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Maximillian Fly
The bestselling author of the Septimus Heap series, Angie Sage, delivers a gripping and darkly humorous tale of Maximillian Fly—a human with cockroach features—whose quiet life is upended when he aids two human children in their escape from an oppressive governing power.
Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Adam Gidwitz.
Maximillian Fly wants no trouble. Yet because he stands at six feet two, with beautiful indigo wings, long antennae, and more arms than you or me, many are frightened of him.
He is a gentle creature who looks like a giant cockroach. This extraordinary human wants to prove his goodness, so he opens his door to two SilverSeed children in search of a place to hide.
Instantly, Maximillian’s quiet, solitary life changes. There are dangerous powers after them and they have eyes everywhere. But in this gray city of Hope trapped under the Orb, is escape even possible?
Maximillian Fly is a masterful story brimming with suspense, plot twists, and phenomenal world building. This compelling novel delves into family dynamics and themes of prejudice, making the case for tolerance, empathy, and understanding.
* Junior Library Guild Selection * Kids' Indie Next List * New York Public Library Best Books of 2019 Selection *
Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Adam Gidwitz.
Maximillian Fly wants no trouble. Yet because he stands at six feet two, with beautiful indigo wings, long antennae, and more arms than you or me, many are frightened of him.
He is a gentle creature who looks like a giant cockroach. This extraordinary human wants to prove his goodness, so he opens his door to two SilverSeed children in search of a place to hide.
Instantly, Maximillian’s quiet, solitary life changes. There are dangerous powers after them and they have eyes everywhere. But in this gray city of Hope trapped under the Orb, is escape even possible?
Maximillian Fly is a masterful story brimming with suspense, plot twists, and phenomenal world building. This compelling novel delves into family dynamics and themes of prejudice, making the case for tolerance, empathy, and understanding.
* Junior Library Guild Selection * Kids' Indie Next List * New York Public Library Best Books of 2019 Selection *
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2019
35 people are currently reading
3635 people want to read
About the author
Angie Sage
63 books3,276 followersAngie Sage (born 1952) is the author of the Septimus Heap series which includes Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke and Fyre. She also wrote the Todhunter Moon series, and the Magykal Papers, an additional book with extra information about Septimus' world. She is also the illustrator and/or writer of many children's books, and is the new writer of the Araminta Spookie series.
Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her father was a publisher. He would bring home blank books that she could fill with pictures and stories. Sage first studied medicine, but changed her mind and went to Art School in Leicester. There she studied Graphic Design and Illustration. She began illustrating books after college. Then she progressed to writing children stories, including toddler books and chapter books. Her first novel was Septimus Heap: Magyk. Angie Sage is married and has two daughters, Laurie and Lois.
Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her father was a publisher. He would bring home blank books that she could fill with pictures and stories. Sage first studied medicine, but changed her mind and went to Art School in Leicester. There she studied Graphic Design and Illustration. She began illustrating books after college. Then she progressed to writing children stories, including toddler books and chapter books. Her first novel was Septimus Heap: Magyk. Angie Sage is married and has two daughters, Laurie and Lois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 24, 2019
If you are going to make up a world, be it good or be it bad, I sincerely hope you commit to the bit. Think things through. Work out the details. Plan out the plumbing (so to speak). A poorly realized fictional world can either be painful or a bore (or painfully boring, I suppose). Most are middling. They'll sport perfectly serviceable locations but not the kinds of places that inextricably suck you in. Now consider the case of Angie Sage. The book Maximillian Fly isn’t her first time at the rodeo, not by a long shot. Librarians like myself probably associate her primarily with the Septimus Heap series or, to a lesser extent, Araminta Spookie. I really haven’t read either of those, so the allure of this book was probably very much a case of (A) knowing the author was a proven writer and (B) there was a gigantic cockroach man standing on the cover, clearly constructed by the artist Red Nose Studio. That cover was basically tailor made for people like me. And the book, spoiler alert, is remarkable, often because the world building is sublime. Would you want to live in the city of Hope? No. But it breathes off the page. It smells. It pulsates. In Maximillian Fly Sage has built a remarkable story that will land hard with the right kind of audience. The kid that wants desperately to be challenged, is willing to walk with heroes through dark and terrible dangers, but who needs that happy ending to round it all out when all is said and done. This is for them.
“I am Fly. Maximillian Fly. I am a good creature. I am not bad, as some will tell you.” Considering that Maximillian is a human/cockroach hybrid of sorts, this is not particularly surprising news. What is surprising is that in spite of the harsh life he’s endured, on the day that he spots two children attempting to escape their captors, he decides to help them out. That action, however, has massive consequences. Kaitlin Drew and her little brother Jonno have a stolen piece of technology hidden on them. As a result, dark forces are conspiring to get the children and what they carry. What they don’t know is that Maximillian and the kids are now inextricably linked together, and untangling their relationship and the truth of where they live will prove to be the adventure of a lifetime.
One of the most engaging aspects of the book is visible from the very first page. Child and adult readers are fairly used to intrusive narrators by now. If the Lemony Snicket books didn’t introduce you to the concept then the Kate DiCamillo books did. Maximillian addresses the reader on the very first page and it all seems perfectly normal. Or rather, it would if Maximillian weren’t continually mentioning the fact that there even is a silent observer. He seems aware of his audience and, more interestingly, moved to impress it. Even that didn’t strike me as too different, until we get to the moment when his friend Parminter reveals that she too is aware of the reader’s presence, and is uncertain how to deal with that information. It was about that time that I realized that what we had here was something rather remarkable. This isn’t a book with an intrusive narrator at all. No, sir, this is the far rarer intrusive READER! I have never seen the like. Honestly, classes that teach how to write novels for children should pair this book with M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin’s The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge. Put them together and you’d have an Intrusive Reader on the one hand and an Unreliable Visual Narrator on the other. Brilliant!
You cannot plunge readers into a world of human/cockroach hybrids without engaging writing. Do it poorly and your central conceit will fail you before you’ve even begun. But Sage writes with a surety that you can’t help but admire. Right from the start, she heads off at the pass a problem I have with a lot of books that sport multiple narrators. Each chapter heading contains a little symbol or two or three, indicating which characters will be speaking during that chapter. I love this. Not once did I ever question who was speaking and when. Then there are Sage's descriptions. The sense of place is writ deep in the bones of the book. Just listen to this passage:
“I look up at the tall buildings that rear up on either side of us, their red and yellow bricks blackened by smoke from illegal coal fires, their windows thick with grime because who wants to waste precious water cleaning windows.”
Gal can write. Even the relationships between the characters, their motivations, their arguments, all of that feels so authentic and true. In one instance the villain is facing off against someone she used to know well and, for just a moment, a spark between the two of them that hints at what their relationship may have been like long ago. Sure the villain is pretty unsalvageable, but that spark at least hints at her having been a complicated person once. Finally, it may be the writing that initially sucks you in but it’s the aforementioned world building that will keep you from ever letting go. Consider how well Sage sets up Hope’s twisted society. For example, she’ll pepper the chapters with little subtle mentions of how this world is striated. Like, if a family takes on a “Roach” name (Roaches are only allowed certain approved names) then no one in the family can be employed in schools, hospitals, cafes or restaurants. These mentions are dropped in passing, but their contribution to the whole is huge.
Only two little plot points have become the flies in my ointment (forgive me). They aren’t huge inconveniences, but nagging little dangling threads. The first concerns Kaitlin Drew herself. In a key moment, Kaitlin in the process of actually fooling the SilverSeed baddies. She has a chance to run for freedom. Then, at the last moment, she walks right back in to her doom. This change of heart isn’t adequately explained. According to the book, Kaitlin was acting like a true believer so well that she actually fooled herself along with everyone else. I don’t buy that for a red-hot minute (not after considering who she had to sacrifice in the process). But it’s not a deal breaker. Also not a deal breaker, but rather annoying, are the night roaches. Set up as baddies from the get go, I expected to see a lot more of them in the book. Yet oddly, Sage chooses to only have one sequence where one of our heroes is hunted by a roach. As a result, I expected an even greater night roach sequence near the end. Instead, Sage pretty much forgets about them, choosing to move her climax in a different direction. The night roaches are convenient methods of moving the plot along but they’re just that. Faceless boogeymen that don’t get their moment in the sun. One wonders if there was a sequence involving them that was edited out at some point.
It’s always so hard to categorize books like Maximillian. I won’t lie, there are dark dealings here. You’re better off handing this to a reader that likes those dark elements. This book is many things but bedtime storytime reading it is not. Older child readers, middle schoolers really, are probably the ideal audience. After all, this is a book with lines like “Mama taught me all about deferred gratification.” Reading it as an adult I found myself growing far too emotionally anxious at times to go on. I often would skip ahead to determine who lived and who died. This is actually rather difficult to ascertain, since the book kills off far less people than seem to walk off to their own certain demise. The body count is there, but it’s mostly made up of baddies. My conclusion then is that this is a book for the smart kids with a goth streak. The ones that require pulse pounding action from the first page, but don’t mind swaths of exposition from time to time. Most of all, this is a book for kids that might find a post-apocalyptic dystopian wasteland an appealing place to spend their time. Particularly when you are in the company of someone as sweet and charming as Maximilian. It’s not for everyone. It was never meant to be. But it is good and strong and fun and desperately exciting. You have been warned.
For ages 10 and up.
