The Maze Runner

     The Maze Runner by James Dashner isn't for the squeamish! I really struggled to finish this one up, because I wasn't a fan of the story line. I couldn't convince my high school child to read it. He said based on the summary in the book he wasn't interested in reading it, therefore I was stuck reading it on my own without my reading mini me! 
      One of the main characters, Thomas, wakes up in an elevator with no prior memory of what his life was like before that moment other than his name is Thomas. When the elevator opens, he is pulled into this place called Glade by a bunch of other boys who are in the same predicament as he is. The boys are trying to solve the maze. Beyond the maze are creatures known as Grivers. If you get stung by a Griver, you go through a process called the Changing. It isn't pleasant to go through the Changing. The whole point is to just to do what you can to stay alive while working on the maze. 
One day a girl shows up. It is the first time a girl has ever shown up. Almost as soon as she shows up in the elevator, she tells the boys things are about to change, then she passes out into a coma. She is the last person sent into the Glade. Soon after she arrives, things start changing. Things like the sun disappears and the doors to the maze stay open all night long. The boys start to become extremely agitated by the events.Meanwhile, Thomas feels like he know the girl who is in a coma, Teresa. He discovers a code made by their movements. Eventually they all decide to go for it, to get out of the Maze through a Griver's hole. Half the boys don't make it out. The others discover this is an experiment by their creators, who are called Wicked. Then they are rescued by a rebel group, but it appears it it just another part of the experiment. Then the experiment goes on with another set of children. The ultimate goal appeared to be finding a group of children resourceful enough and intelligent enough to save humanity from the Flare.
     Thomas seems like a hero, but is he the child to save humanity? There are several other books to this series, not only other books after this story but several prequels as well. I would use this book to teach about friendship, environmental damage, order vs. chaos, perseverance, and bravery. I think this book is geared more toward a 9-12 grade level, because of content that was covered in the book.  
     Random House created a great file for The Maze Runner. It includes pre reading/post reading activities and discussion questions to help aid comprehension of the story. It is located here. I also found a blog that has numerous resources from powerpoints for vocabulary, study guide, author discussion of the book, and a learning guide. The blog is called Linda's links to literature. I also found my favorite book trailer for The Maze Runner: