Mister Max: The Book of Secrets: Mister Max 2

Mister Max #2

by Cynthia Voigt, Iacopo Bruno (Illustrator)

From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt, Book II in the exciting adventures of Mister Max—12-year-old detective in disguise.   In Mister The Book of Lost Things, Max Starling proved that he is more than a detective, he’s a Solutioneer. His reputation for problem-solving has been spreading—and now even the mayor wants his help.   Someone is breaking windows and setting fires in the old city, but the shopkeepers won’t say a word about the culprits. Why are they keeping these thugs’ secrets? When the mayor begs for help, Max agrees to take the case, putting himself in grave danger. It’s a race to catch up with the vandals before they catch him.   Meanwhile, Max is protecting secrets of his own. His parents are still missing, and the cryptic messages he gets from them make it clear—it’s going to be up to Max to rescue them.     “Immensely appealing.” —The New York Times Book Review “A perfect read-aloud, the story will appeal to fans of fantasy, adventure, mystery, and humor.” —The Christian Science Monitor

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Fiction, Adventure, Audiobook, Childrens, Young Adult

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Cynthia Voigt is an American author of books for young adults dealing with various topics such as adventure, mystery, racism and child abuse.


Awards:
Angus and Sadie: the Sequoyah Book Award (given by readers in Oklahoma), 2008
The Katahdin Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Anne V. Zarrow Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Margaret Edwards Award, for a body of work, 1995
Jackaroo: Rattenfanger-Literatur Preis (ratcatcher prize, awarded by the town of Hamlin in Germany), 1990
Izzy, Willy-Nilly: the Young Reader Award (California), 1990
The Runner: Deutscher Jungenliteraturpreis (German young people's literature prize), 1988
Zilverengriffel (Silver Pen, a Dutch prize), 1988
Come a Stranger: the Judy Lopez Medal (given by readers in California), 1987
A Solitary Blue: a Newbery Honor Book, 1984
The Callender Papers: The Edgar (given by the Mystery Writers of America), 1984
Dicey's Song: the Newbery Medal, 1983

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This suffered from the problems of many bridging novels. The first one was excellent and I am looking forward to the third, but this one was a bit slow in parts, with some of the mysteries abruptly wrapped up and characters introduced in preparation for book 3, the last of a trilogy. I'm also not so sure people could read this one without reading book one first, especially for an explanation of "solutioneer". Max is still trying to be financially independent so he doesn't have to rely on his Dad's surprise fortune but he discovers that his grandmother may be losing her job as city librarian. The city wants to expand the library from one building into a system and feels his grandmother doesn't have the ability to successfully plan and carry out such a project. Grandma admits that she likely doesn't have the knowledge needed for such an endeavor. So now Max has one more project on his plate in addition to the mystery handed to him by the city mayor. The one probably depriving his grandmother of a job. He gets other mysteries as well including one that had me scratching my head about a young lady who seems to have suddenly cooled down her interest in a guy and also the guy's father hires Max to find out what is wrong with his son. So these were two mysteries tied into one but the resolution didn't make a lot of sense to me. I also object to a bit of deus ex machina popping up to save Max from one potentially nasty experience.

However, since this is Voigt, her "poor" books are still very good reading. I do not regret for a minute reading this book! It still had enjoyable characters and interesting scenes in it.

I'm looking forward to the last book!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read! I really like this series, looking forward to reading the next one :)

[Eloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to finish this because I got wrapped up in so many other books. but I really loved the way this ended and I can't wait for book 3.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would’ve loved this series as a kid! I’m enjoying it now as an adult. I think this would make a good read-aloud book for families. All of the puzzles and problems and creative problem solving keep the story moving along at a good pace without being too random or abrupt.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just gets more and more implausible. It's supposed to be realistic, I think, but I'm not buying it. You have twelve-year-olds pondering the meaning of life and thoughtfully considering their future careers as if they were thirty. The mysteries are also dull and (at least to this point) unrelated. They are handily resolved to no great effect. I'm having a hard time seeing why a publisher thought this was such a good idea. I also found the illustrations poorly done - most of the boys look alike and details supplied in the story are not correctly portrayed in the pictures (for example, the white aviators scarf). Seems like a third-rate imitation Helquist.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first one, a little slow in the beginning, but by the end, I'm just looking for the next one. :) :) :) :) :)

I love the intricate stories, how two or three plots submerge and weave an addicting and well-crafted tale of a young boy named Max. The only problem: He's 12, yet some take him to be a man at times depending. I just wish the age was a little more believable for someone to take him as one in his twenties or thirties. I imagine while reading that he's like 14 or 15.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook: good series.A little slow, but I fully engaged with the characters in the first book and so it didn’t affect me. The audio narrator adds a nice dimension to it. “Max THOUGHT.” Dramatic pause. Repeat.

