Yeah, that's right, bitch. This is my last read of 2024 and it truly rules. If you didn't have the experience of reading this series when you were a kid and then come down with that intense longing, wishing with all your heart that you had wings and could be a bird, suffering from what I call "kid-itis", you will never be able to understand. You will never fathom the beauty that lies within these pages, the vivid descriptions that transport you to another world. But at the same time, there is also the horror, the elements that send shivers down your spine and make your heart race. It's a complex and captivating combination. Well, ok bye guys. See you next year!!

Actual Rating: 3.25 ⭐

The given rating of 3.25 ⭐ indicates a certain level of performance or quality. It is not a perfect score, but it also shows that there are some aspects that are worthy of recognition.

Perhaps the product or service has some strengths that contribute to this rating. It could be its functionality, which meets the basic needs of the users. Or maybe it has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to operate.

However, the rating also suggests that there is room for improvement. There might be some areas where the product or service falls short. It could be in terms of reliability, where there are occasional glitches or errors. Or perhaps the customer service could be enhanced to provide a better experience for the users.

Overall, the 3.25 ⭐ rating serves as a valuable feedback for the provider. It helps them to identify the areas that need attention and make the necessary improvements to increase the satisfaction of their customers.

Nudge was voraciously tearing into her cheese-bun things.

Fang was already on his second burger, devouring it with gusto.

Iggy could hardly breathe through all the food stuffed in his mouth.

The Gasman was wolfing down fries by the fistful.

We probably looked like starving orphan children. Hey! We were starving orphan children.

Oh man, I've always wanted to fly. But at least I can read along with the flock. Think.

Big Momma Bear.

Emo Guy with a gym membership.

Bomb obsessed blind guy (ULP!!).

Fashionista with a KILLER catwalk run.

Cute little kid with a "funky digestive system".

Half Angel Half Gun Weilder (Read Fang).

Toss in some male model werewolves and a wannabe godfather and you have Maximum Ride.

Don't get me wrong. I loved this book. It combines humour, action, thriller, romance, fantasy and adventure all into one 468-page book. And bam!!!!! Flying kids with a sarcastic sense of humour just trying to live semi-normal lives. So just a few words, don't give Gazzy burritos, watch Angel around weapons and FAX 4EVA!!!!!!

This really stood the test of time for me!

It's probably more of a 3-star rating just because it's clearly written for a middle school audience. However, I still have a deep love for the story. The pacing of it is truly everything. It keeps you engaged from start to finish. And let's not forget the bonus points for the nostalgia factor. It brings back so many memories and makes you feel a sense of warmth and familiarity. I'm extremely excited to continue going through the series. Fax forever!

I can't wait to see what other adventures and stories await me in the following installments. The characters and the world that has been created are so captivating that I just can't get enough. It's like a magical escape that I can always rely on.

Re-reading one of my favorite middle school series has been a rather interesting experience.

It's the kind of series that you can breeze through without much thought, yet it still manages to hold your attention.

The story is somewhat like "Stranger Things", with its own unique charm and a touch of the supernatural.

Looking back on it now, I have to admit that the writing skills might not be the most outstanding.

However, for the sake of nostalgia, I'm still giving it 4 stars.

It brings back so many memories of my middle school days, when I would devour these books one after another.

Even though the writing may not be on par with some of the more literary works, it still has a certain appeal that keeps me coming back for more.

Maybe it's the simplicity of the story or the characters that I've grown to love over the years.

Either way, this series will always have a special place in my heart.

Life is far too short for me to persevere and complete this particular task.

It has turned out to be the most disappointing and irritating of all my childhood rereads.

The angsty dialogue is truly unbearable, making it a struggle to get through each page.

Moreover, the characters seem to be at best, half-baked, lacking in depth and authenticity.

As a result, I have decided to DNF (Did Not Finish) at page 96.

Instead, I'll simply read the wiki synopsis to get a general understanding of the story.

This way, I can save my precious time and move on to more engaging and worthwhile reads.

It's a pity that this particular book didn't live up to my expectations, but such is life.

There are always other books out there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

Maximum Ride. Huh. What a truly weird series. This review is going to be divided into two parts:

1) My thoughts on the whole series. (Don't worry, any spoilers will be clearly marked as such.)
2) The rather frustrating NOTHING-MAKES-ANY-SENSE aspect.



This series initially started out as really enjoyable and fun. However, as I delved deeper into it, I realized that I had never come across a book series with such an abundance of plot holes, inconsistencies, and loose ends.
Let me first share my opinions on each of the books and then I'll get into the whole NOTHING-MAKES-ANY-SENSE part in more detail.

