The Maze Runner: the slang stopped me

The Maze Runner
By James Dashner
Hardcover, 400 pages
Delacorte Press for Young Readers, August 2010
Rated: Unfinished, but please tell me what happens!

Synopsis:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

I'm upset with this book. My aunt had read it and said it was alright. But I still wanted to read it. Oh it was kind of painful. There's so much slang. They use other words instead of filthy language. It feels like it's pretty much the same thing. And (at least in the beginning of the book) it's used SO OFTEN that it's SO ANNOYING. SO I didn't finish it. BUT I want to know what happens. And what the whole maze thing means....so.....

Anyone care to let me in on the secrets of the maze runner. Spoilers welcome! What is this book really about. Who is Thomas? Who is the girl? Why the maze? Anyone????

Thanks,
Robot

Ditched (A Love Story): with a Hangover...

Ditched: A Love Story

By Robin Mellon

Hardcover, 273 pages

Hyperion, January 2012

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. And then ditched her.

This is the sixth book in the 2012 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by the Story Siren. (Whoohooo! half-way there!)

Ditched is one night at prom filled with quirky characters, some hilarious lines...and a hangover.

While the first few chapters were entertaining: funny one liners and an interesting premise, sometime after that, my attention drifted elsewhere. The flashbacks of the night told to two 7-eleven strangers got tiresome. The partying and high school behavior wore me down: a drunk teen taking vodka-jello shots at his parent's house (and his parents have NO clue!), dog swapping pranks, discussing the male anatomy, smoking marijuana...It was a little too much drama...And I guess I was expecting Ian to play a bigger part in the story than off stage.

Most of all, Justina-which by the way is such an awkward name for a character-did not deliver. At first, I was cheering her on with Ian. But then her behavior just spirals out of control. From the moment Ian picks her up for the pre-party, it was a domino effect just waiting to happen: her jealous side seems to have affected her ability to think straight. She draws some pretty big erroneous conclusions about Ian when they are supposed to be BEST friends. Aren't you supposed to know your BFF pretty well? Or maybe love/heartache blinds you in a way that you can't see clearly? Or maybe she was just insecure? Or maybe it's like what Gilda, the 7-eleven worker, tells her "Couldn't you have waited until you had some questions answered?"

Yes, Justina, couldn't you have just waited? Then I wouldn't have this hangover.

Rated 2.5 Bites

Content Advisory: drug usage, partying, language, sexual references

Now available on Amazon: Ditched: A Love Story.