Review: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. 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, open expanse surrounded 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 the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

I had a lot of fun with this one to be honest.  I'm extremely late to the game with this series, but I finally decided that the book had been sitting on my shelf for long enough.  I've had friends compare this series to those like a lot of other great dystopian series out in the stores, so I was trying my best to go into this one without thinking too much about that, so that I didn't end up having any unfair expectations, and I think it worked out.

Dashner's writing was refreshing, easy to keep up with, and had me feeling like I was right there in the action alongside the characters themselves.  I didn't always feel like only an observer, but a part of the story unfolding in front of me.  A lot of times I walk away from a series opener just dying to get my hands on the next book, knowing that if I don't find out what happens next for the characters it'll drive me crazy.  I won't say that I ran right out to the store to get my hands on the second installment, but I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens next for this interesting group.

Now that a lot of the pieces to the puzzle have been answered, I can't help but wonder what other mysteries Dashner has in store for his readers in the next two books.  I'm determined to not let too much time pass by before I dive into the next installment, and I'm crossing my fingers that there aren't too many impossible obstacles laying ahead.  These characters have been through a lot already if you ask me.

I gave The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!

Countdown: 2012 Releases (15)

Great books are scheduled to hit the shelves this summer for sure!

I can't believe how many great titles are coming out and how badly I want to read them all. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage to fit everything in, but I'm crossing my fingers I'll find a way. With a great holiday weekend behind us, I'm definitely in need of some downtime and reading is the perfect cure, and an easy way to relax and unwind.

That's the plan anyways and these are just a few of the titles I'm hoping will help me relax and enjoy the few moments of quiet that come in between (sometimes rarely) all the craziness that goes on around me!

Countdown Pick #1: Run the Game by Jason Myers (06/12/2012)

In this gritty novel from the author of Exit Here and Dead End, love is a high-priced and dangerous game: Play or be played.

Alexander didn’t believe in love at first sight until he met Patti. She’s the kind of girl you hear about in songs: gorgeous, feisty, and dangerous. Being with Patti is better than any high, and he can’t live without her. But Alexander’s not the only one who wants to be with Patti. Burke ruthlessly takes what he wants and will kill to protect what is his. And he won’t let Patti go without a fight. If Patti and Alexander are going to be together, their love will come at a steep price. Because some promises are meant to be broken, and not all debts can be paid in cash….

This does not sound like a title that I would normally call my cup of tea, but for some reason, when I read the description listed, I couldn't imagine passing this one by. So I've added it to my list and I'm hoping that I won't regret it. The whole idea behind this book is one that scares me to no end, and I'm worried that it might turn out to be a little too intense for me to get through. But I also can't help but be curious as to how things will work our for Alexander and Patti and I haven't even cracked the cover yet. Definitely a good sign, would you say?

Countdown Pick #2: Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard (06/14/2012)

"In the tradition of John Knowles's A Separate Peace."--Publisher Weekly, Starred
"One of the best young adult books I've read in years."--Pat Conroy
William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist

At the beginning of his junior year at a boys' boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there's more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex's writing for class. She also sees poetic talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them.

Talk about your high levels of anxiety! But I do enjoy a great mystery every once in a while. And this one sounds like it's got all the right ingredients to leave me guessing until the very end. I'm curious to see how the teacher will play into this story and how crazy things may get. I'm already wondering what really happened at the river and how their friend ended up drowning...was it accidental or not? Only time will tell, but luckily this release date is not too far away.

Countdown Pick #3: Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt (07/12/2012)

This novel opens on the first day of Hannah’s senior year, but the story really starts on the last day of her junior year. That’s when Hannah not only gets dumped by her boyfriend, Sebastian, but she also finds out her best friend, Ava, is going to be gone for the entire summer. But Ava’s boyfriend, Noah, is definitely around—and such a good guy that he snags Hannah a job at the diner where he works. Hannah and Noah move from coworkers, to friends….and one night, to something more.

Now it’s back to school, where Hannah will see Sebastian, Ava, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, Hannah will learn a lot about love, friendship…and herself.

