The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Review: 

I’ll be honest - I didn't love this book.  Maybe I had high expectations (after hearing good reviews and it being made into a film and all) but it didn't hook me as I would have hoped and it took me far longer than I thought to read it.  Overall I really liked, but unfortunately not enough to say i loved it (if that makes any sense..)

Firstly, i loved the characters.  I loved the contrast and range of personalities, and the names really stay in your head.  I have to admit that, as i think most people will have, i really felt for Chuck and liked seeing him throughout the book, and learning more and more about him.

I also loved the atmosphere of the book, as i feel it really added to the overall experience of reading it, particularly at the beginning.  I liked how both Thomas and us as readers were in similar situations, not knowing anything and having to learn lots of information quickly.  Although i think it was well-written like this, it did get confusing at times, even towards the end; I think this is one of the reasons why this is probably better read over a short amount of time.

Unfortunately though, i did find that i wasn't always eager to read on.  I think that at at points the writing was so detailed and the story line so complex that as the reader i wasn't as hooked as i would have liked to have been.  I sometimes found myself confused and so didn't want to pick it up and have to figure it out, but i think if i continued with the series, or hadn't taken so long to read it, it may be a different story.

So, i would say this was definitely another technical book, and so at times can be confusing, but I'd say it worth a go!

Quotes: 

"If you ain't scared," Alby said, "You ain't human.""If your going to decipher a hidden code from a complex set of different mazes, I'm pretty sure you need a girl's brain running the show.""You're the shuckiest shuck-faced shuck there ever was."

Songs: 

The Great Escape - Boys like Girls Further On  - Bronze Radio Return Laura Palmer - Bastille 

Other Books: 

Gone by Michael Grant  - I know i suggested this last time as well, but it just shows how much i love this series!  Also this has similar elements, such as no adults, a problem to solve and can be technical and confusing. Revived by Cat Patrick - although this is quite a different style of book, i do think they are similar, but i can't say anymore without ruining either book!How I Live Now by Meg Rosof  - Another one that is quite different, but with similar ideas such as survival, and escape, but in completely different circumstances.