maze runner book review no spoilers

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For readers and writers, the maze runner – book review.

Dystopian novel fans hold your breath! The one of the most amazing and full-of-awesomeness-series is here!!

I completed The Maze Runner yesterday. And I have no words to describe it. Okay I have a few words, so start reading!

Book cover blurb When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas can remember is his first name. But he’s not alone. He’s surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade, an encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible maze.

Like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they came to be there, or what’s happened to the world outside. All they know is thay every morning when the walls side back, they will risk everything to find out.

*No spoilers included*

My review- I watched the movie first and then I decided to read the book. My experience told me the movie will be almost same as the book. Same ending, same scenes. But it is not so in The Maze Runner . The first half I knew what was going around and I knew what will really happen to Thomas. After reaching half of the book I thought ‘everything’s the same, why read more to know what happened. I know it already!’

But I was wrong. The while second half of the book doesn’t even resemble half the movie. The story twists so much I have to read every chapter now to know what’s gonna happen next.

And James Dashner, that man knows how to keep the readers at the edge of their seats. Every chapter ends with such an unexpected event and I am forced to read the next chapter to find out how the hell did that happen?

Now let’s get to other things.

Plot The main theme of the book is new and so different. However, it is somewhat based loosely on the concept of Hunger Games. Like children trapped somewhere unknown and they need to escape. The fans of Hunger Games will surely love the Maze Runner series. The story takes us to the Glade which is situated in the middle of the Maze which is yet to be solved.

Thomas remembers only his name and rest memory is just wiped out. He helps the other boys and find different ways to escape. I am not going to include any spoilers so you have to figure out yourself if they get out of the Maze or not!

Characters The characters are so relatable. They are the kids next door, all confused and worried how did they got here and why their memories are wiped. Thomas too is confused. Teresa, the only girl among almost 50 boys, is also confused. No one really knows anything. There’s so much confusion! Mainly the characters are scared of what lies in the Maze, how can they escape and do they even have a family outside this?

Writing style At first after reading maybe 5-6 pages I didn’t think I’d like this book that much. But once I went inside the story everything changed. The writing flow is so good, sometimes I don’t feel like keeping the book down.

The chapter endings are so good, they leave you with an event or something you never would’ve guessed happen and so you are forced to read the next chapter!

Now please grab the first opportunity you get to read the series.

You can find The Maze Runner here .

Guest review provided by Vrushali . Vrushali reads books like people eat food. As an aspiring writer, she enjoys examining the form of writing when she reviews books.

A valuable art collection disappears turning a treasure-hunting duo into crime-stopping sleuths committed to vindicating family members in Kaylin McFarren’s action-packed suspense novel, Banished Threads.

While vacationing at the stately Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless collection of Morris Graves’s paintings are stolen from her uncle’s popular gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife’s missing granddaughter.

Determined to clear Sloan Rafferty’s name and, in the process, win Paul’s favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In his absence, the police accuse Rachel’s uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets surrounding her grandmother’s death and the deaths of Sara’s former husbands turn his wife into the most likely suspect. With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul Lyons and his family, solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle’s freedom not only endangers Rachel’s life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted by a vagabond fortuneteller?

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7 thoughts on “ the maze runner – book review ”.

Loved the books, not so much the film

Like Liked by 1 person

I’ve watched the film and thought there’s no point to reading the book – but you have changed my mind now :)

I happened to have read the book before watching the movie and I ended up not liking the movie! This book is as you said different and new with it’s concept!

A good read this one!

I loved this series! Hope you do to.

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I really enjoyed the Maze Runner. Like I read it on a five hour plane ride and just could not stop reading. This said though, I didn’t like the sequels. I thought things got too whacky and odd.

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Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

By: Author Laura Hartley

Posted on Published: 18th August 2019  - Last updated: 12th January 2024

Categories Book Reviews , Books

After reading this Maze Runner book review you’ll know exactly why everyone raves about this young adult dystopia book by James Dashner. Keep reading for my full The Maze Runner review!

