[Audiobook Review] James Dashner: The Maze Runner

[YA, dystopic fiction]

You can buy it here:
The Maze Runner (Book 1)

Summary (from Goodreads):
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.

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 expanse enclosed 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, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas' arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up- the first girl ever to arrive at the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home... wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers- if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

My thoughts:
The Maze Runner was the first book I finished through the last Bout of Books. This book left me with somewhat mixed feelings. At times I wished it progressed faster, the timing did not always work out for me. At times, it just felt too long until something happened. I was never close to not finishing the book, but occasionally it took me a bit to get into the story. It just did not always flow as easily for me. Nonetheless I enjoyed the developments and the story, all things considered. If it were not for the pacing, I would not have much to complain about with The Maze Runner.

As it happens in series, some questions remain unanswered at the end of The Maze Runner and I hope they will all be answered by the time the series is over. The end of The Maze Runner certainly made me curious to find out more about the world the teenagers live in, what happened and what other obstacles they will have to face.

The narrator's voice was pleasant to listen to. Not once did it put me off and I could easily follow. I have sometimes made the experience that I have to be in rather quiet surroundings in order to not misunderstand parts and subsequently have to go back a bit in the story to catch up. Here, Mark Deakins, the narrator, spoke clear and without an Accent (something I do enjoy if it works with the book, like M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series, which drips with accent and Scottish colloquialisms).

Rating:
3.5/5

FTC: Purchased with 1 credit from my Audible subscription (for which I pay for myself)