James Dashner

Reviewed by Tia Nevitt
and Bill Capossere

James Dashner was born and raised in Georgia but now lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains. To learn more about him and his books, visit James Dashner's website or blog.

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The Journey of Curious Letters — (2008-2010) Ages 9-12. Publisher: What if every time you made a choice that had a significant consequence, a new, alternate reality was created — the life that would've been had you made the other choice? What if those new realities were in danger? What if it fell to you to save all the realities? Atticus Higginbottom, a.k.a. Tick, is an average thirteen-year-old boy until the day a strange letter arrives in his mailbox. Postmarked from Alaska and cryptically signed with the initials "M.G.," the letter informs Tick that dangerous — perhaps even deadly — events have been set in motion that could result in the destruction of reality itself. M.G. promises to send Tick twelve riddles that will reveal on a certain day, at a certain time, at a certain place, something extraordinary will happen. Will Tick have the courage to follow the twelve clues M.G. sends to him? Will he be able to solve the riddles in time? Will Tick discover the life he was meant to live? The first volume of an outstanding new children's fantasy series, The Journal of Curious Letters is filled with adventure, humor, riddles, and, oh, yes — danger... As M.G. warns Tick, Very frightening things are coming your way. Will you join Tick and his friends on an amazing journey through the Realities? What will your choice be?

James Dashner The 13th Reality: 1. The Journal of Curious Letters 2. The Hunt for Dark Infinity

James Dashner The 13th Reality: 1. The Journal of Curious Letters 2. The Hunt for Dark Infinity 3. The Blade of Shattered Hope

childrens YA fantasy book review James Dashner The 13th Reality The Journey of Curious Letters The 13th Reality

The 13th Reality, the first volume of The Journey of Curious Letters by James Dashner, was a complete delight.

Tick (short for Atticus) is your ultimate unlikely hero. He has a birthmark on his neck that he hates so much that he wears a scarf year-round. The school bullies call it the "barf scarf" and when we meet him, he is in the midst of being bullied. That very day, he receives the first in a series of curious letters, each with have a clue (or two). What are they clues for? Well, if he solves the riddles in time, they will “reveal on a certain day, at a certain time, at a certain place, something extraordinary will happen.”

This novel is about a kid finding courage and learning that he is stronger than he thinks he is.

One problem that authors of children's novels have is how to get rid of the parents. In order for a child to have dangerous adventures, the author must somehow get rid of the parent or render them impotent. So we therefore have children at boarding schools, dead parents, absent parents, incompetent parents, stupid parents, kidnapped kids, runaway kids, kids vanishing into other worlds, etc.

James Dashner hit on a solution that I loved. I don't want to give it away, because it was a truly magical moment in the story. Tick has an excellent relationship with his excellent father, whose only fault appears to be that he is very overweight. His mother is a bit more distant in the story, but since this story is as much about a father-son relationship as it is an adventure story, I found it appropriate.

Along the way, Tick uses the Internet to find other kids who got letters as well. Unfortunately, his activities online also attracts the attention of someone who works for the enemy. The enemy's attempt to hurt Tick ends up with Tick unexpectedly meeting one of his fellow riddle-solvers. Her name is Sofia and she's a somewhat Hermione-like brainy girl, except that she's Italian. Later in the story, Tick meets the wonderfully refreshing Paul who is, in his own description, “fourteen years old, six feet tall (yes, six feet), African-American, and drop-dead handsome. I love to surf, I play the piano like freaking Mozart, and I currently have three girls who call me every day, but my mom always tells them I'm in the bathroom.” I can't imagine Paul being anyone's sidekick.

A fourth youth turns up once the “extraordinary” thing happens, but I won't say too much about him. The extraordinary thing involves many secrets being revealed to both the reader and to Tick, after which the four youths embark on an adventure similar to Dorothy having to steal the Wicked Witch's broomstick.