“I am Fly. Maximillian Fly. I am a good creature. I am not bad, as some will tell you.” Considering that Maximillian is a human/cockroach hybrid of sorts, this is not particularly surprising news. What is surprising is that in spite of the harsh life he’s endured, on the day that he spots two children attempting to escape their captors, he decides to help them out. That action, however, has massive consequences. Kaitlin Drew and her little brother Jonno have a stolen piece of technology hidden on them. As a result, dark forces are conspiring to get the children and what they carry. What they don’t know is that Maximillian and the kids are now inextricably linked together, and untangling their relationship and the truth of where they live will prove to be the adventure of a lifetime.
One of the most engaging aspects of the book is visible from the very first page. Child and adult readers are fairly used to intrusive narrators by now. If the Lemony Snicket books didn’t introduce you to the concept then the Kate DiCamillo books did. Maximillian addresses the reader on the very first page and it all seems perfectly normal. Or rather, it would if Maximillian weren’t continually mentioning the fact that there even is a silent observer. He seems aware of his audience and, more interestingly, moved to impress it. Even that didn’t strike me as too different, until we get to the moment when his friend Parminter reveals that she too is aware of the reader’s presence, and is uncertain how to deal with that information. It was about that time that I realized that what we had here was something rather remarkable. This isn’t a book with an intrusive narrator at all. No, sir, this is the far rarer intrusive READER! I have never seen the like. Honestly, classes that teach how to write novels for children should pair this book with M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin’s The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge. Put them together and you’d have an Intrusive Reader on the one hand and an Unreliable Visual Narrator on the other. Brilliant!
You cannot plunge readers into a world of human/cockroach hybrids without engaging writing. Do it poorly and your central conceit will fail you before you’ve even begun. But Sage writes with a surety that you can’t help but admire. Right from the start, she heads off at the pass a problem I have with a lot of books that sport multiple narrators. Each chapter heading contains a little symbol or two or three, indicating which characters will be speaking during that chapter. I love this. Not once did I ever question who was speaking and when. Then there are Sage's descriptions. The sense of place is writ deep in the bones of the book. Just listen to this passage:
“I look up at the tall buildings that rear up on either side of us, their red and yellow bricks blackened by smoke from illegal coal fires, their windows thick with grime because who wants to waste precious water cleaning windows.”
Gal can write. Even the relationships between the characters, their motivations, their arguments, all of that feels so authentic and true. In one instance the villain is facing off against someone she used to know well and, for just a moment, a spark between the two of them that hints at what their relationship may have been like long ago. Sure the villain is pretty unsalvageable, but that spark at least hints at her having been a complicated person once. Finally, it may be the writing that initially sucks you in but it’s the aforementioned world building that will keep you from ever letting go. Consider how well Sage sets up Hope’s twisted society. For example, she’ll pepper the chapters with little subtle mentions of how this world is striated. Like, if a family takes on a “Roach” name (Roaches are only allowed certain approved names) then no one in the family can be employed in schools, hospitals, cafes or restaurants. These mentions are dropped in passing, but their contribution to the whole is huge.
Only two little plot points have become the flies in my ointment (forgive me). They aren’t huge inconveniences, but nagging little dangling threads. The first concerns Kaitlin Drew herself. In a key moment, Kaitlin in the process of actually fooling the SilverSeed baddies. She has a chance to run for freedom. Then, at the last moment, she walks right back in to her doom. This change of heart isn’t adequately explained. According to the book, Kaitlin was acting like a true believer so well that she actually fooled herself along with everyone else. I don’t buy that for a red-hot minute (not after considering who she had to sacrifice in the process). But it’s not a deal breaker. Also not a deal breaker, but rather annoying, are the night roaches. Set up as baddies from the get go, I expected to see a lot more of them in the book. Yet oddly, Sage chooses to only have one sequence where one of our heroes is hunted by a roach. As a result, I expected an even greater night roach sequence near the end. Instead, Sage pretty much forgets about them, choosing to move her climax in a different direction. The night roaches are convenient methods of moving the plot along but they’re just that. Faceless boogeymen that don’t get their moment in the sun. One wonders if there was a sequence involving them that was edited out at some point.
It’s always so hard to categorize books like Maximillian. I won’t lie, there are dark dealings here. You’re better off handing this to a reader that likes those dark elements. This book is many things but bedtime storytime reading it is not. Older child readers, middle schoolers really, are probably the ideal audience. After all, this is a book with lines like “Mama taught me all about deferred gratification.” Reading it as an adult I found myself growing far too emotionally anxious at times to go on. I often would skip ahead to determine who lived and who died. This is actually rather difficult to ascertain, since the book kills off far less people than seem to walk off to their own certain demise. The body count is there, but it’s mostly made up of baddies. My conclusion then is that this is a book for the smart kids with a goth streak. The ones that require pulse pounding action from the first page, but don’t mind swaths of exposition from time to time. Most of all, this is a book for kids that might find a post-apocalyptic dystopian wasteland an appealing place to spend their time. Particularly when you are in the company of someone as sweet and charming as Maximilian. It’s not for everyone. It was never meant to be. But it is good and strong and fun and desperately exciting. You have been warned.
