There's a reason this is considered one of the Big Three books in the YA dystopian genre.

I picked up The Maze Runner sometime around 2018, and I've been rereading it every few years ever since. Of the "Big Three" I mentioned above (Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent) this series probably ranks somewhere in the middle. It's not my favorite, but I still find the concept and the story itself enjoyable.
The story starts with a simple premise: Thomas wakes up in the middle of the maze with no memories. It almost has a Lord of the Flies sort of vibe, as all of the other teens Thomas meets are boys...until a girl arrives unexpectedly. There's some mystery involved, but this is mostly a story about survival. I can't really say much about plot twists because I've read this at least three times now, but if you haven't read it yet, you're missing out.
I don't have much to say about the characters, which is the reason I rank this lower than The Hunger Games. Thomas is fine as a protagonist, although there are some elements to him that feel a bit "Chosen One-y" and I just don't love them. Minho and Newt are my favorites simply because they have the most personality of anyone in the Glade (besides Gally, and he's just a jerk). I don't mind Chuck too much. I'm not sure how I feel about Teresa because I know some people consider her controversial, but I don't hate her that much...
The Maze Runner is the first installation of one of the most popular YA dystopian series of all time, and I highly recommend it to any fans of the genre.

4.25/5