Dashner, James

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Dashner

James

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The Maze Runner
2009 - Dashner, James
The novel follows Thomas, a sixteen-year-old boy who wakes up in a mysterious labyrinth; in the enclosed central area – called The Glade – live other boys – the Gladers – that have previously been put there under unknown circumstances, with no memories of their previous life. As Thomas begins exploring the maze seeking to find clues about their situation and whereabouts (since he becomes a Runner, i.e. those willing to explore the maze), strange and frightening creatures known as Grievers make their appearance. Eventually, it is revealed that the maze is part of a controlled scientific experiment conducted by an organisation called WICKED, who controls a world destroyed by a coronal mass ejection, and which seeks to cure a disease called “the Flare”, who cognitively impairs human beings. In order to do so, WICKED’s scientists sought to reunite people with a natural resistance to the Flare in the maze, so as to test their capacity of working together as a society, solve problems and face unknown threats. The novel’s ending sees Thomas and the rest of the Gladers finding an exit and confronting a number of scientists who were observing them as test subjects. During this confrontation, a rescue team invades WICKED’s facilities, effectively killing all the scientists and taking the Gladers to another place where they are fed and allowed to rest.