The Maze Runner by James Dashner

It seems I've been on a "dystopian" kick lately and need to fix that so I don't turn myself into a conspiracy theorist. That being said, I intend to go straight to this book's sequel, The Scorch Trials, before switching genres. But first, let's talk about The Maze Runner.

Thomas wakes up in a elevator shaft. His memory has been wiped clean; he can't remember his age, where he came from, or his family. All he can remember is his first name. The elevator stops, the doors open, and the story unfolds.

He's trapped in the heart of a maze with other teenage boys, some of which have survived there for a couple years. There are four "doors" that lead from their Homestead into the maze. Every day, a select group of boys, called "runners", runs into the maze in hopes of solving it. And, every night, the "doors" close--their only protection from the monsters that dwell inside the maze. The Maze Runner follows Thomas and his inexplicable need to be a "runner" as he struggles to solve the puzzle before the monsters kill the lot of them.

This book held me captivated to the very end! The pacing was so perfect it was borderline tiresome, and Dashner's world-building was incredibly thorough and "believable". If I could compare this to anything, I would say it's like a cross between Ender's Game and Lord of the Flies.

Now...to download the sequel! Where's my Kindle? :)

***If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!