maze runner 2 book review

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Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to sequels.

“Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” is larger than its predecessor, last year’s “ The Maze Runner ,” in every way: in its cast, scope, set pieces and (unfortunately) length. But “more” also means more convoluted. The mythology in these dystopian young adult novels-turned-films can be dense at times, but “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” crams in more lore, supporting characters, backstories and motivations to the extent that it becomes difficult to get a grasp on anything.

Returning director Wes Ball covers a lot more ground this time, literally and figuratively, in adapting the second novel in author James Dashner ’s “Maze Runner” series. But while his characters are constantly on the run, it feels like they’re never really going anywhere. The script from T.S. Nowlin (who co-wrote the first film in the franchise) has an episodic structure that ultimately makes it feel repetitive. The characters are in one post-apocalyptic bunker, then they’re in another. They’re under the protection of one untrustworthy adult, then another. They’re skulking about an abandoned mall by flashlight, then slinking through a sewer system by flashlight. They walk across the desert by day, trying to survive the heat, then run across it by night, trying to escape lightning strikes.

These adventures might be more intriguing if the characters involved in them had even a smidgen of depth. The hero who emerged at the center of part one, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), remains the quietly courageous leader in part two. He’s the requisite rebel in this YA series, cut from the same cloth as Katniss in “ The Hunger Games ” and Tris in “ Divergent ”; he’s the one who dares to shake up the status quo, challenge a cold, monolithic government known by the not-so-subtle acronym WCKD (i.e. the grown-ups) and start a revolution. He doesn’t develop much of a personality along the way, though, even though we receive clues from his past that he has always been The Chosen One.

His buddies from the Glade don’t fare much better in the characterization department. Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) remains wisecracking and irreverent. Frypan ( Dexter Darden ) is girl-crazy. Teresa ( Kaya Scodelario ), their only female companion, is mysterious and morose. Along with a few others, they all find themselves stuck inside a different kind of compound at the start of the film, which picks up right where “The Maze Runner” left off. They get food and shelter and clean clothes and actual beds at this new place, which sounds like a good deal. But then they—and kids who managed to escape other mazes—gather each night at dinner to find out which of them will be whisked away to a supposedly exciting new home.

Clearly, nothing good is in store for any of these people. That’s obvious simply from the demeanor of the guy who runs the joint, the turtleneck-clad, vaguely accented Janson ( Aidan Gillen ). When Thomas and hoodie-wearing loner Aris ( Jacob Lofland ) do a little middle-of the-night exploring, they stumble upon the nefarious medical experiments scientists are performing on these kids, all in the name of finding a cure for the plague that has ravaged the nation. At least that’s how Patricia Clarkson , as the crisp and efficient doctor Ava Paige, justifies such creepily devious actions. (As in part one, the great Clarkson is sadly underused here; so are fellow supporting players Barry Pepper and Lili Taylor in barely-there supporting roles.)

It’s this discovery that sets Thomas and his friends on their journey to find help and safety, which does feature some tense moments within individual action sequences and some striking imagery. One shot in particular stands out of the kids walking single-file along the top of a sand dune, silhouetted by the sun, then stopping simultaneously and spaced apart perfectly once they hear a gunshot shatter the desert silence.

But other elements feel too obviously derivative of better films. As the teens traipse across the decimated remnants of a once-thriving urban center known as the Scorch, each hill of rubble they crest calls to mind the bombed-out remains of the various districts in “The Hunger Games” series. And a sequence in which they run for their lives from ravenous zombies in an abandoned shopping mall is straight out of “Dawn of the Dead.” (These hideous creatures, known as Cranks, have been infected by the plague; it’s turned them into fast-moving, Danny Boyle-style zombies rather than slow-shuffling George Romero-style zombies, for those of you who like to keep track of these things.)

A far more inspired scene finds Thomas & Co. sneaking into the hidden headquarters of underground leader/mercenary Jorge ( Giancarlo Esposito ) and his feisty daughter figure, Brenda ( Rosa Salazar ). This is by far the most gripping segment of the film, not only because Jorge’s lair is so cool and intricate and Esposito brings such élan to this complicated bad-guy figure, but also because it sets up the only flat-out fun moment you’ll see. I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say that it features inspired use of the Patsy Cline classic “Walkin’ After  Midnight .”

The rest of the movie, choked in sand and dust and surrounded by concrete and steel, could have used more bursts of that kind of crazy energy. The self-seriousness of it all becomes suffocating—and there’s only more of it to come. After all, there’s still a third and final book out there, waiting to be made into a movie (if not two).

