The Maze Runner

Written by James Dashner

A book for readers in grades 7 and up reviewed by Andielynn

    

The Maze Runner is a dystopian novel where a group of individuals are locked inside the Glade, a prison with four high concrete walls. Outside of the Glade is a giant labyrinth known as the Maze.

When the Glade's walls open up, the people inside, who are known as Gladers, run out to try and escape the Maze. However, there are creatures within the Maze's walls that could attack and instantly kill them. After trial and error from each of the Gladers, they finally sprint to the Maze's exit only to realize they were all just test subjects for an organization.

I really liked reading The Maze Runner because its action and suspense kept me on my toes. I also like that the book has a movie adaptation. The film makes it easier for readers to visualize the book's events. However, I liked the book better because I felt that the movie did not really capture some of the things that the author wrote.

The 5th Wave

Written by Rick Yancey

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Andielynn

    

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is a novel that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. It is written from the perspectives of its three main characters, Cassie, Ben Parish, and Evan. However, the majority of the story is centered around Cassie.

Cassie is just like any sixteen-year-old girl going through the ups and downs of high school, where her biggest concern is trying to make her crush Ben Parish notice her. This soon changes when everyone’s world is turned upside down as the end of the world begins due to an alien invasion. The aliens, who are referred to as “The Others,” plan to gradually kill off the human population.

As seen in the title, the apocalypse has five waves. The first wave is an electromagnetic pulse that takes out all the power on Earth. The second wave unleashes powerful earthquakes and tsunamis. The third wave is the spread of a deadly disease. The fourth wave is when the aliens disguise themselves as humans. Finally, the fifth wave is the total removal of the human race. 

I loved reading this book. Right from the beginning, it grabbed my attention, since I could relate to Cassie, who is around my age. The storyline made me start to think about what I would have done in a similar situation, especially how I would attempt to protect myself and my family. Overall, I give this book a 10/10 and would recommend it to those who like reading sci-fi or adventure novels.