The Maze Runner by James Dashner is another in a long list of dystopian YA novels.

When Thomas arrives in a community of lost boys, he must literally climb out of a “box” and, despite lacking all memory of his former life, engage in a life or death struggle with an unseen enemy. The “runners” must seek clues in the maze that will lead to their escape, and time is running out.

I can’t help comparing the recent triumvirate of YA human-world-gone-awry dystopian series: The Hunger Games, Divergent/Insurgent, and now The Maze Runner. In terms of world building, I would rank them in that order. The Hunger Games and Divergent both feature fantastic settings and lethal conflicts.

My main issue with The Hunger Games is a lack of character development. Katniss adapts, improvises, and grows angry, but at the end of the book she is not much different internally than she was at the beginning. Maybe this is because she is strong, brave, and selfless from the start. How do you go up from there?Beatrice in Divergent develops more since her life choice propels her along an angst-filled path that forces her to question herself at every turn.

Of the three, though, The Maze Runner plumbs character the deepest. Partly this is because of the set-up. An amnesiac must invent himself from the bones out, trying on personas like coats in a department store, discarding most but keeping those that fit. I will admit to being a sucker for an amnesia story—especially those that involve meeting a lover for the “first” time. Dashner handles the re-awakening of Thomas with a deft hand. Thomas experiences his transformations right along with the reader, and he is as surprised by his actions and choices as the reader.

There is much to admire in Thomas, and that is the key to the success of this novel (or any novel) in my eyes. Stripped of his memory and set against near impossible odds, Thomas demonstrates a humanity which sparkles against a grim backdrop of inhumanity.

As I was reading, I kept thinking about Lord of the Flies with its community of troubled boys and decided an interesting English assignment would be to compare the two books. (A new push of the common core curriculum debuting in California is to analyze and contrast works.) For instance, in this case, what does it say about the author or theme when the beast is actually real? Hmmm…

The Maze Runner is not perfect. Once we started toward the climax, the carnage of the horrific beasts became monotonous rather than terrifying. Also, I found the ending clunky and rushed as if the author was straining to build in sudden plot twists. A movie version might be able to smooth over these rough spots, however.

Of the three books, I can’t decide which I like best. Were it not for the awkward ending, I would have chosen The Maze Runner hands down.

What about you? How do you feel about YA dystopian societies? What is your favorite? I’m still partial to The Giver.