The Maze Runner is a young adult dystopian story and if you haven’t already heard of it, you’re going to be hearing a lot about it soon. The film adaptation of this story has already hit cinema screens in the US and is scheduled for release in the UK on 10 October 2014.

It’s not hard to see why this story was snapped up by 20th Century Fox as it’s a gripping story full of twists and turns set in a world that will no doubt make an impression on the big screen.

The Maze Runner Summary

This story starts when Thomas arrives at the Glade in the box. Thomas has absolutely no memories about his past or who he is and is very confused by his surroundings, which is to be expected given that the Glade is occupied up of a small group of teenage boys (no adults and no girls) and is enclosed within the confines of massive stone walls.

Thomas soon discovers that these boys are trapped in the Glade, which is surrounded by a huge maze, full of dangerous creatures called Grievers. Everyday, the walls open, revealing the Maze and the Gladers send out ‘runners’ to try and figure out a way out of the Maze. The Gladers have already been trapped for two years but they still haven’t found a way out.

Because every night, once the stone walls close, the walls of the maze change. Escape seems futile. Everyday is the same in the Glade, that is, until Thomas shows up, when everything starts to change. Ordinarily, only one new person arrives at the Glade a month, but the day after Thomas arrives, another person is delivered via the box. A girl.

A girl that recognises Thomas, no less.

Things are changing in the Glade and it seems like the time to finally escape has come – but only if they can figure out the code – and their escape mission will not be easy.

The Maze Runner Book Review

Although  The Maze Runner is written in the third person, it follows Thomas as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on – what happened to him (and the other boys), where they are and what their purpose is. I didn’t connect as much with Thomas as I expected to but he is definitely a strong male lead and a great character to read about.

Not all of the characters in the story like Thomas and I think that that feeling rubbed off slightly on me as there were times when I questioned whether I really trusted him. 

With so many character with little to no memory of who they are and where they’ve come from, it can be a little difficult to figure out which characters to trust and the success of this story is probably down the huge amount of suspense that the reader feels.

It is not until the very end of the story that anything really becomes clear and when it does, you kinda wish you hadn’t found out what’s really going on.

Dashner has created a unique and terrifying world which will probably haunt me in my dreams tonight.

It’s very Hunger Games -esque as you’ve got a group of young kids fighting for survival against what they assume is a system that adults created to test them. Why they are being tested, they have no idea.

The difference is, however, these kids are working as a group to try to survive so themes of friendship and how a society should function are important.

Listen to Maze Runner for free with an Audible trial !

Although all the main characters are children, if their age was never mentioned, I could very well believe that this was a tale for adults. This is classified as a YA novel, however, there is nothing remotely ‘childish’ about this book. This is a serious tale of survival and I have to be honest, Dashner’s imagination frightens me.

There isn’t much romance in  The Maze Runner but you can see that there is something developing between Thomas and Teresa, the only girl in the camp. There are some nice moments between these two but this definitely isn’t one of the main plot points. I look forward to this blossoming in future books!

I am a big fan of romance in YA books, but in this case, I didn’t really care that there wasn’t all that much of it because there was so much going on in terms of friendships and the developing ties between different characters.

All in all, The Maze Runner is definitely up there with top YA dystopia novels such as The Hunger Games and The 5th Wave and if you haven’t read it yet, then you absolutely must pick up a copy before the film comes out next month. The cliffhanger at the end of The Maze Runner makes sure that readers will want to pick up the next book and I cannot wait to see how the plot develops from here.

I absolutely tore through this book and finished it in no time, desperate to find out what was going on. Dashner has now been added to my list of favourite authors and I would give this story 5 stars simply for the terrifying world that Dashner has created.

