The Maze Runner by James Dashner

As you can see it has been a little while since I last posted and for the next couple of months my posts will be scarce compared to what I usually do since life is going to be very hectic and crazy until August. Last week I finally had my little girl, but I was able to get one book in while recovering at the hospital. Otherwise, the next couple weeks are going to be filled with family visiting and packing up and moving to Roosevelt, Utah for my husbands new teaching job. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that he is in the process of publishing his first book. Exciting! I'll do a review of his book once it is published so I can post a nice picture of it.

Anyway... So I was able to read the entire book, The Maze Runner, while I sat for endless hours i my room waiting to be released and go home. I feel like I have read this book before or at least a very similar type story. Actually, thinking on it now, the way it was written and the beginning of the book seems similar to The Missing series that I started a couple years ago, but never continued. This book is a very simple, easy read and also reminds me of Lord of the Flies in the sense that you have a group of boys that have been stuck in this maze for up two years. Each month a new boy shows up who, like the others, has no memory of his family or life, only his first name. He remembers knowing about life and concepts/ideas from before, but no actual memories of his life. Each week supplies are sent to them. They have put together somewhat of a society and each boy is assigned to either farm, butcher, run, cook, bury the dead, etc... The Runners, are boys that have been there for a while and each morning go out to the maze and plot the maze. Each night the walls around their 'settlement' go up and keep out the horrible machine monsters found in the maze. They never find an exit.

Thomas shows up and the boys who have been stung and 'changed' by the monsters, all have a faint memory of Thomas and so are skeptical of him, especially when the next day another person arrives and it's a girl who knows Thomas. Together they figure out hoe to escape the maze. I enjoyed the story, although it is not one that I am excited to continue or feel the need to immediately get the next book in the series. I do have to add that most people I have talked to absolutely love this author and in particular this series.

Mark of Royalty by Jennifer Clark & Stephonie Wiliams

A short, but delightful story, Mark of Royalty is about a princess, Sarah, who was first-born and marked with a unicorn scar, as is custom of her country. However, a twin brother was also born and because of a prophecy that the first-born would be a boy, they marked the boy and hide Sarah so protect her life. Sarah grows up in a different country not knowing who she is. Only her 'mother' knows who she really is. As circumstances have it, Sarah starts courting the king's nephew of her new country, but falls in love with the King's son. Her, step-father has other plans and sides with Lord Chad, the king's nephew, in a plot to make Chad the king. Alex, the king's son, has been forced to find a bride from another country or give up the thrown to Chad, which he wants to do in order to bring unity to their country and be able to marry Sarah. In the end, Sarah, is revealed to everyone to be a true princess from Spain and therefore, Alex can indeed marry her and fulfill his obligation to marry from another country and Chad is tried for treason. All ends well. A classic story, but a nice, easy-read, feel-good story that is worth reading.