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

Rated PG-13 extended sequences of violence and action, some thematic elements, substance use and language

131 minutes

Dylan O'Brien as Thomas

Thomas Brodie Sangster as Newt

Kaya Scodelario as Teresa

Ki Hong Lee as Minho

Giancarlo Esposito as Jorge

Aidan Gillen as Janson

Patricia Clarkson as Ava Paige

Lili Taylor as Mary Cooper

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The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, Book 2) Kindle Edition

• Book 2 of 5 The Maze Runner
• Print length 394 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 7 - 9
• Lexile measure HL720L
• Publisher Delacorte Press
• Publication date October 12, 2010
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• ISBN-10 9780375896118
• ISBN-13 978-0385738750
• See all details
• Next 4 for you in this series $35.57
• All 5 for you in this series $43.96

• Customers Also Enjoyed
• In This Series
• By James Dashner
• Teen & Young Adult

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com review.

Q: Where was the worst place you’ve ever been lost or trapped? Did you use Thomas-like ingenuity to figure out the problem? A: Interesting you should ask that, because The Maze Runner saved my life last Halloween! Ok, not really, but close. My son and I went to a corn maze, and we got lost and stuck. It made me realize how mean I am to my characters! I hadn’t been thinking when we entered and I have to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t think I’d get lost in a Halloween corn maze! But as soon as we realized that we had no idea how to get out I used the trick Thomas learned in the first book--turning right no matter what--and sure enough, we got out. I have a lot more respect for corn mazes now!

Q: The Maze Runner has been compared to other popular YA series like The Hunger Games and The Uglies . What do you think of those series? (And what do you think the draw is to post-apocalyptic societies for YA readers?) A: First, let me start by saying that I love both of those series a lot! I think everyone is attracted to the idea of a post-apocalyptic society because it’s fascinating to imagine what the future could hold, and scary to know that maybe, just maybe, it could really happen. Although we hope not. Or do we? Seriously, though, there’s so much that teens today have to deal with. Life isn’t as simple as it used to be with media everywhere at all times. And our country has been at war for a huge part of most teenagers’ lives. It’s a reality that kids face these days, and to see that life could go on could be almost reassuring.

Q: How did you come up with the shuckin’ Gladers’ slang? And have you ever accidentally used it in real life? A: The slang had several purposes, but mainly it was to give the Gladers' language a different flavor. To show how a community can evolve. Not only is it in the future, but they've been isolated as well. And on a more realistic note, an unsupervised group of boys would definitely be using language that could begin to take over the story itself. I wanted it to be realistic, but not a glossary of bad language. It would have become limiting for the book in terms of readership and, well, I’m a parent!

Q: What made you decide on a solar flare as a catastrophe (vs. all the other apocalyptic scenarios)? A: I have to admit, I’m somewhat of an apocalypse buff. When I first started working on The Maze Runner I read an article somewhere about solar flares and I was fascinated. Not only were they a unique idea back then, but it seems completely plausible. Solar flares are natural occurrences, and the cycle for larger flares is again approaching. We’ll be seeing larger flares that really do affect things like communication and space travel. I just took things a little farther. I also didn't want it to be a nuclear holocaust because I think that's overdone. And it doesn’t seem like we’ll need something that violent anymore to cause our own end. We’ve done a great job of making Mother Nature pretty angry!

Q: One thing that always bugged me: Why couldn’t the Gladers climb up and run around on top of the walls? (At least during the day.) A: There's a part where Thomas asks Minho about that actually. Minho answers that they've tried it and can't get up that far. The maze has a lot of illusion and technology to make it seem bigger than it is. And I wanted the reader to imagine a maze with walls so high that you could never get to the top.

Q: I’ve heard that The Maze Runner might be made into a movie. If it is, what would you like fans of the book to see up there on the screen? Sometimes literary elements can be lost in translation to film--what’s important for you to remain unchanged? A: I would love to see a movie made! My biggest hope would be that they cast it well, write it well, and really transfer the mystery of it to the big screen, not just the action. Not much to ask, right?

Q: There are a lot of scenes in the first two books with very graphic violence and death both against and initiated by teenagers--why did you choose to make the brutality so prevalent in a YA series? A: There is a lot of violence, yes. Next question? Really, though--I wanted to show what a brutal world it has become, and what a desperate situation the Gladers’ are in, so the reader can understand the stakes. If everything is safe, why would the boys want to leave? I also wanted to blur the lines of what is acceptable to survive in such an environment. We’ve been interested in the idea of survival for as long as we’ve been telling stories. And in modern culture, we’ve gone from Swiss Family Robinson , to Lord of the Flies , to Lost ...if there’s no law anymore, who’s to say what’s right and wrong?

