This is truly an amazing book. It is the first in the trilogy preceding The Scorch Trials. It follows Thomas' story from waking in a box up to his and the Gladers' escape from the Maze. They all start out the same when they arrive. Their memories have been wiped out except for the basics like their name or how to walk. Thomas wants to satisfy his curiosity by pushing questions like that of why were they sent there? who sent them there? what are their ages? Unfortunately, not everything has an answer and as I've said earlier, their memories have been wiped. Everyone is left to figuring out how to get out of that place, however, a series of unfortunate events occur that end up pointing fingers at Thomas.
Thomas is one of the major characters in this trilogy. He is very inquisitive and finds it difficult to contain himself when his desire for information exceeds his need to shut up at certain times and/or just saying the wrong thing as a whole. He is braver as well as smarter than the rest of the Gladers. Despite being the second-to-the-last sent to the Glade, he reacts faster and manages to keep himself together far better than the others did when they were first brought into the Glade. He, along with Teresa, Newt, and Minho are somewhat the strategists in the story and find the escape route towards the Creators and to give them what they deserve.
Their desperation to leave the Maze is due to a couple of factors, the most important one being Hope. Hope that there is a way out even if it takes a long time to find that one exit. It is what driving-force them to continue with their lives by building a community-like life in the Maze by having systems/jobs to keep the Gladers busy.
The second factor is that after Thomas had been sent by the Creators, everything changes like the day after he arrives they send another one, which everyone finds unusual because the Creators only send one every month. To make him look even more suspicious is that they sent a girl who at first the Gladers thought was dead and then suddenly startles everyone by waking up yelling "Everything will change" then back to unconsciousness. And of course, the heroic act of Thomas, outsmarting a Griever, a vile creature that kills anything in its way that is not of its kin, must not be forgotten because no one has ever survived in the Maze at night and yet not only did he survive it but managed to save Alby, the leader of the Glade who was at the point of death before the Grievers even arrived.
After The Ending has been triggered by Teressa, everything has been fast paced from then on. The sun disappears and the sky turns grey. The doors don't close, which means protection from the Grievers at night is lost. The Creators no longer sent food via the box. Everyone starts to hustle and bustle and so does the reader.
The language/dialect the author used is interesting. Such that the Gladers are speaking in English and yet they way they speak it is as if it were another and once again we start to learn how to speak the same way they do via Thomas when he tries to use it every once in a while.
It is a very exciting book and it has a lot to offer. There is always something happening even in silence and I find it almost impossible to let go of my copy to eat or the like. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who takes pleasure in reading adventure/action, dystopian, mystery books.
