The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas awakes to oblivion. He cannot see anything in the dark confines of a cold, metal box. He bundles himself into a ball, tucking his legs into his stomach. As beads of chilly sweat run across his forehead his brain kicks into action.
‘My name is Thomas’
That is all he can remember about his life; his name… In his bewilderment he cycles through his thoughts… ‘Running down a leaf-strewn road, eating a burger, the moon casting a pale glow on a grassy meadow, swimming in a lake, a busy city square with hundreds of people bustling about their business’… He has memories of all of this, but he cannot remember his life, or anything particular. He knows what a car is, he doesn’t know any car brand. He knows what a country is, he can’t remember any. He knows what a family is, he can’t remember his own…
Fear strikes every single nerve of his body. What’s happening? What Happened? Where am I? Who am I? Thomas… That’s all he remembers… And then the box he is in judders and rises, like a lift. His fear dissipates and curiosity conquers his thoughts. And then the lift comes to a sudden halt, the roof slides back and light blinds his eyes. He hears talking and slowly starts to see the outlines of people standing over him. They all point and talk about him.. ‘Looks like a klunk in a T-shirt.’, ‘How old is he?’. And then he realises, everyone around him is male and there is not a single adult.
After being helped out of the lift he looks around him. He is standing in the centre of a glade, a gigantic, unimaginably monstrously large glade… And there are four walls, each standing one hundred meters tall… Thomas’ new life has begun, and it won’t be easy…
TEEN RATING: Unlike anything I’ve read, The Maze Runner is ingenious. It is filled with twists and turns (Literally and figuratively). A thrilling and tense book, it kept me up all night. If you like Sci-Fi and Thrillers, then this book was made for you. 12+ 4.2/5
