Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant (Max Quick, #1)

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Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant (Max Quick #1)

by Mark Jeffrey (Goodreads Author)

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 380 ratings · 67 reviews

Max Quick is a pickpocket, a vagabond, an orphan, and a thief. Even so, nothing about him seems particularly special . . . until one day when time mysteriously stops. Suddenly, nearly everyone in the world is frozen in time--except for Max.

Now Max must journey across America to find the source of the Time-stop. Along the way, he meets others who aren't suspended in time, l...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published April 26th 2011 by HarperCollins (first published 2004)

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The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

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Jan 10, 2011 Michael Tritter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Every once in a while we all come across a book that speaks, and speaks to us individually, in a way that goes beyond the characters and events inside the story; when the story becomes more than a story. Like Lord of the Rings, A Wrinkle in Time, even The Da Vinci Code, there are times when the story becomes a vehicle for thinking about who we are, what defines us, where we come from and where we are going, and Max Quick is just such a story. I'm not saying that I now believe exactly what author...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2010 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I wrote it, so I kinda like it :) Hope you do as well!!!!

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 17, 2010 Phillip rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great piece of fiction that as a bonus is also young enough to be juvenile fiction (so my kids can read it too). Great world, great plot lines, cool characters. Well done Mark!

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 22, 2011 Hillary DePiano rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I read a lot of YA and when you read as much YA as I do everything starts to feel a little stale and familiar even if there is some new twist or gimmick. Familiar isn't a bad thing sometimes, but when I actually find something that shows me something truly new or unexpected, it deserves a special note. I really liked this book. One of the biggest appeals of Max Quick for me was its unpredictability. I'm not talking about twists but instead the way familiar tropes (aliens, time travel, mysterious...more I read a lot of YA and when you read as much YA as I do everything starts to feel a little stale and familiar even if there is some new twist or gimmick. Familiar isn't a bad thing sometimes, but when I actually find something that shows me something truly new or unexpected, it deserves a special note. I really liked this book. One of the biggest appeals of Max Quick for me was its unpredictability. I'm not talking about twists but instead the way familiar tropes (aliens, time travel, mysterious heritage) are mashed-up in unexpected ways making for an enjoyable read. When the world stops for everyone else, there is some fantastic imagery (the chase scene in the frozen mist is one of my favorites) and some truly funny parts. The pace is fast enough that you're caught up in the mystery of the present (why is everyone frozen?) and the past (who is Max?) and find yourself reading longer then you planned for answers. The tension makes for a quick (ha! pun!) read and, though the plot is complex, I don't think the story ever gets bogged down by it. I'm truly looking forward to the next installment of the series and spending more time in this world.

In the interest of full disclosure, I read (yes, actually read, not listened to the podcast) the original version of Max Quick that Mark self-published when it first came out. My review was (and weirdly still is) one of the featured reviews on that edition so I feel like it would be an elephant in the room if I didn't acknowledge here that this is a re-read for me. What are the differences between this version and the one that I originally read all those years ago? In general, everything is better. Scenes that were a little slow have been tightened, characters are better developed and there's 100% less tyranny of the italics key. ;-) In original review, I admitted to loving the story but being frustrated by the writing and I'm pleased to say that is no longer the case in this new edition. This is a good book. Period. If you're a fan of the podcast version and wondering if you should grab a copy of the hardcover now, I urge you to. It's the story you already love but leaner, tighter and just overall better.(less)

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May 20, 2011 Dorine White rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Story- Max Quick is an orphan with amnesia. He lives in a home for wayward boys, due to his pick pocketing ways. During an eclipse he is surprised to find the world frozen in time. Only a few other children besides himself are able to move around. One of these kids, Casey, teams up with Max to help solve the frozen time problem. Together they face strange beings in flying pyramids who seem to know the truth about Max's mysterious unaging past. Our hero will only be able to save the world whe...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, fantasy, series, young-adult

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

This is not my usual genre, so it was with some hesitation that I picked up this book. A friend had recommended it as being in the vein of Harry Potter and thought I should give it a read. While I am clearly not the target audience for this story, which I think would be pre-teens and teens, I quite enjoyed The Pocket and the Pendant. In fact, it was a lot of fun to step away from all the serious, sober fiction I normally read and escape to the fantastical and energetic world of this book. I tore...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Erik Wittmer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades

This book was recommended to me by Mrs. Susan Dee, 5th grade language arts teacher in the snowy state of Maine. Our classes connected on World Read Aloud Day and we both did some book talks. This book came up and I immediately ordered it from Amazon.

My students are in the middle of PSSAs which gave me time to do nothing but walk around and read and keep an eye on those that need to have eyes on them. I just finished this book because it was mind boggling. Every time I thought I had it figured o...more

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Apr 04, 2008 Cognizance LeeLo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Cognizance by: mark jeffrey

A clever adventure that takes you on a wild and mystical ride! The beginning is a little slow to start, but once you are immersed in the world of The Pocket you will find it hard to put the book down!

