A great book for all ages, not just for children. This book is not only about a military trained dog, but also about friendship and family. A really good dog story. I've seen the movie sometime ago and it was good as well.audiobook children dogs ...more22 s Li'l Owl398 271

Max is a riveting, heart pounding, high tension thriller from beginning to end. I read this in one sitting during which I found myself frozen in the chair gripping the book tightly with both hands and holding my breath. I rated it 4½?'s instead of 5 only because it was a little bit too far fetched and unrealistic but it is fiction after all! Definitely worth staying up late into the night for! Highly recommended especially if you love dogs who will stop at nothing to ensure that no harm comes to his family. Even if it costs him his life.
dogs-k-9-partners-companions military-suspense-thriller stand-alone19 s Stephen Wallace669 91

Really enjoyed the book. Not in the category of top 100 books on dogs ever written, but lots of fun. It felt a made for movie book that could be accomplished within the confines of 90 minutes. The book was a quick read. Some familiar themes but done well; misunderstanding but loving parents, dog that has to be rehabilitated, danger that the dog has to be a part of saving the day. Definitely something a youth would appreciate with elements of computer games, goth- girlfriend, and dirt bikes.
Those wanting to pick at things may point out that the dog would have had a hard time being turned over to civilians. It might be a little hard for the bad guys in the movie to get what they were selling. I am not sure if a dog trained for the military would be able to take on a couple of Rotties in the way he did, but I want to believe. None of it bothered me, but for those who want to mention those kind of details I wanted to say I noticed them.

As I said, a quick and fun read and an especially good book for a youth.dogs dogs-fiction military-dogs8 s Benji47 10

This book/movie should have been called Dog Owners Make Stupid Decisions. Although, Gangsters Make Stupid Decisions would suffice, as well. Still, I feel Entire Cast of Characters Make Stupid Decisions is better fitting. This may sound harsh, and I suppose it is. The book (and I assume the movie, given that this is based on the screenplay and not the other way around) follows typical Hollywood dog movie formula. In short, I pretty much knew what to expect. Nevertheless, given the description, a huge part of me still expected better. I was kind of hoping it would be about Max's struggle with PTSD after returning from losing his soldier handler. That's not what it was at all, and because of that I was a little disappointed. Instead of addressing PTSD in military dogs, it turned into... well, a carbon copy of every stinking dog movie I've ever seen. Ever.

The book started out good. Brace yourself, this entire review will contain both movie and book spoilers (because book = based on screenplay). The book opens with Justin's family finding out that his brother died in combat. I shed a lot of tears early on. It was emotional. We find out that Kyle enlisted because he wanted to make his dad proud, we find out the dad was a marine who was also injured while he was in combat, and we find out that Kyle had a K9 partner who went overseas with him. The book started out really promising, and for the first few chapters it addresses the scars often left behind in the survivors of battle really, really well. Max is shown to be a very troubled dog. At Kyle's funeral, he plants himself in front of Kyle's coffin and starts howling, and that is literally the saddest scene I have ever read in my life. I didn't expect to feel so many things so early in the book. Needless to say, I had high hopes for the book (and the movie) after having read that.

However, my hopes were slowly let down. What bothers me most about it all was the way the characters were presented. It follows typical Hollywood formula. None of them were developed, they were all one dimensional, and beyond their grieving the loss of Kyle, they felt as though they were carbon copies of every single other character I've seen in Hollywood ever. Justin is the hero trope (at least he actually does something to earn that title, as he was brave - if not stupid - at many points in the book), Carmen is the love interest who happens to know about dogs (heaven forbid we have a girl character that isn't the love interest in Hollywood movies with a main character who's a boy amirite?), Chuy is the dumb but lovable best friend, the dad is the stern but secretly soft dad (because, duh), the mom barely exists except when they need someone to have an emotional breakdown to cook dinner or to perform any other stereotypical mom role, and Tyler and Emilio are, duh, the bad guys who are so stupid you wonder why they haven't been arrested already. Following yet? Yeah, sounds exactly every movie ever, right? The only thing that made it tolerable was Max. Max saved the story, and made me see it to the end.

Still, something bothers me about Max. The description of the book (and movie) makes it sound they are going to address his trauma. And it doesn't. This is where the dog owners make stupid decisions. In the beginning of the book, Max is a dangerous dog. Yet, they put Max on a freaking chain. And no one bats an eye! Not even Carmen, self-proclaimed "dog expert". I have been reading about dogs, studying dogs, training dogs all my life and... you don't do that. Chains increase negative feelings in dogs. They lead to aggression, territorial behavior, and in a dog Max are a recipe for disaster. In anywhere but Hollywood, he would have ended up lunging at the end of that chain until he broke it and really hurt someone one day. Then there's the way Carmen gets in his face upon first meeting. No, girl! NO! Are you stupid? See: People make stupid decisions. Max is not aggressive, he is reactive, but he is still dangerous. You don't put your face in a dangerous dog's face. Ugh. At one point it's mentioned he's wearing a choke collar. While chained outside. Who are these people and why did the military let them take this dog? And then Justin, to show off to Carmen, makes a dangerous jump on his bike with his dog behind him. I wanted to reach through the pages and smack the stupid off his face. Don't even get me started on him letting a dangerous dog off leash. I couldn't comprehend the amount of stupid decisions these people made.

It didn't stop with the good people. The bad guys were such bumbling idiots that I could not, for one second, take them seriously. On what planet are bad guys that... fluffy and harmless? All the times they could have hurt someone, and they wave their gun s in the air they don't realize that they're holding dangerous weapons? More bullets were shot into the sky than at someone. And yet, we were supposed to be afraid of these people. And the Rottweilers. The book got mad props for mentioning pit bulls in a positive light. But why did they have to perpetuate the evil Rottweiler trope? Another common Hollywood move. Basically, if you've seen one dog movie, you've seen them all. Oh, and another negative ten points for them perpetuating the myth of 48 hours regarding missing persons.

Still, for all the negative things I have to say about this one, I did enjoy some of it. It was cheesy, it was predictable, and it was unbelievable, but Max was an awesome character. And I rooted for him until the end. Nevertheless, I can't really give this more than 3 stars. It was Air Bud, but with marines and PTSD. The overuse of the word "suddenly" grated my nerves, the overuse of cliches got annoying, and the general writing style made it easy to tell the movie was made first. I really wish the author(s?) had put more of their own style into the book. Made it pop. As it reads, it just feels they watched the movie and described every scene in dull detail. I recommend watching the movie for this one, and passing on the book. This book might be good, however, for someone 11-14 who is just getting into reading. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review7 s Elizabeth? 1,632 11

Justin has just lost his brother Kyle to the war. But he has gained a friend in Max, Kyle's dog that fought side by side with him.

Max is suffering from PTSD and it is Justin that helps him feel at ease.

This is an adaptation of a screenplay, which I didn't realize until after I bought it. But my daughter and I took turns reading it out loud and we really were swept up in the story.

A great read to teach kids about these brave soldiers with four legs. 6 s Kristi Krumnow204 32

The audience for this easy-to read, fast-paced thriller is young people, aged 12-15, who are in various stages of maturation. The work focuses on 14-year old Justin who feels different and awkward. He recently lost his brother whose shoes he can never fill because his parents OBVIOUSLY loved the brother more than him. Thus sets the premise. He has angsty difficulties with dear old dad; mom doesnt 'get' him; he is tongue-tied around girls; he prefers video games to real life. When not ridding the world of virtual bad guys, he enjoys the freedom his two-wheeled BMX provides, wheely-ing him over steep ravines where he all too symbolically flies.

The brother had a military canine partner, the titular Max. Max -- The military trained canine with PTSD after losing his human partner in Afghanistan. Max becomes the awkward boy's best friend. They both save each other. Ahhhhhhh. I lerve a dog story!

The mystery in the tale is simple: why does his brother's friend, recently returned from Afghanistan, continue to lie about the reason for his early return? What is his brother's friend up to? And what do his lies have to do with Max?

