Maximum Ride Comes to an End

Nevermore by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #8)

2013 has been the year of finishing series.  Many series that I have read for years have ended this year, or I have finally caught up.  This is the last book of the Maximum Ride series.  I am unsure why I have continued this series.  The characters are not well written, there are complete and utterly unrepentant undertones of environmentalism.  Not that that is a bad thing, but why not just have bird kids save the world because it’s entertaining and not just because you want to put a political statement out there?  

This last book begins with Fang still being gone and Max and Dylan are growing closer.  Angel is gone, like she exploded in France in the last book and the flock are just not talking about it.  The flock is going to school and living a non-violent life.  Meanwhile, Fang’s gang is trying to learn more about the 99% apocalyptic movement that is going to wipe out the whole human race except the 1% of humans with super mutant abilities.  It’s going to be the flocks goal to not only stay safe from Ary (Max’s mutant dead half brother) and his gang of wolf hybrids, but also save the world from the environmental woes that will surely be coming before this series ends.

Now that I have lost my reading audience with my recap of what the book is about, here are my thoughts.  Read this book if you have been reading the series.  If you haven’t started, don’t.  These books are for a young audience, like under 14.  These are not young adult books, but preteen books.  I am so glad that I borrowed each of these books from the library and only read/listened to them if there was not much going on.  My list of books to read is ever increasing and I need to stop adding to the list and take care of some books that are already on there, I’ll be more careful with the books I pick in the future.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Keep Reading my friends!

Another Maximum Ride Novel

Max: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson

Max is the fifth book in the Maximum Ride series, and much like the preceding books, Max is about the awareness of the pollution that humans are contributing to the earth. The Maximum Ride novels are a young adult series about 5 kids that were mutated with bird DNA and have small bone structure and have grown wings. They can fly, but besides that, they are normal kids, trying to save the world and grow up at the same time. In Max, the flock is helping the CSM, Coalition to Stop the Madness raise awareness of pollution and the environment by performing public air shows. By this time, the flock has grown very popular with sightings, public fights with the bad guys, and of course, Fang’s blog.

Since finding her real Mom, Max has been desperately trying to get to know her and her half sister Ella, she is with her all of the time, but when her mom is kidnapped, the flock has to try anything to get her back. It is discovered that she is under water and the US Navy helps the flock track her down. During their adventures, Max finally has a real first date with Fang, but all progress is lost when the young Dr. Brigid Dwyer comes back on the scene and continues to flirt heavily with Fang, much to Max’s disapproval. Before the end of the book, Max confesses her love for Fang, and there is still a hope that their young love will blossom.

Again, the main point of this series has turned into an environmental stance. I am very turned off by preachy books, so therefore, since the story line started to change, so has my interest in the series. There are two more books out at this point, and I have very little interest in continuing the series. The writing is just not that good and the story line has gotten weaker instead of stronger with time. The only thought of continuation is because I know I can get them for free from the library, and of course I hate leaving something undone. The next question that comes to mind, is this series ever going to end? Is Patterson going to keep it going forever? If so, I’m going to have to just stop while I’m ahead. If I knew there was only going to be 2 or 3 more books, I would probably continue, but thinking about the series going on and on makes me a little tired. I just can’t do it. There are too many wonderful books out there that wouldn’t feel like a waste of my time.

So, any thoughts, should I continue the series? If so, why? Happy Reading!

Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE

Maximum Ride: The Final Warning by James Patterson

The American Government has tried its hardest to get the flock to come to a regular special school where they can learn more about them, but they would still have some freedom that “the school” didn’t give them, i.e. growing up in dog crates. Max and the gang quickly turn down all offers, except when Max’s new found mom offers an option to help scientists do research down in Antarctica. The flock decides to give the research a try and have a small amount of time where they don’t feel hunted or pursued in any way, of course it wouldn’t be much of a book without a little action, so they are captured once again and offered to be auctioned off. Max during this time realizes her higher purpose when saving the world, she should actually be saving the world from global warming. As she continues to work out her plans she is learning more about her purpose all of the time.

If I thought the last book had a hint of environmental propaganda, that’s all that this fourth installment is about. Max goes to congress to get things changed, which is so not like her. I hope that something changes or the end of this series is going to be a major disappointment. A flock of mutant kids running from evil scientists, that’s something I can jump on board with, but them having a mission to save the world from people not recycling, is not my cup of tea.

Max and Fang are still not together, I have high hopes for the fifth book, I hope I’m not disappointed. I don’t have much to say about this one. I have since taken a break from the Maximum Ride and moved on. With the sixth installment coming out later this year, I’ll read Fang (currently at the Texarkana Library) and Angel, to come out in February 2011, whenever I get a chance. Because of this book, I'm in no hurry. What do you think? Is this story the best you've ever read or is it slowly dying a slow painful death?

You’re reading Fang’s Blog. Welcome!

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

Max and the flock have missed death and miserable science lab lives once again, they now have another member in the flock, Total, the talking dog. In this third book of the Maximum Ride series, there’s trouble in paradise and the flock breaks up. Max and Fang get into a huge fight and decide to go separate ways. Max, Nudge, Angel, Total, and Ari (the Eraser with an expiration date) decide to follow a lead to Europe, while Fang, the Gasman and Iggy go to the West Coast to see what they can make happen with Fang’s blog. As his popularity gains advancements, he believes that kids can take down these evil corporations and live a normal life.

In this particular book the reader will start to pick up on the hints of Environmentalism. One thing I do not appreciate is a preachy book. I didn’t realize that this series was headed in that direction, and it made me sad. Adults are ruining the world one aluminum can at a time. Well the action and the story are still good, so I will keep reading.

During the split up, Max realizes quite a few things about herself that she may not have been able to learn with the whole gang together. She knows now that nothing should separate them, the flock should always be together. Also, some of the flock members are mutating and getting a new power, which is interesting, they are not only flying bird kids, but now they can do extra-ordinary things. You’ll have to read the series to know what I’m talking about.

This was a great book, kept the story going, still loving Max and Fang and look forward that that story continuing the develop. There is a lot of give and take and I love watching the characters grow and mature in their part of the story. So far all three books have taken less than 6 months, but it’s been an interesting ride.

Schools Out for Now...

Maximum Ride: School’s Out-Forever by James Patterson

Now that Max and the other avian/human children have saved Angel from the school, they are on a mission. They want more than anything to find their parents, get some answers, and find out why they grew up in dog crates being poked and prodded by evil scientists in the school. As they get closer to the answers they are looking for, they also are closer to danger. With Erasers showing up at every turn and good things turn bad at each step, Max, Fange, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel have more hard times coming for them.

School’s Out-Forever was an exciting second edition to the Maximum Ride series, we find out a little more about the kid’s past even things they don’t want to know. Fang and Max have started to get closer and realize things about each other that they haven’t thought before.

I did like the Eraser Max and the Max II, Maximum learned a lot about herself in this book and she continues to find out who she is not only as the leader of the flock, but also as her own individual person.

Fang starts a blog about their travels and exactly what the school and the institute, other evil corporations are up too. I like Fang’s blog and within the series it’s good to see his point of view. There is a book later in the series that is called Fang and I’m excited about reading his story.

Genetic mutants or World Heroes?

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Growing up in a cage can be hazardous to a person’s developmental health. Somehow the six, winged bird children that grew up in cages at “the school” made out ok. They were rescued by Jeb Batchelder who adopted Max as a child of his own, thought to be dead the flock has lived without adults, rules, and cages for some time. All goes horribly wrong when the flock is attacked by Erasers and Angel the youngest is taken back to the school. The flock including Maximum Ride, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, and the Gasman devise a plan to rescue Angel from most certain death.

The first book of the Maximum Ride series was great. The characters are easy to care about. I enjoyed Max and the others. The one character that I had a great time reading about was Fang. I think that throughout the series there will be a lot more coming from him. He’s a great character and I’m excited to see what develops between him and the other characters. I also enjoyed Max’s changing perspective of Fang and how Fang surprised the others with things that he said.