I usually have a great passion for YA books. However, this particular one leaned more towards the young side rather than having a significant adult element. At times, it was even irritating due to this imbalance.

Initially, I was under the impression that I had picked up the second book of the series because there were constant allusions to events that had occurred previously. This led me to wonder why the author didn't commence his story from the very beginning.

Moreover, the characters in this book were extremely poorly developed. As a result, it was quite challenging to feel any concern or connection towards any of them.

Thankfully, the story did manage to become reasonably exciting towards the end, which compelled me to read through to the conclusion. Nevertheless, I have no intention of reading any more books in this series.

I am a fan of James Patterson's adult books, but I will definitely avoid his YA offerings in the future.

This is one of those books that is specifically targeted at an audience younger than the one I typically prefer to read. I am truly disappointed as I had heard numerous recommendations about this series. However, after reading this particular installment, I can firmly state that I will not be attempting the rest.

Basically, right from the start, the author fails to make the kids seem believable. Then, there are these absurd oversights. For instance, no one ever witnesses them flying around except when it is deliberately revealed. Also, these kids, who were confined in cages until just the last 4 years, somehow manage to understand references to general Americana, know how to love and care for each other, and possess great senses of humor. I mean, granted it's sci-fi and not supposed to be a true-to-life portrayal, but these issues only served to increase my annoyance throughout the entire book. I constantly found myself looking ahead, longing to be closer to the end than I actually was... which is never a good sign.

Personally, if you have a desire to read about young kids with superpowers, The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester offers a far more engaging story overall. And, of course, the greatest story about lab experiments, which isn't intended for kids but is made completely believable by the author, is Watchers by Dean Koontz. I felt that Maximum Ride fell significantly short of my expectations, but I'm certain that young middle schoolers would derive more enjoyment from it than I did.

This book is truly an outstanding one.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. There isn't a single moment while reading this book that you won't be sitting on the edge of your chair, completely engrossed.

It tells the story of a group of kids who were the subjects of experiments. However, when they manage to escape, they find themselves part human and part avian.

The book is filled with non-stop action and thrills as the flock battles for survival against the erasers, a group of half human and half canine hunters who pose a serious threat to their very existence.

This book is not only one of my favorites but is sure to become one of yours as well. It has a unique and captivating storyline that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

The characters are well-developed and the action scenes are vividly described, making it easy to imagine yourself right there in the middle of the story.

If you're looking for a book that will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat, then this is the one for you.

Alright,

I initially thought the narration of this book was extremely cheesy. However, being the bookcrazy girl that I am, and a sucker for a good story, I got completely sucked in.

This book is truly multifaceted:

* It is fun, targeted at kids, yet the kind of fun that an adult who isn't overly cynical and superior can also enjoy.

* It offers a penetrating and insightful look at human nature and society. Don't scoff - it really does!

* It presents an utterly disturbing view of the unscrupulous applications of modern science. I actually felt my stomach lurch at some of the experimentation on children carried out by the white coats. What do we allow to occur in the name of the god of progress?

* It is a fast-paced adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

* It explores a family that doesn't conform to the typical, "Leave it to Beaver" definition.

The six members of the Flock quickly found their way into my heart. I felt their pain when they suffered, feared for their safety, and cheered for their successes. I loved all of them: Max, Fang (he's quite droolworthy for a fourteen-year-old - I think I would have had a crush if I were that age), Iggie, Gasman, Nudge, and Angel (adorable and kind of scary in some ways). They make an amazing team. Max is a really awesome main character. I think she's a great role model for young girls. Her self-sacrifice and determination to protect her family are truly admirable. She's a sharp and adaptable girl.

Oh yeah. The flying is really awesome. It made me almost wish I had wings... well, sort of.

Warnings:

* There is violence involving the kids and their scary pursuers.

* There are some questionable actions (exhibited by these kids to survive) that most parents probably wouldn't want promoted or justified to their kids, such as stealing and destruction of property. I think the way it was handled is okay, as long as a concerned parent makes it clear that this isn't acceptable behavior outside of the circumstances of this book.

* As I mentioned above, the author isn't afraid to mention human experimentation, and on children, no less. A younger reader might find that quite disturbing. I know I did, and I'm not particularly young (late thirties).

...Yeah. So I admit I was won over. This book gets four stars from me. It's actually very good. The chapters are really short, but don't be fooled into thinking that the content in this book is negligible. There is a lot to this book. It's not even what I would consider easily digestible. The author uses a lot of sophisticated vocabulary, which is great. I'm all for kids (of all ages) looking up words. It's the best way to expand your vocabulary.