Buy The Maze Runner

If you liked this post, check out these: Divergent Book Review The Hunger Games Book Review Catching Fire Book Review Mockingjay Book Review Best Dystopian Novels for Teens

[First written in 2014, updated in 2019]

Founder & Editor of What’s Hot?

Monday 19th of August 2019

I read the whole series a few years ago and I really hated it... I thought it was messy, most of the characters were not really likable and it was just quite complicated, even though the first book was actually better than the rest. As for the movies, it's quite the same for me. The first one is good, but then it goes way too far, become to complicated and as you said, it's hard to know who you can trust ...

Thursday 22nd of August 2019

Oh no! I really enjoyed the book and film when I first read/watched them Movies never live up to expectations set by the book though, this one included!

Sunday 8th of November 2015

You know what I'm like Laura lol - Ive seen the movie but haven't read the book (yet). Thanks for hosting this :D Charlotte x

Mummy To The Max

Saturday 7th of November 2015

This book looks like a great read. I will look out for it so I can download it to my kindle.

Agata @BarkTime

Friday 6th of November 2015

I loved the movie and would like to read a book too as I was told it's much better.

The Mummy Balancing Act

Wednesday 4th of November 2015

I'm more of a film girl than books these days, but I find book adaptations to be mostly good.

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Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Dystopian/Apocalyptic, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Thea James is one half of the maniacal duo behind The Book Smugglers. She is Filipina-American, but grew up in Hawaii, Indonesia, and Japan. A full-time book nerd who works in publishing for her day job, Thea currently resides in Astoria, Queens with her partner and rambunctious cat. COOKING FOR WIZARDS, WARRIORS & DRAGONS (available August 31, 2021) is her first cookbook.

40 Comments

I haven’t read this one yet, but it is totally on my radar. I read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Gone. Loved each of them.

Have you read The Knife of Never Letting Go? Dystopian YA book on crack!! An Adrenaline rush from page 2!

I read this last month, and also loved it! I thought the ending was just incredible.

Jaime – Talk about a gut-punch! I loved it, and I do like it when authors aren’t afraid to go certain places with their endings. The only frustration is knowing we have to wait a whole freaking year for the next book! 👿 I’m so glad you loved The Maze Runner too!

What a great concept for a book! You have done your evol pimping ways yet again.

Rhiannon Hart

You’ve made me really want to read this one now. I think I’ll buy it next week!

KB – You knows how much of a pimp I am 😈 This is a great one, really enjoyed it! I hope you get a chance to read it and lemme know what you think!

I teach junior high gifted and just read Maze Runner over the Thanksgiving weekend–WOW. loved it! I also loved Hunger Games and both of the choas walking books by Patrick Ness–if you haven’t read them yet, run don’t walk to go get them–sooooo well done. Can’t wait for the second part of the Maze story–Scorch something???

😆 loved this book but other reviews where dead wrong 👿

The Book Smugglers » Blog Archive » Book Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

[…] did I read this book: I truly enjoyed The Maze Runner, Dashner’s first book in this post-apocalyptic/dystopian/SF adrenaline rush of a series, and […]

Jennifer (An Abundance of Books)

I really enjoyed your review and included a link to this post in my own Maze Runner review.

I especially liked your comment about “Lost” – I too felt that I was trying really hard to figure things out but got enough little answers that I don’t thinkg Dashner will leave me hangin’ . 🙂

The Maze Runner | One More Page

[…] Reviews: The Book Smugglers Steph Su […]

I absolutely hated this book with a passion. I literally was upset I spend my time reading it. It’s some of the worst writing I have ever read, the only reason I kept reading it is because the author drags out the simplest parts and give no details until the very end. And even then they don’t make sense.

