The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, Book One): Book One
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING MAZE RUNNER SERIES • A teenager with no memory must navigate a deadly maze to survive in book one of this post-apocalyptic phenomenon.
“[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies [and] The Hunger Games” (Entertainment Weekly)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying: Remember. Survive. Run.
Look for more books in the blockbuster Maze Runner series:
THE MAZE RUNNER • THE SCORCH TRIALS • THE DEATH CURE • THE KILL ORDER • THE FEVER CODE
“[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies [and] The Hunger Games” (Entertainment Weekly)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying: Remember. Survive. Run.
Look for more books in the blockbuster Maze Runner series:
THE MAZE RUNNER • THE SCORCH TRIALS • THE DEATH CURE • THE KILL ORDER • THE FEVER CODE
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
my friend told me to read this book in fourth grade. i read a tiny bit, got bored, and never finished. now iâve finally read it!
disclaimer: i was pretty tired and a bit rushed reading this, trying to finish before i had to give it to my friend. that being said i honestly donât think i wouldâve liked this more if iâd had more time. i probably wouldâve just forgotten plot points.
i think i wouldâve enjoyed it a lot more when i was younger (not surprising) bc the writing style and the pacing of events feels lowkey juvenile. like everything suddenly happening quickly, the lack of subtlety in writing (eg there was a line likeâHe just wanted to leave. Watch TV again. Be happy.â) it was just a bit over the top for me at times, and i wasnât super impressed by any of the writing/descriptions.
that being said, itâs a fun book. i think itâs great for a fifth grader up to maybe high school? but unlike some books it doesnât hold up when youâre older imo
donât think iâll be picking up the rest of the series, but iâll check out the movie!
rating: 3.5 stars rounded down
group: mark up asynchronous reading group with my friends!
disclaimer: i was pretty tired and a bit rushed reading this, trying to finish before i had to give it to my friend. that being said i honestly donât think i wouldâve liked this more if iâd had more time. i probably wouldâve just forgotten plot points.
i think i wouldâve enjoyed it a lot more when i was younger (not surprising) bc the writing style and the pacing of events feels lowkey juvenile. like everything suddenly happening quickly, the lack of subtlety in writing (eg there was a line likeâHe just wanted to leave. Watch TV again. Be happy.â) it was just a bit over the top for me at times, and i wasnât super impressed by any of the writing/descriptions.
that being said, itâs a fun book. i think itâs great for a fifth grader up to maybe high school? but unlike some books it doesnât hold up when youâre older imo
donât think iâll be picking up the rest of the series, but iâll check out the movie!
rating: 3.5 stars rounded down
group: mark up asynchronous reading group with my friends!
Okay so thoughts as I read.
Lord itâs all so perfect. âI donât remember anything but I kind of get it so the author doesnât have to explain that muchâ. Thomas and everyone remembers everything useful like their names and what snow is, apparently, and basics like how to take care of barnyard animals (???). The âcreatorsâ give them everything they need to survive but of course thereâs a catch. And itâs as complicated as possible. And Thomas just has these feelings about what he ought to be doing. Convenient. Oh goodness, and where Thomas is like, âI get the sense that Iâm smartâ LOL WHAT A CROCK
Then this girl shows up and she is WHIIIIIIITE. Like, painfully white to the point that the author refers to her skin as similar to âpearlsâ. And sheâs the only girl and sheâs devastatingly beautiful. Let me guess that she wonât understand how pretty she is. Sheâll be all like âoh nooo, Iâm so plaiiiiinâ.
Really? The bad guysâ acronym is âwickedâ? How cliched. Itâs all just so convenient. And Iâm sure that at the end, finally, the baddies will be like âthatâs how it had to be! Mwahaha!â Thereâs also so many moments of âwell obviously this is how it is, itâs the ONLY rational explanationâ. And they can communicate telepathically? Brother. And thereâs letters spelling things and they just HAPPEN to to remember all the maps??
