The Maze Runner

By: Abeeha Shahid

First published in 2009, The Maze Runner, a young adult dystopian, science fiction novel, is the first book in The Maze Runner trilogy. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it explores the themes of friendship, hope, sacrifice, and found family.

Written from the first perspective, the story starts out as the protagonist, Thomas, wakes up in a small, dark, metal elevator with no memory of who he is or where he is being sent. He remembers nothing about his life with the exception of his name. The lift hatch opens and Thomas is hauled up by a large group of boys, who call themselves the Gladers, who similar to Thomas have no memories of their previous lives. He discovers that he is the latest addition to the Glade - a large open green square surrounded by a complex labyrinth with towering walls that move every night, making it impossible to establish a pattern or find a way out.

Thomas soon discovers that the rest of the boys in the Glade have all been assigned various roles based on their strengths, each crucial for keeping the community organized and functional. One of the most important and dangerous jobs is that of the runners. They enter the maze every morning and run through as many paths as they can, searching for a way out while tracking the routes they take. Each night they return and combine their maps to see if they can find anything that might aid them in finding an exit.

The real danger emerges at night, when the giant slug-like beings known as Grievers slither their way into the maze, attacking any Glader they come across. The wall surrounding the Glade seals shut and any runners who fail to make it back are then trapped inside the maze.

However, after Thomas’ arrival things start changing, faced with new uncertain variables, the Gladers along with Thomas are terrified and struggle for survival as they realize they no longer have the luxury of time on their side.

For a plot-oriented book, the relationships between the characters are well developed and make it easy to understand how they go from treating each other with weariness to trust. The characters themselves are well written and three dimensional. Even though they don't remember much about their past, they all have distinctive, well-rounded personalities.

The first two-thirds of The Maze Runner is a clever feat of fantasy world-building. It's thrilling, twisting, and mysterious, slowly building up, raising enough questions to keep the reader intrigued while still answering some. The adrenaline-fuelled plot makes for a fast, engaging read that makes it impossible to put the book down.