For ages 10 and up.
July 3, 2019
The wonderful image created by Red Nose Studios for this book's cover convinced me to pick this up.
Despite the 1) coincidence-laden story, 2) evil-with-no-nuance baddie and 3) too pat story resolution, there were so many things I liked in this story:
-A delightfully kind and gentle main character, Maximillian Fly
-The friendship between Parminter and Maximillian
-Parminter's strength and kindness, and her relationship with her mother
-Kaitlin's resourcefulness
-The baddie who gets properly (though a little too easily) defeated
-Max's decision to return the teapot to his mother
-The author’s treatment of weighty subjects that she doesn't sugar-coat for her readers:
-The tiered society and the consequent racism, thanks to the genetic mods that are expressed in some individuals within the population
-Child abuse
-Bullying behaviour
-Betrayals and murder
-The torture and murder of individuals who don't comply
-The murder of children
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story, and how much I loved Maximillian.
Despite the 1) coincidence-laden story, 2) evil-with-no-nuance baddie and 3) too pat story resolution, there were so many things I liked in this story:
-A delightfully kind and gentle main character, Maximillian Fly
-The friendship between Parminter and Maximillian
-Parminter's strength and kindness, and her relationship with her mother
-Kaitlin's resourcefulness
-The baddie who gets properly (though a little too easily) defeated
-Max's decision to return the teapot to his mother
-The author’s treatment of weighty subjects that she doesn't sugar-coat for her readers:
-The tiered society and the consequent racism, thanks to the genetic mods that are expressed in some individuals within the population
-Child abuse
-Bullying behaviour
-Betrayals and murder
-The torture and murder of individuals who don't comply
-The murder of children
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story, and how much I loved Maximillian.
November 13, 2019
This is the story told (mainly) from the pov of a giant cockroach named Maximillian Fly. Through his internal dialogue, and his heroic act of saving two children from peril, we, the reader, learn just how much he is human-a sensitive, big child human-on the inside.
As I mentioned in a previous review, one brings all the experience and expectation of a life time of history of all the books one has read before. Diving into this novel, I could not help but make the connection to The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, published in the 1900s, about a salesman turning into a cockroach one day. In Kafka well-known book, the main character becomes a victim of his circumstance and was helpless to do anything except to feel the effect of his misfortune. In this book, I’ve expect all the rejection, sadness, hardship, and ultimate anguish fitting of a cockroach living in a human society. It has it’s dark parts, and what good story doesn’t? They are all there, in lighter tones, and mixed in with moments of gold for a meaningful story and a warm and fuzzy end.
In the heart of saving the world from a dystopian dictatorship, it turned out to be a family story. Everyone has known and was connected to everyone else by one degree of separation. People can change their perception of others one-eighty after knowing their past. Ever heard of stories in real life where parents help out their children to succeed in their footsteps? Well, this book is reserve nepotism, which actually makes a better story. It’s about being true and good regardless of your nurture, and learning and growing out of the restrictions of your environment. A message that is more helpful in real life, no doubt.
The story is amazing, but do I dare to voice a small complaint? It would be have been interesting to know the back story of the evil villain, especially given the relationship between the powerful dictator and the protagonist. Are some people just simply evil? I was let down by the lack of explanation of certain motivations, given the quirky attachment to some quirky possessions of the antagonist. It is a small issue, and not something that would take away a star. It’s strange to mention this when in the last paragraph I was just singing praises of the pedagogical message of “not judging a book by its cover.” Would the reader feel differently if there was a story behind the dome of repression, the heartless infanticide, and the sentimental attachment to a porcelain collection?
The ending is a happy one, as books geared towards a younger audience tend to be. There is hope when Hope is destroyed. I am besotted with the alluring description of nature in last chapters: the sun, the sky, the ocean, the beach, and everything the dystopian lacked and we had all this time in this real world. It’s a reminder that we already live in that utopia, if only we could see it for what it is and not fall into the trap of missing it only when it’s gone.
As I mentioned in a previous review, one brings all the experience and expectation of a life time of history of all the books one has read before. Diving into this novel, I could not help but make the connection to The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, published in the 1900s, about a salesman turning into a cockroach one day. In Kafka well-known book, the main character becomes a victim of his circumstance and was helpless to do anything except to feel the effect of his misfortune. In this book, I’ve expect all the rejection, sadness, hardship, and ultimate anguish fitting of a cockroach living in a human society. It has it’s dark parts, and what good story doesn’t? They are all there, in lighter tones, and mixed in with moments of gold for a meaningful story and a warm and fuzzy end.
In the heart of saving the world from a dystopian dictatorship, it turned out to be a family story. Everyone has known and was connected to everyone else by one degree of separation. People can change their perception of others one-eighty after knowing their past. Ever heard of stories in real life where parents help out their children to succeed in their footsteps? Well, this book is reserve nepotism, which actually makes a better story. It’s about being true and good regardless of your nurture, and learning and growing out of the restrictions of your environment. A message that is more helpful in real life, no doubt.
