Synopsis (as taken from Amazon) is as follows:

The problem with Wales, he thought, was that it was too far away.
But that was the point. To leave Southend behind. To get so far that no one would think to look for them there.

Max wants to be just like his dad – fun, loud and strong.
Instead, he always seems to be accidentally getting into fights and breaking things.

But when his dad starts bringing home mysterious boxes, even more mysterious wads of cash starts turning up.

Then Dad disappears. And it’s up to Max to look after his sisters until he comes home.

When they run away to a remote village in Wales, he’s convinced that no one will find them.

He’s Max Kowalski. Of course he can look after three kids with no grownups around!

Although, he can’t stop thinking about where Dad really went. And the whispers of a golden dragon, asleep under the Welsh mountains…

Ability to Read – I found this very easy to read and found the story very easy to get into.

Characterisation – Max was an amazing eleven-year-old with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Known for saying the wrong thing or getting in trouble, Max never shirked his responsibility in looking after his sisters. His actions took me on an emotional roller coaster and at times I couldn’t believe how far Max had taken things, while at other times I was in awe at the decisions he’d made for his family.

Visualisation – It was easy to visualise this and see the world as Max sees it. His view was unique and full of innocence and imagination. It was lovely to create his world in my own imagination.

Enjoyment – This was an impulse buy at a Waterstones Book Haul. I couldn’t resist adding it to my pile and I’m very glad that the story inside matched the same excitement and adventure as the blurb on the back of the book. There were a lot of emotions in this book that took me all over the place as the story unfolded. It is a short book but one that leaves a mark.

Star Rating – ★★★★★