Wide Reading Log #2

L1 Wide Reading Log:

Text Title – The Maze Runner 

Author – James Dashner

Text Type – Novel

Date Read – Term 1 2020

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Brief Plot Overview(3 sentences)

Thomas doesn’t remember anything, none of the boys do. No memories, no nothing except for their first names. A massive group of boys called the Gladers live in the glade, a village in the middle of a maze they have been stuck in for 2 years. They have to solve it but don’t know how. If they solve the maze that is their way out, back to their old lives that they don’t remember, back to their families. But the Gladers have no clue on why they got sent there or what is waiting for them outside the maze. They don’t know why the creators of the maze would do this but they do know that whoever did this to them would not be a person they were looking forward to meeting. All they know is that they must find a way out or die under the painful monsters living in the maze.

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Characters I Find Interesting And Why

The character I found the most interesting in the novel Maze Runner was the main character Thomas. I found Thoms the most interesting character because he was so different to the other boys in the glade. He broke the rules to save lives. To me Thomas sounded like the kind of kid who once he believed in something he was head strong against that, the type of person to do what was right even if something or someone stood in their way. In societies today we say every opinion matters. Every opinion does matter, it just comes down to whether or not you let it impact you. When someone tells you their opinion about you or what you’re doing, we don’t have to instantly be like that. I think this is why I found Thomas the most interesting character. I feel like Thomas was written to be a character like this to add more edge and to keep the reader wondering if someone or something would get in the way of his decisions. 

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Messages You Took From The Text And Why

The message I took away from reading Maze runner was to never give up on anything. After Thomas arrived at the Maze everything started falling apart. Everyone blamed him, suspected that it was all his doing but through all of it Thomas blocked out what they were saying and ignored them. I think that I took away this message because I feel as though at some point in everyone’s lives they have been blamed for doing something they haven’t done. Being able to acknowledge that you didn’t or don’t do the things that people assume is the only thing that keeps people from assuming more. Especially in societies today we believe the first thing we hear from someone and expect the worst. In Maze Runner Thomas shows this message of never giving up by sticking to his moral beliefs and shows them that they are wrong. He doesn’t give in to the bullies trying to tell him wrong. “I just…felt like I needed to save everyone. To redeem myself”. To me this quote shows the meaning behind Thomas trying to undo the wrong that people thought he did. Him trying to fix a problem he wasn’t even involved in and in my head that sounds like a good person. A person who wouldn’t come along and rip everything apart. 

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Challenges That Characters Had To Deal With And Your Response To These

A challenge that Thomas had to deal with was when he tried to save two boys but didn’t make it. He broke a rule and had to deal with the consequences for it, even though he saved two lives by breaking that rule. “I didn’t do anything wrong. All I know is I saw people struggling to get inside these walls and they couldn’t make it. To ignore that because of some stupid rule seemed selfish, cowarly and well stupid. If you want to throw me in jail for trying to save someone’s life, then go ahead”. Thomas knew that there were consequences for breaking rules in the glade but he didn’t feel like after all he went through to save someone’s life that he would be punished. My response to this was that even though Thomas knew what the consequences would be for him he went against that, putting his life in danger just to help others that lives were in danger. I feel as though in societies today we can be selfish with certain decisions. I’m not saying this is everyone all the time but I do think we can all be a little selfish at times. Thomas shows that he didn’t care about what was going to happen to him just what was going to happen to the two other boys. Sometimes people can change their decision based to how it will affect others, not on all the things we could lose or gain for ourselves.

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Discussion About The Title Of The Text And Why It Was Appropriate

Maze Runner. When I read that title I want to think, I wonder what this is going to be about? I want to start having questions pop up into my head and just to be intrigued about what the book and what it could be about. I think that the title of this text is very appropriate because of the little description it gives. I certainly know it is going to be about a maze and some runners. It’s short so it gives some mystery to what else it could be about. I feel like when reading a title people want it to be something that they might question about so they can want to read more.    

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Who Would You Recommend This Story To And Why 

I would recommend the novel Maze Runner around the teenage age group. Probably because if someone 10 and under wouldn’t be able to read some of the words. The age above 10 I think would like this Novel but it depends on the person and what type of books they like.