I enjoyed the creative way Jeffrey connects old tales and new concepts to explain the fundamentals of life itself. It is a story for all ages to enjoy.

I look forward to reading the sequel, The Two Travelers.

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2010 sehrlich marked it as to-read

I can't wait to read this book by Mark Jeffrey!!!

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Dec 15, 2010 Lawrence Leach marked it as to-read

I love everything Mark does.

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May 31, 2011 Shwride rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book started out strong but fizzled. I think it is intended for 10 to 12 year olds, and maybe for them it would be fine, if they aren't too discriminating. The plot centers around Max Quick and three friends he picks up. They are stuck in a "time pocket", where time stands still, for everyone but them (well almost). Aliens, evil men seeking immortality, it has it all, except the end is anti climactic and in my opinion too easily resolved. It felt like the author said, this is getting too lo...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Aimee rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant" was a fast paced read with lots of action. I was hooked on this book after the first chapter and I had to find out what was going on. Why was time stopped and why weren't Max and Casey affected?! As I got more and more into the book, I just HAD to know why Max was missing his memory and who he really was. If these mysteries aren't enough, there are many more that pop up throughout the book to keep your interest peaked. I would go into more details, but I H...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Caitlings rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-debut, mg, read-in-2011, sci-fi

My relationship with this book is long and sordid. Reading through the advance copy was not the first time I’ve read the story of orphan Max Quick, his lost memory and the day time stopped.

Or, well, technically it was the first time I’d read it.

Max Quick – The Pocket and the Pendant was, originally, a self-published book. And, after a set of events that I won’t go into here, it was also a podcast. Or a podiobook. Which is how I first discovered it, two years ago.

Max Quick is a middle grade book,...more My relationship with this book is long and sordid. Reading through the advance copy was not the first time I’ve read the story of orphan Max Quick, his lost memory and the day time stopped.

Or, well, technically it was the first time I’d read it.

Max Quick – The Pocket and the Pendant was, originally, a self-published book. And, after a set of events that I won’t go into here, it was also a podcast. Or a podiobook. Which is how I first discovered it, two years ago.

Max Quick is a middle grade book, a little younger target than what we usually review, but it is still very awesome. It is the story of a young, orphan boy, who doesn’t remember anything beyond a few years ago, and who lives in a terrible home for boys. It is about him discovering friendship and loyalty and courage.

I almost don’t even know what to say about the plot. Especially since I have the original all mixed up in my head with the soon-to-be published version. I love that it’s an intelligent, sci-fi adventure for boys that doesn’t treat children like idiots. It tackles physics, and ethics, and courage, and friendship.

The plot for both versions is the same. Time stops. Oceans freeze. Planes hang in the sky. And people everywhere pause for an eternity. Except for a few children who are left parent-less and free in a world without rules. Max, the aforementioned orphan, is one of the children not frozen. He soon meets up with Casey, a young girl who’s a bit of an outcast, and Ian, who’s a bit of a geek. After some awesome adventures and discovery of cool things in the time-stopped world (picture mist, frozen in time, and children fighting in it. It’s awesome.) they come to the realization that, as far as they know, no one is trying to stop the time-stop. No one is helping them. And if they want the world back the way it’s supposed to be, they’ll have to take matters into their own hands.

There is so much I love about this book, it’s difficult to know where to start. I love the characters and the dynamics of the group. I love the twists and turns the plot takes. I love the action and the science and the history. At the end of the book, you feel as if you’ve been entertained, and also as if you’ve learned something. I love the potential this book has to get children, and adults, excited about both reading and science. Those two things don’t usually go together.

I appreciated that the real journey for the kids begins because they decide it needs to happen. No one is forcing them to do anything. They could have holed up in some out of the way location discovering all the weird things that happened as a result of the time-stop, but they decided that they were the ones equipped to deal with these extraordinary events. Again, the emphasis on free will is not something seen that often in middle grade books.

Mark Jeffrey is really good at making things feel seamless. Like bringing together science fiction (aliens!) with creation myth and theories of the human consciousness. Or, on a smaller level, there’s a really great scene where Max first comes into contact with a character who can provide answers for him. But you know it’s at a time in the story where the author wouldn’t want to reveal too much to the audience, and then there’s a good plot reason that Max cannot get the answers. It doesn’t feel forced or as if they are being withheld on purpose. It really just didn’t make sense for the answers to be divulged at that moment.

There were a couple things from the original that I missed, and one name was changed and I didn’t really like that at all. But then, there were a lot of things that I thought were better this time around, so I guess it was an even trade off.

The book comes out April 26th (according to Goodreads) from HarperCollins. I highly suggest you pick up a copy. It’s a lot of fun, and has that great type of ending, where everything is wrapped up and you feel complete with the story, yet desperate for more. The best way to leave a book.