The cover kind of drew my attention on this one and for a strange reason. The girl on the cover actually looks a lot like someone I know and I honestly found myself doing a double take to see if it was really her. I was thinking my friend would have some explaining to do, but that wasn't the case. Despite my reasons, once I had take a look at this title's description, I was interested. And this one sounds juicy but also like it'll have a somewhat tear jerker element to it. All in all it's one I want to check out for myself.

Countdown Pick #4: The Rise of Nine (The Lorien Legacies, #3) by Pittacus Lore (08/21/2012)

It all began with nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorians—who scattered on Earth and went into hiding. They look like ordinary teenagers, but they have extraordinary skills. The Mogadorians killed Number One, Number Two, and Number Three. They tried to kill Number Four ... and failed.

Number Four (aka John Smith) has now teamed up with Number Nine, while Six has gone off to find the others. With the Mogadorians hot on their trail and time running out, they must find a way to come together, before it's too late. Power in numbers will save them all.

I'm just a fan of this series without a doubt. I was sad to see that the movie version of the first book didn't do all that well in the theaters because I was really hoping to see the rest of the series made into a movie as well. But regardless, the books are still holding my attention and making me feel like not all science fiction is out of my comfort zone after all. Not normally the genre I sway towards, this series had me holding my breath from the very beginning and I'm curious to see where the series will take readers next.

Countdown Pick #5: The Kill Order (Maze Runner, # 0.5) by James Dashner (08/14/2012)

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares seared the earth and mankind fell to disease. "The Kill Order" tells the story of that fall.

“The prequel is something that has churned in my mind since before "The Maze Runner" was even complete. It's been hard to keep it a secret! I'm excited to finally share the news and I can't wait for my readers to see how it all began," shared author James Dashner.

Now I've had the series opener on my shelf since around when it first hit the shelves and I've yet to read it. I know, I know, this is terrible! But when I saw this title would be coming out this Summer, I knew it was a sign. I decided to hold off just a little bit longer before I started the series so that I could read this title first. I figured I'd start off with the prequel and then dive right into the series. That sounds like a solid plan don't you think? It's what I've got and I'm going to go with it. For those of you who haven't been slacking like myself and have made your way through this series, how was it? It is everything everyone says? Will it live up to all the hype I keep hearing about?

Clearing the Shelves (2)

Like I said before, after taking a closer look at my bookshelves at home, I was ashamed to realize how many books that have been added to my collection that I have yet to read. So now that I'm determined to catch up and begin making my way through these titles I'd like some help. If you've read any of the books I list let me know what you thought? Point me in the direction of reviews you've written or read, interviews with authors who wrote them, etc...

So here we go for round two...

Pick #1: Strings Attached by Judy Blundell

When Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City, she doesn't have much. She's fled from her family in Providence, Rhode Island, and she's broken off her tempestuous relationship with a boy named Billy, who's enlisted in the army.

The city doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms. She gets a bit part as a chorus girl in a Broadway show, but she knows that's not going to last very long. She needs help--and then it comes, from an unexpected source.

Nate Benedict is Billy's father. He's also a lawyer involved in the mob. He makes Kit a deal--he'll give her an apartment and introduce her to a new crowd. All she has to do is keep him informed about Billy . . . and maybe do him a favor every now and then.

Being a winner of the National Book award in 2008, Blundell certainly has the resume that speaks for itself. While this would be my first time reading one of her novels, the reviews lead me to believe I'll enjoy the process. The plot sounds exciting and filled with tension and yet very different from any other book I've read. Have you guys had the chance to read this one yet? Have I been missing out? I'm always looking for new authors to add to my favorites list but would appreciate the feedback if you get the chance.

Pick #2: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Miles "Pudge" Halter is abandoning his safe-okay, boring-life. Fascinated by the last words of famous people, Pudge leaves for boarding school to seek what a dying Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps."

Pudge becomes encircled by friends whose lives are everything but safe and boring. Their nucleus is razor-sharp, sexy, and self-destructive Alaska, who has perfected the arts of pranking and evading school rules. Pudge falls impossibly in love. When tragedy strikes the close-knit group, it is only in coming face-to-face with death that Pudge discovers the value of living and loving unconditionally.

