The Maze Runner
By: Anne McGovern, Gabrielle Andreozzi, Ela Slepokura
Characters:
Newt: The second in command and one of Thomas's friend is another antagonist. He is the one who tries to get Thomas to keep the ways of the Maze and the rules, and in doing so he is a static character.
Teresa: The last Glader and the only girl to ever become a part of the Maze is a minor character because she came later in the story. She is a flat character.
Plot Summary of The Maze Runner:
The Maze Runner begins with Thomas, the main character and protagonist, is introduced, but not in a way that you would expect. It all starts with him waking up in a dark box slowly rising, not remembering anything about himself and the life he once knew. All of a sudden, the box stops and doors open above him, blinding him. This new place that he comes upon is called The Glade within a huge maze, but something strange about this new environment is that the only inhabitants are boys. As the story unfolds, Thomas finds out more and more about the maze and the inhabitants of the glade as he becomes a runner and investigates his surroundings and more and more action, tragedy, and excitement occur as the story continues down its path.
The Maze Runner Setting:
The story is set in the Glade, a dilapidated, self-sufficient community built by the Gladers, or the inhabitants, who all happen to be boys. The boys formed Homesteads, or places for Gladers to sleep, and many other things necessary for a functioning community. An important detail of the setting is that surrounding the Glade, there are “doors” that open and close at specific times of the day. One side of the door has spikes jutting out from the side, while its opposite side has indents to fit the spikes. This is so that the doors can slide apart and together easily. On the other side of the doors are the Maze, where every Glader's worst nightmare lies.
Review for this Novel:
After reading this novel, we would definitely recommend The Maze Runner. It incorporates different elements of science fiction, adventure, and mystery. Also, the main character goes through many events that help him to change into a stronger, braver person. The novel is packed with suspenseful scenes of action and thrill. The only problem we found with this narrative is that it was a bit slow at times, but as it began to unfold, it definitely picked up the pace. We would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys novels based upon dystopia and a book similar to The Hunger Games.