How confused was Thomas when he entered the Glade?

Thomas was completely confused. He remebered nothing about his life, his family, or his past.... he couldn't remember anything except his name. Thomas was in a state of panic.

Thomas was hit with a wave of confusion, blistered with panic. The voices were odd, tinged with echo; some of the words were completely foreign — others felt familiar. He willed his eyes to adjust as he squinted toward the light and those speaking. At first he =could see only shifting shadows, but they soon turned into the shapes of bodies — people bending over the hole in the ceiling, looking down at him, pointing.

What was the author's tone in the Maze Runner in the sentence below?

Thomas was hit with a wave of confusion, blistered with panic.