Lost in a Maze

Another week and a few more tallies towards my book challenge count. This week, I started reading Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamilo and have nearly finished listing to Maze Runner by James Dashner.  Listening to books in the car has definitely helped to make my commute to and from campus more interesting.  I traveled some this weekend, which also gave me some additional driving and listening time.  

I’m going to solely discuss the Maze Runner.  I’m not sure if it’s because I’m listening to this text, but I have anticipated the book nearing its ending only to find that it continues to keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny!  I am enjoying the book; however, the plot is seeming to continue on past its expiration date, and the clues are slow to reveal themselves.

Throughout this novel, I’ve been viewing the maze through Thomas’s eyes, trying to figure out the puzzle and how ingenious the author has been to place the clues as “breadcrumbs” along the way.  I know at the end of the novel, I’ll use those “breadcrumbs” (analogy only) to find my way back through the novel—realizing missed insights along the way.  

I love how the author uses native terms, “or glader slang,” only known to the Gladers.  It’s sure is a creative way to emphasize voice using nonsense terms, which obviously represent common curse word (i.e. shank, klunk, shuck face).  I’m still on the fence regarding the author’s writing style.  Although straightforward and representative of a 5th-grade reading level, he seems to overuse appositives to the point of distraction to the reader—always starting a sentence with incomplete thoughts.  And, he has the innate ability to leave the reader in a constant state of constant confusion (which I guess is the goal!) 

I feel like the book will have a surprising ending—one that I cannot even begin to predict.  Something with the magic window of disappearance in the cliff?  Something with Gally being a villain perhaps?  I’m wondering how this make-shift environment works – where is this maze and their society within the World?  Also, it seems Thomas has a violent and painful past.  Will this past be revealed?   I’m close to the end and my desire to finish the book is primarily based on getting some answers to all my questions! 

I also find myself while reading thinking about how the plot might be represented in the movie that is out?  It’ll be interesting if I'm able to find time to watch the movie and compare the two texts.   

Dr. Kingsley