystopie, written-for-white-men, male-author

Interesting premises, pale characterizations.
The main protagonist, Tom, was likeable (even though he had traces of being a Gary Stue). My favorites were Newt and Minho who were the only ones who experienced more than one emotion and who had some kind of development. Sadly Teresa and the other boys stayed kind of one-dimensional.
It's a fun read, because there's always something happening and there are a lot of very thrilling moments and you really want to know what the hell is going on?! But it ...more

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Mar 30, 2015 Colleen rated it it was ok

Shelves: dystopia, audiobook

Maybe my expectations were set too high, but I didn't really find this "amazing" or "suspenseful". :(

The withholding of information is incredibly annoying. And pointless - it didn’t serve the narrative, it didn’t serve character development, it only served to make the protagonist a special snowflake. There was no reason for the others not to tell Thomas what was going on when he showed up, and that same level of “shut up stop asking questions” continues throughout the book FOR NO REASON. Honestl ...more

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Apr 13, 2018 Shannon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, audiobooks, dystopias

After all the rave reviews I'd heard since well before the movie came out, I was disappointed. (I haven't seen the movie.) I'm still trying to decide if I care enough about what happens to the characters to read the next one in the series. ...more

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Apr 17, 2018 Beth rated it liked it

Two stars for writing, character development and dialogue. Four stars for being fun and entertaining — if you can reconcile "fun" with lots of gore (which apparently I can).

It's a cheesy YA novel with flat characters and "clean teen" made-up curse words.

But it's a good ride, and the ending elevated the plot. There were great revelations but with the promise of a continuing story, neither a throw-your-book-at-the-wall cliffhanger nor a dead end. Yeah, pretty good! ...more

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