The Maze Runner: Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, Book 1) by James Dashner (Author)

The Maze runner CA

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.
(synopsis via Amazon)

This is probably one of my favorite books! It reminds me of why I truly love dystopian novels. Boys find awaken after having their memories swiped and must survive against all odds while having to solve a puzzle that can kill them. Thomas is the last boy to wake up in the maze with a group of boys gathered around. We begin with one of the boys having been injured by a griever which is a creature that is an enforcer of a type. It is a creature that is sent to contain the boys within the walls of the maze. The boys send their best runners out to make maps of the outer portion of the maze so they can study them to hopefully may learn how to get out. Once attacked a medicine is given that causes the victim to begin to remember their time before the maze.
Thomas has vague memories that feel like a tickle in his brain that he has been there before and the feeling gets stronger when a girl arrives in a coma with a message that she is the beginning of the end and a note that says “Wicked is good.”
The boys continue to struggle, facing enemies both known and unknown. How many will survive and of the ones to survive, will it be enough to face the challenges outside of the maze?

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The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, Book 2) by James Dashner

This novel begins where The Maze Runner ends. Thomas and the rest of the group have escaped and think they are in the clear other than learning about the flares. This feeling of comfort is short lived as the minute they get to enjoy some much-deserved rest the are once again awakened with new trials and challenge that will have them wishing for an end. Thomas is able to communicate with Teresa…

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The Maze Runner: Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, Book 1) by James Dashner

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is…

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The Lost Gate (Mither Mages Book 1)

I’ve been putting off reading books by Orson Scott Card for an unknown reason. I’m not sure what it was that was hindering me and I probably still wouldn’t have read anything if it hadn’t been for the awesome narrators Stefan Rudnicki, Emily Janice Card. They immersed the listener with their intonations and enthusiasm.

The story begins with Danny North being a bullied and supposed inept creature…

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13 Reasons Why

Jay Asher

My emotions ran in all different directions as I listened to this book being narrated by Joel Johnstone as Clay and Debra Wiseman. I probably wouldn’t have finished the book if 1) I wasn’t doing a group challenge on Good Reads and 2) I weren’t using the audible edition which I could continue with my life as a homemaker and mother that waits A LOT in lines for my 3 middle/ high school…

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The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner, Book 2) by James Dashner

This novel begins where The Maze Runner ends. Thomas and the rest of the group have escaped and think they are in the clear other than learning about the flares. This feeling of comfort is short lived as the minute they get to enjoy some much-deserved rest the are once again awakened with new trials and challenge that will have them wishing for an end. Thomas is able to communicate with Teresa telepathically and is uprooted when their communication is suddenly torn apart as WICKED, the group behind it all introduces them abruptly to those that have been infected, the Cranks, which are essentially living zombies. They are warned not to believe everything they see or hear. They must get to a location while battling extreme heat and hiding from or fighting the cranks and determining who the true leaders are. They learn who their friends are and would sacrifice themselves for the others. Thomas and Teresa are a part of the reason the boys and now girls are in this situation. We still don’t know what their involvement is, but we are privy to some flashbacks from Thomas that leads us to hints at the ultimate conclusion.

Even after reading the whole book, I am still left with many questions. Who is Wicked? What is Thomas’s and Teresa’s involvement? What is the reason for the trials? Why, oh why, was Thomas betrayed so cruelly?

I am looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy and the answers to these many questions.

http://www.amazon.com/Scorch-Trials-Maze-Runner-Book/dp/B004993BOU/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1445194441&sr=1-3

The Lost Gate (Mither Mages Book 1) by Orson Scott Card

I’ve been putting off reading books by Orson Scott Card for an unknown reason. I’m not sure what it was that was hindering me and I probably still wouldn’t have read anything if it hadn’t been for the awesome narrators Stefan Rudnicki, Emily Janice Card. They immersed the listener with their intonations and enthusiasm.

The story begins with Danny North being a bullied and supposed inept creature of magic. They live away from the humans or Drowthers. He constantly feared for his life because his family kills those that aren’t worthy magically. He is the son of two major deities that hoped his birth would bring on a great God. But Danny seemed no better than a normal human, with no magical abilities. He could run fast and was intelligent and had an affinity for languages.

Little did he know these were abilities only a gate mage would have. The family despised gate mages even more than Drekkas. They are afraid of them because Loki one built a great gate then closed it off where none of the magical lesser Gods could return to their home in Westil.

This novel follows Danny after he escapes his family to learn how to be a great gate mage while living life as a normal human and hopefully not be found by his family. It is about survival and finding who you can trust and Danny’s place in the world.

To purchase a copy and see more about the author follow here:

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Gate-Mither-Mages-Book-ebook/dp/B003OUXECO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445191810&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lost+gate

13 Reasons Why

Jay Asher

My emotions ran in all different directions as I listened to this book being narrated by Joel Johnstone as Clay and Debra Wiseman. I probably wouldn’t have finished the book if 1) I wasn’t doing a group challenge on Good Reads and 2) I weren’t using the audible edition which I could continue with my life as a homemaker and mother that spends A LOT of time in lines for my 3 middle/ high school kids.

I had to remind myself several times that this was targeted for the teenage group of kids. I do believe it should be required reading for middle school because it deals with issues they struggle with and it could help them see how small actions can lead to greater ones. I do not believe it should be portrayed as a book about bullying, though, as it is more a rite of passage type. We have all been touched by mean kids and have had things such as being voted The Best Butt or Worst hair, and so on. I believe it should be prefaced with the idea this isn’t something that would probably cause someone to contemplate suicide unless there is a mental health issue or other more pressing issues that we aren’t privy too as a reader.

The book follows Clay as he listens to a set of cassette tapes that are left on his porch with a note that says the 13 listeners must listen and then pass them to the next name on the list. We listen as he begs Hannah to tell him why each instance of her “bullying” would cause her to commit suicide. He shows emotions of inner turmoil, anger at Hannah and at her tormentors. He shows disgust for the tormentors. He shows feelings of being a failure and how others failed Hannah. Hannah describes how each slight that was done to her was cause for her to have no other choices but to find a way out of her life and seeing no other choice but to end her life.

I find that Hannah is more of a bully as she uses these tapes to make each person feel the pain she felt without caring if it would totally destroy their life instead of maybe getting them to understand how they failed her and make their lives mean something. I spent a lot of that time being angry with Hannah and wanting to shake her back to life. The idea of having a backup plan to get the others to continue the cycle of tapes by using someone as a blackmailer. That poor boy that has to live with the pressure of having to make sure the tapes continue on course.

I don’t believe the younger audience should read without having an adult that can answer the questions there is a section that portrays a teacher / guidance counselor to be someone that didn’t do enough for Hannah even though he did do everything he could. Kids may not see that as they internalize this material.

To purchase your own copy and learn more about the author go here

http://www.amazon.com/Thirteen-Reasons-Why-Jay-Asher-ebook/dp/B0054R6BFM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445191960&sr=1-1&keywords=13+reason+why