James Dashner is a popular American author who has written a plethora of works, most of which focus on fantasy and dystopia. His most popular series by far is the Maze Runner series. The first book is titled Maze Runner, and the following books are given other names like the scorch trials, and the death cure. Maze Runner tells you everything you need to know about ‘The Glade’, without spoiling anything for the next book.

     Maze Runner takes place in a gigantic maze with a stretch of land in the middle, called The Glade. The inhabitants of The Glade are all teenage boys, who were brought there by ‘the creators.’ A new boy is brought to The Glade every thirty days through a hole in the ground in the middle of The Glade. These boys have zero memory of what their life was before they were brought to The Glade. They call themselves ‘the gladers.’ They survived by using the supplies that the creators gave them, and forming job categories that each boy is assigned too. They find that order and hard work is what keeps them from going insane. The most important job is being a runner. The runners run through the maze everyday and try to find a way out before the walls close at night. This seems simplistic and easy but the main problem is that the maze changes everyday, and never repeats.

     Thomas, the main character, and the newest glader, finds himself being drawn to the maze. He doesn’t understand why, but he knows for sure that he wants to take on the job of a runner. After breaking the rules and going into the maze at night, he and Minho, the keeper of the runners, have to find a way to survive the night while being hunted by Grievers.

Grievers are the main antagonist in the book. They are treacherous creatures that live in the maze, and mostly come out at night, which is why it is forbidden to go in at night. To them, going into the maze at night is a death sentence,  given that no one has survived a night in the maze. A grievers main goal is to hunt and kill gladers who enter the maze. Their tactic is stinging them, which puts the gladers in extreme pain, and can kill them if they don’t get the cure that is given to them by the creators.

     If you like thrilling action scenes, then this book is for you. The scenes in the maze capture the pure fear that Thomas feels extremely well. James Dashner goes into extensive detail during each chapter so that the reader can really get a feel for the setting, and Thomas’ emotions. Even sounds are meticulously described. The dedication that Dashner puts into imagery is truly amazing. This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys dystopian societies, fantasy, and thrillers.