As of June 14, 2020, I have never received the copy of this book that I won via Goodreads First Reads. I am making a note here to keep track of what ones I was unable to read due to it being lost/unreceived.

I could not get beyond 60 pages of this book. Too much whining and complaining on the part of the main character, and I really wasn't buying into the Mayan intrigue, although I wanted to. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood. ( )

Non-stop action and a fascinating look at Mayan culture, ancient and modern. Read my entire review:

http://www.wandsandworlds.com/blog1/2007/09/book-review-middleworld.html ( )

Good adventure story with lots of Mayan mythology and supernatural elements to give it flavor. Fast-paced, easy reading. ( )

Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Massimo Francis Sylvanus Murphy hates to be called by his whole name. It’s much too formal, like his parents who are famous archaeologists and Harvard professors. He much prefers Max. Max is much more fitting for a fourteen-year-old who loves video games, pizza, and the drums.

Max has his summer vacation planned out; he and his parents are going to Italy to visit his grandmother. Unfortunately, his parents come home early one night and ruin his plans – they are going on a dig, Max is staying home with Zia, the weird maid, and Italy is out of the question.

A week after his parents leave, however, Max finds a plane ticket next to his breakfast cereal. Zia tells him that “they” have told her that Max is special and she is sending him to San Xavier to meet his parents as a result. Max never does find out who “they” are, but he’s on his way within hours.

Strangely enough though, his uncle (with whom his parents are supposed to be staying) isn’t all that welcoming. He wants Max to stay out of the way while he deals with mysterious business associates and disappears into a strangely empty office for hours at a time. Uncle Ted doesn’t count on the fact that Max isn’t the type to avoid a challenge, and Max discovers a hidden treasure room that contains Mayan treasures. One of the treasures is the Red Jaguar of Chahk, a fabulous jewel carved into the shape of a jaguar’s head.

When Max spies two monkeys stealing the Red Jaguar, he sets off on an adventure to find his parents, who is turns out are missing, and the other three jaguar stones. Along the way he joins up with Lola, a Mayan girl, who has more than just a passing interest in his quest. The story takes the two on an exciting adventure through the San Xavier jungle as they seek the answers to the mysteries of the jaguar stones, Max’s parents, and the dangerous villain Count Antonio de Landa.

This is a great story for both boys and girls who enjoy a hero journey tale. Not only are the characters engaging, and the quest hair-raising, but subtle history lessons about the ancient Mayan civilization provide an extra layer of depth. ( )