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The Max Quick Trilogy #1
The Pocket and the Pendant
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, like Casey, a girl who's never been on her own until now. Together, as they search for the cause of this disaster, Max and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, magic books, and clues to the riddle of stopped time. But relentless and mysterious villains are hot on Max's heels and will do everything in their power to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. And the closer Max gets to the answers, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed.
Racing against a clock that no longer ticks, Max must embrace his past to save his future—and the world—from being altered forever.
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, like Casey, a girl who's never been on her own until now. Together, as they search for the cause of this disaster, Max and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, magic books, and clues to the riddle of stopped time. But relentless and mysterious villains are hot on Max's heels and will do everything in their power to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. And the closer Max gets to the answers, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed.
Racing against a clock that no longer ticks, Max must embrace his past to save his future—and the world—from being altered forever.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
12 people are currently reading
514 people want to read
About the author
Mark Jeffrey
27 books154 followersSerial entrepreneur and Harper Collins author | Host HASH RATE Web3 pod | General Partner: Boolean Fund | Founder & CEO, Guardian Circle ‘Friends & Family 9-1-1’ app (Partner: XPRIZE, NEWSWEEK Blockchain Impact Award (2019), FAST COMPANY ‘World Changing Idea’ 2018) | CTO Mahalo (backed by Sequoia, Elon Musk, Jason Calacanis) | Co-Founder & CEO ThisWeekIn podcast network with Kevin Pollak & Jason Calacanis | Founder: ZeroDegrees (2002) business social network (sold to IAC 2004) | Founder: The Palace (Metaverse) 1995-2000, 10M users, backed by SOFTBANK, Intel, Time Warner (sold to Communities.com 1999) | Participated in the Ethereum ICO, Bitcoin class of 2013 | Worked with UBER founder Travis Kalanick on Red Swoosh | First serialized podcast novel (The Pocket and the Pendant) 2005 (2.3M downloads) Harper Collins hardcover 2011| Author: BITCOIN EXPLAINED SIMPLY (2013), THE CASE FOR BITCOIN (2015) | Featured in ‘Trust Machine’ blockchain film (Alex Winter, Rosario Dawson), Apple's PLANET OF THE APPS reality TV show, RISE OF BLOCKCHAIN with Akon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 14, 2010
I wrote it, so I kinda like it :) Hope you do as well!!!!
February 8, 2011
"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.
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.
Read
April 1, 2011My 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.
Reviewed on WhatchYAreading on March 18, 2011.
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.
Reviewed on WhatchYAreading on March 18, 2011.
December 17, 2010
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!
July 22, 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 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.
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.
January 11, 2011
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 Mark Jeffery has put down in The Pocket and the Pendent to be the same as fact, just as the Lord of the Rings hasn't made me believe that elves and orcs are running around in the woods, but that it has stimulated thought, which in the end is the about the best thing a book can do. When we are kids our sense of wonder and open-minded exhilaration at the mysteries of the universe are so much more attuned, and this is a story that a kid can really get excited about (okay, as someone in the early 40's, I got excited too). As many reviews have mentioned, M. Jeffery has brought together magic, sci-fi, religion, metaphysics, philosophy, creation, and more into a face-paced story with truly excellent results.
This is a great book, plain and simple. If there is any one common suggestion, amongst all the praise, it is that it would benefit from the professional polish of a top-editor and a large publishing house - well that is exactly what has happened through M. Jeffery's current association with HarperCollins. I'm excited for the revision and looking forward to purchasing the new version in March. Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant
[[ASIN:0061988928 Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant]]
This is a great book, plain and simple. If there is any one common suggestion, amongst all the praise, it is that it would benefit from the professional polish of a top-editor and a large publishing house - well that is exactly what has happened through M. Jeffery's current association with HarperCollins. I'm excited for the revision and looking forward to purchasing the new version in March. Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant
[[ASIN:0061988928 Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant]]
February 4, 2011
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 through the story, enjoying every last minute of it.
Max Quick is an orphaned 12-year old with amnesia, stuck in a lousy home for boys in California. While Max is running away from the school, something very strange happens. Time suddenly stops. All around him, people are frozen in space. Confused and concerned, Max wanders through town alone. But he soon discovers that he is not actually alone. Two other people seem to be with him in the "pocket" of normal time and space. The first, Siren, is a scar-lashed and threatening man, who seems to know more about Max than Max knows about himself. The second, Casey, is a girl Max's age who quickly becomes his best friend. Suddenly, Max and Casey find themselves in the middle of a eons-old battle between aliens and humans, and they must use all their skills to learn how they can save Earth.
This is the first book in a series, and I'll definitely be curious to read the next installment. I found the world of The Pocket and the Pendant to be very inventive and charming, filled with creative sci-fi and fantasy elements. If I was a 10-year old boy, I would be obsessed! I'm certainly glad to have discovered it, as well.
