_nki_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
morganbrabender's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer before you read this review-- It was NOT an awful book by any means, it just wasn't my favorite :)
Listened to this one on audiobook. It was intriguing enough to keep me listening, but I didn't find myself on the edge of my seat to find out what happened next. I think part of my frustration with this book was the lack of character development, which is understandable considering their memory loss, but I just wanted to know more about the characters lives and why they acted the way they did. I didn't feel invested in the story and my emotions were unfortunately almost unaffected by the ending. I do think that part of my opinion is affected by the narration, which was a little monotonous and could be the reason why my emotions weren't as involved. I was interested in the world it occurred in and was curious about how it would end, but I don't know that I'll be pursuing the rest of the series. I'm glad I read it though, and my drawbacks would not stop me from recommending it to a student.
Listened to this one on audiobook. It was intriguing enough to keep me listening, but I didn't find myself on the edge of my seat to find out what happened next. I think part of my frustration with this book was the lack of character development, which is understandable considering their memory loss, but I just wanted to know more about the characters lives and why they acted the way they did. I didn't feel invested in the story and my emotions were unfortunately almost unaffected by the ending. I do think that part of my opinion is affected by the narration, which was a little monotonous and could be the reason why my emotions weren't as involved. I was interested in the world it occurred in and was curious about how it would end, but I don't know that I'll be pursuing the rest of the series. I'm glad I read it though, and my drawbacks would not stop me from recommending it to a student.
nika_nix's review against another edition
5.0
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. Bunch of boys being trapped in the middle of the huge Maze sounded like a great read and I was not disappointed. It is as good as it sounds. Even though the mystery of the Maze itself was exciting enough, I really wanted to know the back-story of why were they in that Maze, and again, I was amazed with how well all the informations worked together so that everything made sense at the end.
The Maze Runner reminded me of The Hunger Games and The 100 a bit, but it was actually completely different and unique. Only the feel while reading it was quite simmilar.
Some people consider the beginning of the book a bit slowand hard to get into, but that was not the case with me. I immediately got sucked in that world and really invested in the story. For me, the plot was exciting from the first page and I kept turning pages because I just wanted to find out more and more about the Maze and life inside it. All the mystery and all those intense moments (especially the ones involving Greivers) kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending (about last ¼ of the book) was a bit rushed, but I think it was supposed to be like that because a lot of stuff happen in a very short time and, in my opinion, all that excitement would be ruined if everything was described more or whatever. There were some unexpectable events which really amazed me, but there were a few predictable plot twists as well (for example, whatever stupid and reckless action Thimas did, he always succeded and that became a bit annoying after a while). But there were more brilliant and exciting plot twists so I was not very frustrated about these two flaws.
Probably the worst aspect of this book were the characters. Lack of character development was so obvious in this book! Also, I didn't really buy the romance.
Thomas was really annoying at times, and sometimes even stupid, but most of the time he was just impulsive and reckless (what I usually like, but here I didn't).
I couldn't really connect to any of the characters and I just didn't care about any of them at the end. I wasn't able to even form an opinion about some of them and decide whether I liked them or not (Newt, Alby, Chuck...). It's obvious that the plot was much more important to the author than relationships between characters, which is actualy okay and all together worked just fine.
I really like James Dashner's writing style because it's simple, straight-to-the-point, but also descriptive and detailed when necessary. But what I liked the most were all those made up words Gladers used. I think this new language gave another layer to the story and made it even more special and original. James Dashner is fantastic at describing action-packed scenes and I loved how every chapter ended on a cliffhanger and made me want to read more and more.
All in all, I really recommend this book to all the fans od young adult dystopian books because I think it's a quick, exciting fun read. It's a great way to start the trilogy, even though I'm afraid that I'm not going to like the rest of the books in the series, but there's only one way to find out, right?
The Maze Runner reminded me of The Hunger Games and The 100 a bit, but it was actually completely different and unique. Only the feel while reading it was quite simmilar.
Some people consider the beginning of the book a bit slowand hard to get into, but that was not the case with me. I immediately got sucked in that world and really invested in the story. For me, the plot was exciting from the first page and I kept turning pages because I just wanted to find out more and more about the Maze and life inside it. All the mystery and all those intense moments (especially the ones involving Greivers) kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending (about last ¼ of the book) was a bit rushed, but I think it was supposed to be like that because a lot of stuff happen in a very short time and, in my opinion, all that excitement would be ruined if everything was described more or whatever. There were some unexpectable events which really amazed me, but there were a few predictable plot twists as well (for example, whatever stupid and reckless action Thimas did, he always succeded and that became a bit annoying after a while). But there were more brilliant and exciting plot twists so I was not very frustrated about these two flaws.
Probably the worst aspect of this book were the characters. Lack of character development was so obvious in this book! Also, I didn't really buy the romance.
Thomas was really annoying at times, and sometimes even stupid, but most of the time he was just impulsive and reckless (what I usually like, but here I didn't).
I couldn't really connect to any of the characters and I just didn't care about any of them at the end. I wasn't able to even form an opinion about some of them and decide whether I liked them or not (Newt, Alby, Chuck...). It's obvious that the plot was much more important to the author than relationships between characters, which is actualy okay and all together worked just fine.
I really like James Dashner's writing style because it's simple, straight-to-the-point, but also descriptive and detailed when necessary. But what I liked the most were all those made up words Gladers used. I think this new language gave another layer to the story and made it even more special and original. James Dashner is fantastic at describing action-packed scenes and I loved how every chapter ended on a cliffhanger and made me want to read more and more.
