Max the Mighty

Max the Mighty is a novel by Rodman Philbrick about a boy named Maxwell Kane. Max is a rather large boy who lives with his grandparents because his father killed his mother and went to prison.

The story begins when Max, the narrator, sees a girl being bullied. Max helps the girl, who everyone calls Worm because she reads all of the time. Later Max learns that her stepfather is abusing the girl and her mother. Max rescues Worm, but the stepfather tells the cops that Max has kidnapped her. Max and Worm are forced to run away.

Worm wants to go see her real father, and Max thinks that her father will be able to help solve the problem. However, Worm’s father is on the other side of the country. So, Max and Worm hitchhike and get a ride from Dippy Hippie. Later, the police catch up, and Worm and Max have to run away again.

This time, they hop on a train, while it’s moving, and meet Hobo Joe. Hobo Joe travels with them on trains, not necessarily legally, and gets them to where Worm’s father is. It turns out Worm’s father died in a mining accident and Worm wants to visit his grave. The police catch up again, but this time, Worm’s stepfather is proven guilty of abusing Worm and her mom. Worm and her mom temporarily live with Max and his grandparents, and Worm’s stepfather goes to prison.

I enjoyed this novel. It is an extremely unusual adventure with interesting and likeable characters.

This quest is one of a kind and always takes an unexpected turn. Just when everything is peaceful and all of the problems seem solved, something forces change. A new plan needs to be formed.

For example, when Max and Worm are with Dippy Hippie, or Dip for short, they are happy. Dip has a bus, so they stay at truck stops. One night, after dinner, Dip, Max, and Worm are full and happy looking up at the stars. Max has a wonderful feeling of tranquility. However, the police find them. Dip can’t take them because someone slashed Dip’s bus’s tires. Once again, Max and Worm have to run. The story has many twists and turns like this and keeps you waiting to see what happens next.

Also, the characters in the story are intriguing. They kept me entertained and wondering who I would meet next. My favorite character was Dip. He is a kind, good natured, old man. He does everything he possibly can to help the kids and to get them where they want to go. He takes care of them as if they are his grandchildren. He is a peaceful man. When Dip does an ancient Chinese dance, his smooth movements show how relaxed and peaceful he is inside. Joe is also a likeable character. Because he has so little, he appreciates the small things in life. Joe travels around the country on trains in the West, so he simply watches the plains roll by. He says that it’s better than TV.

I thought that this was a roller coaster ride of a story and an overall commendable book.