Also, if I don’t get book 3 soon, I might just implode.(less)

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Jun 02, 2010 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

This is the first in the Max Quick series. No telling how many more to come. Many I hope. ; ) This is a wonderful story, which
began for me as it was just finished. I was priviledged to be among the first to read the finished book one. I was hooked by the first paragraph, which, in my opinion is a MUST and the "mark" of a really good book.

The story has so much action and is so different from any other, while being still similar to the writings of C. S. Lewis, Tolien, and
Harry Potterish in the mi...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Sarah-Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"On March 14, at exactly 1:59 in the afternoon, the world stopped."

From that first sentence, THE POCKET AND THE PENDANT grabs you and barrels you along a story that's fantastic in every sense of the word. It's funny, exciting, and fascinating, with tantalizing dollops of historical detail interwoven in a highly modern sci-fi adventure. While it's riveting and complex, it's also a touching story of friendship and finding one's own capacity in a truly unexpected manner. A real treat.

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Jan 23, 2011 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Middle School Age through Adults

Recommended to Eric by: Goodreads

Shelves: first-reads, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 07, 2012 Mohamed Doucore rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like Max Quick and the Pendant because it deals with aliens and ancient artifacts.For example, on page 189 Max finds out that he's Niburian not human and is 12,000 years old.Another example is on page 264 when Jonny Siren is granted immotality but is taken away.One challenge was that it has hard word that are hard to pronouce like Niburian and a vagabond.One charecter that intersted me was Jonny Siren.He interst me because he was a evil man in search of Niburian artifacts and in the end he end...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book has everything a middle grade reader is looking for! Tons of adventure, twists and turns that keep you guessing, a main character with a mysterious past, new friendships, betrayal, ALIENS...yep...the a trifecta for hooking even the most dormant middle grade reader. I liked the idea of "time traveling" by running...really fast! Not because I necessarily like running, I don't, but I thought it was a clever way to make that happen. I also loved that the characters traveled by way of books...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Collette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Loved it! It's so refreshing to see new ideas in children's science fiction. The plot is somewhat based on science, and the mini-societies and alliances that come into existence when time stops are exactly in line with human behavior. This book offers lots of fast-paced action and a solid plot for any sci fi lover, and I can't wait for the sequel!

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Mar 13, 2012 Zach rated it 5 of 5 stars

this was a the best book i have ever read and i reccomended this book for the maine student book award. it was by far the greatest book and anybody into time stops and ancient teleporters should drop whatever there reading and pick this one up from your liberary.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 06, 2011 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Max Quick - The Pocket and the Pendant is a fast paced, action packed read for YA.
What happens when time stands still and the only people who can move are all teens? Anything and everthing. A good summer read for YA fantasy readers.

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Jul 09, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I feel like I put this on my list to read forever ago! But, our library just barely got it in. It was a fun read - even with all of the "yup, I saw that comin'"! Marissa liked it too, and I love to talk books with her.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 15, 2011 Noel Romey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, scifi

I read this book when it came out as a podcast audiobook. I don't remember much about it, perhaps I should read it again, but I do remember I liked it.

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Sep 09, 2011 Maxine McLister rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant in a Good Reads giveaway and, oddly enough, it arrived just as I was finishing Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. I say oddly enough because this book is like Snow Crash for kids. It concerns ancient Sumerian gods, devices which turn people into slaves, and two worlds existing simultaneously - in Sc Reality and the Metaverse, in MQ, Reality, and a time pocket.

Don't get me wrong - I quite liked Max Quick. It was a fast paced, fun read with lots of action and...more

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May 09, 2011 Kaethe marked it as to-read

I have no opinion on the book yet, but the ubiquitous ad is creeping me out. Max Quick Journeys to the Uncanny Valley is what they should call that picture. Those faces on the cover are horribly wrong in some way.

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Jan 30, 2013 Allison Armstrong rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chapter-books

I think fifth grade boys will really like this book. It has a lot of action and the whole time thing is interesting to think about.

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Apr 16, 2012 Zurg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great Book has funny terms that make you want to read it all. It goes by in a Woosh. A very good read. With very good charecters.

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Dec 04, 2009 Ethan " " rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While this book is not popular it is amazing. Definity a great read. Very intresting plot and charecters. Read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jul 14, 2011 Camille rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fantasy-sci-fic

Clever, fun. Nice for intermediate reader (and beyond) who like fantasy but are not ready to tackle the 800 page books yet.

1 like · like · see review

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About Mark Jeffrey

Mark Jeffrey is the author of the young adult Max Quick Series (maxquickseries.com). He is also the author of the ARMAND PTOLEMY thriller series and AGE OF AETHER, a steampunk adventure-romance.

His first podiobook, MAX QUICK: THE POCKET AND THE PENDANT, has received over 2.4 million downloads to date. He has co-founded four internet companies and written four novels.

Mark has been named as one of H...more

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Max Quick: The Two Travelers (Max Quick, #2)

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Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant (Max Quick #1)

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