Letter Essay #7 The Maze Runner Erin Sheehan

Dear Reader,

I just finished reading a 400 page, fiction, dystopian book called The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It was my groups book club book that we read for about two weeks. The Maze Runner was published in 2009 by Random House Children’s Books. It’s book one to its series, I read this book because it was recommended to me by so many of my friends and they said it was an amazing book. If you like the Hunger Games or Divergent you will like this book, it’s thrilling, action packed, and is a modern classic you need to read. I have never read anything by this author before so this book really left an impression on me.

The Maze Runner is about when a boy named Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He can’t remember anything, his memory is blank. He’s not alone, when the doors open he’s surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade. The Glade is a large, open expanse surrounded by massive stone walls. Thomas is just like all the others, he doesn’t know how or why they got to the Glade. All they’ve come to know is that every morning the stone doors open and every night they close up tight. Also they know that every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. They expected Thomas, but the next day, a girl is sent up. There has never been a girl sent up before, until now. And she delivers a message… Thomas is more important than he could have ever expected. If only he could recover the secrets buried in his mind.

I was surprised when Teresa (the girl) was sent up because there had never been a girl before and the message she brang with her changed the Glade and the boys lives forever… Something that was brought up again and again was that Thomas felt a connection to Teresa, like he’s seen her before. But, as he soon finds out there is much more than that.

I liked the way the author included that Thomas thought he’d seen Teresa before, he did that again and again throughout the story. He did this throughout multiple sections of the book when Thomas was trying to remember anything else he’s ever known. But, the author always knows the perfect way to add it in again and again, and the perfect time. I really liked how the author could weave it into the scenes.

This book didn’t really remind me of any of the other books I’ve read. I normally don’t read books like this but my book club was interested in it and it was worth the read.

The quoted passage i’m including is when Newt shows Thomas what a griever is

“ Thomas is jostled awake the next morning by Newt. Everyone else is still asleep, but Newt tells Thomas that he has to show him something before everyone else is up. Thomas follows Newt, tiptoeing amongst the other sleeping boys. Newt leads him to the courtyard and breaks out into a run. Thomas follows, running as well, unsure if he can trust Newt or not but knowing he has little choice. Newt leads Thomas to one of the walls and pulls back the vines that grow on it, revealing a small window.

Newt tells Thomas that they want to show him why the walls close every night and why he should be glad that he is on this side of them when they do. Thomas can make out something moving outside the window, giving off a strange light. He puts his face to the window and sees a large, bulbous creature about the size of a cow. It is a hideous mix of machine and animal. Its appendages are adorned with instruments like buzz saws and long rods. It charges the window, sending Thomas to the floor. But the window holds. Thomas asks Newt what they are. “Grievers”, he answers.”

I liked how the author made this passage very dramatic and descriptive. I also liked the way he made Newt introduce Grievers to Thomas. This passage was one of my favorite parts of the book because they introduce Thomas to a very scary but interesting creature. I’d rate this book an 8/10  because of the little details in this book that make it great.

 

Sincerely,

Erin Sheehan

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8 thoughts on “Letter Essay #7 The Maze Runner Erin Sheehan

  1. Dear Erin,

    Hi! Your letter essay was very good! i liked how you told about the publication date because many think of the Maze Runner s a very new and recent book but its already 7 years old! I liked the passage you included because as you said, it was very eye opening experience for Thomas. I love this part of the book because it is when the real story really started to unfold.

    Great letter essay
    —Melissa Colasante

  2. Erin,

    Your letter essay was very descriptive and full of good information about the book. I like the quoted passage you chose. It really shows how the author is very descriptive and how life really is in the Glade and why it is good that the maze walls close every night. When I read this book I thought this was a great book as well but the other books in this series are not as good. Great job!

    Kiki

  3. Good letter essay Eric, this seems like a good book. I like your quote because it tells us a bit but we can still learn more about the creatures. Maybe I should read this and your high score makes it seem like a good book.

    from,
    George

  4. Dear Erin,
    I loved your letter essay! You added a lot of detail about the book and the summary was very good. I also like the passage you chose because the actual plot of the story starts to come in. I enjoyed The Maze Runner the first time I read it but, when I reread it, the story got old quickly for me (but you know what story will never get old? THRONE OF GLASS! Yup, Relin forever Erin. Relin.) Great job!

    -Nicole

  5. Dear Erin,

    Great job on your letter essay loved reading it. I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time and i haven’t gotten around to it but now i’m thinking it’s going to be the next book i read. You had a lot of information and it was very descriptive. You chose a really good passage and explained it very well, overall great job i can’t wait to read more of your essays.
    Sarah

  6. Dear Erin,

    I liked Letter- Essay. You did a great job at describing the book. I may read The Maze Runner now.

    – Jake M

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