The first girl to ever join the group arrives in the lift the day after Thomas, barely conscious and bearing a note declaring she will be ‘the last’. Giant slug like beings knows as Grievers, who slither their way through the maze attacking any Glader in their path.īefore Thomas has a chance to adjust to his new life, everything changes. If they do not make it back to the entrance by nightfall, they will be trapped inside the maze as the doors seal shut. Each night they return, and combine their maps to see if any of them have found anything useful or interesting. The Runners enter the maze every morning, and run through as many paths as they can in order to try and find the way out, while tracking the routes they take. The Runners have the most dangerous job of all, and so only the best members of the group are chosen for the role. Thomas does not seem to suit any of the tasks he is given, until he meets the Runners and feels an unexplainable urge to join them. It made me wonder what was special about this group to make them so ordered and inventive.Įveryone in the Glade is expected to pitch in and work for the benefit of the group, including poor Thomas who is overwhelmed and frustrated, desperately trying to find answers as to who he is and how he has ended up in this strange place. It’s all very neatly structured, and fairly peaceful. There is even a rudimentary form of court, although their idea of ‘justice’ can be a bit extreme. There is a very sophisticated group dynamic in place, complete with a panel of council members who make decisions on behalf of the group. And yet despite this, they have managed to create a seemingly functional and organised community out of practically nothing. This is a group of young teenage boys, who all arrived in the Glade knowing as little as Thomas.
The fact that there is such a structured group in place immediately makes the reader suspicious.
The rest of the boys have all been assigned specific and useful roles, such as cook or gardener, based on their strengths. A power hierarchy has formed within the group, with Newt, Alby and Minho at the top. The group Thomas has found himself in live in a large clearing just outside of the maze, which they have dubbed The Glade. Thomas soon learns that this is no ordinary maze it is a complex labyrinth with towering walls which move every night, making it impossible to ever find a way out. They tell Thomas that for as long as any of them can remember, a new boy is sent up in the lift every month, and that they are all there to serve one purpose – to solve the maze. The lift hatch opens, and Thomas is hauled up by a large group of boys, who call themselves the Gladers and likewise have no memories of their previous lives. The only thing he knows for certain is his name. The story revolves around Thomas, who wakes up inside a lift with no memory of who he is or where he is being sent. I don’t think the true answers will be fully revealed until the end of the last book. Is this an experiment? Are they human ‘lab rats’? Or are the group being punished, with the maze serving as some kind of prison? There are several plot twists within the book, and I have a feeling there will be more surprises in the following books. Plot-wise, the book kept me guessing until the end. It is fast paced and has plenty of action, so it’s impossible to get bored.
#Maze runner books full#
Although the novel is aimed at YA readers, full grown adults will enjoy the series too. This is the first instalment of ‘The Maze Runner’ trilogy, which explores the themes of survival, identity, friendship, global warming and human intelligence.
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