The dystopian genre has always been my favorite. Ever since I read the Divergent and Hunger Games trilogies back in middle school, I was constantly trying to find other series along the same lines. I remember hearing people talk about The Maze Runner, and I’d had the book in my library for years, but I’ve never tried to read it until recently. I had a rough time getting into it at first, nothing against the actual novel, but I just got out of the habit of reading after being so caught up with school. However, after a few chapters I realized how intriguing James Dashner’s novel would be.

Through the perspective of sixteen year old Thomas, the book begins with him seemingly trapped in an odd box that he informs the audience is moving up–like an elevator. He finds himself, along with a large group of other boys, stuck in what they call “The Glade,” a big space enclosed by tall, thick walls, that Thomas later learns is part of a maze. With their memories lost, the boys can’t even remember their names when they first stepped into the strange location. The day after he arrives, Thomas is getting a tour of the Glade from one of the other Gladers–Alby–who they say is their leader. While that is happening, Alby explains that once a week the box comes up with clothes and blank paper, and once a month they get a new Glader, which is signaled by loud alarms. He adds that they already received their supplies earlier in the week, and Thomas is the new Glader that they were given that month. However, in the middle of their conversation, they hear the loud alarms go off.

Once I was actually able to sit down and read the book, I almost had to force myself to put it down. From chapter to chapter, Dashner includes a countless amount of plot twists and action filled pages that made me repeat to myself, “Ok just one more chapter” every time I picked up the book. The more I read, the more questions I had, not particularly in a negative way, but the mystery aspect of the whole plot compelled me to keep reading and find the answers to questions posed. Despite this, it was never hard to follow. Everything seemed to happen almost perfectly, and it had an admirable blend of action and suspense that kept me intrigued. Character wise, all the other Gladers seemed to fit with one another very naturally. The way Dashner describes everything from the way they talk to all of their actions, you can visualize each of them and have major amounts of insight into the other boys’ thoughts. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is also a fan of action-packed dystopian and science fiction novels and series. Especially if you’re looking for a quick and exciting read.