Movie & Book Review: The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Pages: 374
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: October 9th, 2009
Source: The Book Divas 
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If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

Whoa. Holy Crap. What is happening. All words I thought while reading this. For years I have heard my brother talking about it, but I had never picked it up. Now that that movie was coming out I had to read it before it came out. Thanks to the Book Divas that was possible, and even though I did end up seeing The Maze Runner before reading the book I still enjoyed both of them… a lot. I’ll start with my book review and then do a book review, because even though they follow the same story line they are very different.

The book starts off quickly with Thomas getting out of the box and wondering what the heck is happening.

 I gotta say everything went by so quickly and the readers were just as confused as Thomas was, or at least I was. All of sudden he’s in this closed off camp full of dirty strange boys and a lot of secrets. Even though he’s never met any of them of been there he can’t shake of a feeling of Déjà vu. Especially as things around him go from bad to worse. They have a mini society with a few leaders, the most listened to being Newt, Alby and Gally. They each have their separate jobs, theres slicers and runners, some to cook and others to plant. Everything is going smoothly, the only problem being that they can’t get out. Not only can they not get out but they’re also plagued by grievers, who after being stung by one they go through the changing. They’ve tried literally everything but nothing has changed that is until Theresa gets there.

For the first time since anyone had gotten there a girl arrives in the box and no one really has a clue what to do. Things get worse when they realize that the maze has changed. They now have to get out or die. Here’s where the movie and the book start to differ. In the book everything happens very slowly, its still a quick pace but theres a few times where you get frustrated with these kids! Thomas and Theresa also have a special telepathic relationship which was adorable.

Now the movie. That was such a ride! I was able to attend a free screening (Whoo Alamo!) and even though it was full I was able to sit with my best friend. She spent half the movie with her eyes closed and I spent the other half screaming and hitting her arm. To say it was suspenseful was not enough, by the end I felt as if I had a run an entire marathon alone. 

The movie and the book are very different, but they were both well done and the movie preserves the relationship each character has with each other. They even have the same words like “Shuck it” and “Shank”. One reason as to why I liked the movie more than the book (rare occurrence) was because of my hormones. I mean there are what 5-8 HOT guys with AMAZING abs, imagining them is fine but seeing them acting and saying the words out loud?

Overall I think everyone should read the book and watch the movie. They were both amazing and suspenseful and you will be running to read The Scorpion Trials.