Ultimately disappointing. I found Max really obnoxious through a lot of this. MCBA 23-24 nominee.

I would have loved it as a kid.

Did not finish at about 25%. Too much going on and not enough story.

Snappy writing and some fun creatures. The people seemed less developed and the story went in a lot of directions, but overall enjoyed by the 11 year old.

Cute - but a few too many moving pieces to satisfy the whole. (I couldn't quite grasp where this one was headed or what the plot arc was trying to achieve.) The writing was an interesting mix of juvenile humor and bigger vocabulary - so, maybe a bit heavy for a young 4th grader but a bit immature for an advanced 6th grader? Hard to recommend an age group for this one. It was cute, however, and fun to read. I can see why it's a Mark Twain nominee for 2025.