My Opinions on the Books

Book 1, Book 2, Book 3
I found myself really enjoying books one, two, and three. (Or perhaps one, two, and the first half of three to be more precise.)
They weren't exactly mind-blowingly awesome, but they had a certain captivation that made me read through them really quickly. I think they were probably targeted more towards younger kids. (I'm 21 years old now, but I'm sure I would have absolutely LOVED them when I was 13 or 14.) Still, I managed to find enjoyment in them. They were just plain fun! I really liked the characters; Max and Fang were particular favorites of mine.
So overall, the first three books were actually quite good.

Book 4
To be honest, book 4 was a real disappointment. If you're planning on reading this series, I would highly suggest that you just skip book 4 altogether. Nothing of any real importance happens in it, and it's only about half as long as the other books. It was just really, really bad. Unless you have a strong desire to read a hundred pages on global warming, you can simply move on to reading book 5.

Books 5 - 8
Book 5 (Max) was just okay, book 6 (Fang) was really good, but then book 7 (Angel) was just meh again, and book 8 (Nevermore) was an absolute disaster. It had the worst ending I've ever read. The only redeeming factor about the ending was that Max and Fang got back together again, thank goodness.. Other than that, it was just really, really bad.


The whole NOTHING-MAKES-ANY-SENSE Part.

If there's one thing that really gets under my skin, it's plot holes. And this series, my friends, was filled to the brim with them.
I'm sure I'm forgetting half of them, but here are just some of the loose ends that were never, ever properly explained:


  

  

  

- “The last 5 months were a simulation! Total doesn’t exist! Your scars are gone! You never left the School!” (one chapter later: Total is back, the scars are back, they’re escaping from the School. WTF. Was it a simulation or not? Why would you tell them it was one if that wasn't true? WTF?)

- Fang and Max find a picture of baby Gazzy in an abandoned house. (How did it get there? Never explained.)

- Fang feels weird because he got a blood transfusion from Max. Thinks he might develop a new power. (Never mentioned again.)

- Max sees herself as an Eraser when she looks in the mirror. (Never explained.)

- Jeb (Ari/Dr. Martinez) is constantly flip-flopping between being good and evil. I don't even know anymore...

- In book 4 Brigid is 21 and blonde. In book 5, she's 20 and a red-head. (HOW can mistakes like this happen?)

- Fang gets a message on his computer saying that somebody in the Flock is a traitor. (There was no traitor, and it was never explained how he got that message)

- WHY the F could Jeb do the Voice? Why did everybody have a Voice? Where did it come from? Why did the Voice tell Nudge to film Max and Dylan? WTF?

- Max flys across the US, randomly sees a girl in need down below, goes to help her and then she turns out to be her SISTER? What an incredibly convenient coincidence.

- Fang holding the key to immortality made absolutely NO SENSE. AT ALL.

- Oh, and then, after 8 books of constantly telling us how it's Max's destiny to save the world...she doesn't. (No clue what happened to any of the main characters apart from Max, Fang, Dylan, and Angel. Did Nudge, Iggy, and Gazzy die? Who knows? Who cares? …I DO! I really want to know! But it's never explained. Just like everything else.)

  


(^^^click here to see the things that didn't make any sense.)


So these huge and numerous plot holes and inconsistencies really drove me crazy. I just want the books I read to make sense.

Would I recommend this series? I'm really not sure. You definitely won't see me going around telling people to read this series, but at the same time, I also wouldn't say that they absolutely shouldn't. It's a bit of a tough call.

You know, when you're only 9 years old and you're scrolling through Wattpad, you might come across an 11-year-old writer creating a 14/15-year-old badass protagonist. This protagonist is sarcastic, witty, and considered super important and cool. And, by the way, anything girly is seen as gross because other girls are thought to suck. Well, that's exactly how this book reads.

However, this isn't a story for 9-year-olds on Wattpad. It's actually a published book targeted at 'young adults' who are spending their money on it. And here's the kicker: the author isn't 11 at all. He's almost 60!

Who is this book really for? Why is it written this way? I have so many questions. As I was reading, my brain kept repeating, 'Max is 14? Max is 14? Why is 14-year-old Max acting like a 21-year-old and talking as if she was a teen in the 80s?'

