Max!

My son said these books reminded him of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. IDK if that was intention or just because of the title, but what I do know is that when you kid loves something that's good for them (like reading) you're just glad to find more of it. So if he thinks it's like DWK, and that makes him happy to read it, who am I to argue? He read bits of the story to me while reading as he found those parts exciting. Definitely a read for Middle Graders, but from what my son reported, sounded like it had a good plot, too. Who knows, maybe I'll read it next!

One of the best books ever I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review

Available Kindle Unlimited although I got it through library thing. Main issue I had was the invite to read said 3 set which is available but only got the 1 set which that I already had from freebie site giveaway. Cute kid's book, at least assume that was the general intention, and the drawings were cute and not usually seen in adult books in general of course.Seems to be in the way of the old/newer style of 'serialized' shorter length books, but that's okay when the books are in sets or available on ku but does mean pulling up 2 or more stories instead of the usual longer story length which can be a pain with the computer kindle which wants to lock.

I should note that I read this book through NetGalley in exchange for a free review, but this hasn’t affected my review in any way.Books about pre-teen or teenage losers, the perennial bullied kid who dreams about the prettiest girl in class, are incredibly popular. You only have to look at the amazing success of the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series to see that. At first I thought that ‘Diary of a Maxed-out Kid’ was going to be much of the same, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t keen on the idea of reading yet another series that sounded so similar. But actually, I found ‘Diary of a Maxed-out Kid’ to be something much more interesting. It’s not just your standard loser overcoming all odds to beat the bully and get the girl story, it’s something more than that. The bully is a legitimately threatening troubled kid who carries a knife around, and who acts tough to cover up his vulnerability. He’s not beaten through physical strength, but through kindess and friendship. The girl our protagonist falls for, Theresa, was far from the normal popular girl and the relationship between them felt very real and sweet. They genuinely bonded over helping others, and seemed to really care for and respect each other by the end of the story. Another interesting aspect of the story was that it was set in Russia. It might be helpful to be at least a little familiar with Russian history, to know why the war was so devastating, why ‘Comrade’ is thrown around so liberally. It’s 1983, and the Cold War is getting started all over again. However even if you don’t know anything about Russia, the glimpses you get into that world through this story are intriguing. It’s not particularly overwhelming, just mentions here and there that remind you this story isn’t set in your hometown. Maxim’s grandfather is a great character, and a reminder of the real tragedies underlying the mostly light hearted story. I also loved the fact that Maxim, unlike your average teenage boy protagonist, loves reading. He quotes ‘The Little Prince’! (Which you should also read.)For fans of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’, you’ll definitely enjoy this – but it might make you think a little bit more!

Cuss words. While this book it marketed to youth and it piggy-backs off the 'Wimpy Kid' series name, for some reason the author felt the need to throw a few vulgar words int here. Unfortunately that seems the way the world is going but that does not make it OK. Me and my family choose not to use that language and I do not appreciate it being put in books targeted to youth. I don't care what kids hear elsewhere, that doestn make it right and I choose not to bring it in my house and purposely put it in my kids head. If you put trash in their head you get trash out of it. Author, you could have done better.

I was given a copy of this book by the Author and it is my absolute pleasure to write this review.I couldn't put the book down. In fact, when I had to stop and eat, it was a case of telling myself "just one more page..." And so it went, on and on. And I that's how the last few hours passed by.This is an amazing story about a bright young guy who is discovering right from wrong and learning what not to do and what is acceptable. I loved the way he works things out logically and that he knows he can ask for advice when he needs to.He finds himself attracted to a young lady and fumbles through that friendship in a very amusing kind of way. He fights a 'battle' for something he feels strongly about and wins it. He strengthens the bonds of his existing friendships and makes new friends with others.The illustrations clearly show what has been written about and are just as I had imagined the incidents.All in all, this is a beautiful story and one I would be happy for my grandchildren and any other children to read. Enjoy!

I certainly hope that Max Candee comes to the attention of a professional publisher as his work is of the caliber that deserves to be widely distributed and read. As you might expect from the title, the format of the book is similar to that of Diary of a Wimpy Kid but this series is far better written. Told through the perspective of Max, it deals with growing up and finding your place in the world as you transition into adolescence. There's not much of a plot, per say. It's one of those books that depends on relationships and shows a slice of someone's life. Another reviewer said that the book didn't seem particularly Russian, except for the name of the characters. I have to agree with that; the setting could easily be America. But I was so enraptured by the characters and the clean writing that it didn't really bother me. This book has the kind of openness and honesty that draws in readers. If you have a middle-schooler living in your home, give this series a try. It's a good clean read that addresses Tween issues in a beautifully written and humanitarian format.I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.