Dashner has stated that he had always wanted to write about how the rest of the Gladers got to the Maze and the events prior to Thomas entering the box. The novel is written from the various points of view of the Gladers. The book primarily focuses on the training that Thomas and the others undergo before being sent into the Maze, relationships between the Gladers before they underwent the 'Swipe', (the "Purge" that is briefly mentioned in The Death Cure) and the lives of the Gladers in Thomas' absence, as he is working with WICKED at the time. The book ends with the final moments of Thomas entering the Box ready to be sent to the Maze, leading to the beginning of The Maze Runner.