The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Published: Oct. 2009
ISBN: 0385737947
Page number: 374
Price: $16.99
Other books in the Series: The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, The Kill Order
Genre: dystopia, fantasy
Reading Level:  6th grade
Interest Level: 6th grade and up
Awards: YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011), Abraham Lincoln Award (2012), Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy Novel (2009)
Plot Summary: Thomas wakes up to find himself in the Glade with no recollection of life before he awoke. The Glade is home to a bunch of young boys called Gladers who each have a job to do in the Glade. Outside the Glade lies a large maze that closes every night. Every day the boys work to try and get out of the maze but they can't seem to find the exit before the maze closes every night. At night strange and deadly creatures come out of the maze and the boys must retreat to the Glade for safety.  Everyone month a new boy shows up, just like Thomas, and they have no idea of life before the  maze but the day after Thomas shows up a girl appears. That is when everything goes wrong. The maze doesn't close at night and the Gladers are now exposed to the dangers within the maze. Their only choice for survival is to escape but what lies outside the maze? 
Review: The story is fast paced and action packed. The mystery of the maze and why they are all there drives the story. Though it seems that as the story moves along there is more questions than answers. Of course the story is part of a series so many of those question can be answered in later stories. There is quite a bit of violence but the story is one of survival and not every kid in the maze makes it out. The story ends on a cliffhanger with the reader eager to start the next book.
Reader's Annotation: Thomas wakes up to find himself in a maze with no idea of who he is or where he is. Thomas is just another boy who has found himself trapped in the maze but everything changes when a girl shows up.
Book Talk Ideas: The story is built on mystery and suspense so that same feeling should be brought to the book talk. Perhaps using many of the stories unknowns to draw in the audience.
Issues: The story is a dystopian theme with violence, betrayal and government conspiracy.

Main Themes: secrecy, violence, coming of age, survival, betrayal, government conspiracy

Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: The story is one of survival and struggle and teens perhaps gain strength from the characters ability to overcome deadly creatures and other trials in the maze.
Read-alikes: Code by Kathy Reichs and Shade's Children by Garth Nix
Author Website: http://www.jamesdashner.com/
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews

Why chose this book: The series is very popular, especially amont teen boys who love the action and suspense. The story has received some controversy for it's violence.