Max Quick is an orphaned 12-year old with amnesia, stuck in a lousy home for boys in California. While Max is running away from the school, something very strange happens. Time suddenly stops. All around him, people are frozen in space. Confused and concerned, Max wanders through town alone. But he soon discovers that he is not actually alone. Two other people seem to be with him in the "pocket" of normal time and space. The first, Siren, is a scar-lashed and threatening man, who seems to know more about Max than Max knows about himself. The second, Casey, is a girl Max's age who quickly becomes his best friend. Suddenly, Max and Casey find themselves in the middle of a eons-old battle between aliens and humans, and they must use all their skills to learn how they can save Earth.
This is the first book in a series, and I'll definitely be curious to read the next installment. I found the world of The Pocket and the Pendant to be very inventive and charming, filled with creative sci-fi and fantasy elements. If I was a 10-year old boy, I would be obsessed! I'm certainly glad to have discovered it, as well.
April 4, 2008
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.
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.
March 17, 2011
This is a book packed full of adventure and neat concepts. Like the hero, the story starts off with a bang and keeps going at a ripping pace. I finished this book at the same speed because I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Jeffrey is not afraid to think big, and the scope of the Pocket and the Pendant certainly gives him lots of room to explore in the sequels.
Jeffrey is not afraid to think big, and the scope of the Pocket and the Pendant certainly gives him lots of room to explore in the sequels.
Want to read
December 16, 2010I love everything Mark does.
September 3, 2020
A very fun book to read as Max and his new found friends go on an adventure to unfreeze time and with Max learning a few things about himself.
March 16, 2012
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 out, a twist was thrown into the mix. Students in middle grades will need to read this book by Mark Jeffrey. Below is a summary of the book that I found on Goodreads.com.
Thanks to Mrs. Dee who has also shipped my students a second copy of this book. She said that students would be passing it around. I just handed it to one of boys who will talk it up as he is reading it to get others excited. Thank you Mrs. Dee!
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, like Casey, a girl who's never been on her own until now. Together, as they search for the cause of this disaster, Max and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, magic books, and clues to the riddle of stopped time. But relentless and mysterious villains are hot on Max's heels and will do everything in their power to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. And the closer Max gets to the answers, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed. Racing against a clock that no longer ticks, Max must embrace his past to save his future—and the world—from being altered forever.
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 out, a twist was thrown into the mix. Students in middle grades will need to read this book by Mark Jeffrey. Below is a summary of the book that I found on Goodreads.com.
Thanks to Mrs. Dee who has also shipped my students a second copy of this book. She said that students would be passing it around. I just handed it to one of boys who will talk it up as he is reading it to get others excited. Thank you Mrs. Dee!
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, like Casey, a girl who's never been on her own until now. Together, as they search for the cause of this disaster, Max and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, magic books, and clues to the riddle of stopped time. But relentless and mysterious villains are hot on Max's heels and will do everything in their power to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. And the closer Max gets to the answers, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed. Racing against a clock that no longer ticks, Max must embrace his past to save his future—and the world—from being altered forever.
August 7, 2012
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 ends up sacaficing his life for his daughter Casey.
December 24, 2011
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!
October 11, 2007
I listened to the podiobook version of this book -- my favorite to date!!!! Then I bought the hardcopy on Amazon and re-read it recently. Both are different experiences but each great in their own way. Except now I hear Mr. Jeffery's voice in my head whenever i read the book ;)
July 10, 2011
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.
March 13, 2012
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.
Want to read
December 15, 2010I can't wait to read this book by Mark Jeffrey!!!
April 1, 2011
This was a great audio book. I listened to it while biking to and from work and it kept me captivated the entire time.
July 14, 2011
Clever, fun. Nice for intermediate reader (and beyond) who like fantasy but are not ready to tackle the 800 page books yet.
September 15, 2011
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.
June 9, 2012
That is a great book
August 26, 2012
I hardly ever give anything 5 stars. This was an awesome book about time stopping. It possibly has my vote for this year's MSBA book.
August 24, 2012
It was great. I mean who wouldnt like this?
October 11, 2012
I really love this book. He had a lot of interesting concepts in the plot of the story. I love the characters.
January 31, 2013
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.
March 5, 2013
Oh, wow! What a great book to start off the series! I can't wait to read the second book.
Read
August 10, 2013This book I would recommend to anyone. It's fantastic. Me and my son devoured it in under a day! I want more by this author.
November 16, 2020
I Love this book one of my favorite Max Quick books
February 19, 2022
I found with the audiobook it was hard to concentrate on the story. The unnecessary soundtrack didn't help. Will read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews