Since this blog is just getting started out, I'm also going to include a short blurb about the book I finally got around to reading just before this one....The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This is one book I literally could not put down once I got into it, and it only took me a few pages to get into it! This another book that follows the theme of living without adults to make decisions for young boys (reminiscent of The Lord of the Flies) with a few major differences.
Summary from Goodreads:
Imagine waking up one day in total darkness, unsure of where you are and unable to remember anything about yourself except your first name. You're in a bizarre place devoid of adults called the Glade. The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids -- the Runners -- venture into the labyrinth, trying to map the ever-changing pattern of walls in an attempt to find an exit from this hellish place. So far, no one has figured it out. And not all of the Runners return from their daily exertions, victims of the maniacal Grievers, part animal, part mechanical killing machines.
Thomas is the newest arrival to the Glade in this Truman-meets-Lord of the Flies tale. A motley crew of half a dozen kids is all he has to guide him in this strange world. As soon as he arrives, unusual things begin to happen, and the others grow suspicious of him. Though the Maze seems somehow familiar to Thomas, he's unable to make sense of the place, despite his extraordinary abilities as a Runner. What is this place, anddoes Thomas hold the key to finding a way out?
In The Maze Runner, Dashner has crafted a creative and engaging novel that's both mysterious and thought provoking.
After finishing the book, I was irritated that I hadn't read it before now, since it's been out for so long and I've let my students keep it checked out all year. My favorite part about the story is that the boys have managed to work together to build a well-established community and not let their despair and condition overwhelm them. I would highly recommend you pick this book up for yourself, if you haven't already read it! As soon as I can, I will be purchasing The Scorch Trials (the 2nd book in the series!!) and will let you know how that one turns out.