The Maze Runner « Tanz

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Well, I didn’t hate it as much as anna, but it certainly doesn’t deserve a rave review. The premise is good but Dashner just doesn’t come through. The writing is flat and derivative (the opening scene is a complete rip-off from Murakami’s Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World) and the characters are one-dimensional. There is a lot of weak and lazy writing. The long tease is never really satisfied and the actual resolution is bogus. If the key clue was going to be given to the boys in the maze, why wouldn’t they get it from the outset, 2 years before the events in the book? I have lots of other problems, but they would involve spoilers, so I’ll leave it there.

loved your review im after going out and buying the second one thinking it was the first one so would it be ok just to carry on from the second one or should i start from the first one??? 😀 😉

the ending of the book was just smashing and i loved how chuck sacrifised himself for the sake of the gladers ❓

The Maze Runner | UTSIKT FRÅ LIA ~ VIEW FROM THE HILLSIDE

I found the review so helpful! I loved the Maze Runner, but the Scorch Trials (the second book to the sequel)but it wasn’t as good as the first book! Most reviews aren’t helpful=P…but yours was, so thanks! 😉

Lol, jk. I hated this bullshit.

Five Years of Book Smuggling… | The Book Smugglers

[…] Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner (11/12/2009) 2. The Half-Year Mark: Best Books of 2012 (so far) (7/2/2012) 3. From the Page to the […]

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jacob otteni

The book is awesoe but totaly not horror :opps: :cry

I love this book SO MUCH! However I was a little disappointed with the two sequels and prequel… I think The Maze Runner was the best one. The series went a bit downhill from there.

MagicianWinnipeg

Famous Magicians from Winnipeg An Evaluation Of Winnipeg’s Magicians

For those who taught me something, I thank you. Here are my views, although I have mixed feelings about many magicians in Winnipeg. Remember, these are only my views regarding some renowned Winnipeg magicians. You may not agree!

A short film about the Magicians in Winnipeg was released last summer. Entitled “Pick a card, any card”, this video shows us some of Winnipeg’s working magicians.

Although a cameraman came out to film me on Canada day, my contribution to the film didn’t make it past the cutting room floor. I can not help but believe that this is due to the fact that I was performing manipulation that day. “Flourishes”, as they’re recognized in magic are “not magic” according to many magicians. Even though my manipulations were published in genie magazine in 2011, absolute manipulation isn’t consistently respected by magicians; who consider it to more similar to juggling.

When I whip out a cobra cut, a flipback fan or a cross cut some magicians put their underwear in a knot. Others think I am awesome because they understand the ability and discipline required. You also see me one day and in case you are a Magician, come speak to me! I always love sharing magic with others. Even if you are a complete noob, come and speak to me. I am open to sharing my magic alongside you!

i love The Maze Runner book. I could’t put the book down.:)

Francesca Moore

I hadn’t heard of this book until I stumbled across the movie trailer on the Goodreads website. I’m really looking forwards to seeing the film but need to read the book first. Bought myself a copy and am planning to read it on a beach in Greece in the next couple of weeks.

I LOVED The Maze Runner!! It was one of the best books I have read, I am not joking. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in 3 days! It made me smile, laugh and cry. It mad you feel like you were included and actually in it! I cried at the end because 1. i can’t ell you this ‘coz it will spoil the end 2.The book was AMAZING and 3.I didn’t want it to end! I would definitely recommend this book! 10/10

Amazing piece of work by Dashner. It is a horrifying-thrilling Sci-Fi book that keeps you at the edge of the seat even after the end!

Itssss..realllyy tooo good to read..the book keeps u glued to it until u reach the end n unfold the DAM GOOD MYSTERY!! L**E it

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Books of Brilliance

The latest book reviews and book news, the maze runner: book review.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

One of the dystopian novels that blew up in the 2010’s was The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It was unlike anything else out and many people gravitated towards it including me. Find out what made it stand out and why people were hooked. 

The Maze Runner Summary

Thomas wakes up and he is finds out that he is in a metal elevator that is going up. He cannot remember who he is or where he is now and how he got here. As the elevator finally reaches the top, Thomas finds out that he is in a fenced area with only boys occupying it.