Q: You ended The Scorch Trials with a cliffhanger to rival the ending of The Empire Strikes Back . What sorts of things can your readers look forward to in The Death Cure ? A: I just turned in the third book, and I'm very proud of it and excited about it. Every last question is resolved, you see much more of the real world, and the ending is not what people may expect but I'm confident they'll be satisfied with the resolution. And lots of twists and action of course!

From School Library Journal

From booklist, about the author.

James Dashner is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series: The Maze Runner , The Scorch Trials , The Death Cure , The Kill Order and The Fever Code , as well as the bestselling Mortality Doctrine series: The Eye of Minds , The Rule of Thoughts, and The Game of Lives . Dashner was born and raised in Georgia, but now lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains. To learn more about him and his books, visit JamesDashner.com, follow @jamesdashner on Twitter, and find dashnerjames on Instagram.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From audiofile, product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003F3FJQO
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Delacorte Press (October 12, 2010)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 12, 2010
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 4594 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 394 pages
• #24 in Teen & Young Adult Nature & the Natural World Fiction eBooks
• #30 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Friendship
• #38 in Teen & Young Adult Survival Stories eBooks

About the author

James dashner.

James Dashner is the #1 NY Times Bestselling author of over a dozen books, including The Maze Runner series (movies by 20th Century Fox, now owned by Disney). He grew up in Georgia but now lives in the Rocky Mountains with his wife and their four children. For more information on him and his books, events, etc., please visit jamesdashner.com.

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• DVD & Streaming

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Mystery/Suspense , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• September 18, 2015
• Dylan O'Brien as Thomas; Kaya Scodelario as Teresa; Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt; Aidan Gillen as Janson; Patricia Clarkson as Ava Paige; Ki Hong Lee as Minho; Giancarlo Esposito as Jorge; Barry Pepper as Vince; Rosa Salazar as Brenda; Jacob Lofland as Aris; Dexter Darden as Frypan

Home Release Date

• December 15, 2015

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

When last we saw Thomas, he was dodging cyborg spiders, outwitting nefarious scientists and flirting with that ugly wallflower called Death.

But the Maze finally bid Thomas and his pals adieu without so much as a parting gift. And after the teens made their escape, some soldiers swooped in and rescued them from the dastardly scientists of WCKD. Whew!

Alas, the soldiers turn out to be pretty WCKD themselves, as evidenced from the bevy of comatose teens locked away in a back room, plastic tubes draining them of blue fluid until they’re dead. (And no, I don’t quite know why they’re leaking blue, either.) Frypan, meet fire.

Granted, WCKD has its reasons. The world outside has seen better days, and most of humanity has succumbed to something called the Flare—a disease that turns folks into crazed, zombie-like beings known as Cranks. WCKD wants to find a cure, and they discovered that the younger you are, the more likely you are to be immune to the Flare, and thus potentially have a vaccine locked away in your colorful corpuscles. Isn’t the survival of the human race worth turning a few teens into jerky?

Well … no. Especially if you happen to be, y’know, a teen and all. So Thomas gathers a few old friends and a couple of new ones, and they escape—again. Only this time there’s no maze to run, no spiders to kill. Outside WCKD’s fabricated confines, there’s only a shattered wasteland, filled with sand and heat and inexplicable lightning storms … and Cranks. Lots and lots and lots of Cranks. And, of course, there’s always WCKD—chasing, pursuing, hunting. Thomas and his cadre, after all, are precious vessels, perhaps holding the secret to saving all of mankind. WCKD won’t let them go.

Positive Elements

Thomas is an unlikely leader. In fact, in The Scorch Trials book (written by James Dashner), the boy has been given a neck tattoo that singles him out for slaughter. But in both the book and the movie he has a number of leadership skills that set him apart: His courage, his ability to think under pressure, his knack for giving inspiring speeches at opportune times. Additionally, perhaps his most winsome trait is his willingness to risk nearly everything for his friends.

Thomas shows his sacrificial side repeatedly. He rescues people again and again, and he refuses to abandon his mates even under some pretty dire circumstances. While he’d agree the Flare is pretty horrific, he sees the horror in WCKD’s efforts to fight it, too—and he’s determined to put a stop to their, well, wicked ways, even if it costs him his own life. Little wonder that his friends—Newt, Teresa and Minho, along with new cohorts Frypan, Brenda and Aris—often follow his example, walking with him into seriously perilous situations.

