Review: Max in the Land of Lies
Max in the Land of Lies: A Tale of World War II
by Adam Gidwitz
Dutton Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2025
Category: Middle Grade
Reviewer: Kathryn Hall
Max in the Land of Lies is a sequel to Max in the House of Spies and begins in 1940 with Max just outside Berlin, after a parachute drop which left his adult supervisor dead. Max has dybbuk and kobold companions, one on each shoulder, invisible and inaudible to all but Max. They comment, give comic or historical perspective and advice, and sometimes even help. Max is a spy with an official mission, but his secret mission is to find the parents who had sent him to England for safety while they remained in Berlin.
What follows is exciting, suspenseful, sad, frightening, heartwarming, and funny. The end is realistic and satisfying. Many of the characters were real people, and the historical accuracy is impressive in a work of fantasy fiction. Ethical dilemmas are explored, and lessons are learned. The author’s notes at the end are excellent. The book is so well written that kids and adults will not even notice how much history they are learning. Parallels to current events are unavoidable. There is one reference to the gay culture of Berlin and its fate. Most young readers will not understand it, but teen and adult readers will.
Very highly recommended for middle grade readers and above. It can be read out of order, but I recommend reading the earlier Max book first.
The representation of the mid-twentieth century European Ashkenazi Jews is authentic and integral to the story. Jews and non-Jews will be able to relate to and better understand both the Jews and the non-Jewish Germans. Stein and Berg, the dybbuk and kobold added a wonderful touch of fantasy to this otherwise realistic story.
What follows is exciting, suspenseful, sad, frightening, heartwarming, and funny. The end is realistic and satisfying. Many of the characters were real people, and the historical accuracy is impressive in a work of fantasy fiction. Ethical dilemmas are explored, and lessons are learned. The author’s notes at the end are excellent. The book is so well written that kids and adults will not even notice how much history they are learning. Parallels to current events are unavoidable. There is one reference to the gay culture of Berlin and its fate. Most young readers will not understand it, but teen and adult readers will.
Very highly recommended for middle grade readers and above. It can be read out of order, but I recommend reading the earlier Max book first.
The representation of the mid-twentieth century European Ashkenazi Jews is authentic and integral to the story. Jews and non-Jews will be able to relate to and better understand both the Jews and the non-Jewish Germans. Stein and Berg, the dybbuk and kobold added a wonderful touch of fantasy to this otherwise realistic story.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN REVIEWING BOOKS FOR THE SYDNEY TAYLOR SHMOOZE? CLICK HERE
Reviewer Kathryn Hall is a retired pediatrician, lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, volunteer librarian for her synagogue and for her local LGBT+ center, and active in her local PFLAG chapter. She has a special interest in Jewish children's literature with LGBT+ content. She lives in Central California with her husband, the youngest of her three children, and two of her eight grandchildren.
Comments
Post a Comment