Thursday, October 26, 2006

Maximum Ride: Schools Out Forever by James Patterson

Fresh out of New York City, Max Ride and her flock of human-avian hybrids fly to Washington D.C. to locate their parents. On their way, Fang, one of the older flock members, gets his side cut by flying Erasers, human-wolf hybrids, including Ari, who Max supposedly killed in the first book. The flock then goes to a hospital, where an FBI member meets them and lets them stay in her house. Things aren't as they seem to be, and the flock eventually finds themselves in Florida, investigating a major company who will supposedly blow up the world. Maximum Ride is one ride you'll wish would last forever.

James Patterson is one of the most popular adult novelists out there. His attempt at a young adult series proves why the nation loves him. This is a sequel, but there really is no need to read the first book, as he gives details about it as they come up. Still, I would reccommend reading The Angel Experiment first, to set the stage. The characters all have their own unique personality that is pretty consistent throughout the book. Iggy acts blind, the Gasman is a typical kid, Angel is sweet and innocent, Nudge is talkative, Fang is silent, and Max is caring, yet sarcastic. There are many twists and turns in the book, which make you question yourself as you are reading almost every page. Yet all (or most) of the twists are explained, either through inference or simply reading it outright. Patterson's storytelling is amazing, and the major questions in the stories still isn't answered. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel (there is plans for one), but not so much the movie, because, well...make your own movie/book comparisons. Still, Patterson proves that he can write just as well for Young Adults as he can for Adults.

Adult Guidance: NONE, some violence
RATING:9
Age:13
Name: Josh McLucas
City:Quincy
State: Pennsylvania
Country: United States