The Maze Runner: Discussion #3

As I fly farther and farther through The Maze Runner, I can't help but wonder how anyone, even those who are not fans of this particular genre, could hate this book. The plot progresses at a steady pace, always keeping me interested. Additionally, Dashner's exceptional ability in creating suspense makes me want to read more. He seems to always end a chapter with a sentence that almost forces me to read on, so I constantly find myself saying, "Just one more chapter. It's only four pages. Oh, the next one won't hurt either. It's just five." And on, and on, and on. I'm already trying to figure out how I can get my hands on the next two books in the trilogy.


For this book discussion, my group talked about Chapters 40-49. In this section of the book, the Runners go out into the maze for almost 24 hours to find Grievers running away from them and walls unchanged. Thomas, Teresa, and others find out that the maze is a code. Thomas throws himself on top of a Griever to purposely get stung, so that he can go through The Changing. The memories that flood his mind become important tools in aiding The Gladers to safety, but Chapter 49 ends before Dashner reveals how they will contribute to the escape effort. Well played, Dashner, well played.

Thomas shows an exceptional amount of bravery and intelligence, just as he always has, by sprinting after The Grievers to get stung on purpose. He knew that he needed to sacrifice himself in that way for any possible answers to be revealed. My group wondered that if Thomas hadn't thought of doing this, would anyone else have? If the thought had crossed anyone else's mind, would he or she have been brave enough to go through with it? Without Thomas, would The Gladers have any chance of escaping? I think that without Thomas, each of The Gladers, one by one, would be taken by The Grievers.

In the Chapters preceding 40-49, Dashner had established that Thomas and Teresa have a special relationship in which they can talk to each other telepathically. While reading, my group members and I have wondered what the significance of this is. Is it so certain information that Thomas and Teresa are talking about isn't exposed to the rest of The Gladers? Would things be different if Thomas and Teresa didn't have this ability, meaning they would have to talk to each other to communicate? A direct connection between Thomas and Teresa has not yet been stated, but I can sense it coming in the next couple of chapters.

The Changing is another subject of the book my group discussed. It seems to trigger different memories for different people, but no matter how different, there is one thing in common: Thomas. Does this mean that Thomas knew all of these people before his life in the maze? Or, rather, does this signify how important he is in the success of the escape plan? Without Thomas, would The Gladers even have a chance at getting out? Regardless of the answers to these questions, I found it interesting that while all the boys who have gone through The Changing saw Thomas, not one of them mentioned seeing Teresa. My peers and I agreed that with the special connection between Thomas and Teresa, it is odd that Teresa does not appear with Thomas. What does this mean?


As you can see, just a few short chapters can raise so many different questions that make me want to keep reading. I can't wait to finally figure out some of the answers in the next couple of days, although I know I will still have questions at the end of the book, which is why I know I'll be dying to get my hands on the next book in the series.  I hope you stick with me as I embark on the final trail of my first book club journey!