The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Post-apocalypse

Summary

Thomas (main character) enters the Glade, where about forty boys have been building their own civilization within a gigantic stone maze that changes at night. One new teen enters the Glade each month and not one of them has memories from before then. They are supposed to find a way out of the Maze and the Glade, but it has proved difficult considering some of the boys have been trying for two years to get out. Teresa, the first girl to enter the Glade, arrives and everything starts to change. The walls connecting the Maze to the Glade stop closing at night and the weather starts to act up. An alternate option to escape makes itself known and the Gladers divide in contrasting opinions. Will they make it out alive?

Thomas

-Main character

-Last boy to enter the Glade

-Shares a connection with Teresa

-About 16 years old

-Becomes a Runner

Newt

-Second-in-Command in the Glade

-One of the Original Gladers

-Has a slight limp from formerly being a Runner

-He is close with Alby

-Talks with almost a British-sounding accent

-Has longer, shaggier hair and is more built

Teresa

-Last person to enter the Glade

-Only girl to arrive in the Glade

-In a coma for the first couple of days

-Communicates telepathically with Thomas

-Arrives in the Box with a note

Minho

-Keeper of the Runners

-Part of the Original Gladers

-Very sarcastic

-Most knowledgeable of the Maze

Alby

-Leader of the Gladers, as of when Thomas arrived

-Not exactly leader material

-Cause of Minho and Thomas spending the night in the Maze; he was stung

-Wary of Thomas after going through the Changing

Chuck

-One of the youngest Gladers

-Friendly to most everyone

-Often picked on by the older Gladers, but in a brotherly way

-Last Greenie before Thomas

-Befriends Thomas

Gally

-Keeper of the Builders

-Rude to everyone

-Been through the Changing before Thomas's arrival

-Very wary of Thomas; claims to recognize him from somewhere

-Described with dark hair and a leaner build

Using the Language

- ¨Nice to meet ya, shank.¨

- ¨Looks like a klunk in a t-shirt.¨

- ¨Hey, look, it's the Greenbean.¨

- ¨I like you, Greenie.¨

- ¨Ain't you got a job, slinthead?¨

- ¨Slim it, you buggin' slinthead.¨

Language

Glader n- someone who lives in the Glade

Greenie/ Greenbean n- name directed toward the most recent Glader to enter the Glade

Shuck n,adj- another word for the expletive that rhymes with it

Klunk n,v- another word for crap

Shank n- sometimes derogatory; term used to refer to anyone; used like 'bro' or 'dude'

Slinthead n- derogatory term used when a Glader is angry

The Creators n- term used by the Gladers to describe the people that sent them to the Glade

Griever n- large, squishy-bodies creatures with retractable spikes and many arms with saws, needles and other weapons on them; occasionally sting the Gladers, triggering the Changing

The Changing n- used to describe the horrible experience one has after being stung by a Griever

Jobs in the Glade

Runners- boys who run through the Maze, mapping it and looking for a way out (Keeper: Minho)

Builders- repair/ build buildings and structures in the Glade; not very smart (Keeper: Gally)

Slicers- work in the Blood House, slaughtering the animals for food (Keeper: Winston)

Med-Jacks- doctors/ medical help in the Glade (Keeper: Clint)

Track-hoes- gardeners (Keeper: Zart)

Cooks- prepare and cook food for the Gladers (Keeper: Frypan)

Sloppers- tend to all the other messy jobs that no one wants to do (Keeper: Unknown)

Baggers- take care of the dead bodies in the Glade (Keeper: Unknown)

The Maze

-Appears to be the only way out into civilization

-Two years of mapping and running, yet no one has found an exit

-contains a mysterious opening called the Cliff

-at sundown, the walls leading into the Glade close

-at night, Grievers roam about, killing anyone inside the walls

Positives

-the idea of an adopted language

-the example of teamwork and divided jobs applied in the Glade

-the memory wipe, so the teens can start their civilization from scratch

-the walls close at night, protecting them from the Grievers

Negatives

-the memory wipe, because it leaves the teens with no idea how to live if they escape the Maze

-the Grievers that hunt down people in the Maze

-the Maze changes every night

-the clashing personalities

Recommended Audience

This would be recommended for young adult audiences, due to violence and some suggestive language. Fans of other hits series like The Hunger Games and Divergent would most likely enjoy the book and it's series.

Websites to Visit

http://jamesdashner.com/books/maze-runner-series/
http://themazerunnermovie.com/ (For the Movie)
http://mazerunner.wikia.com/ (Shelterbelted)
http://dashnerarmy.com/about-james-dashner/
http://www.gradesaver.com/the-maze-runner/study-guide (Not as much information, but I thought it was really cool because it had quizzes over the book)

Theme/ Relation

In The Maze Runner, there are several cases of clashing personalities. When Thomas meets Gally, they almost immediately develop a hate for one another. There is a sense of questioned belonging within each new Greenie; with no memory of a past life, it's like when you go to a new school and have to learn everything from the beginning. Trust is a huge factor in this novel.