The story is amazing, but do I dare to voice a small complaint? It would be have been interesting to know the back story of the evil villain, especially given the relationship between the powerful dictator and the protagonist. Are some people just simply evil? I was let down by the lack of explanation of certain motivations, given the quirky attachment to some quirky possessions of the antagonist. It is a small issue, and not something that would take away a star. It’s strange to mention this when in the last paragraph I was just singing praises of the pedagogical message of “not judging a book by its cover.” Would the reader feel differently if there was a story behind the dome of repression, the heartless infanticide, and the sentimental attachment to a porcelain collection?
The ending is a happy one, as books geared towards a younger audience tend to be. There is hope when Hope is destroyed. I am besotted with the alluring description of nature in last chapters: the sun, the sky, the ocean, the beach, and everything the dystopian lacked and we had all this time in this real world. It’s a reminder that we already live in that utopia, if only we could see it for what it is and not fall into the trap of missing it only when it’s gone.
May 26, 2019
Unique and engrossing; dark and hopeful. (Otherwise it would be unbearable:) Sage tackles a lot here --- Pyscho-level evil, dystopic stuff galore (DNA tampering, climate, fake news, and more), and brave and wonderful children. Made me think at times of Collins' Gregor and DuPrau's The City of Ember series.
June 17, 2022
این واقعا عالی بود!
قطعا توی زمان درستی خوندمش، به همچین داستانی احتیاج داشتم و احساس میکنم منم با شخصیتهای داستان از زیر سقفی که نمیذاشت آسمون آبی رو ببینم بیرون اومدم.
مکسیمیلین خیلی شیرین و دوست داشتنی بود، گذشته دردناکی داشت و واقعا خوشحالم که تونست از حصاری که دور خودش کشیده بود بیرون بیاد و خود واقعیش رو ببینه.
به نظرم بچههای زیادی هستن که داستانشون درست به همین اندازه دردناکه.
پیشرفت مکسیمیلین طی این وقایع پر از هیجان و شخصیتهای عالی احتمالا خیلی خوب میتونه به خوانندهای که مد نظرش هست پیامی که نیاز داره رو بده.
خیلی خیلی لذت بردم، حالا میرم از خوشحالی گریه کنم 🥹
اینو دیشب یادم رفت
نکتهی خیلی خوب دیگهاش این بود که به خوبی نشون میداد اگر والدین رفتار درستی ندارن و به بچه آسیب میرسونن حتی اگه والدین واقعی باشن نیاز نیست خودمون رو بابتشون فدا کنیم یا ببخشیمشون.
شخصیت اصلی با پیشروی داستان متوجه رفتار نادرست مادرش میشه و میفهمه چقدر از مشکلاتی که داره به خاطر همون مادره.
در عین حال ارزش وجود خ��نواده سالم و اهمیت وجود کسایی که واقعا دوستمون دارن و جوری که هستیم مارو میپذیرن رو هم نشون میداد.
قطعا توی زمان درستی خوندمش، به همچین داستانی احتیاج داشتم و احساس میکنم منم با شخصیتهای داستان از زیر سقفی که نمیذاشت آسمون آبی رو ببینم بیرون اومدم.
مکسیمیلین خیلی شیرین و دوست داشتنی بود، گذشته دردناکی داشت و واقعا خوشحالم که تونست از حصاری که دور خودش کشیده بود بیرون بیاد و خود واقعیش رو ببینه.
به نظرم بچههای زیادی هستن که داستانشون درست به همین اندازه دردناکه.
پیشرفت مکسیمیلین طی این وقایع پر از هیجان و شخصیتهای عالی احتمالا خیلی خوب میتونه به خوانندهای که مد نظرش هست پیامی که نیاز داره رو بده.
خیلی خیلی لذت بردم، حالا میرم از خوشحالی گریه کنم 🥹
اینو دیشب یادم رفت
نکتهی خیلی خوب دیگهاش این بود که به خوبی نشون میداد اگر والدین رفتار درستی ندارن و به بچه آسیب میرسونن حتی اگه والدین واقعی باشن نیاز نیست خودمون رو بابتشون فدا کنیم یا ببخشیمشون.
شخصیت اصلی با پیشروی داستان متوجه رفتار نادرست مادرش میشه و میفهمه چقدر از مشکلاتی که داره به خاطر همون مادره.
در عین حال ارزش وجود خ��نواده سالم و اهمیت وجود کسایی که واقعا دوستمون دارن و جوری که هستیم مارو میپذیرن رو هم نشون میداد.
April 1, 2019
Young readers are sure to enjoy Maximillian Fly's story. This is a very different flavor of tale from those of you accustomed to Septimus Heap and Araminta Spookie. Imagine a world where people are so desperate to escape the Contagion, that they inject a bit of cockroach DNA into themselves. After all, cockroaches can survive anything, right? As I read deeper and deeper, I couldn't help but wonder if this is a political cautionary tale...