Itâs just a lot of cliches. Of course someone has to sacrifice themselves. Of course the little dweeb throws himself in front of danger to save the hero. Of course the heroine just gets prettier and prettier and is wildly competent. Watch, theyâre not going to explain anything so that you have to read the next one. Ooh, I was almost right. They explained but were clearly lying. And have still set it up for the next book.
Overall, this book was fine. I didnât hate it as much as I thought I would and I understand why my kids like it so much. I thought it was cliched and predictable but oh well. Iâm not the target! Just glad my kids are reading, really.
OK changes from the book thatâll make it easy to identify kids who didnât read the book. First off that cute kid from love actually said that theyâve been in there for three years instead of two. This whole thing with him and galley wrestling isnât a thing in the book. The whole attack with Ben is different in the book he was by the Greaver and everybody knew about it and then this one it was a surprise did that when he attacked Thomas. And itâs raining. It doesnât rain in the Glade. I will say that I like and understand Alby 100% more in the movie.
Lord itâs all so perfect. âI donât remember anything but I kind of get it so the author doesnât have to explain that muchâ. Thomas and everyone remembers everything useful like their names and what snow is, apparently, and basics like how to take care of barnyard animals (???). The âcreatorsâ give them everything they need to survive but of course thereâs a catch. And itâs as complicated as possible. And Thomas just has these feelings about what he ought to be doing. Convenient. Oh goodness, and where Thomas is like, âI get the sense that Iâm smartâ LOL WHAT A CROCK
Then this girl shows up and she is WHIIIIIIITE. Like, painfully white to the point that the author refers to her skin as similar to âpearlsâ. And sheâs the only girl and sheâs devastatingly beautiful. Let me guess that she wonât understand how pretty she is. Sheâll be all like âoh nooo, Iâm so plaiiiiinâ.
Really? The bad guysâ acronym is âwickedâ? How cliched. Itâs all just so convenient. And Iâm sure that at the end, finally, the baddies will be like âthatâs how it had to be! Mwahaha!â Thereâs also so many moments of âwell obviously this is how it is, itâs the ONLY rational explanationâ. And they can communicate telepathically? Brother. And thereâs letters spelling things and they just HAPPEN to to remember all the maps??
Itâs just a lot of cliches. Of course someone has to sacrifice themselves. Of course the little dweeb throws himself in front of danger to save the hero. Of course the heroine just gets prettier and prettier and is wildly competent. Watch, theyâre not going to explain anything so that you have to read the next one. Ooh, I was almost right. They explained but were clearly lying. And have still set it up for the next book.
Overall, this book was fine. I didnât hate it as much as I thought I would and I understand why my kids like it so much. I thought it was cliched and predictable but oh well. Iâm not the target! Just glad my kids are reading, really.
OK changes from the book thatâll make it easy to identify kids who didnât read the book. First off that cute kid from love actually said that theyâve been in there for three years instead of two. This whole thing with him and galley wrestling isnât a thing in the book. The whole attack with Ben is different in the book he was by the Greaver and everybody knew about it and then this one it was a surprise did that when he attacked Thomas. And itâs raining. It doesnât rain in the Glade. I will say that I like and understand Alby 100% more in the movie.
I had some high expectations of this book. I heard a lot of people talking about it and it is soon to be made into a movie. Although it wasn't as wonderful as I thought, it was still a great book. It was never once boring and had great progression. The characters were real and enjoyable. I just for some reason couldn't get completely invested in the book. It reminded me a lot of Divergent. But other than that, it is pretty fantastic.
This dystopian book was very mysterious and held my attention. It was very fastpaced, and I anticipate this book going over very well with less than enthused readers.
Well that was frustrating.
Why were the other boys so rude to Thomas when he asked questions? I would have been asking a million questions all the time!
Stupid Gally.
I liked Chuck.
They’re all just doing their best.
Why were the other boys so rude to Thomas when he asked questions? I would have been asking a million questions all the time!
Stupid Gally.
I liked Chuck.
They’re all just doing their best.
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