Review of The Maze Runner

"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 blank. 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 anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, 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."

Like I said in my last posting - I was lucky enough to win an ARC of The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It's so cool to have a copy of a book that hasn't even hit stores yet. It gives me a feeling of being apart of the "in" crowd for once in my life. Almost from the moment that I started reading I had difficulty putting it down. I would have read it through the night, but I was suffering from the ill affects of the flu and could no longer keep my eyes open, but I finished it with a flurry this morning. Now I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
Don't get me wrong the book is a page turner from beginning to end, but the ending left me with more questions than it answered and my head is still spinning. It has been said that this book is a cross between the Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games. I didn't care for Lord of the Flies - but I do care about the characters in this book. As for The Hunger Games - yes it did have elements of that book as well. Especially the cliffhanger ending. I think I'm getting rather tired of cliffhangers. I'm glad there is more to the story because it is definitely not finished, but maybe I would be happier to have everything wrapped up in one long book so that I can get that nice cozy buzz that comes after reading a satisfying story. Beyond that though, The Maze Runner is a well-written riveting book, wrought with intrigue. I recommend it to anyone ages 12 and up.