What happens when a totalitarian government decides who lives and dies for population control, and who is a traitor who must be "Astroed?" What is happening on the Outside? Is the Contagion still running rampant, or are people living freely?
Are we sure this is a children's book at all? So many questions!
Remember kids, when the time comes, don't get on the ship. You will not be traveling to the island. Don't go gently into that good night. AND -- "one must never be parted from one's bear." This is also generally good advice.
What happens when a totalitarian government decides who lives and dies for population control, and who is a traitor who must be "Astroed?" What is happening on the Outside? Is the Contagion still running rampant, or are people living freely?
Are we sure this is a children's book at all? So many questions!
Remember kids, when the time comes, don't get on the ship. You will not be traveling to the island. Don't go gently into that good night. AND -- "one must never be parted from one's bear." This is also generally good advice.
December 29, 2019
Ok, so this novel was weird, but a really good weird I have to say. It took me a little bit to get into it but once I did…it was still weird. Definitely a YA read and while I think both boys and girls could get into it I think this could be a fun one for any reluctant boy readers out there. After all, Maximillian Fly is a roach-human hybrid and if that doesn’t get your attention then maybe the brother/sister duo fleeing an oppressive government might. Maxamillian is kind and courteous and much too sweet for al lather trouble that comes to his door. Check it out if you want to know more!
Recommendation: 5/10 Borrow It
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Recommendation: 5/10 Borrow It
#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecomendations
July 26, 2019
The Contagion was spreading and threatened to wipe out all of humanity. So the geneticists of Hope asked themselves what could survive. The answer was a cockroach so they spliced cockroach DNA into humans. The result was that some human babies cocooned and became hybrids. Fast forward to the beginning of the story when we meet Maximillian Fly who is a Roach. He is a shy and gentle being who decides to prove his goodness by rescuing two children who are being chased by Enforcers. As the story progresses, more information is revealed and Maximillian finds more than he ever thought he could. Since I loved the Septimus Heap And Todhunter Moon series, I grabbed this book. It did not disappoint. Maximillian was a great character as was Parminter. I'm not sure if kids would pick up on the blatant prejudice of the government of the city or not. The Final Solution for the unwanted children was horrifying.
February 28, 2025
Maximillian Fly
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75 or (8.9/10)
Characters - 8
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 10
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
This book surpassed my original expectations when I first started listening to it because it was amazing! I loved the narration, the multi-POV, the mystery, and the suspense. I was so intrigued by the book that I wished I had it in physical form or as an e-book. But I do think the audiobook helped nail the mystery and suspense. And there was so many "wow" moments. I appreciated how the book helps the reader to make connections and how relatable the characters were. And there were very real and deep elements to the book that was surprising, but great to see in MG books :)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75 or (8.9/10)
Characters - 8
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 10
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 10
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9
This book surpassed my original expectations when I first started listening to it because it was amazing! I loved the narration, the multi-POV, the mystery, and the suspense. I was so intrigued by the book that I wished I had it in physical form or as an e-book. But I do think the audiobook helped nail the mystery and suspense. And there was so many "wow" moments. I appreciated how the book helps the reader to make connections and how relatable the characters were. And there were very real and deep elements to the book that was surprising, but great to see in MG books :)
August 21, 2019
Maximillian Fly is one of the most darling characters I have met in a while. Angie Sage (creator of the Septimus Heap stories that filled my childhood - and that I still re-read today) has brought a gorgeous group of characters into the world, plus an incredible feat of world-building. In this story, Maximillian learns a lot about family, the truth of the city he lives in, and a whole lot about himself. This story has a dystopian side, as well as a hint of magick as this world is full of humans both Wingless and Roach. (This book would be perfect for readers 11 years old and older I believe.) 🐻
June 12, 2019
I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Maximillian is a hybrid human + cockroach.
He has not being treated kindly because of what he is.
Still, he is kind and good.
When he see 2 children in need of saving, he does not hesitate.
Because of this kind action, his life has been changed forever.
Loved the characters + the storytelling !
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
This was a great book !
Maximillian is a hybrid human + cockroach.
He has not being treated kindly because of what he is.
Still, he is kind and good.
When he see 2 children in need of saving, he does not hesitate.
Because of this kind action, his life has been changed forever.
Loved the characters + the storytelling !
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
February 4, 2021
Dystopias are usually one of my least favorite literary genres, but this one I liked. Probably because I adore Angie Sage's Septimus Heap books, where she managed to get me to like another genre I usually don't go for: High fantasy.
I'll be curious to see what my daughter thinks about this one, she likes dystopias and is a huge fan of Lois Lowry's "The Giver" series for instance.
I'll be curious to see what my daughter thinks about this one, she likes dystopias and is a huge fan of Lois Lowry's "The Giver" series for instance.
