The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Chicken House
Release Date: 6th October 2009
Genre: Young Adult

Summary:
All Thomas knows is his name when he is transported into the centre of dangerous and puzzling maze. Confronted by an army of boys who have been testing and running the maze for two years, Thomas soon realises that escape is seemingly impossible.

However, everything changes with the arrival of a mysterious girl who brings a message that their little world is in danger, and to live they must find a way out and soon.

Review:
I have very mixed feelings about this book, part of thinks it was a pretty boring read which, in my opinion, tried too hard to be as edgy and awesome as The Hunger Games. However, another part of me actually quite liked it and, at times, got into the plot and felt for the characters.

Okay, so it is reminds me a lot of The Hunger Games. I am not sure why, but to me it just seems like a Hunger Games kind of steered towards boys... not saying that boys do not read The Hunger Games - I just think it reads and comes across a lot like it.

The plot itself, I found, quite hard to get in to. After the first hundred or so pages, I was hooked on the characters and continued reading for hours. However, it was a difficult read, not because it was challenging, but because it just felt long and laborious. I knew where the plot was going and, surprise surprise, it went in that direction and took quite a while to get there. I therefore had to pace myself so I did not get too bored!

The characters, like all young adult fiction, are likeable and keep you reading. They are nothing super special but if you are going to read a book, you actually have to care about the characters - so likeable characters are a bonus! Whether I actually care enough to read the other two books in the series, The Death Cure and The Kill Order? I am not sure.

Rating: 6/10. So-so...

You can buy The Maze Runner on Amazon here.