**** - I'm a big fan of dystopian novels, so I've really been looking forward to James Dashner's The Maze Runner. It didn't disappoint me, either - full of mystery, betrayal, and palpable danger The Maze Runner is certain to appeal to teenagers, and boys in particular.A big thank you to Random House for sending me the ARC!
Coming OCTOBER 6, 2009!
When Thomas comes to, he finds himself in a brand-new society called the Glade composed entirely of teenaged boys - and he can't remember anything about himself or the past. All he knows is his first name, and he has a niggling sensation that he must join the ranks of those boys who spend their days mapping out the dangerous maze surrounding the boys' 'home base'. Because Thomas is sure he holds the key to their escape, and time is quickly running out...
I was really impressed with The Maze Runner - Dashner does a fantastic job keeping the reader invested by doling out revelations to Thomas' (and our) many questions. The society is well-thought-out and interesting. It's impressive to see how the boys have organized themselves into 'guilds' almost and how despite their best efforts at civilization, the barbarity of their surroundings has left its mark upon them as well. The horror of the maze is utterly heart-stopping. Dashner perfectly treads the balance between describing the Grievers and leaving it up to the terror produced by our own imaginations. And it works amazingly well - I stayed up late to finish this because I just couldn't bear to put it down while Thomas could still be in danger!
What did bother me a bit was the cliff-hanger ending. I wasn't aware that The Maze Runner was going to be the first in a series (though, I guess I should have known better - are there still stand-alone YA novels? ;) ), so I found the lack of resolution disconcerting. Actually, it struck me a lot like one of those movies where the last shot exposes a hidden twist... and, now that I'm honest with myself - I find those utterly frustrating, but I adore them anyway...
So if you like thrillers and/or dystopian novels? This is definitely the book for you. I really enjoyed it, even while it terrified me!
Interested in other opinions?
0 comments:
Post a Comment