The Maze Runner

Maze Runner, Book 1

By: James Dashner

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Book one in the blockbuster Maze Runner series that spawned a movie franchise and ushered in a worldwide phenomenon! And don’t miss The Fever Code, the highly-anticipated series conclusion that finally reveals the story of how the maze was built! When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers - boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out - and no one’s ever made it through alive. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying: Remember. Survive. Run.

The Maze Runner and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and Maze Runner: The Death Cure all are now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Also look for James Dashner’s edge-of-your-seat Mortality Doctrine series!

Praise for the Maze Runner series:

A number one New York Times best-selling series

A USA Today best seller

A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the Year

An ALA-YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick

“[A] mysterious survival saga that passionate fans describe as a fusion of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and Lost.” (EW)

“Wonderful action writing - fast-paced…but smart and well observed.” (Newsday)

“[A] nail-biting must-read.” (Seventeen)

“Breathless, cinematic action.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Heart pounding to the very last moment.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Exclamation-worthy.” (Romantic Times)

“James Dashner’s illuminating prequel [The Kill Order] will thrill fans of this Maze Runner [series] and prove just as exciting for readers new to the series.” (Shelf Awareness, starred)

“Take a deep breath before you start any James Dashner book.” (Deseret News)

©2009 James Dashner (P)2009 Listening Library

can't wait to start the next book!

What did you love best about The Maze Runner?

I really enjoyed the writers style the way they explained stuff in detail without making it so drawn out and wordy you would get bored.

What did you like best about this story?

enjoyed the different personalities

Which character – as performed by Mark Deakins – was your favorite?

I liked them all but was pretty bummed when one character in particular died I had hoped it would have spared him but it made for a compelling scene when the character died!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it continued on at a good clip and I found I would lose track of time because I got so inthralled in what was happening

Any additional comments?

looking for next book right now.

if you like Hunger Games and Divergent

The Maze Runner is along the lines of Hunger Games and Divergent. Good Young Adult book with generally good characters. I didn't like that there wasn't a lot of diversity to the group of kids both gender and racial diveristy are missing. I hope the second book proves to be more diverse.

Great story but..

Wow! Great story but *eek* it took me months to get through it because of the narrator. I'm a bit of an audible junkie and having listened to over a hundred books I have become partial to great narrators like Roy Dotrice (Game of Thrones) and Stefan Rudnicki (all of Orson Scott Card's books). Anyway, I'm going to buy the second book now because I'm interested enough in the story to see what happens. Let's hope Mr. Deakins gets better...

Great book, not great reader

I loved the story (not particularly the ending, but I like assume there's a sequel to it), but the reader belongs more in a game show, more as an announcer than an audiobook reader. It was performed matter-of-factly rather than as a story.

great book!

loved it! this was my second time through the book and I watched the movie. it was also very good.

nice story

loved it. can't wait to listen to the other 3. almost as good as the Ender series.

Good start but disappointing sequel

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The first book in the series captures your imagination and creates a desire for answers to the mysterious past. The book reveals little by way of those answers. By the Scorch Trials it is unbearable, the author is just filling space with meaningless interactions. I could not even finish it. I did not care enough about the answers to sit through another minute!!

Would you ever listen to anything by James Dashner again?

No. His writing style is so repetitive. Pay attention to how many times he uses the phrase: "It was like......" to describe a situation. It becomes very annoying and most of the time the description he likens the event to is not a good comparison.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

This is what got me interested in the book series. The movie was strangely way more entertaining than the book.

Any additional comments?

So much promise with how the story begins. So disappointing. Characters are shallow and throw away. The conditions they are suppose to endure don't suspend your disbelief enough to buy into the story.

Good reader, bad story.

I got two hours from the end, and called it quits. Characters were shallow and hard to sympathize with, plot points felt handed to the main character on a platter, and the story struggles to come together. I honestly hated it.

Cool book, surprised me

I was surprised, but this was a good,short book. Original and fast paced. The story had enough twists to keep me interested.

Interesting read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It was interesting and suspenseful.

What other book might you compare The Maze Runner to and why?

The cube. Same idea, sort of.

Have you listened to any of Mark Deakins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

no

Any additional comments?

Just started Book 2.