Spiritual Elements

The idea of ghosts comes up a couple of times, but more figuratively than literally. The teens’ immunity is referred to as “a gift of biology, of evolution.”

Sexual Content

Thomas and Brenda are separated from the group during their escape, and their comrades search for them in a dystopian pit of iniquity. The entryway features women who are clearly up for some end-of-the-world seduction. Inside, men and women, sometimes designed to give off a rather androgynous vibe, mingle and sway to the music, giving the place the feel of a particularly decadent nightclub. Under the influence of some drink, Brenda tries to seduce Thomas, suggesting they forget about everyone else. They kiss, and Thomas sees Teresa instead of Brenda.

Teresa changes tops, most of her body covered by a screen. That doesn’t stop Frypan from ogling, though. When it’s learned that Aris was in another Glade entirely populated by women, someone quips, “Some guys have all the luck.”

Violent Content

Dystopian worlds are rarely peaceful, and the land Thomas finds himself in is no exception. Particularly creepy are the Cranks—zombie-like humans (but much faster and, as such, more prone to make viewers jump) that seem to exist only to kill and eat. (One Crank grabs a rat and bites its head off.) Most are deformed by the disease and the ensuing wear and tear it triggers. (Undead-like decay is common, and some Cranks have ripped out their own eyes.) Those in the latter stages of the Flare have odd tendrils protruding from their bodies, even sometimes from their mouths.

A would-be Crank victim is bitten on the leg. We see the bloody wound at first, then later see the skin blackened and diseased. A teen raked across the belly by Crank claws begins to get sick, his stomach turning into a mangled mass of grayish-black skin. He begs to be left behind, and Thomas and the rest eventually do just that—leaving their gun with him. As they hike away, they hear a single shot.

Thomas and others fight the Cranks, and Cranks fight one another, too—pushing and squashing their kin in an effort to reach prey. Two fall to their doom from significant heights. Others are punched and shot.

WCKD personnel chase the teens, armed with serious stun guns that immobilize victims with visible electricity. Those resisting WCKD rely on more lethal means, shooting revolvers and rifles, sometimes killing with them. One battle scene is strewn with covered bodies. A man is tied up and severely beaten—ostensibly by one of the good guys—until he divulges a secret. His face is bruised and bloodied, one eye swollen shut.

A warehouse is blown up, presumably crushing the people inside. People are shot dead, sometimes suffering bloody wounds. Unconscious teens hang in a laboratory, tubes pumping fluid out of their bodies. When Thomas takes a shower, we see blood trickle down the drain. Someone sucker-punches Thomas in the gut. A lightning bolt nearly kills someone.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Near the end of the movie, Thomas declares his ambition to kill WCKD’s lead doctor, Ava Page. “I’d like some revenge,” one of his cohorts says, presumably foreshadowing the next movie.

Crude or Profane Language

About 15 s-words. Desert variety profanities include “a–,” “b–ch,” “b–tard,” “d–n,” “h—” and “bloody.” Thomas makes an obscene gesture. God’s and Jesus’ names are each abused three or four times.

Drug and Alcohol Content

To gain entry to the “pit of iniquity” mentioned above, Brenda and Thomas are forced to drink an unnamed but clearly intoxicating liquid. Under its influence, their judgment is impaired, and Thomas eventually is left crawling on the floor.

Drugs designed to stop the progression of the Flare are also administered.

Other Negative Elements

A boy vomits up a black substance.

The Maze Runner series feels like the little brother of YA-lit-themed movies. It does not boast a stable of important, Oscar-winning actors like The Hunger Games or Divergent series do. (The biggest name here might be Giancarlo Esposito, who earned his acting stripes in AMC’s Breaking Bad .) It’s not expected to break box office records. (Though the first movie did crack $100 million in North America.) It has the vibe of a “me-too” studio afterthought—a way 20th Century Fox could join the YA party and collect a little extra cash.

The makers of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials have, it seems, largely abandoned the source material and, in its place, have created something of a narrative mess—an overlong frenetic freefall of a film that, for all its action, feels surprisingly bereft of drama. Outside Thomas and Teresa, most of the characters feel strangely interchangeable, and they aren’t given much to do other than follow Thomas’ lead. The flick is so filled with stock battle scenes and inexplicable lightning storms that there really isn’t much time to get to know anyone, much less allow the movie’s underlying themes to breathe a bit.

