The Maze Runner trilogy is a series of books centred around
the character of Thomas. He wakes up in a box with no memories other than his
name. After a while the box opens and he finds himself at the centre of a maze
with a group of other boys. This is his home now. The boys have all come there
the same way and none of them knows how or why. They also don’t know how to get
out of the maze. As far as they know there isn’t a way. And they’ve been trying
for two years. Thomas isn’t about to take no for an answer, and with the help
of his new friends, tries to escape.
The idea of the book is very similar to The Hunger Games. It
plays with the idea of a Big Brother style scenario and how different people
cope with that. However, I think these books are darker than The Hunger Games
as at least Katniss understands why she is there and what is happening to her.
Living in a world of increasing technology and security, extreme Big Brothers
are fun to read. In this one Thomas knows that he grew up outside the maze and
that there is a world outside the maze, he just can’t remember it. This means
that the reader also has no idea about the world outside the maze either,
although there are allusions to the fact that something is seriously wrong out
there. The organisation that holds them is still able to keep them alive by
providing them with food and tools that they need. It may be that they are
better off in the maze, despite the creatures that can kill you that wander
outside the maze centre, than they are out of it.
Thomas is the hero in these books. To begin with he is
confused and angry about not being in control of his life. However, he soon
makes friends and creates his role in the society of boys. He grows as a person
quite quickly, becoming level headed and fearless in order to do what he feels
he must. Some of the other characters are of a similar personality to Thomas
and are the leaders of the group. There are about ten characters whose fates we
follow throughout the trilogy. Some we don’t meet until book two and some don’t
make it past book two. As for the maze, well we never find out exactly how that
was created.
The book keeps you reading to find out what happens next. I
read all three back to back and I think this was the way to read them as they
follow directly on from each other so the details are still fresh in your mind.
Any more than three and it would have got a bit repetitive. You can’t second
guess what will happen to the characters other than the fact that nothing is
what it seems. You think they’ve got somewhere only to find that they are still
in danger.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a
good adventure story with a bit of horror and peril thrown in. It is fast paced
and doesn’t give you time to try and work out what’s happening before you’re on
to the next danger. The main character is relatable even if he can be a bit
annoying at times. You are rooting for him and his friends the whole way
through so it is sad when something nasty happens to one of them. The end is
somewhat open ended so that you can decide if they live happily ever after or
not. It was a fun read to lose yourself in. It makes you wander if you would be
as brave as this group of teenagers if you were in their situation, where it’s
a matter of fight for your life and sanity or die a painful death.
Overall rating 4 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment