The Maze Runner

Bibliographic Information: Dashner, J. (2009). The maze runner. New York: Delacorte. ISBN: 978-0385737951

Plot Summary: Thomas wakes up on an elevator, in pitch darkness, ascending to an unknown place, memories wiped clean. All he knows is his first name. Disoriented and frightened, Thomas happens upon a diverse community of teenage boys who pull him out of the lift. He sees his new home, a large yard, bigger than several football fields and surrounded by concrete walls several hundred feet high. It’s called the Glade and its residents call themselves the Gladers—who are just as clueless about their purpose here as Thomas is. Every 30 days another boy appears in the lift. To sustain themselves in the enclosed environment, the Gladers grow crops, keep livestock, and organize labor tasks. There is only one goal: survival.

            When Thomas hears about some of the boys who have died, he learns about the dangers that lurk outside the Glade’s walls: an expansive shifting maze full of mechanical monsters called Grievers. For two years the boys have survived and tried to navigate the maze, but they are all growing weary. Trained maze runners enter the maze daily to map it out and search for any patterns or an exit. But one day—the day after Thomas shows up, a girl is delivered to them in the lift. She is unconscious, but Thomas feels a familiar connection to her, that will inevitably lead to their understanding of this hostile world.

Critical Evaluation: For yet another dystopian YA fiction series, The Maze Runner trilogy offers an action packed experience packed in a lengthy, but quick and easy read. The premise is interesting enough to keep readers holding on for answers, though the characters can become tiresome (Thomas keeps screaming out questions to boys who have no answers for him). Dashner’s writing relies heavily on rationing out explanations very slowly, pacing the action steadily in between, to keep readers immersed in the story. The minor characters are very well developed, each with their own accents and style of talking. The clever invention of a language used by the boys, particularly slang and made-up curse words, added depth to the world and lightened up their plight (I giggled every time they called each other “shuckface” or “slinthead”). Thomas is rather boring throughout the beginning of the book, since he is surrounded by so many more interesting characters, but his moment comes towards the end, when his courage and leadership skills surface. Reluctant readers will cling to the action and suspense of the engaging plot. Avid readers may be bored by the main characters.

Reader’s Annotation: Thomas wakes up with no memories and no idea why he arrives in this place called the Glade, surrounded by a shifting maze full of terrifying mechanical monsters.

Author Information: James Dashner’s official website, http://www.jamesdashner.com/about/, states, “James was born and raised in Georgia but now lives in the Rocky Mountains with his family. He has four kids, which some might think is too many but he thinks is just right. Once upon a time, James studied accounting and worked in the field of finance, but has been writing full time for several years. (He doesn’t miss numbers. At all.)

In his free time, James loves to read, watch movies and (good) TV shows, snow ski, and read. (Reading was mentioned twice on purpose.) Most of all, he’s thankful that he gets to make a living writing stories and considers himself pretty much the luckiest guy on the planet.”

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Action, Adventure

Subjects: maze, labyrinth, survival, friendship

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: Game: maze, divide group into runners/monsters

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to violence an mild language, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: With a film in the making, and this book still on many best seller lists, its popularity will only grow over the next few years. It offers a unique premise and a ton of action. It would work as a tool to get reluctant readers interested in reading.