ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Newly arrived in "the snake-infested dump" of San Xavier, a fictional Central American country, 14-year-old Max Murphy discovers that his archaeologist parents have disappeared. Aided in his search by resourceful Lola, a descendent of the Maya, Max learns that the gods of her people have chosen him for a mission involving powerful artifacts. The husband and wife coauthors, whose knowledge of the ancient Maya is evident from detailed appendixes and a bibliography, deliver too much information here, giving short shrift to Max's characterization and certain plot elements ch as why the ancient spirits speak English, and why Max, an often-whiny Bostonian with no ancestral ties to the Maya, finds favor with them. In addition, the pains the authors take to avoid making the culture seem exotic or strange are undercut by the wild mysticism surrounding the artifacts. Still, the book's unusual Mesoamerican backdrop is worth marking, and the Indiana Jones influenced adventure, as well as the book's polished line drawings, will keep readers interested and looking forward to future entries in the Jaguar Stones trilogy.

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Max Murphy is a moody, selfish fourteen-year-old. When his archaeologist parents abandon a family vacation for a Mayan dig, Max's fury lasts until he's sent to rescue them in Central America. Although the characters are thinly developed, murder, smugglers, and volatile Mayan deities keep the plot moving. The extensive information on Mayan culture will appeal to history fans. Glos.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A Boston teenager whose idea of adventure comes from computer gaming finds himself at the center of cosmic struggles between ancient Maya gods within the jungles of Central America, in this husband-and-wife team's first installment of the Jaguar Stones trilogy. Max Murphy's archeologist parents leave him behind, as usual, when they rush off to excavate an ancient Maya temple, and so he is surprised to be summoned to join them a week later. By the time he arrives, however, they have gone missing, and Max can tell that people are holding back the details. Despite his lifelong lack of interest, Max finally has to learn about Maya culture, especially when his parents' disappearance seems to have to do with the five “jaguar stones” used by the ancient ruler-gods and said to confer ultimate powers. This elaborate genre-bender involves ruthless smugglers; family estrangements; a helper in the form of a teenage Maya girl named Lola; two ancient Maya rulers brought to life (and given the bodies of baboons); Maya culture, past and present; zombies; and the Maya gods' eternal conflicts. That Max has somehow been chosen (presumably by the gods) to play the hero goes unresolved here, but between the exotic settings and themes and the breakneck pace, readers may not even notice the thin characterizations and motivations. A detailed appendix surveys the Maya world. Ages 11-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

School Library Journal (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 5-9-Max Murphy is the 14-year-old spoiled and self-centered son of archaeologists who are Ancient Maya experts. Although his parents believe he is headed for summer camp, his enigmatic Central American housekeeper instead sends him to visit his uncle in San Xavier (based on present-day Belize), where his mother and father have recently departed for a new project. Once there, Max discovers that they have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He joins forces with Lola, a native girl whose ability to navigate the jungle and the rainforest prove invaluable. Max is drawn into a life-or-death battle to rescue his parents from the Ancient Maya underworld and save the country from coming under the rule of the 12 Lords of Death. Suspense and intrigue, human sacrifice, smuggling, and secret doors and escape routes through pyramids ensure that the novel, the first in a projected trilogy, is likely to win legions of fans, who will gravitate toward the nonstop action that echoes Max's beloved video games. Seven full-page illustrations and numerous line drawings help break up the text. The authors include illustrated information on the Maya's calendar, pronunciation, math, writing, and cosmology.-Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.