Sometime last year I started reading a book called Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine. by Jennifer Li Shotz.
Summary of the book:
"The New York Times bestselling movie novelization—a powerful story about a special dog and what it means to be a hero that more and more readers have discovered.
When Justin's older brother, Kyle, is killed in Afghanistan, Justin can't believe that his brother is really gone. Except there's one thing that Kyle left behind….
Max is a highly trained military canine who has always protected his fellow soldiers. But when he loses his handler and best friend, Kyle, Max is traumatized and unable to remain in the service.
He is sent home to America, where the only human he connects with is Justin, and he is soon adopted by Kyle's family, essentially saving his life. At first, Justin has no interest in taking care of his late brother's troubled dog. However, the two learn to trust each other, which helps the four-legged veteran become his heroic self once more.
As the pair start to unravel the mystery of what really happened to Kyle, they find more excitement—and danger—than they bargained for. But they might also find an unlikely new best friend in each other."
I watched the movie and found the book at a garage sale and bought it. I started it in August but put it down for almost a year. I picked it up again and finished it one day.
The book and movie are very close but there are also some changes. There were all the same characters but there will some minor details.
I love so many things about this book. I love Max and Justin's relationship. I like how they have too got to know each other and create a relationship. My favorite part of this book was the scenes where Justin and Max would do regular human-dog activities. Justin would be riding his bike and Max would be right there with him. Someone is attacking Justin, I bet you, Max is right there protecting him.
Another thing I liked was the mystery that was going on. This book has some military background and I'm no expert about what goes on in the field but I could tell Shotz did her research. The book felt natural like it was something that could happen. Realism is key. There was a bit of a mystery going on with Tyler and I liked how into everything was given away with it.
One more thing I liked was how Shotz wrote Max having PTSD. Some authors can't write this in people and she did a great job writing it in a dog. The whole book was great in dealing with death. I have lost people very close to me, I can feel for the characters and it feels like something that could happen.
The realism of this book is amazing. I read mostly fantasy, so reading this realistic fiction book was amazing and felt great.
The relationships in the book were genuine. I liked the sparks of romance between Justin and Carmen. The friendship between Justin and Chuy was great. The tension between father and son was there. These are all things I felt before and they work for the story.
The writing is amazing, it's simple and clear. This book is middle school novel and it worked out well.
I recommend this book to any middle schooler who is looking for a quick, fun read. This book does have a movie, so once you finish the book you can watch the movie.
I hope you enjoy.
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