Fangirl Friday: Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub. Date: August 24, 2010
Source: Purchased
You can purchase this book at: Amazon and Barnes and Noble


 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. 

I just recently finished this book after I had received many recommendations and may I say, it was a lot better than I expected to be. I thoroughly enjoyed it! There was so much action and many breath-taking moments in this book. After I finished it, I didn't really know what to do with my life.

 For those of you who have not read The Maze Runner, the synopsis consists of a maze, a large group of boys, and creepy creatures. Let me explain. Thomas is awakened in a lift and taken to the Glade, a land surrounded by four walls that close every night. Along with these four walls, Thomas is introduced to a group of strange boys. To top that off, Thomas has no memory and is even unaware of his own age. Even the other boys have no recollection of their identities which is SUCH a big help with his situation. -.-

Beyond the four walls lies a maze that the Gladers have been investigating for two years, sadly losing lives in the process. Thomas is pushed right into the Glader schedule which consist of sleeping, eating, and chores. Curiosity is not his friend because as Thomas scrambles for answers, he discovers disturbing things about the maze.

Not only is it a never-ending puzzle, but inside it are Grievers, creatures that can sting and kill you. If a Glader is stung and receives a certain serum in time, they are unleashed to the Changing. The Changing is a process where some memories return to you and everything about you is different. Every  Glader who had gone through the changing claimed that they had seen Thomas throughout this process, making him look quite suspicious. 

As Thomas is trying to understand the ways of the Glade, a girl arrives.  Now, just to be clear, there are no girls in the Glade. So, when this random chick who is in a coma arrives with an ominous message, I can see why the boys would be confuzzled. Usually, only one boy arrives per month.

 I want to keep explaining every little detail about the plot, but that would eventually lead to me ruining the book. What I liked about the Maze Runner was the way these boys took control of their situation and learned how to survive. When I first started the book, I thought it was a little slow. However, I began to feel interested when it introduced the concept of the Runners. The Runners are a team of boys that run through the maze, mapping information or documenting new things that occur inside of it. 

This book did hurt my feels, because the reader can see how homesick and sad these boys are. They should be with their families or learning how to play baseball, but instead they are trapped in the middle of this ridiculous labyrinth. The Maze Runner had a lot of touching moments and I even cried at the end.

One of the main reasons I fangirled over this book, was because of Newt, my FAVORITE character. The humorous and daring character is one of the leaders of the Gladers and the way he uses his power throughout the Glade was amazing. I loved his little obsession with organization and order among the Gladers. The way he welcomed Thomas and protected his friends was so heroic. I have not seen the movie adaption of this book, but I do appreciate the casting of Newt. GAH. I FRIGGIN LOVE NEWT. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much and it exceeded my expectations! I recommend this to any reader who loves a lot of action and mystery novels. I do plan on purchasing the rest of this series, but it is to my understanding that they aren't as good? I'll just have to read and see! Are any of you readers Newt lovers? What did you think of this book? Comment down below and tell me! I hope you enjoyed this Fangirl Friday review. Happy Reading!