The 13th Reality is a rousing adventure story. Once I started reading, I had a difficult time putting it down. I really enjoyed the father-son relationship and the oddball characters who assist the mysterious riddle-writer. Some of the riddles were easy to solve, but most would have involved significant brain work. Two of them would have involved me getting out a piece of paper and doing lots of math, but I wasn't that ambitious and I just let Tick solve those riddles for me. But all were solvable by the reader.

It is a fun book and I can definitely recommend it for children of any age (including adults), but it would probably most appeal to kids between the ages of ten and fourteen. —Tia Nevitt
FanLit thanks Tia Nevitt from Debuts & Reviews for contributing this guest review.

Jimmy Fincher — (2003-2005) Ages 9-12. Publisher: What begins as a summer-day climb up his favorite tree quickly takes an ugly turn for poor Jimmy Fincher, as he witnesses something that turns his perception of reality upside-down. When the perpetrator of the act notices Jimmy in the tree, the ensuing adventures explode into a torrent of suspense and excitement. The next month of Fincher’s life includes an ancient legend come to life, a conspiracy of madmen decades old, strange portals to other worlds, villains named everything from Raspy to Shadow Ka — and behind it all is the old wooden door in the forest by Jimmy’s home. There, something wondrous awaits.

children's fantasy book reviews James Dashner The Jimmy Fincher Saga 1. A Door in the Woods 2. A Gift of Ice 3. The Tower of Air 4. War of the Black Curtain

The Maze Runner — (2009-2011) Young adult. Publisher: 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.

James Dashner The Maze Runner 2. The Scorch Trials

James Dashner The Maze Runner 2. The Scorch Trials 3. The Death Cure

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is a young adult read that zips along, mostly keeping the reader’s interest. James Dashner’s new novel is relatively suspenseful, but never as gripping as it could be due to weaknesses in detail and character.

The Maze Runner starts off strongly. Thomas is riding upward in a creaky old elevator, seemingly forever. Details have been wiped from Tomas’ memory, so he has no idea of where he’s coming from or where he’s heading. In fact, he has no idea who he is save for his name. When he arrives, it’s in a place known as “The Glade,” a relatively large open area bounded by towering stonewalls and populated by a group of boys, all of whom arrived as he did and with their memories wiped as well. Beyond the stone walls lies a huge maze whose walls move every night and whose corridors are overrun with “Grievers” — deadly life-machine hybrids that either kill you or “sting” you, forcing what’s known as “The Change.” The Change seems to bring back some memories from before life in The Glade, but it drives some nearly insane. Thomas’ arrival sparks drastic and possibly deadly changes in the Glade, driving the boys to an even more urgent need to solve the maze’s mysteries.

Dashner does a solid job of keeping the reader guessing, mostly through Thomas’ frustrated attempts to get answers, which few of the boys are willing to give. But after a while the boys’ refusal to give the “Greenie” any sense of what’s going on becomes a bit annoying and hard to believe. Thomas’ anger and frustration are well conveyed, as is the desire of Chuck, a younger boy and the previous “Greenie,” to find a place in this odd society. Chuck’s looking for a friend as well. Beyond Thomas and Chuck, the characterization is pretty thin.

The plot has a few holes but is otherwise solid, and while its fast pace is sometimes the book’s greatest strength, it’s also its greatest flaw. Because too much happens too fast, the reader is robbed of a lot of the clear potential for suspense, tension, meaningful conflict or emotion. The end is especially abrupt. The somewhat abstract nature of the Grievers, despite the detailed description we get that they neither feel like a full or real menace nor a driven or intentional one, also robs the book of its tension.

The novel ends with a resolution while also pointing the way toward the next book. If you’re looking for a fast read with a smattering of suspenseful moments or action, and if you don’t care much that the characters are a bit flat or that the plot has some nagging holes, then you’ll probably enjoy The Maze Runner. However, those looking for more depth of character or a more fully realized plot and setting should look elsewhere, such as The Hunger Games. Maze Runner shares some elements with The Hunger Games, but is a much paler, weaker echo of it. Unlike The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner is one of those young adult books that really is for young adults, and probably younger male young adults.
—Bill Capossere

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