2013 Book Review #22: Missing Max

Do you like fast-paced novels?

This one is definitely a story that moves along quickly.

STORY SUMMARY

Baby Max, age 6 months, disappears on Mardi Gras in New Orleans, while surrounded by hundreds of parade-goers and his teen-aged step-sister just a few feet away!

Only his tiny sneaker remains behind, with the abandoned stroller.

Max has been kidnapped and the marriage and lives of Jane and her husband Kyle soon fall apart.

And then their teenage daughter, Melanie, does an unthinkable act.  She becomes pregnant.  She wants to give her baby to her dad and her step-mom.  She involves Daniel, the Christian boy next door who is the son of Jane's best friend, Christine.

Soon both families are in turmoil.

Melanie is rebellious and guilty.

Kyle, who is a lawyer, is work-obsessed and struggling with his own grief over the loss of Max.

Jane, also a lawyer, becomes obsessed with Child Search, an organization that aides families dealing with the loss of missing children.  

And...she is starting to search for a spiritual life.

Christine, a Believer, prays for Jane and her family often.  But now that her son is the father of the baby growing inside Melanie, will this friendship sustain through these troubled times?

About 6 months later, an anonymous caller begins to target Jane.

Soon many strange things start to happen......who is stalking Jane??

Then one day, Melanie disappears!! 

Will Jane and Kyle find their children before it is too late?  and more importantly, will they find faith in Christ?

MY THOUGHTS

This book was a good read and full of the message of hope, endurance, prayer, and redemption through the power of forgiveness and love.  It also shows us the depth of emotions that come out in a family coping with the loss of a child and tragedy/difficult events.

However, I thought the ending was just a bit too "neat" and a little predictable and definitely unbelievable.

In real life, the events that occur at the end of the story, would probably NOT happen. But...it IS fiction.  It's just a little too "out there".

But it does make for an exciting read.

I like the author's book discussion questions at the end.  Some of my favorites were:

• Why do bad things happen to good people and what are your beliefs about that question?

• Were Jane and Kyle's reaction to Melanie's pregnancy typical of most parents?

• Do you think a strong faith (spiritually speaking) is essential to coping with tragedy?  What if a person is NOT a believer?  How do THEY cope with tragic events??

In my opinion, this is a book for ages 14 and older.

On a scale of 1- 10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.