Synopsis: Characters based on James Patterson’s international bestsellers When the Wind Blows and The Lake House are re-invented in Maximum Ride and are launched on the ultimate action-packed adventure full of humor and suspense. Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it’s like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the “Flock”–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel–are just like ordinary kids–only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time–like when Angel, the youngest member of the “Flock,” is kidnapped and taken back to the “School” where she and the others were genetically engineered by sinister scientists. Her friends brave a journey to Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare–this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf “Erasers” in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb–now her betrayed and greatest enemy–that her purpose is save the world–but can she? -Goodreads

Review: This is one of those books that people kept telling me to check out but it was actually the manga version that finally got me to read the book. It was kind of a “whoa, these kids have wings“! moment. I really like Max and her flock, the characters are well fleshed out as individuals. Three girls, three boys all fourteen and younger, just trying to make their way in the world after essentially being raised in captivity. I especially liked the youngest girl, Angel who Max had a special bond with. I would have liked to see a bit more of the relationships between the other characters though.

This books left a lot, a lot of questions unanswered. Most of them, actually. We know very little about these kids or why the exist in the first place. At times it was a little frustrating, but it was intriguing enough that I will be getting the next book in the series, so I really can’t fault the book for it.

While the story was great, the writing was less than I expected it to be. James Patterson has an entire BAY of books all to himself in the fiction section, which made me think he would be a pretty extraordinary writer. Not that the writing was bad, I just think I hyped it up a little too much for myself. Sometimes things moved a long a little too quickly so that it seemed like too much of the focus was the action and not the reasons behind all the fighting and intrigue. This is a fair length book, and somehow it could really have benefited from being fleshed out a bit more while chopping out some of the more random bits that really didn’t move anything forward. Things like eating cookies, going to a concert, ordering food… random, and only mildly entertaining.

I think the real issue was that this read like it was written by someone who doesn’t really know how teens talk or interact, someone who doesn’t bother to read YA. Of course, I have no idea if this is the case, it’s just what it seemed like.

Gotta say, I love this cover, even though it’s not the cover my copy, but whatever… very pretty. Overall this book was a fun and fast read. Great for summer, or when you want a book that reads like an action movie.

Random weirdness though… First off… random weirdness. If you read the synopsis above you’ll see that this book is a reworking of an earlier James Patterson book, which I haven’t read but I understand to be another character named Max, escaping from a similar institution. Now, has anyone watched Dark Angel starring Jessica Alba, it was on a couple years ago? Jessica Alba plays a girl named Max who escapes from a place a lot like The School in this book. I just find the whole idea mind boggling. Sure, keep rehashing this idea (all three feature somewhere that raises kids whose DNA has been messed with, usually by infusing it with animal dna), it’s pretty interesting. But why do they ALL have to be named Max?

Rating

Second Opinions
@ Reena’s Blog
@ Mandy Can Read
@ Today’s Adventure