It seems that every year the staff of Queen Anne Books happens upon a teen novel that has an viral component for the staff -- it makes the rounds and it’s all any of us can talk about. Last year it was Hunger Games and Graceling. This year it is Maze Runner by James Dashner.
Thomas wakes up disoriented in a box that seems to be moving. He feels sick to his stomach and has no memory of where he might be or even where he came from. Eventually the box/elevator stops moving and doors at the top swing open up to reveal the faces of several teenage boys. He is hauled to the top and realizes he has joined a community of about 50 teen boys who’s sole job is to survive in the “Glade.” The Glade is a fortress enclosed by giant doors which shut every evening. Outside the Glade is an enormous maze where mechanical and deadly beasts called Grievers roam at night.
According to the boys who have been there the longest, the Glade has been in existence for about two years. No one has any memory of how or why they ended up there but they have set up a society of sorts with boys contributing to the community according to their strengths; becoming farmers, cooks, janitors, part of the government and also Runners. These are the eight boys who run the maze everyday trying to find a way out.
But Thomas’s arrival heralds a change for the Gladers and that’s when things really start to get interesting. The day after Thomas’s arrival, a comatose girl arrives in the box and she has a message.
This book kept me reading late into the night. It is well-written and the Glade is totally convincing. The only problem with the book is that it is the first in a series and I can hardly wait for the next installment. ~Patti