What I've Been Reading: The Maze Runner series

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I first purchased The Maze Runner series, by James Dashner, it it's entirety (minus the prequel) a little over a year ago. Never one to pass up on a good deal on books in the discount book shop, especially where Young Adult books are concerned. I was also intending to read it immediately, having heard many raving reviews. However things didn't work out like that, and following a move back home for the summer and to a new university city in the autumn I still hadn't read it.

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AND THEN the film came out. My brother raved about it, and urged me to watch it immediately, yet I refused. Stating that I had to read the book first. I owned it after all. Alas, my copies of the books were some 150 miles away at home.

So over Christmas I set myself to pick up the first book again. You see, I had tried to read it when I first bought it, but couldn't settle into it (yes I gave up after 30 pages), and tried again one other time. So this time I took another stance, and skipped the first few chapters in their entirety.

I am sure that it is a cardinal sin! But it worked, so I can't complain. I read the first book quickly and immediately watched the film, which was pretty darn brilliant. If not incredibly different to the book.

I really enjoyed the series. They were a relaxing (i.e. easy reading!) read, and were just what I needed during exam season. The series was well thought out, and I appreciated having the world slowly revealed as I went on. However, I often found myself thinking that it really didn't need to be a series, and in actual fact if it hadn't of been written for a 'younger' audience I am pretty sure it would have been one longer book. There was a certain amount of padding going on!

In terms of characterisation, I found Thomas the main character to be likeable, but I would have appreciated if there had of been to more to his character, which I suppose is difficult when he couldn't remember most of his past. I did find myself worrying more about Newt though, which probably wasn't helped by the crush I have had on Thomas Sangster, who plays in the movie, since he was in Feather boy a BBC children's show back in 2004, when I was twelve.

I have still got to read the prequel Kill Order, and am looking forward to having some more setting around the Flare, and what happened before Thomas woke up in the maze as the series definitely left me with some questions. I have also just bought the first book in James Dashner's series, The Eye of Minds, which I will hopefully get to soon.

But first I need a change of author for a little while.

Rating: 4/5 stars