All in all, I really recommend this book to all the fans od young adult dystopian books because I think it's a quick, exciting fun read. It's a great way to start the trilogy, even though I'm afraid that I'm not going to like the rest of the books in the series, but there's only one way to find out, right?
coreyrichards1998's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
readermeetsbook's review against another edition
3.0
I actually got this book a long time ago and I finally got around to reading it when I got the sequel from the librarian that runs my book group. Honestly, this book wasn’t too high on my to-read list partly because the main character is male and this seemed very much a book marketed for boys. I can’t really explain it, but I am just not a big fan of most boy books. I’m a pretty girly person and my reading tastes reflect that. But since I got The Scorch Trials, I figure it was time that I read The Maze Runner.
It starts with a boy in a dark box with no memory. When the box opens, Thomas finds himself surround by a ragtag group of boys. Where was he? Who were they? Why is he here? What happen to his memories? As Thomas finds out more about the Maze, the reader learns along with him since the whole story is from Thomas’s perspective and voice. There were moments where I was intensely frustrated with Thomas and his lack of knowledge because I wanted to know why were they in the maze, who put them there, why is there only boys, etc. I almost gave up because the pacing in the beginning moved too slow for me. I wanted more about the world to be revealed, but it’s a good thing Dashner did not reveal a lot since the mystery kept me reading.
After the beginning, the story picks up and is filled with well-placed cliffhangers and hooks. While some questions are answered, new questions were being formed. Dashner keeps the mystery going using those hooks, but also moves the story steadily along. Another one of his strength is his writing style – it is incredibly descriptive and Dashner spends a lot of time building up this world of the Maze with the changing walls and creepy Grievers. I definitely don’t want to bump into one of those in a dark alley anytime soon. I really enjoy the vivid world he created.
On the other hand, his characters did not have as strong of an impact compared to the setting. The only female character, Teresa, wasn’t that fleshed out and felt very flat. She was always needing to be rescued by Thomas, which did not jive with my feminist sensibilities. Thomas didn’t stand out either – a very typical boy hero figure to me. A big problem with Thomas seemed too perfect – he comes in with no memory and saves the day. There was no emphasize on Thomas’s flaws which would have made him more realistic, more human for me.
Despite some flaws, I did enjoy The Maze Runner. Once I got through the beginning, the plot really moved, the action was fun and the questions grew. The main compelling element though was the mystery of the maze.
Given that YA lacks boy books, I’m glad this book is out there for me to recommend to the boys. The mystery and the action will definitely draw boy readers. And since it ended with more questions than answers, I off to read the sequel to satiate my curiosity.
It starts with a boy in a dark box with no memory. When the box opens, Thomas finds himself surround by a ragtag group of boys. Where was he? Who were they? Why is he here? What happen to his memories? As Thomas finds out more about the Maze, the reader learns along with him since the whole story is from Thomas’s perspective and voice. There were moments where I was intensely frustrated with Thomas and his lack of knowledge because I wanted to know why were they in the maze, who put them there, why is there only boys, etc. I almost gave up because the pacing in the beginning moved too slow for me. I wanted more about the world to be revealed, but it’s a good thing Dashner did not reveal a lot since the mystery kept me reading.
After the beginning, the story picks up and is filled with well-placed cliffhangers and hooks. While some questions are answered, new questions were being formed. Dashner keeps the mystery going using those hooks, but also moves the story steadily along. Another one of his strength is his writing style – it is incredibly descriptive and Dashner spends a lot of time building up this world of the Maze with the changing walls and creepy Grievers. I definitely don’t want to bump into one of those in a dark alley anytime soon. I really enjoy the vivid world he created.
On the other hand, his characters did not have as strong of an impact compared to the setting. The only female character, Teresa, wasn’t that fleshed out and felt very flat. She was always needing to be rescued by Thomas, which did not jive with my feminist sensibilities. Thomas didn’t stand out either – a very typical boy hero figure to me. A big problem with Thomas seemed too perfect – he comes in with no memory and saves the day. There was no emphasize on Thomas’s flaws which would have made him more realistic, more human for me.
Despite some flaws, I did enjoy The Maze Runner. Once I got through the beginning, the plot really moved, the action was fun and the questions grew. The main compelling element though was the mystery of the maze.
Given that YA lacks boy books, I’m glad this book is out there for me to recommend to the boys. The mystery and the action will definitely draw boy readers. And since it ended with more questions than answers, I off to read the sequel to satiate my curiosity.
minty's review against another edition
1.0
just bad, bad, bad writing. another writer who has to tell instead of show--almost always with a redundant metaphor. I listened to the audiobook, which meant suffering through all the tedium.
also, you get almost no resolution in this book.
also, you get almost no resolution in this book.
kk221b's review against another edition
3.0
WOO FINALLY! So the book picked up at the end however, I don't think I can continue with the rest of the series. To me, the story line was slow, hence my inability to read it within a week or so. It was a little disappointing, but I can see how it's a controversial book. Happy reading!
aelynreads's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book!! Having seen the film, it possibly wasn't as enjoyable as if I'd read it blind, but it was still SUCH a good read.
The characters had a lot of depth to them and their personalities were incredibly realistic and made it easy to imagine them. The world building and the concept behind the book are AMAZING. I could not put this book down because there was so much mystery that kept me gripped.
I was slightly disappointed by the ending of the book. I think it's one of those series that has a long story arc and doesn't split into distinct books very well. I can't wait to get into the next book!
I really enjoyed this book!! Having seen the film, it possibly wasn't as enjoyable as if I'd read it blind, but it was still SUCH a good read.
The characters had a lot of depth to them and their personalities were incredibly realistic and made it easy to imagine them. The world building and the concept behind the book are AMAZING. I could not put this book down because there was so much mystery that kept me gripped.
I was slightly disappointed by the ending of the book. I think it's one of those series that has a long story arc and doesn't split into distinct books very well. I can't wait to get into the next book!
hollzmj's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book, saw the movie first and for once enjoyed both the book and the movie equally.