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This book was recommended for fans of the Hunger Games series, a series that has become one of my favorites. I began The Maze Runner excitedly, hoping for an equally enjoyable, dystopian adventure. I didnt find it. The plot was intriguing and kept me reading; in fact, it was probably the only reason why I kept reading. Some writers are able to seamlessly integrate characterization and good writing with a fast-moving plot; James Dashner is not one of them. The pacing is strange, and Dashners use This book was recommended for fans of the Hunger Games series, a series that has become one of my favorites.

I began The Maze Runner excitedly, hoping for an equally enjoyable, dystopian adventure. I didnt find it. The plot was intriguing and kept me reading; in fact, it was probably the only reason why I kept reading. Some writers are able to seamlessly integrate characterization and good writing with a fast-moving plot; James Dashner is not one of them. The pacing is strange, and Dashners use of cliches became very irritating. The main character, Thomas, was annoying. Rather than allowing his readers to feel what Thomas feels, Dashner chooses to tell. We are told many times how “frustrated” and “confused” Thomas is, but we cant identify with him. Some of the supporting characters, such as Minho and Newt, could be interesting, but they remain secondary to Thomas.

In addition, I was frustrated with the character Teresa. Teresa is the only female main character; instead of making her an intriguing, powerful female, she is christened with flimsy adjectives such as “very pretty” and “smart”, becoming yet another 1-dimensional character. I realize that this is a plot-driven story and not a character-driven one, but I would hope that the characters would at least be appealing to the reader. Criticism aside, I found the book enjoyable, and the plot kept me hooked.

I felt that the epilogue was well-written and I might seek out the rest of the series when it is published. Ultimately, its unfortunate that Dashners poor writing takes away from a good story line; in the hands of a writing master, I believe that The Maze Runner could have been something extraordinary. 2.5/5 EDIT: More than a year later, I have not procured any other books in the series, nor do I intend to. Personally speaking, this is one series better left alone.

About the Author

James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.