It's a good thing that Scooby and Shaggy, I mean, Justin and his dirt bike friends can solve this case!
Everything wraps up in the end a Scooby and Shaggy tale or a Nancy Drew mystery. No dogs are harmed and the young people save the day. Yeah! Cute story.21st-century easy-read intrigue ...more6 s Barb (Boxermommyreads)814

This book is your typical feel-good, family-friendly Disney- story. In fact, the middle grade novel is based on the movie brought to use by the creators of Marley and Me and Remember the Titans...so basically you get the picture. I was interested to pick up the book because I have yet to see the movie, and wanted to prepare myself for a sobfest once it came out on DVD and yep, I am pretty much right.

Max comes to live with Justin and his family when Kyle, Max's military handler and Kyle's brother, gets killed in battle. Max has issues stemming from losing Kyle and so does the family. Basically this is a "can they save each other?" premise. I thought the book was decent and being middle grade, it was a quick read. Justin is a struggling teen and his father really has issues so in the beginning, I didn't much care for Justin's father - but I don't really think the readers are supposed to him. Something suspicious is up when Tyler, Kyle's best friend, comes home from service early and Max and Kyle try to figure it out.

Max really gets the wrong end of the stick in this book. Many people don't him and find him aggressive. He was trained to be a hero and basically the only one who can put aside their grief long enough to see that Max also suffered a loss is Justin, who basically is in the same boat as Max. This would be a wonderful book for 4th-6th graders who want to know more about military dogs or dogs in general. It is a good story and I am glad I picked it up.20155 s Dana426

Justin loses his brother, Kyle, in Afghanistan, but in losing his brother he gains a best friend in the form of Max,his brother's military service dog. Max is suffering from Kyle's loss and is no longer able to do his job overseas, and the only human he can connect with and without one with is Justin. What follows is a strong bond between human and canine as both deal with the loss of Kyle and figure out what led to his death. Incredible read and highly recommended for anyone who loves a good dog story.5 s Maci Fischler12 6

The book max is about a dog from war. he was handed down when Justin's older brother who owned max died in war. I think a good theme for this book is to keep trying. A good example of this is that max has to keep trying and eventually gets used to his family. Another good example is how Justin has to keep trying and working hard to make sure Max is ok, and it takes a lot of work.5 s Traveling Through The Pages20 2

This is a good that I'm going to hold onto, and read again. It reminded me of my days in gradeschool it has an easy flow and I didn't have any difficulty during the storyline understanding where the author was going. If you are an animal lover, I strongly recommend this book!4 s Ann43 1 follower

I loved this book and would love it if Bob would take me to see the movie June 26?4 s Noah Ramsey11

I think the book was amazing it's the best book i've ever read. 4 s Rocco McLean11

Max was a very good book. The book max by Jennifer Shotz was about a boy named Justin and his brothers dog. Justin's brother Kyle was killed in Afghanistan while with his military search dog max. After loosing his trainer, Max got confused and stressed over his owners death and he started to get out of control not himself. He was taken to Kyle's funeral then to a shelter when Justin had a connection with the dog his brother did. This story was really interesting because this same thing could happen to people to if they loose someone they loved or deeply cared about. While some think this is boring it is very exciting because Justin and Max go through different experiences and excitement. The author writes in third person and really explains what is happening in a certain way that if the parents told it, it would not explain as much. One thing the author could have changed was more background for the brother in Afghanistan and for Maxes training and relationship with Kyle. This book also explains what humans and dogs go through after they loose their trainer of best friend. It also represents all the military dogs and owners that have died in combat for our freedom. I would probably recommend this book for 7 or 8th grades and up because it is a sad story and others would it at these ages. Another reason people would it at this age is because it is a short easy read that many people and is easy for kids and enjoyment. This book was made for all the fallen military people and animals that have helped in the war to keep our freedom.3 s Easton Groskreutz20

Personal Response: Max,honestly, was one of the best books I have ever read. I love reading about canines that have done something amazing. The book made me feel I had just won a Nobel Prize for reading the best book in history. It not only has a good rising action but also has a great ending. I started reading and I couldn't stop reading it either.