That’s too bad. Dystopian stories, whatever their inherent weaknesses, allow storytellers to ponder society’s core sense of morality: When civilization crumbles, what’s left? What do we value? What’s important? This story feints in those directions at times, but for the most part such concepts are all gobbled up by what the movie really wants to focus on: What’s gonna blow up next?

It’s not unusual for popcorn munchers like this to concentrate more on whiz-bang than cinematic philosophy, of course. That’s why they’re called popcorn munchers. But given that the whiz-bang here is so violent, and the foul language between (and during) action sequences so scorching (especially for a kid’s flick), while watching it I started to suspect that maybe WCKD had been messing around with things yet again.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

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Watch Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is an action-packed sequel at the cost of story, urgency, and mystery that the original offered.

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THE MAZE RUNNER

From the maze runner series , vol. 1.

by James Dashner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2009

Boys come to the Glade via an empty freight elevator with no memory of how they got there or of their prior lives. This disorientation is made more frightening when they realize that to survive they must lock themselves in every night to avoid the horrors of the Grievers, beings that are part machine, part animal—and altogether deadly. The boys in the Glade send out Runners each day to find a way out through the Maze that surrounds their one patch of safety, with no success. Life goes on until one day the elevator delivers a girl. She brings a message: She is the last child to be sent, and there will be no more deliveries of food or supplies. Now the Glade is cut off, and as the Grievers gather for an all-out attack it’s clear that it’s now or never—the Maze must be solved. Dashner knows how to spin a tale and make the unbelievable realistic. Hard to put down, this is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what comes next. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-385-73794-4

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2009

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT DYSTOPIAN FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.

The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.

Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.

Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

ISBN: 9798987380406

Page Count: 538

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

DIVINE RIVALS

by Rebecca Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023

Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.

A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.

In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette . Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FAMILY

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by Rebecca Ross

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The maze runner: maze runner trilogy, book 1, common sense media reviewers.

Teens are the pawns of evil adults in violent dystopia.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Many teen readers enjoy post-apocalyptic or dystop

Thomas sets a strong example by doing what he know

Depicts a violent world where chosen children in a

Some of the boys refer to the only girl as "h

Mostly made-up slang words, such as "klunk&qu

Parents need to know that the scenes of violence are stronger in this book and more graphic than those of, say, The Hunger Games , partly because at times it is adults murdering children, and not from a distance or out of sight. The teens stranded in the Maze have their memories wiped, but they are still aware…

Positive Messages

Many teen readers enjoy post-apocalyptic or dystopian fiction because it is so dark and over the top. They can judge the actions of an out-of-control world from a safe distance. Even in this dystopia main characters follow their consciences and risk their lives for others.

Positive Role Models

Thomas sets a strong example by doing what he knows is right and risking his personal safety, and later his life, to save the others. He quickly recognizes the value of having even one friend and does everything to protect that friendship. He feels responsibility for the younger teens, and is willing to go against authority.

Violence & Scariness

Depicts a violent world where chosen children in a maze are mere pawns. They face mortal danger from the monsters outside the walls and mortal danger inside from boys who have been stung (but not killed) by the monsters. Some boys go insane. Boys attack monsters with guns, knives, and spears. Adult Creators of the Maze control everyone in it and don't stop at murdering children. Disease and pestilence run rampant in the outside world. A climax where many characters are killed by gunfire.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some of the boys refer to the only girl as "hot."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Mostly made-up slang words, such as "klunk" and "slinthead"; the word "shuck" is used often and it's hard not to think it's the word "f--k" every time you see it. Some usage of the words "butt," "crappy," and "sucks."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the scenes of violence are stronger in this book and more graphic than those of, say, The Hunger Games , partly because at times it is adults murdering children, and not from a distance or out of sight. The teens stranded in the Maze have their memories wiped, but they are still aware on some level that they are being held captive and endangered by adults, not monsters or other children. Some of the teens in the Maze go insane from the fear, the attacks, or in one case, the memory of the world he had left behind. Main characters are conscientious and risk their lives to save others.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (37)
• Kids say (259)

Based on 37 parent reviews

Gruesome dystopian novel with plenty of blood and torture scenes.

What's the story.

Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up in a place called the Glade, where towering walls close at night to keep a colony of boys safe from the monsters outside them. They have all had their memories erased, but Thomas remembers just a little too much. The world is in catastrophe and they are living in the Killzone, mere animals in a bizarre experiment. Soon Teresa, the first girl, arrives and tells them the game is on. Some boys think they are better off in this cold, cruel place than going back to where they came from -- they have formed a society after all, with rules and jobs like farming and even butchering their own meat. But Thomas turns out to be the leader they've needed to form their own army, revolt against the monsters, and take on the people who have set them up in this very cruel and isolated world. Of course the outside world may have its own scary challenges.

