Saturday 5 April 2014

The Maze Runner, James Dashner

I read this one for work, its a teen book (soon-to-be film) and dubbed as 'the next Hunger Games'.

A group of boys live in the centre of a maze and are trying to find a way out. Some have been there 2 years, but another boy is delivered (with no memory) each month or so. This is until our man Thomas arrives, who turns out to be the last delivery except for a comatose girl who triggers 'the ending'. The boys are shut in the centre of maze at night to protect them from 'Grievers' who patrol the maze corridors - the descriptions of the Grievers are good, they seem to be part machine and part slug. No-one ever survives a night out in the maze (except of course our man Thomas...)


Its hard to judge teen book I think as most of them are written a) so everything is spelt out for you, nothing is assumed and b) very angsty - usually the protagonist is constantly whining and asking 'why me, I didn't ask to be special and amazing at everything...' (you know you've got a good teen book when it does neither of these things)
SO ignoring the above The Maze Runner is pretty good, original (as far as I know) and has a good amount of peril and intrigue.

Also just finished reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck, which is brilliant.