Max Crumbly Series Book Review

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I’m so lucky both my boys love reading. I’m sure they got that trait from me because the only book their father reads is FACEbook!

Anyway, Ethan is currently reading the first of 3 books of #MaxCrumbly series from #1 New York Times best selling Dork Diaries author Rachel Renée Russell. It tells the daily ups and downs of Max Crumbly in middle school.

While Ethan is in school, I took the opportunity to read these books too so I can share my thoughts about them. I’ve completed all 3 and this is what I think about this Max Crumbly series. 

THE MISADVENTURES OF MAX CRUMBLY: LOCKER HERO

Max Crumblly is a brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries author Rachel Renee Russell.

Max Crumbly is about to face the scariest place he’s ever been: South Ridge Middle School.

There’s a lot that’s great about his new school, but there’s also one big problem—Doug, the school bully whose hobby is stuffing Max in his locker.

If only Max could be like the hero in his favorite comics. Unfortunately, Max’s uncanny, almost superhuman ability to smell pizza from a block away won’t exactly save any lives or foil bad guys.

But that doesn’t mean Max won’t do his best to be the hero his school needs!

My review: 

Being previously home-schooled by his grandmother, Max really wants to remain in his new school. Unfortunately for him, he is the frequent target of a school bully. Max’s journal in this book brings us into his world where he experiences constant fear against a school bully at his new school.

As a mom reading this, I get frustrated when Max choose not to report the bully case in fear of being taken out of school and back into home-schooling with his grandmother. I wanted to scream and slam the book close each time Max lets an opportunity to be saved slipped by. He could have gotten his friend to call the cops when there was a chance but he did not for the fear of being discovered by his parents. He wanted to be able to remain studying in this school so badly that he takes it all by himself eventhough that means he could die trying. 

I was really angry reading this book… until I realised that this could actually happen to my kid. That my son could actually keep secrets from me just so I don’t take away his privileges (whatever that matters to him).

Now, this is something to worry about. If you read this book, you’ll see that Max is battling with burglars in his school and help is just a call away IF ONLY HE LETS OTHERS KNOW ABOUT IT but no, he chose to keep it to himself which made matters worst. And the story ends in a cliffhanger. We are left hanging not knowing if that poor kid survives… 

THE MISADVENTURES OF MAX CRUMBLY: MIDDLE SCHOOL MAYHEM

From #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries author Rachel Renee Russell comes the second book in an all-new series about Max Crumbly and his daily ups and downs in middle school.

When we last left our hero, Max Crumbly, he had crash-landed on top of a Mighty Meat Monster pizza after taking a late night tumble through the vents at South Ridge Middle School—and he was completely surrounded by three ruthless criminals!

Will Max be shredded to bits like mozzarella cheese on the hard and crunchy pizza crust of doom?

Can his friend and sidekick, computer whiz Erin, help get him out of this sticky situation alive?

My review:

The second book is a continuation of the first book. So we’ll be reading flashbacks every now and then to remind us what happened earlier and why Max refuses to call the cops or get his parents to help. A girl in his school (which he has a crush on) tries to help him out but got caught in the mess altogether. And… it ends in a cliffhanger AGAIN!

THE MISADVENTURES OF MAX CRUMBLY: MASTERS OF MISCHIEF

When we last left our courageous hero, Max Crumbly, and his trusty sidekick Erin, they had just finished foiling the plans of some bumbling thieves. But Max and Erin were trapped in a smelly, dangerous dumpster of doom and about to be discovered by the last people they wanted to find them. 

Now in this latest installment of Max’s journals, Max and Erin face foes both new and old as their misadventures continue. Can the two friends avoid detection-and detention!-while keeping South Ridge Middle School safe from bullies and criminals? 

My review: 

Even after they managed to apprehend the burglars and the cops arrived, instead of running to the cops for help, Max and Erin decided to hide for fear of being arrested and thrown out of school for breaking into the school’s system while trying to corner the bad guys. 

Simple common sense is thrown out of the window here. I guess this is what happens when you keep threatening your kid, “If you naughty I’ll call the cops to catch you”. I mean we parents tend to do that don’t we? If you do, then STOP because from what I read in this book, the children are so afraid of the cops that instead of feeling safe when the cops arrived, they felt threatened! 

They are so afraid of being caught and avoiding detention that they throw their precious lives on the line. 

This series opens my eyes to how silly a child’s judgement can be. Every of Max and Erin’s decisions are made with the thought that it is the best thing to do at that time yet we all know that it is not. So now I understand why sometimes my sons do what they did eventhough it was obviously not a clever thing to do.

And guess what? The story in this third book ends in a cliffhanger yet again! 

Verdict: A good read for children but a blood-boiling experience for parents as we had to endure the constant fear and trouble a kid goes through caused by a school bully :(