Engaged at all times - Justin Barron

Justin Barron

Maze Runner

Imagine being trapped in a Maze, in a maze that no one has ever found the exit to. Doesn’t seem too appealing does it? This summer I read a book called, The Maze Runner, written by James Dashner. The main character is this book, Thomas, is thrown into this maze with a loss of all of his memory. When he arrives at the maze he meets all of the people who live in the community. Immediately he is introduced to the background story of the maze. Thomas quickly learns that no one has ever gotten out of the maze and that no one plans to any time soon. In this book Thomas decides to push the limits of the community and the maze and attempts to escape. This is what makes this a good read. Seeing the characters develop, going through the conflicts, and really feeling like you are there is amazing. The author does a great job of making you feel like you are actually with Thomas in the maze.

In the beginning of this book Thomas is tossed into the maze as a scared young man. Over time he develops by becoming braver and stepping into the role of a “leader.” For example, Thomas is trapped in the metal cage and he is very scared, “Someone...help…me!” says Thomas on page three. This shows him at his “youngest” in this book. Youngest meaning, his least experienced. It did not take very long for Thomas to mature, in chapter sixteen Thomas displays his interest in exploration and pushing the limits. “Runner, he thought as he went on break. Just let me be a Runner. Once again he thought about how absurd it was that he wanted it so badly. But even though he didn't understand it, or where it came from, the desire was undeniable.” This is showing how quickly he has developed in only sixteen chapters. He has gone from a young boy who was terrified on his way up to the glade and now he is wanting to run out into a place where very few people come back alive. James Dashner puts us through Thomas’s development process, we have to experience the nervousness and the eagerness of Thomas throughout the entire book. Experiencing these emotions taps into the reader and this is what makes the Maze Runner a good read.

The main character in the book, Thomas, is put through many conflicts. The author does a great job of making us feel as if we are with Thomas through these conflicts. In chapter two Thomas is in a conflict with himself, he is fighting his emotions. “Different emotions battled for dominance in his mind and heart. Confusion. Curiosity. Panic. Fear. But laced through it all was the dark feeling of utter hopelessness, like the world had ended for him, had been wiped from his memory and replaced with something awful.” Reading this it really feels as if the reader themselves are feeling every single one of these emotions as well. The reader has to fight through each and every emotion with Thomas. The author does a great job of keeping the reader engaged in Thomas’s feelings. Keeping the reader engaged and interested is a part of what makes this book so fun to read.

As Thomas runs through the maze the reader themselves can really feel the presence of the maze. We can feel how terrifying it is running into a maze that few people come back from. In chapter twenty nine when he is inside the maze running this happens, “It shocked him when he realized he'd been running for almost an hour—the shadows of the walls ran long toward the east, and soon the sun would set for the night and the Doors would close. He had to get back. It only peripherally hit him then that without thinking he'd recognized the direction and the time. That his instincts were strong.” He has been inside the maze running for almost an hour, he had been running to his death for almost an hour. Now he had to get back to the Glade before the doors of the maze closed. Reading about Thomas running through the maze not knowing what is around each corner is great for the reader. It keeps their mind thinking at all times about the risks he is taking. Feeling the presence of the Maze as a reader is amazing, it actually feels as if you are running through it yourself.

After reading this book you realize how engaging it is. The author puts you through everything, from the beginning where Thomas first arrives at the Glade to the last moments of when he is escaping the maze. Reading about all the characters develop, seeing them fight through conflicts, and really feeling like you are there with the characters as they fight against the maze, is what makes this book a fantastic read. This book is perfect for any reader who likes to be entertained right from the get-go, the author grabs your attention immediately and never lets it go.