August 26, 2019
4 stars. I wasn't sure about this one at first, but the more I read of what I can't help thinking of as Kafka's "Metamorphosis" meets King's "Under the Dome" meets "City of Ember" or any of the other great middle grade dystopian fiction, the more I liked Sage's bizarre look at family, friendship, power struggles, and how we look at what it means to be "human." Recommended!
March 1, 2020
I enjoyed Angie Sage's Septimus Series so put this on my list when I saw she had a new book. It's YA, but very entertaining. I'm not a fan of dystopian, but this one is engaging with shy Maximillian Fly, (born human, cocooned to roach), deciding to help 2 "Wingless Ones" escape the Enforcers. Many twists and turns, the story is suspenseful, and moving.
August 9, 2020
Such a good book
September 28, 2020
Weird and original. Like nothing you will have read before.
April 6, 2023
4 out of 5 stars!!!!
This was a wonderfully sweet and surprisingly dark story! Super weird, extremely well-fleshed out world, memorable characters, truly great stuff! Maximillian Fly is my Best Friend
This was a wonderfully sweet and surprisingly dark story! Super weird, extremely well-fleshed out world, memorable characters, truly great stuff! Maximillian Fly is my Best Friend
January 24, 2023
A nice story about family. Still, there is something disturbing about having genetically modified family.
April 5, 2025
I usually love an Angie Sage book but for some reason this one just couldn’t hold my attention. 2.5 stars
February 17, 2021
I love this book way too much. Probably one of my favorites. Ten outta ten - would recommend
July 17, 2021
Read this with my eight year old - he loved it! A very interesting story with great world building.
From the 8 year old: Five stars! It was good because there were a lot of risks they had to take to save the world. Also there were a lot of connections. My favorite character was Maximillian.
From the 8 year old: Five stars! It was good because there were a lot of risks they had to take to save the world. Also there were a lot of connections. My favorite character was Maximillian.
January 16, 2024
We really enjoyed this book. Not my typical choice... Dystopian... But, it was really interesting. Angie Sage is such a good Author.
August 5, 2019
I struggle to give a concise review or rating for this book. Entertainment level isn't super high, but it's engaging enough. On many levels, it's a fantastic dystopian book for middle-school ages in some ways, but it also presents immoral behaviors as not only justifiable, but normal and expected "under the circumstances." This aspect may go right over some kids' heads, however.
August 23, 2019
A unique story of a city isolated from the world due to fear and power. When Maximillian Fly, who is part human and part roach, helps two children escape from the villains, he discovers a family he never knew and a happiness in knowing that it is okay to be himself. His mother, who has abused and terrified him for years, controls the city.
With the support of his new found family, Maximillian is able to stand his ground and defy his mother. This allows him to accept who he is and find the strength to love and be loved.
With the support of his new found family, Maximillian is able to stand his ground and defy his mother. This allows him to accept who he is and find the strength to love and be loved.
September 29, 2024
2,5 stars. Maybe three. Maybe even 3,5 stars. I can't really decide what to think of this one or if I like it or not.. Or maybe how much I do not like it. But perhaps it ended up being quite alright anyway?
June 9, 2020
I thought this book was okay, with one major disappointment. While Maximillian was a likeable character, he was oddly ignorant about basic details about his world and doesn't seem curious to learn. We had to learn from Parminter his whole life story and critical information, on various occasions. This is problematic because we are effectively being told his whole backstory partway through the book instead learning it through flashbacks.
At the beginning of the book, you barely know enough about the world to understand what is happening, and by then halfway through, you suddenly learn much more about the world that the main character does, giving no chance for inference or gradual discovery. After another bunch of information is thrown at you, there is almost no point in reading the rest of the book, because you've learned so much about the backstory and it is pretty easy to infer the happy ending at the point. I thought it would be much better if Maximillian and Katie knew more from the start, not much more, just slightly more, and so you can gradually infer . Then maybe, when . A lot of the information Parminter tells us could be inferred pretty easily or learned much later in the book and I think it would be much more engaging.
At the beginning of the book, you barely know enough about the world to understand what is happening, and by then halfway through, you suddenly learn much more about the world that the main character does, giving no chance for inference or gradual discovery. After another bunch of information is thrown at you, there is almost no point in reading the rest of the book, because you've learned so much about the backstory and it is pretty easy to infer the happy ending at the point. I thought it would be much better if Maximillian and Katie knew more from the start, not much more, just slightly more, and so you can gradually infer . Then maybe, when . A lot of the information Parminter tells us could be inferred pretty easily or learned much later in the book and I think it would be much more engaging.
