Runaway Max is about one of the central characters, Maxine “Max” Mayfield, in the epic Netflix series Stranger Things. For those that watch the show, this book takes place during season two. However, you don’t have to watch the show to be able to follow this story, as its main focus is about Max and her journey from San Diego, California to Hawkins, Indiana. It reads like a diary, giving the reader a first-person account of tomboy Max and all the family drama she must endure, from her divorced parents to an abusive step-father and dangerous step-brother. If you’re desperate to be thrust back into the Stranger Things world, then this book will definitely succeed, however, the writing is nothing like brilliant storytelling of the TV show. If anything, it’s worth reading just to get this description of fan favorite Steve “Mom” Harrington: “He looked irritated and kind of preppie, with a giant swoop of hair like someone in a new-wave band.” ( )

i paid money to read about neil hargrove beating his son with a belt and said son burning a dead cat. also very exact descriptions of billy's eyes. that was worth at least one star more. ( )

One of the series of books based on the Netflix show Stranger Things that looks deeper into the histories of some of the characters.
This one tells the story of Max Mayfield, the new girl in season two. We learn about Max's life in California, her parents, her stepfather and her stepbrother, Billy. Most of the story is season 2 of Stranger Things from Max's POV, with her history thrown in intermittently.
This is a really enjoyable, quick read, that made me feel that I understood the character and her motives much better now. It definitely added to the story from the show. ( )