Plot: Justin’s brother had died in Afghanistan and had left his dog, Max, behind from the war. Justin was the only other person Max would accept to train him again after he lost what was taught from the war. There are many adventures that are made with such a dog. There are people who didn't Justin, nor did they not the dog. Max and Justin went through an adventure that stopped an illegal trade with a few friends. They got through it together and Max was at the top of his game just as if he was in the Afghanistan.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone over twelve years of age. Also if the reader loves canines, then this book is perfect for dog lovers. If the reader s a lot of action and s some foreshadowing, then readers would this book. This book is in memory of dogs that helped fight for the United States of America since World War I. Anyone who also s to read about war will also reading this book. I gave this book a five star rating.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review3 s Kelly Brown174 4

This book is a movie novelization. I picked it up after I saw the p for the movie, which I teared up at. I am a big fan of dogs, especially ones that show how amazing dogs can be. This book/ movie is about a military dog and his Marine handler Kyle. Kyle and Max the dog are deployed to Afghanistan in which Kyle is killed. Max comes back to the US to Kyle's family, and one sees how everyone is dealing with Max being there and with Kyle's death. Justin is Kyle's younger brother, the only one Max would listen to, and a kid living in his brother's shadow. Justin fights that shadow throughout the book and shows he is an awesome kid in his own way.

Just from seeing the movie trailers, the first third of the book is already known or predictable. It did not stop me from sobbing at the end of chapter three though. The "meat" of the story surrounds Tyler, who was Kyle's lifelong best friend. He was deployed with Kyle when he passed and comes home early (supposedly) on medical leave. I don't want to spoil the rest. It was pretty fast paced throughout the second half of the book. You get to know the characters pretty well. There were a couple of twists and gut twisting situations. I d how it ended. It could have gone so many ways. Now I want to see the movie!a-z-author-2015 popsugar-reading-challenge-20153 s Jake Marshall1 review

I think that this book was a great book that I read because it shows how a kid name Justin and that his brother who is a soldier some fatal injury happened to him and that is partner who is a dog named max came back home to his family he has not seen at all. In this story the dog does amazing things with Justin and saves Justin life from some bad people who want to hurt the Justin and the dog who is named max becomes a hero from saving Justin life and he was a hero with Justin older brother named Kyle when they were at war. There was nothing that I did not the book at all. The book had a lot of strengthes of different scenes going on in the book with good textual writing about those seens. There were no weakness at all about the book.3 s Cheyenne178

This book is has a heartbreaking beginning. Justin's older brother Kyle has joined the marines and has been shipped off to Afghanistan with his dog max. Kyle is killed in the line of duty and max is sent home suffering from PTSD. At first Justin's family has a hard time gaining Max's trust as Justin is the only person max bonds with. Along the way Justin starts to understand the story behind his brothers death and ends up in serious danger. With Max's help Justin is able to save his dad from his brother kyle's best friend Tyler.

I almost cried at the end when Justin and Max are at the cemetery talking to Kyle. This book was incredible tonight and I cannot wait to see the movie and I hope it's as wonderful as this book was. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewbooks-i-own-and-read favorites read-20163 s Cecily Kyle1,771 20

I am so looking forward to seeing the movie that is being made for this book! I could tell just from the trailer that it was going to be good. I can see already that there is some major details being modified (the MC in the book is a boy, but in the movie it is a woman!) So I am assuming there is going to be a lot of other differences as well.
The book is definitely a tearjerker, which usually happens if the dog is the main character, in my experience any way... I also felt all warm and fuzzy inside, and was gripped right from the beginning. This only made me want to see the movie even more, and as you can tell I enjoyed it very much. If I hadn't read this for a challenge, I definitely would not have put it down.
Great beautiful read!favorites towers3 s MrsPyramidhead65 8

I thought this book was an okay companion to the movie. I wish there was a version of this story not geared so much toward young adults. I thought the writing was a little repetitive in the ways things were described. In general the story is good there are a few things I wish were different but again I think it's the result of it being geared toward young adults. I'm not sure if this book was wrote after the movie came out but if it was I wish they had kept some things from the movie instead of changing them in the book ( with some characters and some of the dialogue esp. w/ Tyler's character). I think this book is fine for young people but adults may be a little disappointed.3 s Ryan H.10

