The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Page Count: 374
Why I read it: looked good
Grade: B-

Synopsis:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.
The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

My review:
When you have a book that's all about build up, you better deliver something really awesome at the end.  There has to be a pay-off, or all the unanswered questions and the feeling lost throughout the story isn't worth it.  James Dashner failed to deliver something really awesome.  At the end, I still really had no idea what was going on.  I don't care if it's the start of a series.  I hate it when authors try to force you to read the rest of their books.  Just write a good book, and readers will keep reading your books.  It's simple.

All that said, Dashner is a good writer.  The plot, if a bit frustrating, was very intriguing and different.  I kept turning pages, wanting to read more, so there were definitely good things about the book.  There was just so much build up, and when authors do that, I expect something really great at the end, but there was really just nothing.  My mind wasn't blown.

I would probably recommend this to YA readers.  Also, if you're looking to get your young adult son to read, this might be a good one.