A review by megmro
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.5

Fast-paced and full of action. The mystery keeps you turning the pages in hope of figuring out why the characters are there. The first night in the maze was fascinating and tense; I was rapt watching Thomas race to solve problems. I also really liked when the boys start figuring out the mystery of the maze patterns. Those portions felt like Ender's Game, with the emphasis on high-stakes puzzle-solving. 

The book is violent, and much of the violence is upsetting. I'd put it on a similar level as The Hunger Games. (It reads similarly to Hunger Games in general.) Lots of very-minor-character deaths, lots of gravestones of previous runners, and a few deaths that we "witness."(Vague spoilers to follow.)
Teenage boys attack each other, and rescue one another by killing the attacker(s). One character is shot through the face with an arrow. One is banished, and forced out into the maze via a leather collar and straight pole as the doors close. (He's begging for mercy -- super upsetting.) A character dies by knife, etc.


Teens would probably still be interested, but the author really leans into the bleakness of the world. It makes you roll your eyes at the chokehold that YA dystopians had on us back in the aughts. They're all pretty much the same book. I'd say Grade 10+ for this.


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