Max is a book written by Jennifer Li Shotz, it is based on a true story. Max is a heroic war dog that was very close to his owner until his owner Kyle was killed in Afghanistan. Max was blamed for the death of Kyle but what really happened was another man ignored Max and kept moving through the battlefield. I think this book was a very inspiring novel. It proved the saying a dog is a mans best friend. 3 s Maya22 2

I love, love, love this book! This is my third read of it, and I want to read it again! I love Max, and how he becomes friends with Justin. The story is sad, yet full of adventure! A definite read if you dogs and adventure! 3 s Ashley323 20

There are a lot of depressing events in this book for being a "kid" book. I definitely wanted to cry a few times..read-20163 s Rebecca53 2

Heart wrenching. Could hardly put it down! An amazing story about how a war hero canine protected the family of his partner after his death.3 s Melodía74

“Loyal to the end.”3 s Lucy7 1 follower

This was a story that I really d because it was a very happy but sad story. Also has a lot of emotions.3 s Shannon72

I was unable to complete this book, because my copy was missing a whole section of pages. The majority I did get to read, however, was amazing!3 s Derryl Den Policar5 2

A book that made me fell in love more with my departed hero. 3 s Jordan LarsenAuthor 4 books11

Based on the 2015 family/adventure, “Max” now comes the novelization “Max: Best Friend, Hero, Marine.” As a big fan of military working dogs, I have mixed emotions about its plot. The villain is an ex-Marine involved in an arms dealing operation. After listening to the novel on Audible, I have to say that the audiobook is better than the movie. As depicted in the film, the story centers on 14-year-old Justin Wilcott and his military family in Texas. A rebellious teen with a chip on his shoulders, Justin is at a loss where to go in life, neglecting his summer job at his father’s storage office and pirating video games. The son, grandson and brother of four generations of American Servicemen, Justin is sadly viewed as the black sheep of the family while Mom and Dad praise his older brother Kyle, a United States Marine Military Working Dog handler and his loyal brother-in-arms Max, a Belgian Malinois trained in patrol and explosive detection.

Suddenly, tragedy strikes; Kyle is killed in action during a battle with insurgents in Afghanistan and Justin’s world changes forever. Unknown to him and his family, the events that transpire over the next month will forever sear his place in his close-knit family unit and change the lives of everyone around him. When Max comes to live with the Wilcott family, a reluctant Justin forges a bond with the four-legged warrior; with the help of his friends, things start to take an amazing turn as Justin’s summer transforms into one he’ll never forget. Unfortunately, not everything is fun and games for our dynamic duo. When Tyler, Kyle’s best friend arrives home early from Afghanistan, the drama intensifies. Tyler spins a web of lies and dangerous deception with the aim of eliminating anyone who jeopardizes his plans to smuggle guns and explosives across the border. It’s up to Justin and Max to get to the bottom of a deadly mystery that has dire consequences for them and those they love.

Just the movie, the novel shares a lot of similarities with the script but I really enjoyed the more in-depth storyline, particularly Justin and Kyle’s relationship prior to his deployment. It’s a shame that the filmmakers didn’t incorporate that into the film. It would have given the story more emotional grounding because Kyle was more than Max’s handler and Marine, he was a cherished son to his parents and loving brother to Justin. In regards to the chilling subplot of Tyler, these days, I don’t see how a Marine can smuggle weapons from abroad into the United States without someone raising hell. No Marine should dare swear an oath to serve his country, then betray it by becoming a terrorist. Both the film and the novel highlight the danger of corruption lurking within those we are suppose to trust but when a very dangerous chameleon shows its true colors, real heroes must spring into action to protect the innocent at all cost.children counterterrorism dogs ...more2 s Cade Cook2

This is such a great book, and has a great story line. By far one of the most wellwritten books ive read in a while. This book is really on the inspireing side.I belive the audience would apperciate this book, because of the whole concept of the book. The way the book itself is setup is very well. It explains what happened, and then it explain the result of it because of it. I wish that they would make a new book off of this book, if they did i would love to read it and any others too. I would also to suggest that the movie off of this book is really good, (the book is better). I could not belive how much this book changed my veiw on dogs in the military, and the respect you have to give them.
-goodreads user Cade3 s Ford494

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