Robbie A reviewed The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Review of 'The Maze Runner' on 'Storygraph'
1 star
Hoo boy. I did not enjoy this book at all, and I really don't understand how it ever got popular. I started this book a couple years ago, stopped because I couldn't stand the slang, and only barely got through the audiobook now by sheer force of will.
The slang was awkward and super forced, the descriptions were cringe-worthy at best, the in-story timing was ridiculous and made everything seem stupid, and the author didn't seem to understand how human emotions worked at all.
Let's begin, shall we?
The slang words seem pointless and don't add anything to the world. And they certainly don't roll off the tongue. Where did these words come from? Only one is ever explained ("clunk"), and it's dumb. Just say "crap". It's a word that already exists and it's easier to say.
In several places, the author describes things by saying something and then using …
Hoo boy. I did not enjoy this book at all, and I really don't understand how it ever got popular. I started this book a couple years ago, stopped because I couldn't stand the slang, and only barely got through the audiobook now by sheer force of will.
The slang was awkward and super forced, the descriptions were cringe-worthy at best, the in-story timing was ridiculous and made everything seem stupid, and the author didn't seem to understand how human emotions worked at all.
Let's begin, shall we?
The slang words seem pointless and don't add anything to the world. And they certainly don't roll off the tongue. Where did these words come from? Only one is ever explained ("clunk"), and it's dumb. Just say "crap". It's a word that already exists and it's easier to say.
In several places, the author describes things by saying something and then using the phrase "Thomas imagined __". The problem is, Thomas imagines the weirdest stuff that nobody would imagine in the described situations. I can only remember the last one, which was something like "the black, greasy rain came down and Thomas imagined a giant beast emerging from an ocean" or something like that, and it just didn't make any sense at all. And that's just one aspect of the descriptions that bothered me.
The whole book spans, what, a week? And we're supposed to believe Thomas feels these super deep connections with everyone and aspires to the "most important" rank or whatever the morning after he arrives? It just felt dumb and rushed and not good.
Finally, Thomas' lightning fast emotion swaps were just incredible. The whole time I could only imagine how unstable this child must be, and it's just presented as completely normal the whole book. I wanted to scream every time his emotions inappropriately switched to an almost opposite emotion after someone says something inconsequential. I don't even want to waste time trying to remember any examples.
In conclusion, the premise is dumb, the story is dumb, the descriptions are bad, the emotions are ridiculous, the relationships are not believable, and the book overall is not enjoyable.
If you want a dystopian YA story or something, save your sanity and just read The Hunger Games.