I would recommend this to readers who are younger or who enjoy books aimed at a younger audience. It has a lot of adventure and action, and very likable characters. My eyes are on the lookout for the rest of the books in this series.

James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" is an absolute masterpiece that completely took my breath away.

It is filled with an excessive amount of originality and non-stop adventure. Seriously, the story is filled with twists and turns at all the right corners, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

The characters are not only well-developed but also incredibly humorous in the way they think and act. Their unique personalities add an extra layer of charm to the story.

You seriously have no idea what's going to happen next, which makes the adventure even more thrilling. I was completely immersed in the world that Patterson has created and couldn't put the book down.

Now that I've finished this amazing book, I'm diving into the next one right away. I can't wait to see what other adventures await me in the "Maximum Ride" series.

Mr. Patterson had a rather strange habit. He consistently kept me gagged, which made it difficult for me to express myself freely.

This situation was quite uncomfortable and frustrating. I often found myself unable to communicate my thoughts and feelings properly.

Despite this, I tried to make the best of the situation. I would find other ways to convey my messages, such as through body language or written notes.

However, it was not always easy. The gagging made it hard for me to breathe at times, and it also affected my ability to eat and drink.

Overall, I would rate this experience as 2.5, but rounding up because of the way Mr. Patterson consistently kept me gagged. It was a unique and challenging situation that I will not forget.

Perhaps in the future, Mr. Patterson will realize the importance of allowing others to communicate freely and will change his ways.

This will not be a proper review as I didn't finish reading the book. It's just one person's opinion, and admittedly, I'm not the target audience for this book. So, take it with a grain of salt. If you like many books in this genre and the 3-star or higher reviews make this book appealing to you, don't hesitate to read it despite my issues. I'm a different person, and I don't want to stop you from enjoying what might be a great read just because we have different opinions. Here, I'll analyze what didn't work for me in this book so you can understand why I didn't finish it.

I bought this book because a year or two ago, I discovered the Yen Press manga adaptation and have been thoroughly enjoying it. I love Max and almost the entire cast. Their adventures are thrilling, the character interactions are hilarious and heartwarming, and the artwork is beautiful. I thought that since I almost always love the book more than the movie/tv series/comic adaptation, I definitely had to try the first Maximum Ride book.

However, this book lacks the appeal of the manga. It starts with a rather bold statement: "hey you, read this or die". I'm not kidding. He used a few more words than that, but he did blatantly state it. This immediately put a sour taste in my mouth. I tried to ignore it and read on, only to find that the characters I love in the manga don't seem as lively on the written page. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I didn't care for these characters as much as I did in the manga, which is strange since this is where they originated. Maybe it's because I've read the story in a different medium, so I continued reading.

I usually read a book I'm not completely loving to see if there's an ending that can save it. Maybe it's also because I hope that if I'm ever published, anyone who doesn't like my work will give me the same courtesy. But my point is that I'll usually read most books I don't like to the end. In my thirty years of life, I've only put down and abandoned three books (although some less tasteful ones I've taken my time to finish). The reason I stopped reading this book is not because the characters didn't grab me and the story didn't sparkle in the hundred or so pages I read, but because it was frustrating to read. This frustration comes from the fact that on page 118 (where I stopped), it's the start of chapter 35. Most of the chapters are not even two full pages long. Mr. Patterson, do you know that you can just make a scene break and stay in the same chapter?

This practice isn't too strange when he's changing the point of view (which he does annoyingly often, I assume in an attempt to create a sense of danger for the POV just left. But it doesn't work for me; it just makes me more irritated), but he also does it just to create a cliffhanger moment and then immediately goes back to the same POV. Not only does this not achieve the intended effect (for me), but it also irritates me. I know this is a technique many writers use to keep readers interested, and for many authors, it works fine. Why? Because they don't overuse it. Their chapters are usually ten or so pages long (maybe more), and there's some real substance to read before the chapter ends with a cliffhanger. The frequency of the cliffhangers is balanced by the actual content that makes you care about them. I feel that Patterson has not used this tool correctly. The formatting of this book made me so angry that I stopped reading it.

I will continue to read the manga series released by Yen Press because none of these issues exist in the manga. However, you won't see me trying to read these books anymore. I'm even cautious about considering reading his adult novels unless someone can assure me that he doesn't use chapters as page breaks every 2-3 pages.

This was my favorite book series so far.

