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Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever (Hardcover)
by James Patterson
| Category:
Fiction, Ages 9-12, Children's book |
| Market price: ¥ 198.00
MSL price:
¥ 168.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
It's full of many twists, turns, and conspiracies as an episode of daytime drama. |
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Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pub. in: May, 2006
ISBN: 0316155594
Pages: 416
Measurements: 9.0 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00037
Other information:
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- MSL Picks -
Max and her flock are back in this new volume in the Maximum Ride series, a follow-up to The Angel Experiment (2004). In a flying fight with Erasers, Fang is injured so seriously that the flock takes him to a hospital. It's obvious he's not a normal human (having wings and avian DNA), so it isn't long before the FBI shows up. Anne Walker, the lead agent, takes the flock home to her Virginia farm, where she tries to mother the kids and enrolls them in a nearby private school. Living a somewhat normal life for the first time, Max, 14, manages a date and a first kiss, and others in the flock begin the quest to find their birth parents. Then everything falls apart, and the six kids face betrayal and extreme danger. Patterson, an accomplished storyteller, once again demonstrates his ability to write page-turning action scenes, this time leavening the suspense with some surprising humor; at one point, Max declares that she's "Avian American." Fans of the first book will be delighted with this continuation of the story, even though the book leaves the fate of the flock wide open.
This book is full of as many twists, turns, and conspiracies as an episode of daytime drama. And just like a soap opera, it relies heavily on melodrama until the very end, whereupon readers discover that very little has actually happened. The story is disappointingly anticlimactic and violent. Still, it does have some appeal - the children continually outmaneuver their attackers without permanent damage. Plus, the talking dog they pick up during their adventures is sure to entertain.
Target readers:
Kids aged up 8
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James Patterson is a master of suspense and author of many books including 4th of July, Honeymoon, and the Alex Cross series of thrillers. With more than 100 million copies of his books in print, he is one of the top-selling writers of all time. He lives in New York and Florida.
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James Patterson shifts high action into overdrive in this eagerly awaited follow-up to his #1 New York Times bestsellers. Brave bird-kid Max and her flock fly south on a perilous quest to find their parents, after having rescued Angel and recovered secret documents about their origins. But just when they think they've finally escaped the hungry claws of evil Erasers, they're discovered by an FBI agent and forced to face perhaps an even worse nightmare: going to school. There's no such thing as an ordinary day when Max's "homework" includes decoding documents, deciphering when (and how) she's supposed to save the world, and learning to face what may be her greatest enemy: herself.
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Deborah Wiley (MSL quote), Winter Haven, FL
<2006-12-26 00:00>
James Patterson's second book in the Maximum Ride series is a fun thrill ride sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats!
Max, Nudge, Angel, the Gasman, Fang, Iggy, and Trouble are still fleeing from the Erasers. For those unfamiliar with the series, Max and her flock are the results of a mysterious experiment in which human and bird DNA was combined, resulting in kids with wings. In addition to flying, the flock members are beginning to develop other talents, such as Angel's ability to read and control minds. Trouble is a dog rescued from the same doctors/scientists and Erasers are part wolf, part human, and determined to destroy the flock.
Fang is badly injured in a skirmish with the Erasers and Max and the flock are forced to seek the services of a hospital. Naturally, the hospital doctors call in the FBI and the gang ends up temporarily living with FBI Agent Anne Walker while Fang recuperates. For a brief period, all seems normal and they even enroll in school. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems and soon Max will be forced to confront the reason for their existence as well as a supposedly improved version of herself and the return of the not-dead-after-all, Ari.
Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever is an enchanting tale for all ages. Just about everyone has dreamed of having the ability to fly at one time or another and Max and the flock bring this dream to life. Part of the sheer joy of this series is based simply on this fact. When the Wind Blows and The Lake House were such big hits because they also featured angel children but please note that, despite the similarity of the situation and the main character having the same name, those two books are not connected in any way to the Maximum Ride series. The first book in the series was a little tough for this reviewer as the plot kept getting confused with When the Wind Blows but the series has really hit its stride with Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever. It is not necessary to read the first book in the series but most will probably want to do so as the adventures of Max and the flock are such a delight to read.
