August 31, 1998
PW's starred review called this sequel to Freak the Mighty "a rip-roaring, heartwarming escapade." Ages 10-14.
April 1, 1998
Gr 4-7-There ought to be a law against churning out thoughtless sequels to great books. Max, introduced in Freak the Mighty (Scholastic, 1993), reluctantly runs away with Worm, the 11-year-old stepdaughter of a delusional and abusive street character he calls "the Undertaker." Hitchhiking west in search of Worm's real father, thought to be living in Chivalry, Montana, they are picked up by a widowed ex-teacher called "Hippy-Dippy," who is traveling in a 70s-style, reconditioned school bus. Their ride is interrupted by a chance meeting with an unsavory pair of con artists who recognize Max as the young teen kidnapper for whom a $10,000 bounty is being offered; the youngsters then take off and continue their journey by hopping trains. With "the Undertaker" in hot pursuit, they make it to their destination, a ghost town haunted by a catastrophic mine cave-in. There, the police, the Undertaker, Hippy-Dippy, and Max's grandfather are waiting for them. Enormous caverns of logic exist with the most obvious ones jumping out: where could the Undertaker come up with $10,000 reward money, who would take him seriously, wouldn't his checkered past spring to fluorescent light, and why would he seriously pursue this child in the first place? The emotional center-the gripping relationship between Max and Freak-is sorely missing here; readers are unlikely to connect with any of the cartoonlike characters assembled. The Hollywood ending is also lacking any semblance of credibility. Instead of this title, purchase an additional copy of the first book.-Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
July 1, 1998
The guileless, oversized hero of 'Freak the Mighty' returns in this sequel. Now fourteen, Max impulsively kidnaps Worm, a younger girl who is in imminent danger of being abused by her creepy stepfather, and the two set out to find her real father. Aside from Max and Worm, the characters seem more colorful than fully fleshed out, but the two that matter the most grab your attention and engage your heart.
(Copyright 1998 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)