Summer Reading- The Maze Runner

For my summer reading project,, I read The Maze Runner, by James Dashner. The novel is set in a future world which is in catastrophe due to a disease, the Flare. Fifty boys have found themselves in a place called the Glade, surrounded by a giant maze. They have no recollection of any memories except their first names. The doors of the maze open in the day, and close in the night when monstrous creatures, called grievers, roam the maze. Those who have been stung by these creatures have their memory restored- and often do not want to go back to the world they remember.

Theme plays a major role in the course of the narrative, and drives the story forward. The first major central idea is introduced in chapter one as the main character, Thomas, arrives in the Glade. He quickly learns that the maze is thought to have no solution- yet for two years the other boys have mapped out and explored every inch of the maze, trying to find a way out. "Alby continued. 'Two years, I've been here. Nobody has been here longer. For two years we've tried to solve this thing, no luck Mapping it isn't easy..." (Dashner 45)  A small community has been built at the center of the glade, with a governing council, farm, kitchen, sleeping area, and a prison among other things. Thomas notices that the boys have realized that complaining about their situation will not bring them any closer to freedom- only exploring the maze will. The first chapter shows Thomas has a hard time adjusting to his new life. His questions are left unanswered by the leaders of the Glade, and he only has a vague idea of what is in the maze. Despite this, he realizes how brave and motivated the boys are. This shows that extreme determination is needed in difficult situations. Without it, the boys would not have been able to survive for so long.

The theme of facing a difficult situation with determination and bravery is refined as the story progresses. A girl named Teresa appears in the maze, and arrives with a note that reads "Everything is going to change". With the few memories she has left, she realizes that she "triggered the ending". This makes the situation even more desperate as seen in the following quote. "Thomas was speechless. Everything would be different now. No sun, no supplies, no protection from the grievers. Teresa had been right from the beginning-everything had changed."(Dashner 240) Although the situation facing the Gladers becomes worse, it becomes more important than ever to work together to find the solution, and a second central idea is introduced: the only way the Gladers can escape is by uniting to collect their information about the maze rather than each person working on one section.

This article describes The Maze Runner to potential readers. It is a book review and also details some of the story's plot. The review thought the book was good, but found several flaws in its writing style. The Maze Runner Article

James Dashner author interview: