The Maze Runner
By: Anna Buckmeier
The Maze Runner is the book for you!
Publishing Company are you looking for the next best seller? Look no further! The Maze Runner is the perfect book for you. This book is a very intriguing story about a teen-age boy named Thomas, who arrives in a place called Glade, surrounded by a huge Maze with no memory of the past. Thomas soon discovers that he can help the the Gladers get out of the Maze, but when terror strikes and everything changes the outlook is dim. Thomas must remember more about his past to help solve this unsolvable maze. The Maze Runner is a great starter to a great series and will be the next best seller! Read the plot, setting, characters, conflict, and theme to find out more about how Thomas tries to escape from the Maze. Your company can be the one to publish this fantastic book!
Plot
Thomas wakes up in an elevator and can only remember his name. He can't remember anything else-where he came from, who his parents were, or what happened before he woke up. When he gets out of the elevator, he finds himself in Glade. The other Gladers are like Thomas. They have no memory of their life before entering Glade. There is a maze that surrounds Glade, and each day the Gladers try to solve the mystery of the maze to see if there is a way out of Glade. After Thomas arrives, the first girl appears and before collapsing says, "Everything will change." Thomas works with the other Gladers to solve the mystery of the maze, and tries his hardest to remember anything that could be useful to try to get out of the Maze. When the Gladers finally figure out the code, they must battle the Grievers to get to the Griever Hole and escape. In the end, only thirty Gladers survive.
Characters
Thomas
Thomas arrives in Glade with no memory of who he is or was. He only remembers his name and nothing else about his life. Thomas is very brave, loyal, and clever, and has telepathic powers with his friend Teresa. Soon after arriving in Glade, Thomas makes both friends and enemies and proves a leader among the boys.
Teresa
Teresa is a teenage girl who mysteriously arrives in Glade the day after Thomas does. She tells everyone that everything is about to change before slipping into a coma. Later, it is revealed that she shares a telepathic link with Thomas, and they become close friends as she helps Thomas and Chuck uncover the Maze.
Alby
The leader of the Gladers, Alby, has authority over much of what goes on in the Glade. He is hot-headed, but very experienced. After being stung by a Griever, Alby undergoes the Changing and becomes convinced that they should not return to the outside world.
Setting
Glade is a relatively small area that serves as a living place for the Gladers. Glade has four large walls that surround it and separate it from the Maze. In Glade, there are four sections. Section one is the Gardens and is where crops are grown and water is pumped, because it never rains in Glade. Section two, the Homestead, is where the boys sleep. At the back of the Homestead is the Slammer, a place that functions as a jail. Section three is the Bloodhouse and is where livestock are raised and slaughtered. The last section is the Deadheads. The Deadheads has a small forest area with a graveyard and a place where all the maps are created and kept. In the center of Glade, there is a metal elevator that the Gladers call the Box. Once a month, a new boy arrives in the Box with his memory wiped. Supplies and clothes also arrive in the Box once a week. Each wall has an opening in its center, called the Door. The four Doors close every night and re-open every morning. Outside Glade, lies the Maze with many twisting and turning paths that contain horrifying slug-like, spike-covered creatures called Grievers.
Conflict
Thomas shows up in a unsolvable maze with no memory of his past. The maze has no clues or hints to help uncover the maze and to make things worse the maze changes overnight. Also, if anyone dares to stay the night in the maze, death is certain. To make matters even worse, a girl named Teresa shows up with a note saying, "Everything is about to change!" As the note states, everything does change. The doors don't close, which means the Grievers are ready for one innocent Glader each night. How can anybody solve an unsolvable maze, but it has to be possible when the Gladers' lives are on the line.
Theme
The Main Themes in The Maze Runner are:
- Bravery - Thomas and the other Gladers have to have a lot of bravery to escape or even get close to escaping the maze. They also need bravery to go into the maze and be willing to search for a way out of the maze.
- Sacrifice - The Gladers need to be willing to sacrifice themselves to help the other Gladers escape or get to safety, just like Alby did when they were escaping. Also, just like Thomas was willing to sacrifice his pain to figure out more about the past and go through changing.
- Believing in Yourself - Thomas believes that he will become a Runner, and he also believes that there is a way out of the maze and is determined to find it.
- Determination - Every Glader is determined to find a way to get out of the maze and discover the secrets that they need to know in order to escape. Just like Thomas was determined to become a Runner.