It is an exciting and captivating story that follows the adventures of a fourteen-year-old girl.

This girl has a unique ability - she has wings, which makes her truly special.

She grows up in a lab, where she is kept and studied.

However, she and her "flock" (who are like her family) manage to escape from the lab.

Their escape leads them on a thrilling journey filled with danger, mystery, and self-discovery.

As they face various challenges and obstacles, they learn more about themselves and their powers.

The book series explores themes such as family, friendship, courage, and the fight for freedom.

It takes the readers on an unforgettable adventure and keeps them on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

I highly recommend this book series to anyone who loves a good adventure story.

I had extremely high expectations for this book, and it truly exceeded those expectations by a significant margin.

From the very first page, I was completely engrossed and could not put it down for a single moment. The story was captivating, filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I really, truly enjoyed every aspect of it. What's more, I absolutely adored the flock. Their interactions and relationships added an extra layer of depth and charm to the narrative.

This book was simply amazing! It was so good that I would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I can't wait to get my hands on the next one in the series and continue this wonderful literary journey.

1.5 stars

I'm truly sorry to say that this book was just awful. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator, Evan Rachel Wood, is actually quite excellent. So, if you're inclined to listen to this book, I would recommend it based on her performance. However, that's about the only positive thing I can say. The story was a complete mess, all over the place. It wasn't just convoluted; it felt like huge chunks of backstory were missing. All the teens in the story seemed to do was fly around and constantly get attacked. Then, something happened at the end that made my stomach curl and completely ruined what little enjoyment I had managed to find in the book. I only read this book because it was on the top 100 YA books on Goodreads and many of my trusted book friends seemed to enjoy it. But my experience was far from positive. Back in the day, I read When the Wind Blows by Patterson and absolutely loved it. I'm not sure if this book is a YA redo or a spinoff of that one. But I can honestly say that if you didn't like this book like I didn't, you should give When the Wind Blows a try.


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I couldn't finish this book.

I tried with all my might, really, really hard, but I simply couldn't get engaged with it.

These kids are on a rescue mission, yet they get distracted by the tiniest of things. The dialogue is so dull and lacks any imagination.

Not to mention the names of these characters! The Gasman? Seriously? REALLY?

FYI: Fart jokes cease to be funny for anyone over the age of nine.

I felt rather embarrassed reading some parts of this due to how juvenile it was.

Yes, I'm aware it's a book targeted at younger readers, but Patterson doesn't seem to give YA readers much credit.

There's just a lot of running around and blowing stuff up, with very little character development.

And, oh goodness, that subplot about the Gasman and Iggy blowing up the erasers was dreadfully dull and uninteresting.

I found myself having to force myself to read through those chapters, which is quite a feat considering each chapter is usually less than three pages.

I truly wanted to like this book.

I'm typically a fan of YA series that place kids in situations like this, where they have to think independently without adult assistance.

Honestly, the only reason I picked up a copy of Maximum Ride at Barnes & Noble was because I've been eagerly anticipating the next installment of Michael Grant's GONE series, and this seemed similar enough to tide me over until then.

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

This book was just too dull and monotonous for my liking.

The entire thing felt like a middle-aged man trying way too hard to sound cool.

Wait, no, I take that back. It sounded like a middle-aged man jotting down the story a five-year-old was telling him and reworking it to sound hip.

("And then, the kids, who also have wings, get strawberries but get ATTACKED and have to save the little one but then MAXS GETS SHOT and goes to the vet and the other ones find big birds that teach them to fly well and the other guys make a bomb back at the clubhouse and BLOW UP THE WOLF PEOPLE but the wolf people aren't dead and then THE GASMAN FARTS! HAAHA!")

("Excellent, Timmy, this is gold! I MUST write a novel about this!")

But, as I said, I didn't finish it. I got about 150+ pages into it before I had to put it down.

So what can I say... maybe it gets better.

I just know I don't have enough interest to stick around and find out.

  

In short, this book is bad and James Patterson should feel bad.

What did I think you ask?

I thought that this was a truly terrible book.

The story seemed so far-fetched with kids flying in the sky.

That was the only thing that really stuck in my memory.

It was so unconvincing and just didn't capture my interest at all.

After reading this, I made up my mind that I would never read another James Patterson book.

I don't understand how some people could enjoy this kind of writing.

Maybe it's just not my cup of tea.

But for me, this experience was enough to turn me off from his work completely.

I'll be looking for other authors who can tell a more engaging and believable story.