[K Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moved right along, and after an abrupt solution, I felt I had to re-read to understand it, but the story was fully engaging. I look forward to seeing how the solutioneer, reaches his parents.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Starling has settled into his new identity as Mister Max, a "solutioneer" (not a detective) of indeterminate age, who uses disguises and roles learned in his parents' theater to solve people's problems without anyone noticing that he's a 12-year-old boy living alone. Well, not exactly alone; he does have a lodger, and his Grammie lives just across his backyard. But his parents remain mysteriously missing, possibly living in character as the king and queen of a tiny South American country, and now Max has received a cryptic message from his father that may just be a cry for help.

While he struggles to understand what he can do for his parents, Max carries on solutioneering – first helping a little boy who's worried about his father, then a father worried about his son and finally, a young man who wants to know if he can do anything to help a beautiful young woman with whatever she's worried about. Between all these cases, I mean jobs, comes one from the Mayor of Queensbridge that puts Max in the most danger he's faced yet. Someone is vandalizing and setting fires to businesses all over town, and the more Max understands what's going on, the more he becomes a target for the people behind it.

But Max's biggest worry isn't the secrets other people are keeping, but how to keep his own. What he wants most of all is independence, and if anyone finds out about his living situation, he could lose that. So he gets a little snippy with the girl who has appointed herself his assistant. He gets evasive with a schoolmate who sees through his disguises. And at a couple of moments, this need to keep secrets puts him in an awful dilemma – such as whether to ask for, and accept, the help that he really needs.

Max's adventures are both written and illustrated in a quirky, original way that puts emphasis on the theatrical home in which he grew up. The unique way he thinks, the solutions he arrives at for other people's problems, the way he almost disappears into a role and even (once or twice) holds debates between different characters he is dancing between, his amazing strengths and abilities are a lot of fun in and of themselves. But then you see his vulnerability, his weaknesses, the things he simply can't do – from painting anything but a watercolor sky to saving his family without help – and he becomes a living person you would like to know.

This is the middle book of the "Mister Max" trilogy by the Newbery Medal winning author of Dicey's Song and six other "Tillerman Cycle" books, Jackaroo and five other "Tales of the Kingdom," The Bad Girls and five sequels, The Callender Papers, The Vandemark Mummy, and somewhere around 15 other novels for young adult readers. The other "Mister Max" titles are The Book of Lost Things and The Book of Kings.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to review this book without referencing certain parts. But I’m going to.
I’m honestly surprised that this book, like the previous one, engaged me so fully! It was just so emotive that it didn’t seem like junior fiction. In many instances I was internally screaming at the page, or gasping with excitement at some new development, just thoroughly involved in the story.
Mainly, it’s just so much fun. Yes, younger readers (10, 11) could understand it easily, but even as a teenager I found it intriguing, and with a depth that might not be received by a younger audience. You just can’t read this trilogy without really feeling for the characters, or loving them, or having satisfaction at... I don’t know how to explain it. I just really enjoyed reading this book, which has such a nice element of mystery to it - and I don’t just mean the genre, in general it’s so mysterious.

It’s cool.

[R. Fulleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Secrets (Mister Max #2) by Cynthia Voigt was an entertaining read. The interweaving of the various plots is interesting. I'm surprised that I don't mind the verbose descriptions, as I seem to have gotten used to it.

Like so many others who have reviewed this book, I do agree that the protagonist should have been older. It's difficult to imagine that someone mistakes him for an adult, and particularly his assistant, who is younger than he is. I also agree with those who have said the books need to be read in order. The reader will get so much more out of them that way.

Otherwise, I enjoy the use of various disguises and particularly how Max uses his head to figure out the solutions to the problems that come his way.

Definitely, a series that I can recommend.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story but the situations seem to work out a little too perfectly. There's a dissonance between the Max's stated age of 12 and his introspective life, which is more like 35. I'm not buying that a 12-year-old could notice the nuances that Max picks up on and make the connections and deductions he does. There's also touches of "the child knows better than the adults," which seems to permeate almost all of youth literature nowadays. In this book it was mostly related to the tension between Max and his Grandma as they wrestled with how to bring his parents back from overseas. Despite these things, the story is enjoyable--my kids loved it.

[Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Max Starling (aka Mr. Max, Solutioneer) gets a cryptic message from his parents he begins to set up a plan to rescue them from the country of Andeesia where, against their will, they have bee installed as king and queen. Max is 12 yrs old but his alter ego, Mr. Max, is a determined master of disguises up for the task. Unfortunately, the mayor of the town enlists Mr. Max to solve the mystery of an outbreak of vandalism just before the scheduled arrival of the King and Queen of England. Additionally, he is hired by a rich gentleman to thwart his daughter’s blossoming romance with a “Count” of dubious renown. His search for his parents is placed on hold.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

12-year-0ld Max Starling has become a solutioneer, finding out lots of interesting things in and around his town. His parents are missing, but he can't fix that problem, yet. In the meantime the Mayor himself has asked for Max's help to find out who is vandalizing the old town, setting fires, and breaking windows, but the shopkeepers won't tell the police what they know. This is probably Max's most dangerous assignment yet.
He has the help of a young girl, his own art teacher, and one of his boarders, who is also his math teacher. In the meantime, someone is following Max, trying to find out his own identity.
Recommended series.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Starling is finally getting a handle on his job as a Solutioneer when the Mayor asks him to help solve a mystery involving fires sprouting up out of nowhere - but when he starts getting deeper clues from his parents and ends up the enemy of dangerous folk, he will need all his acting and intellect to escape alive. Voigt continues this entertaining adventure with more humour and tension sure to have fans gasping with every revelation. Even with such trustworthy friends at his side, Max faces his most lethal challenges yet!

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8 year old has been loving the Mr.Max series as we read it out loud together. Cynthia Voigt is a great author and weaves together a great story in such a engaging and beautiful way. Mr. Max is a great story for all ages and shows how one person with unique abilities can turn their troubles into an opportunity to help others and draw a group of people together into a community of friends. It is amazing, too how Cynthia Voigt always can connect each problem or mystery to each other no matter how random it may appear. Highly recommended for readers of all ages.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute middle tale of a trilogy and Max and Pia are fun to watch as they navigate their friendship while solutioneering together. New characters are introduced and I personally enjoyed the way Ari becomes even more a friend and ally to Max. This is the first time Max finds himself in true danger behind his work but it is not a frightening enough circumstance that it becomes unsuitable reading for middle-grade children.

I'd love to continue following Max's escapades but need to find the third book on audio.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book and no closer to solving the mystery of what happened to Max’s parents. A bit of a disappointment. You do get the same charming characters. Gram, Ari, Max, Pia, and a new great addition to the team Tomi! The characters are what makes these books great. The small Solutioneer mysteries weren’t as good this time and things in between were a bit of a snooze. You still get the paint instructor but only briefly. I would of liked knowing more about the parents. The author is stringing you too thin.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Mister Max, Solutioneer, AKA Max Starling, Grandson to the librarian and son to the king and queen of Andesia, has figured out the coded postcard and letter from his parents. They were in trouble and he had to help them. Max has a few other solutions , too. One being the vandalism and fires in town and the other to find out what Nissa's secret is (friend to the captain's son). Max is full of imagination and disguises. He's smart, too. Great series.

[Aja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Starling is back on the hunt for his missing parents. Now that he's proven himself as a worthy detective and Solutioneer, his reputation for problem solving has started to spread and there are more people who want his help. His next big case involves someone setting mysterious fires all across town and the danger he may end up in is real. Then, he begins to receive strange messages from his parents and he knows that, in the end, it will be up to him to save them.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say, now that Mister Max has a purpose-being a "solutioneer", the series is so much better. I liked this sequel much better than the first one, which is kind of unusual. I am excited to read The Book of Kings, now that the series is better.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid storytelling but because it’s the middle book, it just kind of holds its place. There are some adventures and problems in need of solutions, but nothing earth-shattering. I still look forward to reading #3.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was slow in the beginning and then it was like all of sudden fast paced. Then left a cliff hanger. I didnt read the 1st one and this seemed fine, it let me know what I missed. But the thought process and in depth thinking was a little much for a 12year old lol. Either way it was a fun read.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent story. These are fun because of the layers of story going on at the same time which is a novelty in books that target this demographic, which is advanced elementary kids and on.

There is a bit of a setup for book three in that last few pages of Book of Secrets.

[Christy Gould · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a while it got slow and I almost abandoned it, but then it ramped up again in preparation for book three. It’s like a full series of a TV show — one long overarching story with lots of episodic events along the way. Makes for a story that just feels a little different than most novels.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as well! Loved Max and Pia's interactions, how Max and Ari interacted, the new friendship with Tomi, Max getting into trouble and getting rescued, and Ari being able to channel his inner Berthold! It was all very exciting!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it increasingly difficult to believe that a 12-year old boy can pass in all the situations Mister Max finds himself in.

[Ruby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like this book, it was fun and full of mystery.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia certainly seems to enjoy these books so we'll read the third one too!

[Jessica F · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was a whole lot of filler to swallow. Well written and sometimes interesting filler, but still very slow and rather pointless feeling in regards to the plot. 2.5/5 stars.