Monday Meme: If you liked THE MAZE RUNNER

The Maze Runner series is a great one, one that's smashed into the scene after the movie came out and the second one was recently released. But if you liked it, or even just the idea and not the execution, here are a few other series that will keep you reading. 

The 5th Wave- Rick Yancey: So it isn't only a disease in this series (movie coming in January 2016) but aliens, too! The apocalyptic world is full of danger and suspense, and there's nothing safe about it- the aliens could be anywhere, and their first four waves decimated humanity. Find out what's next in The 5th Wave.

In the After- Demitria Lunetta: Another apocalyptic alien world, In the After and In the End tell the story of a human population attacked by vicious alien creatures bent on destroying the human race, One girl and the toddler she rescued fight to survive in a world that's gone to chaos. Click here to see if she succeeds. 

Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities- Paolo Bacigalupi: In an Amercican future where nothing is certain, ragtag groups and dangerous, desperate people wander the cities, looking for trouble. Scavengers and mercenaries fight for survival. Find out how the main characters survive by clicking here (for Ship Breaker) and here (for The Drowned Cities).

Monday Meme Spotlight: YA Book to Blockbuster Movie

That's right, today's Monday Meme Spotlight is YA books that have been made into movies. 

     Recently there has been a huge influx of YA book adaptations flooding the Hollywood scene. The Hunger Games is a huge deal right now, as is Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and If I Stay. But is that all there is to YA book to movie adaptations? I have a few favorites I think everyone should see.

1. The Maze Runner- Starring Dylan O'Brien and based on the book series that began in 2010 by James Dashner- The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and the prequel The Kill Order- this is one of my absolute favorite adaptations, especially with the disappointments I've seen in casting, acting, and 'sticking to the book' with other YA books-turned-movies. Click here to be put on the list to read it.

2. The Giver- Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and Brendan Thwaites and based off the award-winning 1993 novel by Lois Lowry, this was another recent adaptation that I really enjoyed. The changes made from book to movie were approved by the author, and it kept the integrity and the point of the emotionally jarring book. Click here to get it from the library.

3. The Book Thief- Based off the novel of the same title by Markus Zusak, the book thief takes you through the Holocaust and is narrated by Death. The unique perspective and the way that the characters draw you in makes this a must-read and even a must-see. If you want to read it, click here.

4. I am Number Four- I was a big fan of the adaptation, based on the Lorien Legacies (book 1) by Pittacus Lore. Starring Alex Pettyfer and Teresa Palmer, this movie about aliens on the run was action-packed, had a great plot, and I felt that they did a really good job sticking to the book, even when things got dicey. It's hard to meet expectations when you're dealing with alien creatures and shape-shifting monsters, but I thought they did an awesome job with the descriptions from the book. Click here to order the book to read.

    When it comes to movie adaptations, everyone has a different opinion. But no matter how you view them, they're out there, and there are more and more coming. Maybe your favorite book will make it to Hollywood! And we can always hope that "Philosoraptor" is wrong when he asks:

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Thomas first wakes up he finds himself in a metal box moving upward. He only remembers his name, not his parents, where he came from, or any other details. Then the box opens and he arrives in the Glade where a bunch of teenage boys who also have selective amnesia greet him and introduce him to his new life in the center of a large maze.

For two years the Gladers, all boys, have attempted to solve the maze and find a way out, but without any success. A special elite group of Gladers, called runners, court a gruesome death everyday in a maze that is patrolled by mechanical monsters called Grievers. The Gladers have created a society where they keep order by making sure everyone takes part in providing for the needs of those living in the glade. There are those that raise animals for food, those who garden, those who build, those who cook and those who clean up. Thomas must now find his place among the Gladers, but he can’t shake the feeling that he remembers this place.

Then one day, a girl arrives and everything changes. Thomas must look deep into himself to find a way out of the maze once and for all.

At first I found this book thoroughly frustrating. The reader and Thomas have a million questions, yet everyone refuses to answer them. At points I found myself wanting to throw the book across the room, because I felt like I was getting nowhere. As the story progresses, you still don’t get many of the answers you want, but it gets more bearable when you discover that none of the characters have all the answers and that Thomas has more answers and knowledge than most.

This book is action packed and extremely fast paced. There is danger around every corner and even the Glade isn’t safe. Thomas can be a difficult character to like at times, but you do have to admire his boldness. Many of the other characters were interesting and I think I would have enjoyed hearing more from Newt and Minho. It was nice that Thomas had to realize, through the other Gladers, that the solutions they sought were not that easy to come by. In fact the others often reminded him that if the solution was simple they would have found it already.

This was an engrossing, action packed read. Recommended for fans of action books, mysteries, and dystopian futures.

Cautions for sensitive readers: First the obvious, this book is very violent. The Grievers are terrifying and merciless and sometimes the Gladers themselves are violent. There is no sex at all in the book. As for offensive language, the author chose to make up his own types of swear words, so you will often see the word “klunk” used where you would normally see a foul word.

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