Recommendations are worth what you pay for them, so I don’t always accept them at face value. But the same literary agent who turned me on to young adult novelist Sara Zarr two years ago thought I’d also enjoy James Dashner’s new YA book, The Maze Runner, enough that he sent me a copy without first asking. And Michael—who, in the interests of full disclosure, represents all three of us—even though there is hardly a bit of similarity between the work of these two authors, you read me pretty well so feel free to recommend something else. JAMES DASHNER podcast excerpt: "The words in The Maze Runner are never used exactly as replacements for swear words. Their main intent was to give their dialogue a futuristic flavor and that they've been isolated and developed some words on their own."    The Maze Runner is the kind of book that teens and youthful readers of all ages in search of an appropriate follow-up to the adventures of Harry Potter will no doubt enjoy. It takes place in a fantastical, impossible place, develops a language of its own, and features characters you will instantly love—and hate. (Sorry, Gally.) This is the first book in a trilogy from Dashner, who you may already know as author of the 13th Reality series. James Dashner • • •