Monday, October 13, 2014

The Maze Runner Continued--Still Running


As I have continued to read The Maze Runner I find myself sitting closer and closer to the edge of my seat!  The chapters are so short and they always end with a phrase that leaves me wanting more.  Needless to say, I have a difficult time putting it down.  The book is so exciting and each page leaves me asking so many questions that I just want to keep reading.  I also find some of the characters interesting and relatable, so that draws me in as well. 

I cannot believe that Thomas ran in to the maze while the doors were closing!  I understand that he felt sympathy and wanted to help Alby and Minho, but it seems that running in there was the equivalent to committing suicide.  I also couldn’t get over Minho abandoning Thomas with a lifeless Alby when they first heard the Grievers.  I thought that when Thomas started to cry after dodging the Grievers at the cliff was very emotional.  I believe that it was all of his emotions about not remembering anything, feeling confused about why a place unknown to him was so familiar at the same time, and surviving the terrifying feat of avoiding the Grievers.  I believe this shows the human side to Thomas that makes him likeable.  I also believe that he showed that side when he spoke to Chuck about getting him back home.  I liked that the Keepers decided to punish Thomas, but also make him a Runner once he returned.  I think that punishing him in some way was necessary for them to keep order in their society, but he proved himself to be one the best Runners that they had and deserved the job.

Several questions have come up for me as I’ve been reading.  What is the significance of “Wicked”?  Why is it written on the beetle blades, why does Teresa have “Wicked is Good” written on her arm, and what is up with the sign “World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department” (WICKED)?  I believe that it has something to do with The Creators, maybe the company they work for.  I want to know why or how Thomas has a natural ability as a Runner.  It seems that he is familiar with the maze, but has never been there.  I also want to know why he was able to figure out how to escape from the Grievers so quickly.  What is with Gally?  Why does he hate Thomas so much?  I feel like he knows more than he is letting on.  He is just so angry!  What is The Flare and why is Alby so afraid to go back to their normal lives?  And what was making him choke himself when he was talking to Thomas about what he saw during the Changing?  I like that Thomas and Teresa have the power to speak to each other through their minds, but how does Teresa know that her and Thomas have something to do with the maze?  How did Teresa trigger the ending, and once she did why did the sky go gray and the doors to the maze not shut?  And why did Gally know that the Grievers would only kill one boy per night?  What kind of insight to he get when he ran off?  Hopefully all these questions will have answers as I continue reading.  There are so many of them, you can understand why I can’t put this book down!

I’m happy that this is the book that I chose for my book club selection.  I’m really drawn to these kinds of topics and with all the writing and text book reading that I have to do; it’s nice to be able to read for pleasure again.  I say again because I usually do not have the time for it unless it is summer.  The Maze Runner allows me to escape the monotony of reading factual information.  I hope that when I become a teacher I can give my students the same feeling of escapism.             

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