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This review is being entered into Presenting Lenore's dystopian contest for an awesome 6 book prize pack as part of her Dystopian August event.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for the longest time but couldn’t find the US copy over here in the UK anywhere, so I had to contain myself and wait for months for it to finally be published a year later here in the UK *sighs.* But at last the release date finally came and I snatched up a copy as soon as I could and read it straight away and well let's just say all that waiting definitely paid off!
When Thomas wakes up in a blacked out lift all he can remember is his first name. Sure, he knows about the world and how it works. He knows how to ride a bike and that you're suppose to have parents and he knows all about the birds and the bees but he doesn’t remember how he knows. He has no personal memories. He can’t remember who taught him these things, his family’s faces or even his last name.
When the lift cranks to a halt Thomas finds himself in the Glade. A walled off encampment at the centre of a monstrous never ending maze with only other boys of his own age for company. The other boys don’t know why or how they got there all they know is that every morning when the walls slide back to reveal the horrific labyrinth they will face the terrors of the maze and the Grievers half-machine half-animal beasts to find out.
What I loved about this book was that you don’t know what’s going on anymore than the characters do so you feel just as desperate and frightened as them. You have no idea why they're there, how and why the maze came to be and what the outside world is like. This keeps you reading and reading and in that respect this book is very much like a runner itself. At the start you’re just getting your bearings, warming up, trying to figure out what’s going on. Then after a few chapters you get going into a jog that builds into a faster and faster stride because like the boys you’re desperate to find out the secrets of the maze and let me tell you the answers don’t disappoint!
When I reached the end I was out of breath, desperate for more and I absolutely must get my hands on the second book in this series The Scorch Trials the moment it comes out in October. Whether it’s out over here then I don’t know but I will get my hands on the US copy if not because believe me I really, really need to. This is simply one of the best books I’ve read so far this year – in fact scrap that- ever and is highly recommended to dystopian fans.
If you’re looking for something to keep you occupied until Mockingjay comes out this is the book for you. If after reading Mockingjay you’re looking for a new dystopian series to fall in love with this is for you. If you’re simply looking for an action packed brilliant book this is for you.
My Rating 5/5 stars