Is It Any Good?

This is a fast-paced adventure in a very dark and pretty violent post-apocalyptic world. It is reminiscent of The Lord of the Flies , without the inventiveness of The Hunger Games . Readers who enjoy dystopian novels will enjoy it, and Thomas is a strong role model who does not fall easily into peer pressure or give up his own sense of what's right. Readers will root for him, and for Teresa, and the complicated relationships between the other boys will keep readers guessing.

Part of the attraction of THE MAZE RUNNER will be the world the boys and Teresa inhabit for most of the book, a world with no adults where kids make their own rules. The story makes up for the sometimes bumpy prose, and the invented slang is a little jarring since there are no clues about how far in the future the story is supposed to take place, or why the boys have made up their own words. A cliffhanger ending will gear up teens for the second in the trilogy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what happens when a group of boys are left to survive without the normal rules and laws of society. Who becomes the leader? What happens to those who won't follow the new rules?

The boys arrive one at a time but become acclimatized to their new society very quickly. Why do they form loyalties so quickly?

Why do you think the Creators use children in their Maze instead of adults?

The boys and Teresa have all had their memories erased. Is there really a memory-wiping device or drug available?

Book Details

• Author : James Dashner
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Delacorte Press
• Publication date : October 1, 2009
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
• Number of pages : 375
• Last updated : July 12, 2017

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

The Hunger Games, Book 1

Uglies: Uglies Quartet, Book 1

The Giver, Book 1

Unwind: Unwind Dystology, Book 1

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Book to Screen: Did the Major Changes in ‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ Work?

Bye-bye "Phase 2" and bulb monsters.

The first Maze Runner movie is especially faithful to the source material. There are differences here and there like the absence of the beetle blades and the omission of Thomas ( Dylan O ’Brien ) and Teresa’s ( Kaya Scodelario ) telepathy, but for the most part, the movie hits all the same story beats as James Dashner ’s book. However, that’s definitely not the case with Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials .

In the sequel, the surviving Gladers are out of the confines of the Maze and head into what’s left of the real world. It’s a significantly bigger story with more locations, characters and a far more robust view of Wicked’s agenda. It isn’t surprising that director Wes Ball and writer T.S. Nowlin opted to pare things down, but what I didn’t see coming was how much creative license they’d take when painting the big picture.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for both The Scorch Trials the book and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials the movie.

Fewer Gladers

We knew we were getting less Gladers in the sequel because so few made it out of the Maze in the first movie. There’s Thomas, Minho ( Ki Hong Lee ), Newt ( Thomas Brodie-Sangster ), Frypan ( Dexter Darden ), Winston ( Alexander Flores ), Teresa and Jack ( Bryce Romero ). Jack is basically the equivalent of a prop because it looks as though his death scene never made it into the final cut. Check out the trailer at the 1:45 mark. I’m not sure if that’s Jack that gets knocked over the edge after some Cranks come crashing through the glass, but that’s definitely him hanging on for dear life in the subsequent shot. On top of that, if you caught one of the first images ever released from The Scorch Trials , there’s another Glader who never made it into the final film at all. The tasty meal scene is nowhere to be found and neither is that guy standing behind Teresa on the far left either.

There’s more than enough going on in The Scorch Trials , so it was a smart move to keep the focus on fewer Gladers. Yes, I would have liked to see what happened to Jack simply because the scene plays so well in the promos, but by cutting out his big moment, Winston’s demise becomes far more meaningful.

They’re Not Infected

In the book, before the Gladers head out into the Scorch, “Rat Man” (Janson in the movie) warns them that they’ve been infected with The Flare and that the only way for them to secure the cure is by completing Phase 2 and making it to the safe haven. The movie is an action-packed thrill, but it doesn’t have the same sense of urgency as the book because Thomas and co. aren’t racing for their lives to get the cure.

This also sparks some serious structural issues. Before they begin their journey in the book, “Rat Man” very clearly specifies the details of their mission so whether they’re being attacked by Cranks or running for their lives in a storm, you always know where they’re going and what they’re fighting for. In the movie, that isn’t always clear and their journey can feel a bit arbitrary and directionless.

