The Maze Runner by James Dashner

In The Maze Runner, Thomas wakes up in the middle of a glen in the center of an enormous maze. He, along with all of the other guys in there, has no memory of life outside of the maze. Their entire lives were erased just enough so that they would have language, motor skills, and just enough memory to understand irrigation/farming. Every month, a newcomer arrives at the Glade. After a brief orientation, they are assigned a job. The day after Thomas arrives, a girl named Theresa arrives. Thomas and Theresa know each other, but they don’t remember how or from when.

The Maze Runner was a good book you had to think about. As the reader, you had to solve the problem alongside main characters. However, I did not like how an immense amount of people died in this book. Criticism aside, I found the book enjoyable, and the plot kept me hooked.

The plot was probably the only reason why I kept reading. Some writers are able to integrate characterization and good writing with a fast plot. I disliked the pacing of this book, and Dashner’s use of cliches became very irritating. I recommend this book for teens like middle schoolers and high schoolers.

Written by Elyssa, Teen Volunteer

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent takes place in a dystopian world. The city is surrounded by a tall fence. The citizens believe it is to keep whatever is beyond, out. The city is made up of five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Dauntless, Erudite, and Candor. All the factions work together. The story comes from the point of view of Beatrice Prior, a sixteen-year-old girl who is known as a Divergent. The introduction gives a background to Beatrice’s family life in her original faction Abnegation. When she and her peers turn sixteen it is time to decide which faction they take part in. When Beatrice finally chooses, it opens her up to many more opportunities and she finds lots of courage in herself. Overall, this book takes you on the adventure of a girl finding herself in a city and a world to be discovered.

My opinion on this book is that it inspires you to find out more about yourself as a person and to reach to become who you are. For example, when Beatrice chooses to be in the faction Dauntless rather than the faction Abnegation, it shows her embracing her true self, which made me want to do the same.

Something I disliked about this book was the initiation process to the factions and how harsh it was. This is because many people were killed, injured, or did not make it past the first round. What I liked about this book is the courage Beatrice had through these tough and haunting experiences. I recommend this book for teens like high schoolers and middle schoolers.

Written by Elyssa, Teen Volunteer