Less is more. In the science fiction novel The Eye of Minds by James Dashner, the author’s attempts to add more detail to Michael’s journey only lead to the disinterest of the reader. Michael is on a mission like no other; he must defeat and stop the greatest hacker of the VirtNet, and along the way, he must not only risk his life, but the lives of his friends. The reader begins to feel attached and interested in Michael, his friends, and their story, but when Dashner takes things too far, the amazing, flawless storyline is destroyed. The author’s overdone formation of the plot results in a disappointing ending.

The unnecessary details make the reader lose interest in the plot fairly early in the story. In trying to give the reader more to think about, too many unfitting details are jammed in. For example, a violent creature’s “body [emerges] from its furry disguise.  Bulging muscles, hunched back, protruding shoulder blades, clawed paws”(232). Here, the author introduces a menacing monster that seems like it will play a big role in the story, but it does not impact the story in any way, and it is never mentioned again, losing the spirit of the book. Also, when unsuitable aspects are put in, they influence the rest of the story. Michael “[grabs] Sarah’s hand, not willing to wait to see what [comes] next”(233). In this instance, Dashner tries to create a romance, but he fails to develop it fully. Ideas like these are excess information that often interfere with the reader’s concentration to the true plot. Due to the awkward components added into the story, even the exciting parts in the book are ruined — at this point, the reader couldn’t care less.

Aspects that are not realistic even for the future make the characters unrelatable even as they go through tough times at the end of the story. Many fantasy-like components make it so that the reader feels that his/her expectations for the book are not fulfilled. Ronika says that “‘If [the Killsims] can bite you and latch on, they’ll suck the virtual life into some digital abyss that’s God knows where”(79). For the reader, it is hard to imagine people having digital cores that can be pulled out by vicious creatures, because there are no signs of anything similar today and it does not seem scientifically possible — rather, it seems to the reader that although the subject has to do with technology, the ideas seem to somewhat resemble fantasy. As a result, the reader cannot connect and be sympathetic to a character if the reader cannot imagine him/herself in the character’s shoes.

The overuse of action makes it so that when the climax at the end arrives, it is not an exciting, special experience for the reader. The extreme amounts of action at the start of the book act like “false climaxes” that only take away from the true climax.  In one section early on in the book, Michael “[spins] and [leaps] into the air, swinging his arms up as he [does].  He [swats] at the barrels of the two guns, tipping them toward the ceiling just as the girl [pulls] the triggers”(116). Dashner throws in lots of action in the beginning with hopes to interest the reader and pull him/her in, but instead, he makes it so that when the climax arrives at the end of the book, instead of having building up tension, he has only built up boredom — at this point, all action seems mundane to the reader, instead of being something to look forward to. Because there is an abundance of fast-paced scenes, action is no longer a desirable treat for the reader.

Due to the messy storyline Dashner had in mind when writing the story the excitement of the beginning is destroyed and the ending becomes disastrous. His ingenious plot consists of a teenage boy and his friends who have joined forces through an online gaming world. Together, they are asked to encounter the greatest hacker of all time, who has been forcing other gamers to commit suicide. Along the way, however, there are obstacles and challenges that they must face. However, excessive material is added into their journey, the plot twist at the end is ruined, and the resolution no longer becomes the moment the reader has been waiting for, but the moment that is dreaded most. The birth of a great novel does not reside in how long it is or how much detail it has, but rather, in how well the author can build off of a single idea that is simple yet intricate.