When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas can remember is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade, an encampment at the centre of a bizarre maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there, or what's happening to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything to find out.