The Maze Runner Series: Book and Movie Review

Hello Everyone!
 
I recently just finished The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner, and really enjoyed all three books.  As I mentioned in my last book review on Never Let Me Go, I quite enjoy dystopian novels and series, but this series is more post-apocalyptic which is definitely something I am into as well.  Below, I will review the series as a whole in hopes to not give anything away, then also a review of the first movie on the first book.



Series Review - 8.5/10
Without giving too much away, all three books take you on Thomas's experience through a post-apocalyptic world.  In the first book, The Maze Runner, he is sent up to a maze with no memories except his own name.  The maze in inhabited with teenage boys who call themselves the Gladers.  A new boy has arrived once a month, so Thomas comes just as expected.  During his first day he learns the ins and outs of the maze; everyone has a job and things seem to be working well....except for finding a way out of the maze.  Things turn upside down when a girl shows up in the maze the following day.  In the second book, The Scorch Trials, the Gladers are put through another test, this time being a journey through the scorch.  They have found out that the world has been torn apart by Sun flares and a terrible disease called The Flare.  They are part of an experiment put on by a world government organization called "WICKED".  Since completing the task of the maze, they must make it through the scorch to earn a cure for The Flare.  Tons of action in this book, very fun read!  The third book, The Death Cure, finds both trial groups back together at WICKED, but is WICKED really good?  The groups fight and search to find the true answers.  Have they succeeded in finding the cure or is the world doomed?



Movie Review - 6/10
I saw this movie with Jon and we both had different opinions of it.  I obviously had read the book and he had not.  To start, I think most of the characters were well cast, specifically the roles of: Chuck, Newt, and Alby.  The setting of the maze was very well done and looked very much how to book depicted it.  Also, on the of main things I wanted a visual of was the Grievers, and they were so much scary once brought to life in the film, so I think this was my favorite part of the movie opposed to the book.  Some thing I did not enjoy were some major plot changes...I understand this helps those who have not read understand the movie, but it really upset me.  Outside of these changes that made me cringe during the whole movie, they kept the general theme of the book, which made it a good movie.  Jon seemed to enjoy it more than me, so it was a good movie, just did not follow the book that well.  I hope if they make the other two books into movies, they are more on track with the books.

Have you read any of the Maze Runner Series? If so, did you enjoy the books? What were some of your favorite parts? Did you watch the movie? How did you think it compared to the book?

- Courtney