March 22, 2019
This is a hard book to categorize. Is it Fantasy? Sci-Fi? Maximillian is a human-sized Roach who lives among humans and other roaches in a city within a dome. The citizens have been told that they are being protected from a contamination and they are also ruled by a Guardian and her soldiers, who sound a little like Stormtroopers. When Maximillian sees a girl and her little brother fleeing some soldiers, he decides to help them, kicking off a series of events that will show that all of the city inhabitants have a lot more in common than anyone realized. The story has a lot of potential, but it ends up becoming just another series of action=packed scenes with no real resonance. I still have a lot of questions about the world Sage has created, but I didn't love the book enough to want to read a sequel if one should ever be written. Kids who like weird will enjoy this. Review from galley.
February 17, 2019
I received this book free from Harper Childrens through Goodreads. Being over 50 this book isn't really age appropriate for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Would love to see this made into a movie, my grandchildren would love it!! It is a book I will hang onto until they are at the age to read it. Thanks you again Harper Children's!!
August 22, 2020
Leider nein!
Der Schreibstil konnte weder mich noch meine 10-Jährige hinter dem Ofen hervor locken. Schade!
Der Schreibstil konnte weder mich noch meine 10-Jährige hinter dem Ofen hervor locken. Schade!
April 18, 2019
Another wonderful book by Angie Sage! I'm a big fan of her Septimus Heap series, so I was overjoyed to win an ARC of this book courtesy of HarperChildrens and Katharine Tegen Books.
The world-building is excellent, and you are immediately immersed in the gray dystopia of the city of Hope. Despite being a six-foot human cockroach, Maximilian Fly, the main character, is a gentle, shy individual who justs wants to live his life in peace. But on the night the story opens, Maximilian sees two young "wingless" humans -- humans whose DNA lacks the cockroach mutation that affects a portion of Hope's population -- fleeing from the Enforcers, and he decides to help them. This act of kindness turns his life inside-out.
Maximilian's way of speaking takes a little bit of getting used to, as it is somewhat stilted and oddly formal. But as odd as he is, and despite being a large sentient cockroach, he is a character of great pathos. You will be rooting for him soon enough. And while the book is written for pre-teens, older children and adults will like it, too (although they may pick up on the clues that get dropped sooner than the younger ones will. Clues to what, you say? Nope, I'm not telling.).
The novel is all first-person narration, with Maximilian and four other characters as the narrators. I don't usually have an issue with this sort of narration, but I don't think it was handled as well as it could have. Most books that switch narrators will just put the name of the narrator at the beginning of their section. Instead of names, this book assigned an icon to each narrator and put the icons at the beginning of each narrator's section. There were two problems that I had with this format: 1. The five icons were small, and not all of them were distinct enough to be able to recognize them easily (if you read quickly, it was too easy to either get the icon at the beginning of each section mixed up with another icon, or miss it completely); and 2. There was a key to the icons at the front of the book, so each time you encountered a new icon (or if you forgot which icon went with which narrator) you had to go back to the key. It would have been so much easier to just use the narrators' names.
Other than the issue with the icons, I truly enjoyed this book, and I was honestly hoping that it would be a series rather than a stand-alone novel. I hope that Ms. Sage considers writing another book featuring the gentleman cockroach Maximilian Fly. He's too good a character for just one book.
The world-building is excellent, and you are immediately immersed in the gray dystopia of the city of Hope. Despite being a six-foot human cockroach, Maximilian Fly, the main character, is a gentle, shy individual who justs wants to live his life in peace. But on the night the story opens, Maximilian sees two young "wingless" humans -- humans whose DNA lacks the cockroach mutation that affects a portion of Hope's population -- fleeing from the Enforcers, and he decides to help them. This act of kindness turns his life inside-out.
Maximilian's way of speaking takes a little bit of getting used to, as it is somewhat stilted and oddly formal. But as odd as he is, and despite being a large sentient cockroach, he is a character of great pathos. You will be rooting for him soon enough. And while the book is written for pre-teens, older children and adults will like it, too (although they may pick up on the clues that get dropped sooner than the younger ones will. Clues to what, you say? Nope, I'm not telling.).
The novel is all first-person narration, with Maximilian and four other characters as the narrators. I don't usually have an issue with this sort of narration, but I don't think it was handled as well as it could have. Most books that switch narrators will just put the name of the narrator at the beginning of their section. Instead of names, this book assigned an icon to each narrator and put the icons at the beginning of each narrator's section. There were two problems that I had with this format: 1. The five icons were small, and not all of them were distinct enough to be able to recognize them easily (if you read quickly, it was too easy to either get the icon at the beginning of each section mixed up with another icon, or miss it completely); and 2. There was a key to the icons at the front of the book, so each time you encountered a new icon (or if you forgot which icon went with which narrator) you had to go back to the key. It would have been so much easier to just use the narrators' names.
Other than the issue with the icons, I truly enjoyed this book, and I was honestly hoping that it would be a series rather than a stand-alone novel. I hope that Ms. Sage considers writing another book featuring the gentleman cockroach Maximilian Fly. He's too good a character for just one book.
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