The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, reviewed by Miss Ami

Publisher's description: "When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind."

I wasn't sure I'd like this one, although I knew it had been receiving great reviews. It looks/sounds like a "boy book", and as I commented on another blog, I just hate not knowing what is going on!

Definitely wrong on both counts - as soon as I had finished and recovered from shock enough to speak and move, I handed it over to my 15-year-old daughter. I needed to talk to someone who had read it! She started it in the afternoon, and ended up staying up to the wee hours to finish it (that's my girl!) We met in the hall the next morning, groggy and disheveled, to exclaim "OMG! What the...and then...and when he...so are they...but how can...!!!" (much to my husband's annoyance - he prefers Louis Lamour). The entire book is gripping and fast-paced, and the ending makes every season finale of "Lost" look humdrum ad predictable. I would love to say more, but definitely don't want to spoil it. Anyone who hasn't read this one yet needs to hurry up and do so, so that we can all converse freely (it kind of feels like getting that advance library copy of the last "Harry Potter", but having to keep your mouth shut.)

We will be giving book recommendations soon for Christmas gift giving, and strongly suggest this one for any tween or teen. If you click on the book cover to purchase this or any other book, we receive a small percentage to be used for new materials at our library.