YA Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Published: August 15th 2014 by Delacorte Press
Genres: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian 

Pages: 374

Format: Paperback

Source:  Purchased

"If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Everything is going to change.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.Remember. Survive. Run."

Each summer my kiddo and I pick out a series of books to read together.  This one seemed to be high up on the list.  Going in,  I really didn't know what to expect.  I had heard that this might be like the Hunger Game, and having already read that with my kiddo before, I thought we would enjoy this one too.  I am glad that we waited to start this series until all the other books came out, cause it has led my kiddo to independently pick up and read the other two.  Bonus reading!! The Maze Runner really has a lot going on that kept our interest and led to lots of conversations about what might happen next or what certain things might mean.  Where Hunger Games pits each of the characters against each other to survive, The Maze Runner is a shared attempt for survival.  Each of the characters are given a role or job to perform that collectively helps the Gladers.  One of facets of the story that is most intriguing, or frustrating, is that the story unfolds as Thomas experiences it.  Meaning that everyone's memory has been wiped when they arrive in the Glade.  There is no past history to deal with, everything is in the here and now (aside from when the new girl arrives and when they undergo a "Changing" that gives them glimmers of their past).   They don't know how they got there, why they are there, or anything from their past.  You see it as Thomas sees and experiences it.   So in that way, your left guessing as to which direction the plot is going.  Leaving plenty of twists and turns and suspenseful moments but lots of questions along the way.   I felt it lacked some of the intensity of peril that the Hunger Games had, but the Greaver's still are creepy.  Just not sure if I'll continue with the series yet or not.  

Did you read this or see the movie?  What did you think? I'm always happy to have comments.