The Glade, as the place the boys inhabit is known, is run by two boys. Alby is the leader and Newt is the second in charge. The maintain and enforce the rules and makes sure everything runs smoothly. And lastly, the elevator that brought Thomas to the Glade comes up once a month to bring food, supplies, medicine and weapons sometimes. And every month, a new boy comes up the elevator with no prior memories but his first name.

To escape the Glade, the boys have to solve the labyrinth, also known as the Maze. It is located outside the walls that surround the Glade. The Maze has high concrete walls that are covered in ivy that changes every night. And the Maze is home to creatures known as the Grievers that kill anyone they come across.

I will be talking about the whole series and not just the first novel. But I will not spoil anything for those that want to read it. The first book in the series was epic and really set up a terrifying dystopian world. You as a reader were invested and really wanted to know what the hell is going on in the Glade.

And eventually you get those answers. And they keep you hooked and reading the rest of the series. But the novels take a turn. After the Glade, you get a whole new story and that feels more like a standalone book then a trilogy. That is what irked me the most about the series. The books don’t connect well and leave you unsatisfied with its progression.

Lastly, I will say the violence and deaths in the novel don’t feel justified. The best example I can think of is Game of Thrones where everyone dies left and right. Its not the same to that extent but that is the first thing to come to mind. This was perhaps the worst conclusion to a series and has left me angry with even after reading it almost a decade ago.

If you haven’t read the series, then you aren’t really missing out. The first novel is great and I do recommend that one but stop while the sun is shining and just call it quits. So to summarize, I recommend the first novel in the series but not the whole series. And I have done this before but I stopped reading the other series after book one because I was not liking the direction of the novel. You can read that review here if you are interested. The movies did ok and you can check the movie and cast out.

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14 thoughts on “ The Maze Runner: Book Review ”

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I agree. I don’t like how the books don’t connect well. It was a bit like that for Hunger Games but more so with Maze Runner. The movies were really good as well though.

Yea they should have been stand alone novels

I agree. Also isn’t your main focus for this blog on Y/A fiction? I read a huge amount of it and if you wanted I could give you some books that, as a teenager, I really like.

There isn’t a main focus on this blog. I just write about books I have read and YA is one of those genres.

Ok. I love your reviews though. They are so genius and thought through.

I enjoyed watching the movies and how they concluded it. Haven’t read the books though. Would recommend Lord of the flies by William Golding. It’s a masterpiece!

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Good review, Ahaqir. I haven’t read this, but it still sounds pretty good to me despite the flaws.

I have watched the first movie. Never really got the time to watch the others but then I bought the book too. You bet I also haven’t read it but this might just be the boost I need to get into it.

I’m not a big fan of dystopia stories, so the end of the first movie which hinted another “adventure” just got me thinking meh..pass.

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A Journey of Words

Book review: the maze runner, the maze runner book #1 by james dashner, my rating: 4 / 5 genre: ya dystopian.

I’ve not read any of the big-name YA dystopian series that have been popular over the years, so this is my first foray into those books. I liked this story–both the plot in this book, and the larger story that it sets up. While there were some things that I felt could have been done better, they were not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment.

I found the immediate world-building–the Glade and maze around it–interesting and fun to explore (if “fun” is the right word, given the situation). It felt a lot like a community a bunch of teenage boys would create. And Thomas himself I found to be an engaging main character. Others have seen him as a Gary Stu-type (too good at everything), I didn’t see it that way at all. Yes, he had his areas of innate ability, but I didn’t find it to be overly done, and there were legitimate reasons for all of it.

One thing that bugged me the most was the fake cussing. I get the reason Dashner included it (or at least, my assumption of his reason), but in the context of the story, it really didn’t make sense. The boys remembered the world overall, just had no personal memories, so why did they feel the need to make up their own swear words? And speaking of those memories, the progression of life as we know it to the dystopian world these people inhabit seems a little off in conjunction with the things they remember. Especially adding in some other factors that would be a spoiler to mention.