While this book has won quite a few awards including the Michael L. Printz award, I've never seen or read too much about it in the blog world. John Green's name however is one I've heard over and over again. Add to the amount of times his name comes up, I've yet to hear anything negative. So why I've waited so long to read one of his books is beyond me, but I'm planning on rectifying that situation very soon.

Pick #3: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. 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, open expanse surrounded 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 the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

I started this title a year ago and only got a few chapters in before I got distracted and didn't go back. A friend of mine said that if I liked The Hunger Games series than I would love this series. Not that I don't believe her, but at the time nothing could live up to Collins' masterpiece in my mind. So now that this series is almost complete, I think it's time to give it another try. Hopefully I'll enjoy it as much as I"m told and will be grateful that I don't have to wait for the rest of the installments to come out.

Pick #4: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn’t remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

Yet another book that I got as a gift and put off for too long. I've heard great things about this one and the ploy sounds different from what I've been reading lately. Hopefully it could be a good change of pace for me. In addition to all the positive reviews I've read of this title, I also recently saw that the sequel is coming out soon. Yet more initiative to crack this baby open and give it a whirl. If it's as great as everyone says I'm sure I"ll be racing to the bookstore to buy the next installment.

Pick #5: Dark of the Moon (Dark Guardian, #3) by Rachel Hawthorne

I've loved him forever, but he can never be mine.

Brittany is determined to prove herself to the Dark Guardians. And yet she's been keeping a devastating secret: She hasn't experienced any of the intense, early signs of change that mark a Dark Guardian's transformation. The only intense feelings she has are for Connor—and she's kept that a secret, too. But she knows she'll never truly have Connor's love if she's not a Shifter like him.

At the first full moon after her birthday, her greatest fear is realized: She doesn't transform. Brittany is so desperate to become a wolf that she'll go to extremes she never thought possible . . . and put all the Dark Guardians in incredible danger.

This is a series I stumbled upon by pure luck. The first two installments were awesome and made me an instant fan of Hawthorne. I started this third installment and will admit that I don't think I gave it a fair chance. Each book is centered around one female character and while I adore most of the characters, this book's focus was on Brittany and I wasn't really a fan. So I gave up quickly, saying I'd go back eventually but didn't. No more... I'm ready for round two and I'm hoping Hawthorne will surprise me and have me end up on team Brittany after all.

In My Mailbox (3)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. Every week we’ll post about what books we have received (whether they’re bought/borrowed, etc… you get the idea). This is generally done on Sunday, but I’m told that it’s really whatever day works for you; I’m going to be posting mine on Fridays because I tend to post less on the weekends. Everyone participating will try and visit other lists to comment and possibly pine for the new arrivals everyone’s talking about. I’ve learned that it’s a great idea to really try and stop by at least two or three lists because I’m constantly finding out about new books that I’ve later added to my TBR list.Happy Reading!

This week I’ve added the following to my collection:

Heist Society by Ally Carter

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

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 black. 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 they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, 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’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in 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 be able to 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.

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke

Shale is the lowest of the low-an outcast from a poor village in the heart of the desert. In the desert water is life, and currency, and Shale has none. But he has a secret. It's the one thing that keeps him alive and may save all the cities of the Quartern in the days to come. If it doesn't get him killed first...

Terelle is a slave fleeing a life as a courtesan. She finds shelter in the home of an elderly painter but as she learns the strange and powerful secrets of his art she fears she may have traded a life of servitude for something far more perilous...

The Stormlord is dying in his tower and there is no one, by accident or design, to take his place. He brings the rain from the distant seas to his people. Without a Stormlord, the cities of the Quartern will wither and die.

Their civilization is at the brink of disaster. If Shale and Terelle can find a way to save themselves, they may just save them all. Water is life and the wells are running dry...

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen. 

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.

In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

And although I've had this book on my shelf for some time I pulled it down and decided to finally give it a shot...I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Before he knew about the Roses, sixteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind - part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre magical heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Jack's performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he's in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, there are no limits to what they'll do to get Jack to fight for them. . . .

Don't forget to visit the Book Blogger Hop over at Crazy-for-Books and check out some great blogs that you may not know about.  Since I've joined I've found some amazing ones and I can't wait to see who joins this week!