Less about the Experiment

There are certain story elements that were cut from the film that I miss simply because I liked them, but the omission of the whole concept of “Phase Two” is a nearly devastating adaptation flaw. In the book, Rat Man explains that the Scorch is Phase Two of the Trials. He tells them exactly what they need to do to complete them and, boom, they’re off. Not only does the whole concept of “Phase Two” give Scorch Trials the book clarity and structure, but it also gives what’s happening to the Gladers meaning. There’s no mention of “Phase Two” in the movie and it doesn’t seem as though Wicked is taking the same approach to finding a cure at all. Rather than send those who survived the Maze out into the Scorch to map their behavior to develop a cure, the movie version of Wicked has Maze survivors strung up chemistry experiment-style. If that’s the way they want to find a cure, sure. I can buy that. But the change will undoubtedly affect what goes down in The Death Cure big time. It could work, but hopefully this change still leaves room for Thomas’ conflicted feelings about the experiment. On the one hand, it seems as though Wicked is up to no good, but if the surviving Gladers do really hold the key to the cure and this is the only way for them to extract it, how could Thomas say no to saving the world?

The lack of focus in regards to the experiment also almost completely devalues the addition of Aris ( Jacob Lofland ), Sonya ( Katherine McNamara ) and Harriet ( Nathalie Emmanuel ). In the book, there’s only Group A, the survivors from Thomas’ maze, and Group B, the survivors from Aris’ maze. By introducing the idea that there are many mazes, it makes Group B feel less important and obliterates the idea that Group A could affect the fate of Group B and vice versa.

More Teresa

I’m still somewhat obsessed with the first Maze Runner movie and have a habit of watching it over and over again, but still to this day my biggest issue with it is how underdeveloped Teresa is. She’s basically a plot device. She shows up to trigger the ending, but then she just follows Thomas around and never really contributes anything significant during the big escape. In Scorch Trials , however, Teresa gets a major upgrade. Not only is she in the movie far more than she’s in the book, but the new material she gets actually turns her into a layered character. Scodelario deserves some major credit for how well she walks the line between supporting her friends and having a mind of her own. When she makes the choice to betray Thomas, Newt and Minho and take off with Janson ( Aiden Gillen ) and Ava Paige ( Patricia Clarkson ) at the tail end of the film, it comes as a shock but also feels motivated and earned. There’s no doubt that what Ball, Nowlin and Scodelario have done with Teresa this time around will lead to some especially rich material in The Death Cure .

No Metal Balls or Bulb Monsters

You may know that I love horror movies, so is it a surprise that I wanted to see some skull-crushing gore? I had a feeling the bulb monsters would bite the dust because, really, did they serve any purpose in the book besides being cool creatures to pit the Gladers against during the big finish? The scene with the metal balls, however, really could have been a terrifying introduction to the threats that await the Gladers in the Scorch. In the book, the scene has an absolutely brilliant horror-like vibe, with the Gladers essentially blind and completely helpless in a dark hallway as these metal balls eerily roll around before striking. You don’t get many moments in a hero’s journey when he or she encounters something that feels unbeatable, but that’s exactly what these things are and they force the Gladers out into the Scorch with an incredible amount of momentum.

First and foremost, I very much enjoyed Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials . I’ve got a habit of watching the first film over and over, and there’s no doubt that the same will happen with Scorch Trials when it hits DVD and Blu-ray. But, as far as the story goes, there’s no denying that the movie is all over the place, lacks clarity and also doesn’t have much of a build. However, Ball gets away with it for a number of reasons. First off, he’s a visual pro and can bring the best out of any scene through shot composition alone. The Scorch Trials is also absolutely brimming with strong, dedicated performances and, even though the movie feels disjointed, as far as individual set pieces go, every single one of them is highly entertaining, compelling and well shot. Is this the best possible adaptation of Dashner’s second book? Probably not, but it’s certainly good enough to further prove that Ball is a revelation, make you want to re-watch Scorch Trials and get you pumped for Death Cure as well.

The Maze Runner Books In Order: How To Read Them

• The Maze Runner film trilogy is based on a book series, with the first book released in 2009 and the last book in 2011, followed by prequels and a sequel.
• The books follow a character named Thomas who wakes up in a maze and uncovers a conspiracy, with the prequels providing context and explanation.
• It is recommended to read the series in release order to fully experience the mysteries and revelations of the original trilogy, as the prequels spoil aspects of the story.

The Maze Runner film trilogy is based on a book series of the same name, and here is how to read every book in order of both chronology and release. The Maze Runner was released in 2014 amid the craze of young-adult novels being adapted into film. The success of the movie spawned two sequels, based on the two final books in the novel series by author James Dashner.

