Author: James Dashner
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Shelves: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Action
Recommended for Fans Of: Elizabeth Norris, Veronica Roth
Synopsis: Michael and his friends are gamers. But they're not your typical high school video gamers. They live in a world where your entire existence can be a game. Known as the VirtNet, players can interact and live their entire lives inside this otherworldly bubble without a fear of death or any human conflicts. Michael enjoys the high speed thrills and adrenaline rushes of the VirtNet, but when he learns of a dangerous gamer who is nefarious beyond his wildest dreams, it is up to Michael and his friends to stop him. But as he dives into worlds he never could have fathomed, Michael's strength, faith and courage are tested as he plays the ultimate game; and the only goal is to keep his life.
Review: So this was me when I finished the book:
I was just so... disappointed. This was my first James Dashner book and I picked it up because I am going to a signing event of his next week and I do not want to look clueless once there. But I really didn't love this book. Don't get me wrong; James Dashner is a good writer and I'm sure he's a great guy, but The Eye of Minds didn't really capture my attention. When I was reading this book, my mind wandered away and I ended up skimming a lot of it. I know he tried to describe the VirtNet and Michael's world as vividly as he could, but I just could not picture it. I'm the type of reader who has a lot of trouble understanding and liking a book if I can't understand what is going on. If I was critiquing this book based solely on its plot, I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. The plot was interesting enough, and what didn't make The Eye of Minds less than a 3 was the ending, where Dashner pulled a major plot twists, and thankfully redeemed the book.
Now, for the characters.
This is me cheering for the main character, Michael.
*shakes pom-poms* "Yay Michael, Go Michael!"
So yeah, anyways, the characters were awesome. Michael was your all-around nice guy, and he totally stood up for his friends and kicked butt more than once. His friends were also extremely loyal, which I love to see in books. They had each others' backs and I'm curious to see where this friendship is going to go.
Conclusion: There is one more thing I'd like to add: I think James Dashner was trying to write a more serious matter underneath the science fiction/dystopia element. Michael is shown as being "obsessed" and completely immersed in the gaming world. On a more analytic level, you could even say that this is connected to the video gamers/ tech addicts in our modern day society. It was actually really frightening to read just how brain washed Michael seemed when he was in the VirtNet. So, it's really up to you whether you want to read this book or not. There is going to be a sequel, but I'm not sure if I'd really want to read it. It's all up to you:)
xoxo,
Fiction_TheNewReality
This honestly, isn't surprising. I enjoyed the Maze Runner, but the series didn't end on a high note for me. I had already made the decision not to read this, but this review just reaffirms it for me.
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