While there were plenty of predictable things that happened, the danger was real, and it kept me moving quickly through the entire book. My husband started listening to the audiobook at the same time, which is not something we’ve ever done before. I’m also looking forward to continuing the series, and hope we’ll do so together.

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T. Ellery Hodges

Science Fiction & Fantasy Author

The Maze Runner | Book and Movie Review

Don’t read the book, just go see the movie.

Ask yourself, can you remember a single instance where someone told you that the movie was better than the book? If you’re like me than no, and that probably gives you a clue where this review is going.

Before I get started, some disclaimers. James Dashner’s Maze Runner series was originally conceived as a story for younger readers. It may simply be that I am too old to overlook the book’s flaws. Also, Dashner’s writing style happens to have a number of my pet peeves that get authors on my bad side. I’ll explain as I go and you can decide for yourself.

I originally gave Dashner a try when The Eye of Minds was released.  I wanted to like the book but couldn’t manage to finish it. The character’s were poorly thought out and seemed to make decisions that were unreasonable for no reason other than to move the plot forward.

What explanation does the reader get in these instance?

“He didn’t know why, but he knew he had to [insert unlikely action].”  To be fair, I get just as annoyed when writers say something along the lines of “her subconscious told her to [insert decision].”

I’m not saying these things are off-limits or that a character has to always know the underlying reasons they do one thing or another, but when a character is forced into an action that seems to beg for explanation, and the writer never circles back to it, it becomes clear that the writer themselves can’t imagine a good reason for their character’s actions.

So, why did I pick up Maze Runner despite having a bad experience with Eye Of Minds?  (1)  hype: I’d been hearing about the series for quite awhile. (2) Plausibility: I figured that if there was any situation where I can forgive a writer for not explaining their character’s behavior, it would be when the character has amnesia. (3) Peer Pressure: my son really wanted me to, especially once he saw the movie was coming out.

I got through the Maze Runner, even finished The Scorch Trials , never actually finished The Death Cure , though its sitting next to me in my satchel as I write this. Again it’s a children’s series, so perhaps a 12 year old wouldn’t think the plot was headed in an obvious direction. My son listened to the audio books and enjoy them a lot.  He asked me my theory on where the plot was going as I had just started book two. I could tell by how quiet he got when I gave my theory that I’d nailed it. I’m not bragging, more warning that if your relatively well read it is doubtful you’ll find the series a challenging puzzle. Which, if you think about, is counter to what you’d expect from a book about people looking for a solution to a Maze.

There are some things I did like in the series. The main one that springs to mind is the  vocabulary his characters create. As the “Gladers” have amnesia they create names for themselves, put-downs, and things there aren’t words for outside their world: Grievers, Klunk , Shuck, Slinthead .  Admittedly there is a feel that the author was trying to get around swearing in order to keep his novel PG-13, but it isn’t bothersome.

The way the Maze gets solved in the book wasn’t clever, more or less it came off as unbelievable. I remember thinking “no one would jump to this conclusion.”  It felt like the author started the story and hoped a good idea would come to him before he finished. It was no surprise that the movie took a different direction.  The way out of the maze in the film borrowed some elements of the book, but it was far more believable.

The Grievers (maze dwelling monsters) in the movie were loosely based on the ones in the book in that they were part mechanical and part biological. Thankfully, the film’s Grievers were far more threatening.  At times, in the book, the grievers come off as a comical combination of a Roly Poly , Inspector Gadget , and Slimer from Ghost Busters. In contrast, the monsters in the film will have you believing the protagonist has likely crapped his pants.

I’d go see the movie if it’s a weekend and you’re bored.  I would not bother with the book unless you have a kid that you are desperately trying to separate from a game console and he is intrigued by the idea of people trapped in a maze. In the end, that is really what this book had going for it, an intriguing plot idea.

We all like a story about the lab rat that outsmarts its prison.

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