Friday Book Recommendation--The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Imagine waking up one day in total darkness, unsure of where you are and unable to remember anything about yourself except your first name. You're in a bizarre place devoid of adults called the Glade. The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids -- the Runners -- venture into the labyrinth, trying to map the ever-changing pattern of walls in an attempt to find an exit from this hellish place. So far, no one has figured it out. And not all of the Runners return from their daily exertions, victims of the maniacal Grievers, part animal, part mechanical killing machines.

Thomas is the newest arrival to the Glade in this Truman-meets-Lord of the Flies tale. A motley crew of half a dozen kids is all he has to guide him in this strange world. As soon as he arrives, unusual things begin to happen, and the others grow suspicious of him. Though the Maze seems somehow familiar to Thomas, he's unable to make sense of the place, despite his extraordinary abilities as a Runner. What is this place, and does Thomas hold the key to finding a way out?


Kristi's take: I couldn't put this book down. The maze was intriguing, the characters were compelling, and the Grievers were, well, horrifying. My 12-year-old nephew saw I was reading it and flipped out. He said "everyone" at his school is reading it, and that he's dying to read it too. I'm glad I knew ahead of time that it was the first book of a trilogy, because I wanted to keep reading after the end. The Maze Runner is the autographed book I'm giving away for our December contest, so don't forget to enter here. 

Has anyone read The Scorch Trials (Book #2) yet? That one is next on my list. 

For those who celebrate Christmas, have a fabulous Christmas Eve and a very merry Christmas!