#MMGM: A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin
ABOUT THE BOOK
A moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.
Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.
When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.
REVIEW
Starting middle school is tough enough for Max being 5 foot 10 inches tall, but having one friend in the hospital and another not speaking to him makes it all the more difficult. Being teased for his height as well as struggling to manage his ADHD, Max doesn't remember what happened the night his friend, Will got hurt, nor does he understand why Joey won't have anything to do with him. With Will in a coma, and Joey unwilling to admit what really happened, Max decides it's up to him to figure out what happened if he wants to more past the guilt he feels and find a way to face his friends again. With the help of his sort-of-friend, Sam, and his visiting uncle, Max sets out to find out what happened the night his whole life changed. But as his memories slowly return, it becomes clear that not everyone wants him to remember or to find out exactly what occurred in the abandoned roundhouse.
I found Max an entirely engaging protagonist. His pain and guilt and confusion over what happened the night he snuck out with his friends and a couple of older boys make him a sympathetic character right from the first page. I also loved how supportive Max's family is, even though they don't always get along. The connection between Max and his uncle was an interesting one as they worked on his uncle's woodworking job. The tension between his mother and uncle adds some depth and further questions to the family's ongoing struggles. Sam, as an aspiring journalist, plays an interesting role, as she firmly nudges Max into searching for answers but then discovers that maybe she doesn't really want to know what happened if it involves her brother. Max's discoveries about his family and friends are at the heart of the story as are questions about truth and the power of fear in choice and accountability.
While I could have done without the bad language in the book, there wasn't enough of it to stop me from loving the story and the characters. The themes here are ones I consider very important as Max and his family and friends discover that everyone makes mistakes, but it's how one learns to deal with those mistakes and the consequences of them that determines what kind of person one becomes.
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