The Maze Runner

[Kagan]

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is one of the pioneering dystopian novels. It is similar to the hunger games or legend, both dystopian novels published in a similar time period. Since I was not as interested in dystopian novels at that time, I decided to pick up this novel and read it. The Maze Runner discusses a group of teenage boys who live in an area called the glade within a giant maze. Although they live in the maze, they know little about it and send 'runners' out into the maze to search for an exit each day. Supplies, resources, as well as another boy are delivered every so often, but none of the boys have any recollection of their past. This allows both the characters and the reader to ask questions like how did they get there, why are they there, and who is providing them with supplies. This mystery is immediately intriguing, and the action immediately ramps up when Teresa, the first girl, comes down the elevator the elevator the day immediately following the day when Thomas, the main character, arrives. These events lead to action packed sequences and mysteries that will keep you flipping the pages to find out what happens next or the answer to a question. Some of the scenes, which will have you on the edge of your seat take place in the maze, which is filled with deadly creatures. This novel is an excellent young adult dystopian fiction, which utilizes and builds on the ideas of similar novels.