The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1)
by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.


I freaking loved this book! Seriously, it's probably one of my favourite dystopian novels now. There was so much mystery and so many twists that I just had no idea what was going to be thrown at me next in this book.

So this is about a guy called Thomas who wakes up in a lift and has no memory. He is sent to this place called 'The Glade' where there are other boys around his age. The Glade is surrounded by a maze which is full of deadly creatures. And then something extremely odd happens. A girl is sent to the Glade. The first girl to ever been sent. This sparks a massive change in the Glade as the start to realise that they might be in trouble.

When I first started reading this I was slightly confused. I had no idea what was going on in the first couple of chapters and it took me a while to get used to the strange words they were using, but as soon as I did I started to really really enjoy it because I actually knew what they were saying.
I was drawn into this book straight away because I had so many questions like: "What is 'The Glade'?"  and "Why does no one remember their life or have any memories?" and "What is the purpose of the maze?". So, yeah I was extremely intrigued by everything that was happening and I was dying to find out the answers to my questions.

Thomas is just like all the other boys. He has no memories of his past life. But Thomas is slightly different. He has the inklings about what he HAS to do. He realises quickly after the girl has arrived that there's something different about him and he has a purpose for being in 'The Glade'. I really liked Thomas. He was a determined and friendly character. He bonded with someone that people hardly spoke too and they became great friends. He really cares for people and he's determined to do whatever he can to save them all.

When Teresa showed up, the whole dynamic of 'The Glade' changed. People became more suspicious and on edge because things were starting to change. They were having to fend for themselves. They started to realise that they were on their own and things had taken a turn for the worse.

I really enjoyed the discovery of the maze and seeing what the runners were trying to do. I also loved finding out the answers to my questions but they shocked me and left me with more questions! It was such an exciting journey. It was full of action, with the runners battling the beasts in the maze and the gladers becoming more paranoid. The ending was spectacular. Like, really. So much happened and I was extremely shocked at some of the things, but it was brilliant.

And then there was the epilogue that left me with my mouth hanging open! I was so shocked and surprised! I can't wait for The Scorch Trials now!

If you're looking for a dystopian that's full of action and exciting twists, then this is one I definitely recommend reading!