I actually had the chance to reread the book AND watch the movie before my exams but I wasn’t able to write my review until now. Without further ado, here it is:
This is a post-apocalypse novel that focuses on Thomas, a boy who finds himself in a place known as The Glade with a bunch of other boys. He has no recollection of his past or how he got here and neither do the other boys, who have been here longer than him. What the boys DO know is that they were sent here by people that they call the Creators; each week, the Creators give them supplies through The Box, an elevator of sorts. He is welcomed into their community, where each boy has a specific job. One job that interests Thomas is the job of a Runner; these boys have to go out into the maze that surrounds The Glade to try and find a way out. But they must return before sundown or risk being stuck in the maze with half-animal, half-mechanical monsters known as Grievers. It is soon clear that things are about to change and that they are somehow connected to Thomas, especially because the day after he arrives, the first girl is delivered to the Glade with a note saying “This is the very last one”. It suddenly becomes apparent that this is a race against time; the Creators have decided to stop being so “generous” and the boys are now at the mercy of the Grievers. Thomas and the others must find a way out of this maze now before it is too late.
Okay so I first read this book in high school and it was extremely addictive and fast-paced. Reading it again did not change my view. I feel like I didn’t capture the summary as well as I could have but it’s because there are so many things that happen and they are all so important! It is definitely worth a read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!
I hated the movie. Absolutely hated it. Not because of the acting, the actors were great! But so much had been changed from the novel. The behaviors and interactions between the other boys and Thomas did not always match the book and they fully cut out parts of the story and made up other explanations that led to the same ending; I found the alternative paths to be highly dissatisfying, as if they were thought of last minute and just thrown into the mix. All in all, the movie was not the greatest. But that was probably because I had the book plot fresh in my mind. I’m sure people who hadn’t read the book would really like it. But I’ve always felt that if you are going to make a movie out of a book, then you should stay as close to the script as possible. AT LEAST DON’T CHANGE WHOLE PARTS OF THE STORY!
Anyways, if you want to watch the movie and ENJOY it, don’t read the book first. But the book is awesome and way better than the movie. So maybe just forget the movie and enjoy the book.
Happy reading ~