In an isolated place, buried deep within miles of mazes, lies a land inhabited solely by kids. In The Maze Runner by James Dashner, a large group of kids are stranded on a decently sized patch of grass which they call, the glade. Every month, a new kid comes up through a mysterious and eerie elevator until Thomas comes through, starting a chain of changes. The story opens in Thomas’ eyes as he rises up through the elevator, unaware as to where he is, and not sure who he is. Upon reaching the top, he is greeted and harshly welcomed into a new community and earns himself the nickname, greenie. After a few days pass, Thomas becomes accustomed to the rules and nature of this odd place. However, his friend Chuck doesn’t tell him about the grievers and the effect of their stings. Thomas overhears the higher ups trying to treat a fellow glader, who was brutally stung, but the loud screams frighten Thomas to his very core. A few days later, the leader of the community doesn’t make it out of the maze and as the doors of the maze close, Thomas is faced with the choice of letting them die, or going in to try to save them. When I first started reading, I was disappointed with the language as words such as “klunk” and “greenie” seemed cringey to read. Obviously, when the word “klunk” is a replacement for poop, it is used as an insult. However the book began to pick up pace around the middle part of the book when changes began happening. The author does a very good job with making the reader feel like they are a part of the small community so when changes happen, they are very impactful and devastating. However, the plot twist in the book wasn’t pulled off very well because the author kept hinting at it. Overall, the story felt too dragged out and despite having some exciting moments, the majority of the book is spent in slow moments and cringey dialogues. This is one of those very rare times where watching the movie may be better than reading the book.
Comments