The book series centers on a character named Thomas - played by Dylan O'Brien in The Maze Runner film - who wakes up with no memories in the center of a huge maze. What began as an attempt to escape quickly turns into a huge conspiracy that The Maze Runner' s two sequels explore. Since then, Dashner has expanded the world of The Maze Runner through two prequel books, and even a sequel series. Given the more expansive nature of The Maze Runner book franchise, here is the definitive guide on how to read the series be it chronological or in order of release.

Related: The Maze Runner Cast & Character Guide

The Maze Runner Books By Publication Date

Firstly, it is worth exploring The Maze Runner series in order of how it was initially published. The first book, simply titled The Maze Runner , was released in October 2009, five years before the film adaptation was released. This was followed by a sequel, The Scorch Trials . This book was released just under a year after The Maze Runner , being published in September 2010. The third and final entry into The Maze Runner trilogy was called The Death Cure and was released in October 2011 meaning the entire trilogy was published in exactly two years.

After the completion of the original trilogy, author James Dashner began work on a prequel series of books to The Maze Runner . The first of these prequels was titled The Kill Order and was released quickly after The Death Cure in August 2012. Despite a book being released every year since 2009 in the series, the second prequel installment - T he Fever Code - took just over four years to be completed. Acting as the final prequel to the original three books, The Fever Code was released in September 2016. Finally, a sequel book to the original three stories - The Maze Cutter - was released in November 2022.

The Maze Runner Books In Chronological Order

Given that The Maze Runner series includes original stories, prequels, and sequels, the chronological order of the franchise differs from release order. The first book to take place chronologically in The Maze Runner universe is the first prequel released by Dashner, The Kill Order . The second chronological book in the series - The Fever Code - leads directly into the events of The Maze Runner . As such, the book that was released first is actually the third installment in chronological order.

The Maze Runner is then followed chronologically by The Scorch Trials which takes place directly after the end scene of the first book. The third book in publication order, The Death Cure , is the fifth in chronological order. The Death Cure takes place just under a month after The Scorch Trials . Finally, the sequel book that was released by Dashner in 2022 is also the final installment chronologically, set around 70 years after The Death Cure .

The Best Order To Read The Maze Runner

Considering there are two different orders to read The Maze Runner book series, there have long been debates over which is the best way to experience the six books released thus far. Much like with most book series' that are released out of chronological order though, the answer is quite clear. Based on the fact that the prequel books to The Maze Runner essentially spoil the mysteries of the original trilogy, release order is the best way to read the series.

Dashner wrote the two Maze Runner prequels in a way that meant the first three books needed to be read in order to understand all aspects of the story. While The Kill Order and The Fever Code could be read first, much of the intrigue, mystery, and big reveals of the original trilogy would be lost as a result given that the prequels reveal several aspects about the original trilogy in order to give them more context. The Maze Runner was written as the entry point into the series as it was published first.

Similarly, the prequel stories were written as exactly that, companion pieces to the original three books only set before The Maze Runner that explained any lingering mysteries after finishing The Death Cure. If the books are read as released, the reader is taken on a journey of discovery alongside the series' protagonist Thomas. Chronologically though, a lot of the wonder and intrigue of this journey is lost given that they were written by Dashner to provide context to the original stories. As such, release order is undoubtedly the best way to read The Maze Runner series.

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Maze Runner by James Dashner - review

All he can remember is waking up in the box. Nothing else; just the darkness. Nobody remembers anything as they're dumped in the maze. They are just put there and their only mission is to get out. However, getting out seems to be an impossible task as it has already taken two years and still there's not even the faintest hint of escape. And then there are the grievers…

I must say, while at times the plot thrilled, it let me down more often than not. It is written in pretty much the same way as The Hunger Games and other typical teen dystopian thrillers and really lacked in originality for me.

I found the characters lacking any personality and Teresa quite frankly annoyed me as she was a stereotypical damsel in distress and did absolutely nothing. The writing felt as if it was done in a rush and was completely relying on the plot. It felt half–hearted and made me, the reader, a bit bored at times reading it.

However, some aspects I did like such as the character Newt, I felt he was a lot more realistic and the fast plot helped saved the book from being completely dull.

I suppose this review may be a little harsh, but after reading the highly loved To Kill a Mockingbird that had lived up to its expectations and more, I can't help but feel a tad let down. I also find myself comparing this to other books which may slightly lessen my love for other perhaps not so brilliant books.

All in all if you particularly love dystopian thriller/adventure themed stories and are perhaps just looking for an OK book to flick through in your spare time then, although I wouldn't highly recommend it, it's worth a look through.

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