The Maze Runner
By: James Dashner
James Dashner
James Dashner was born in Austell, Georgia on November 26, 1972. He attended Brigham Young University where he studied accounting be decided to try his hand in writing. He lives in the Rocky Mountains where he has a family of his own, Four children and a wife.
The Maze
The books setting takes place in a giant maze. Inside the maze there are 60 teenage boys who have set up camp in "the glade". The boys dont know anything of their past lives or how they got to this place. The only thing they do remember is their names. The maze itself is a giant death trap with creatures that lurk in the depths of the maze.
Thomas (main character)
Every week a new boy is sent to the maze in a black box. It's always the same story, they don't know their past only their name. Thomas is 16 years old and was the last boy sent to the maze. He made a best friend named chuck the first day. In the maze, Thomas chose what "job" he would be doing. It was anywhere from breeding livestock, butchering the live stock or cleaning messes. Thomas took the job of being a "runner". The job of the runner is to enter the maze and try to find a way out. These runners are running from morning till night. They all meet up in a small shack and create mental maps of the maze. They have to be running or else they will be killed or worse, not get back to the glade in time in which the giant doors will lock them out and then they will be killed by the.... creatures. Their main task is to find a way out of the maze.
Conflict
The teenage group of boys were sent one girl. This girl seems to remember Thomas, (main character). She would also be the last person to be delivered to the glade. The girl who was sent to them triggered the end. No more packages of food or people were sent to the gladers. Their only option is to leave the glade and make their way to their last option or all die by the creatures.
Compelling Teaser
These boys were all sent to the maze for a single reason and they know that the "creators" have complete control over them. The question is, "is the maze really meant to kill them or keep them safe from the outside world?"
Important Passage
"If you ain't scared," Alby said, "you ain't human. Act any differently and I'd throw you off the cliff because it'd mean you're a psycho." Alby, P.9 This happens when Thomas first arrives in the glade, He is scared and frightened. He doesn't want to admit this to the others so he puts on a tough guy act. When Alby says this, he is indicating that to admit that your scared is the first part in dealing with reality.
Readers that would enjoy this book/type of book
This is the kind of book that will keep you interested and always wanting to know what is next. I would recomened this book to a large variety of people. The book has a lot of mysteries and illusions. People who enjoy a fast paced book with lots of twists in it should definatly read, "The Maze Runner." The book is under the catagory of Sci-Fi.
Did I like the book?
This book kept me glued in and guessing what would come next. It was interesting and had a great plot to it. I loved the book and am looking forward to the next two in the series.
Citations
Dashner, James. "James Dashner at CONduit 17.png." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia
project and MediaWiki, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2009.
<http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Dashner_at_CONduit_17.png>.
This is a photo of the Author of The Maze Runner and numerous other books.
project and MediaWiki, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2009.
<http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Dashner_at_CONduit_17.png>.
This is a photo of the Author of The Maze Runner and numerous other books.
Franklin, Garth. "The Maze Runner." Hardwicke To Adapt "The Maze Runner."
IndieClick Film Network, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/18842/
hardwicke-to-adapt-the-maze-runner>. This picture gives you a glimps at
the maze in which the book takes place in.