After Sarah wishes for her baby brother to be taken away by the goblins, she must navigate a treacherous maze to rescue him from the Goblin King before time runs out. Sarah enters the Labyrinth, a shifting, surreal environment governed by the whims of Jareth the Goblin King. Her objective is to reach the center of the maze and reclaim her brother, Toby, while facing physical obstacles and psychological traps designed to make her abandon her quest. The narrative follows her progression through the maze, documenting her encounters with various creatures and the internal struggle to reconcile her childhood fantasies with the demands of reality.

Readers frequently highlight how the book captures the atmospheric tension and visual eccentricity of the original film. Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of the Labyrinth as a metaphor for the transition from childhood to adolescence. Critics note that the prose maintains a brisk pace, focusing heavily on the physical challenges Sarah faces within the maze. The balance between character growth and the whimsical nature of the goblin world remains a primary point of interest for fans of the source material. Many readers appreciate how the text expands upon the internal motivations of the protagonist during her encounters with the Goblin King.