James Patterson has put the flock in some rather ordinary circumstances and it was fun to see how the winged kids dealt with the daily hassles of attending school, making friends, and even dating. All of these circumstances are ones the reader will relate to and yet see in a different light while viewed through the eyes of the flock. Trouble, the talking dog, was a welcome addition to the series and helped keep the book fresh as he provided some very pithy comments that had this reviewer laughing out loud.
Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever is one ride readers will not want to miss! James Patterson has got it all in this book- great characters, non-stop action, and intrigue all told with a bit of humor to keep the story from becoming too dark. |
Arthur Bradley (MSL quote), Virginia
<2006-12-26 00:00>
It's been too long since Patterson released Maximum Override. I had to go back and re-read the story to catch back up on the characters Max, Nudge, Angel, Gasman, Fang, Iggy, and Trouble (the now talking dog!). That book was also delightful, but it felt unfinished - leaving me feeling like I'd left a movie in the middle. I wanted to know if the winged kids would find their parents or get caught by the erasers, what additional skills they might develop and how well they would enter the "real world."
Patterson's sequel, Schools out Forever, is quite simply "magical." I loved it. It is filled with very short chapters (some less than a page), keeping things rolling at a high-pitched pace. The characters come across as real and unique. He's taken the time to develop their personalities, and you feel like you know and love them.
In this second part (of many I hope), Ari (a particularly troubled eraser thought to be dead) is on the hunt for Max. I think it's cool that the villian is driven by complex (animalistic) urges (love, hate, lust, envy) rather than just being blindly evil. A fight with the erasers leaves Fang badly injured, and in seeking medical attention the group is exposed. Fortunately, rather than being taken back for more experiments, they are adopted by a kind FBI agent, Anne Walker. Anne seems more interested in getting Max and her flock functioning as a well adjusted family than finding out their secrets, and she quickly gets them enrolled in public school. I don't want to spoil things, but let me say that nothing is as it first appears!
This is a very fun light read, and I recommend it to anyone that doesn't take life too seriously. It reminds me of some of the better works by Koontz.
Written by Arthur Bradley, author of Process of Elimination - an action-packed thriller in which a private investigator, a conspiracy theory expert, and a greedy corporate attorney try to stop a world-class sniper who is out to shape the next Presidential election.
Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful. |
A. R. Smith (MSL quote), Michigan
<2006-12-26 00:00>
This book is such a great read. Like the first book The Angel Experiment, this book keeps the pages turning!
I noticed another reviewer 'purple haze', mentioned this being the third book (the first being The Lake House) - This is inaccurate. Patterson states at the beginning of The Angel Experiment that the Max from any previous novels is not the same Max, and this is a completely different set of books.
So, if you liked reading The Angel Experiment, you will like this one as well. You never know what is going to happen!
I really love these books, the characters, the plot are top notch. I'm just hoping there are more on the way!
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Violet Burke (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-26 00:00>
First, I'd like to say something to those people who don't like MR2 because "there were things still unresolved." Most books in the middle of a trilogy are like that. Do you think people don't enjoy reading Lord of the Rings just because Frodo has not yet destroyed the ring in The Two Towers? I think not.
Now, to review the book. (I won't describe MR2 in its entirety because you must read it for yourself. Or just read a couple of book descriptions.) MR2 was a fast-paced, suspenseful, funny, and witty novel. It was a quick read, making it perfect for boring summer days. It doesn't dive much into the great philosophies of good vs. evil. It focuses on the meaning of family and friendship, which are just as important.
What I liked about MR2 was that James Patterson writes about how the characters grow as people and as "mutant freaks" as they experience new encounters and feelings. Max is trying to deal with the new mother-figure named Anne taking over her role, school and her first date, her new-found feeling for Fang, and of course, the Voice in her head and her destiny to save the world. Iggy meets his birth parents for the first time and discovers something about them was surprising in was he didn't expect. Fang is now become less like a mute statue and seems more open and comfortable talking to Max about his feelings.
The only negative things about the book that were the repetitive fighting scenes and some corny jokes. Other than that, I loved the book. I am eagerly waiting for the third MR to hit the shelves and for more news about the upcoming MR movie. |
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