ARC Review – 3⭐️

Summary:
Zach is just a normal teen—until he discovers a secret race known as Maxums, who can manipulate matter and are on the brink of war with humanity. To help prevent conflict, Zach and a small group of friends undergo a risky procedure to gain Maxum powers and infiltrate an elite training school, where they must hide the fact that they’re human. But with dangerous stakes and mounting tension, being found out could be fatal.

Review:
The concept behind Maxum is seriously cool—it’s a fresh spin on the “shadow government + secret training school” trope, with a sci-fi edge that kept me turning pages. The pacing flows well, and the story had enough intrigue and tension to keep me engaged throughout.

That said, the characters fell flat for me. The teenage dialogue didn’t feel authentic—it often read like an adult trying to sound like a teen, with awkward slang like “dawg” that pulled me out of the story. The girl characters in particular were one-dimensional, mostly focused on shopping and social media, which felt dated and shallow.

Zach, the main character, spends most of the book mopey and emotionally distant. I found it hard to root for him or get invested in his personal arc.

The book ends on a definite cliffhanger, clearly setting up a series. While the concept is intriguing, I don’t see myself continuing—it just didn’t connect enough for me to commit to more.

Bottom line: A well-paced, high-concept sci-fi with a strong premise, but underdeveloped characters and clunky dialogue held it back from being a standout.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!