I've not read any of the big-name YA dystopian series that have been popular over the years, so this is my first foray into those books. I liked this story--both the plot in this book, and the larger story that it sets up. While there were some things that I felt could have been done better, they were not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment.

I found the immediate world-building--the Glade and maze around it--interesting and fun to explore (if "fun" is the right word, given the situation). It felt a lot like a community a bunch of teenage boys would create. And Thomas himself I found to be an engaging main character. Others have seen him as a Gary Stu-type (too good at everything), I didn't see it that way at all. Yes, he had his areas of innate ability, but I didn't find it to be overly done, and there were legitimate reasons for all of it.

One thing that bugged me the most was the fake cussing. I get the reason Dashner included it (or at least, my assumption of his reason), but in the context of the story, it really didn't make sense. The boys remembered the world overall, just had no personal memories, so why did they feel the need to make up their own swear words? And speaking of those memories, the progression of life as we know it to the dystopian world these people inhabit seems a little off in conjunction with the things they remember. Especially adding in some other factors that would be a spoiler to mention.

While there were plenty of predictable things that happened, the danger was real, and it kept me moving quickly through the entire book. My husband started listening to the audiobook at the same time, which is not something we've ever done before. I'm also looking forward to continuing the series, and hope we'll do so together. ( )

Sounds like an amazing book!
Update: 8/10, this book was so amazing and outstanding, I couldn't stop reading this book. The concept was so original, but terrifying, it was that some kids were stuck in a maze for apparently no reason, but I found out more as I read through the book. I couldn't connect to the characters, they were all flat, so when one character sacrificed himself for the main character, Thomas, I didn't feel anything for him. However, the latter half of the book was very suspenseful, as the characters finally found a way out of the maze, and then it ends on a cliffhanger! Some aspects of the book, such as the Serum, were still unexplained, though I may find out in the next book. If you like an original YA sci-fi novel, this is the book for you. ( )

I thought this book would be easy to like, it's YA sci-fi after all, but in the end I was let down. It felt just too aggressively aimed at a 14 year old male.

Maybe it's been too long since I was actually that age bracket, but to me the slang was forced, the cliques way too obvious and the neat and tidy politics overly simple.

The premise is really great, and the best part of the book. That backdrop and set up is actually what makes me want to see the soon to be released movie. Hopefully the screen writers manage to make it work just that little bit better it needs.

The plot progresses without being too predictable, with enough action to keep it rolling along nicely to the end.

But it doesn't.

End I mean.

Yup, a just enough of a ending to make everybody want to buy the next in the series. I'm still undecided about that.

Could have been really great, but ended up just ok. ( )

I could not put this book down. I was highly addicted reading about Thomas's world as the boys, and one singular girl, dealt with the Maze. This book moves very fast and has constant action, making it very hard to put down. Each chapter ends making you want to read the next one immediately, even if you don't have the time. I originally read this book just because I heard a movie was coming out but I definitely enjoyed it. ( )

I really thought this book would be cool and interesting, but it turned out to be awkward and lame. Oh well. ( )