I understand that 'The Angel Experiment' might have found an audience similar to those 9-year-old Wattpad readers. Normally, I'd be able to admit that I'm not in the target demographic. But I know for a fact that this wasn't truly written for 9-year-olds because this book and the ones that follow aren't appropriate for them. I'm actually the target demographic here, but the fan base seems to be something else. Even if you're 8-11 and enjoying this, Max makes so many references that immediately make you think, 'oh, this is a man in his 50s. Cool.'

I'm so confused. Why is this popular? What's going on? Oh my god.

On a positive note, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was absolutely marvelous. She took even the cringiest line and made it sound organic. If you want to subject yourself to this, 1000% listen to the version narrated by Kasey Lee Huizinga instead of physically reading.

I used to firmly believe that this book was无与伦比. It had such a powerful hold on me that it kept me awake at night, driving me almost to the brink of insanity. It was that good!

I was instantly captivated by the thrilling suspense, the electrifying excitement, the hint of romance, and the charming humor. My sisters were also ardent fans. I truly thought this book was a slice of heaven bound within its pages, no kidding.

However, everything changed when my father read the first three books and opened my eyes. He informed me that the entire series was like a never-ending circle. At first, I was reluctant to believe him. Maximum Ride seemed too perfect to have such a flaw. But I persisted and finished the series.

When I finally reached the end, I felt completely cheated. My father was right! The whole series was indeed a big circle. The pattern was repetitive: Run, fight, run, run, fight, fight, fight, run, run, run, run, get caught, escape, run, run, run, fight, run, fight, fight, fight, fight, get caught, escape, and so on. I was extremely angry and disappointed that I had allowed my vulnerable self to be deceived by this terrible series.

Yes, James Patterson did adhere to that one rule of getting the hero in danger and keeping them there. He did it with such ease, almost like a child playing patty-cake. But it left the reader with no time to think and the character with no opportunity to step back, sit down, and contemplate what to do next. How about introducing something new for a change?

Oh! In Patterson's desperate attempt to vary things, he divided the pack into two groups. There was no real character development, just the introduction of new powers.

Another aspect I would like to mention is that this series was dumbed down to a great extent. I have no idea what was going through Patterson's mind. Maybe he thought, '...I know that kids only have two brain cells, so I won't bother using any big words and I'll just repeat everything.' This is highly offensive and intolerable.

Finally, let's talk about the main character herself, Maximum Ride. She is basically a guy trapped in a girl's body. In most books, either the girl is a complete tomboy, incredibly sporty, and hates dresses as much as she hates nail polish. Or she's a popular, lipstick-addicted freak who screams at the sight of a basketball bouncing her way. The book Sins of the Father contains a character, Eve, who is obsessed with her beauty yet is not afraid to take on a challenge. Finally, a girl I can identify with. As far as I'm concerned, Maximum Ride might as well be a boy. Nice try, James Patterson. Better luck next time.

This series has potential, methinks.

I'm a little scared it'll fall into those early 2010 traps, though.

The concept of the literal statue she falls in love with is quite interesting, yet there's a concern that it might follow the same套路 as some of the works from that era.

However, despite my reservations, I think I'm going to keep reading it.

Maybe it will surprise me and offer a fresh take on this unusual romance.

I'm curious to see how the story develops and if it can avoid the common pitfalls that often plagued similar concepts in the past.

Who knows, it could turn out to be a hidden gem.

So, for now, I'll continue to explore this series and see where it takes me.

Okay, this book was an absolute blast! There was a whirlwind of events taking place, constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat. It was impossible to put down as there was always something new and exciting happening on every page. The characters in this book are all extremely likable. Each one has their own unique personality and charm, which really draws you into their world. It makes the reading experience even more enjoyable as you become invested in their stories and root for them to succeed. I really hope that the rest of the series will be just as exciting as this book. I can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead for these characters and how their stories will unfold.

1.5 stars. On the "plus" side, this novel presents a truly fascinating premise. It grabs the reader's attention right from the start with the idea of children being genetically enhanced with avian DNA. Additionally, the book is a very fast read, which can be a plus for those who are short on time or simply enjoy a quick-paced story.

However, on the "negative" side, there are several drawbacks. Firstly, there is not a whole lot of substance to the story. It seems to lack depth and fails to fully explore the potential implications and consequences of the genetic enhancements. Secondly, the character development is weak. The characters feel one-dimensional and lack the complexity and nuance that would make them truly engaging.

I was really hoping that the author would do something truly great with this very cool concept. I expected to see a deeper exploration of the themes of nature vs. nurture, identity, and the ethics of genetic engineering. Unfortunately, it just didn't happen. The book, while not horrible, was one that I really didn't like. It had the potential to be so much more, but ultimately fell short.