Jamie’s Book # 6: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Quick summary: The  main character Thomas wakes up to learn he has lost all his personal memories other than his name. He can’t remember his age, family, or where he came from. He finds himself in a small development coined the Glade, which is surrounded by an enormous maze with walls that change every night and is home to terrifying creatures called Grievers. The development is run by teens like himself who also have no memory of their past lives. Their only hope is that if they solve the maze, they can escape the Glade and search for answers. Thomas’ arrival sparks a chain of events that change everything.

I seem to be subconsciously hung up on dystopian novels, because The Maze Runner also fits this category. Its intended audience is young adults, which is clear from page one. At times I felt like I was reading a book I was too old for. Often, (definitely in the beginning) the writing style irritated me. For instance, Dashner’s use of made up slang words seemed contrived. Every time I read one it bugged me, which was distracting. It took me a while to get into the plot line, but by about the halfway point, I was hooked and started to feel invested in the characters. The ending sets the stage for the sequel, The Scorch Trials, which I plan on reading. Overall, I would rate this a 6/10.