How does one describe Alpha Max? How does one begin to unravel the implications it holds about consciousness, the multiverse and time itself?

There’s a lot that can be said for this book. Everything about it, from the main character to the author’s sense of humour, leaves a deep and profound impression on the reader. It leaves such a lasting mark that words don’t seem enough to describe it.

Still, I will try.

Alpha Max is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. Max Tundra's life gets swept up in an intergalactic, multiversal plot to remake the universe sans entropy and yet, that looming deadline doesn’t matter. Instead, what is important is what Max learns about himself and how he matters.

This is a funny book. From Max's encounters with his other selves to the flat-out bizarre adventures he finds himself on, I had a hard time not laughing and enjoying myself. Every page presented a new situation in which something funny would happen, or one of the Maxes would speak, and I would find myself having a laugh at his expense. 

That’s not to say that the book is built on humiliation. Rather, it’s the opposite. While the humour comes from the narrative, the character work is deeply human in every way. We come to care for the Maxes and despise those who would hurt them in equal measure. So much so, it becomes a race to see who will beat whom, and I can guarantee that you’ll be rooting for our motley crew of humans.

Speaking of whom, each Max has quite the personality of their own. While the concept of multiple iterations may suggest a certain sameness, and they do share some similarities, they’re all so individual that you can tell who’s who just from the way they speak (and I don’t just mean by the regional quirks of language). In fact, while our main Max was my favourite, I came to love each one of his friends too.

If you’re looking for something funny and thoughtful, this is definitely something to check out. I can’t recommend Alpha Max enough for its humour and character work.