The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1)

Reader reviewed by Elljay

I have to be critical. I did really enjoy it, and I thought the idea and the plot-line were refreshingly original, but then again I haven't read When the Wind Blows.

The book: it's about six kids who escaped from a secret lab called "the School". They are 2% bird and 98% human, therefore they have wings, the ability to fly, and several other talents, one of which is telepathy. They are on the run from "Erasers" (mutants who are part wolf part human) who capture the youngest member of the group (Angel) and take her back to the dreaded School. The book is basically about how Max and her friends determine to find her, and so on and so forth.

The characters: Max, the main character who is caring, strong, brave and whatnot; Fang (my favourite) who is described as the "strong and silent type"; Iggy, who became blind when the scientists at the School attempted to improve his night-vision; Nudge, an eleven year old who never shuts up; the Gasman, an eight year old with, er, a problem concerning his digestive system; and Angel, the classic sweet little blonde cherub whom everyone seems to adore, especially Max.

What I think: well, I really liked it. It was action-packed and thrilling, and a real page-turner. I didn't tire of it. The problem is the ending, or lack, thereof. I was quite disappointed by that. It just doesn't finish. It's more like the end of a chapter than of a book, and I was left expecting more. Yes, it's the first in a series, but still...

My advice: buy it, buy it, buy it, and if you don't buy it, READ IT. You won't regret it.

Reader reviewed by Lavendermc

Maximum Ride: the title describes the book perfectly, not to mention introduces the main character of the novel to us. Written as the narrative thoughts of a young girl teen, Max, this book is both hilarious and serious. Warning: there are moments when the thoughts of this quirky teen may bring forth a random burst of laughter and other thoughts may bring forth a lone tear.


The story of a 'flock' on the run: six very different children, brought together as a family because of their genetic composition (98% human, 2% bird) and their past, striving to stay together (and alive) when everyone and everything in the world seems to be against them. Erasers, humans with wolf's genetic component and capable of transforming into their genetic counterpart at whim, are out to get our six comrades. What will happen? That question literally kept me on the edge of my seat for three days in a row, incapable of putting it down for more than a few hours.


I recommend this book to everyone and anyone who likes a good thriller/suspense novel with very modern ideas. I personally loved the 'genetic' spin; it's so 'today'. Anyhow, you read and decide for yourself, it's definitely worth the ride!

Reader reviewed by Dee

I picked this book up at the library when I wasn't sure what to read and asked my librarians for suggestions. They said that the Maximum Ride series was very popular. I read the summary and was a bit skeptical about it, but I took it anyways.

At first I wasn't to interested in the beginning of the book, but I kept on reading ( always a good thing ) and the story started to captivate me. So, they were part bird, that was a little weird, but once you get used to it I really started to get into it.

The story is about a "flock " of kids whose DNA was altered in a lab, and they got bird genes injected in them. The lab was called a " School " and was horrible. A caring scientist helped them escape and now they were living on an isolated mountain. The kind scientist disapeared years ago and they had a feeling he died. Then one day altered humans who were part wolf and worked for the school captured the youngest flock member Angel. The leader Max and the rest of the flock go after her, and slowly they past is unraveled. Read the book to find out if The kinda scientist Eb is alive or not.

This book is overall awesome, but it needs some more romance.
It is a do over of an earlier series and is aimed for teens. there is a story by the same author aimed at adults about the same flock.
Check this book series out !

Reader reviewed by vampreviews

max and her friends are diffrent from normal kids in many ways but the biggest one, is that they can fly.there a result of a science experiment, and they've spent over half there lives in a science lab, they only just escaped a few years ago, and now there being chased by earasers(half men half wolf expiriments gone wrong).now they have to figure out why the science lab made them, and why there being chaced. its really exiting. trust me, i never do reviews on books that suck.

Reader reviewed by Irene

I first received this book in a summer reading program that is held by a local library of mine. My mother had originally ordered it for my bother, but as I had already read all of my books I was thirsting for more. I picked up this book not knowing what to expect. Within the first day of reading it I was hooked. I would leave it in the living room so that between or after chores it would be right there for me to delve right back into.

After reading this book I realized that the author was a male. This amazed me. He connected very well with what teen girls go through even though it is intertwined with fantasy. As a teen myself I know how hard it is to feel like you don't belong anywhere. That you have nowhere to go, and can't always share your feelings because you have people depending on you. Also that there is always a struggle to prove that we are just as able to do things as boys are. That we can think, care and lead all at the same time.

I really enjoyed this book. I love fantasy, and although it is you don't feel that it is totally impossible. I also love action. I tend to get bored with books easily if they don't stay exciting and this book kept me turning the pages. I also enjoyed that fact that although it is an action/fantasy it still has a little bit of romance in it. This book has so many things in it to keep you guessing. I loved it and I know that if you like action, fantasy, romance and mystery and you need something that will really keep you interest you should definitely give this book a chance.

Reader reviewed by Selena Dupri

This was an amazing book and it dragged me onto the second. I really connected with the characters and felt the pain and stress this book caused for them. There were many suprises throughout the pages and I loved how the chapters were short and easy to finish. I felt it was easier to come to stopping points when you have a busy life as i do. I like how it is written for both boys and girls as the main charcter is a girl, but she comes to many blood battles. Marvelous book, absolutly marvelous! I wish I had wings so I could fly. I felt like I already have.

Reader reviewed by Heather,Ben, and Duane

Maximum Ride is exciting! The book is about a six kids who have wings. They were raised in a lab and were kept in a cage. They escaped and lived in the middle of no where for a few years. One day the erasers (the guys who are after them) come to their house and attack them. The book is very action packed. Once I picked it up I never wanted to put it down. I recommend this book to everyone.     

Reader reviewed by danielle

Maximum Ride by James Patterson is not lacking in excitment. Like most of Patteron's work, it's lacking in any real depth or characterazation, but it does keep you reading.

Max is the leader of a 'flock' of six genetically mutated kids, on the run from the institute that created them--The School. Along with Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman and Angel, Max must not only escape the clutches of The School, but maybe even save the world...

While Max is a fun, if rather repetitively sarcastic, character, I can't help but think James Patterson shouldn't really be writing about teenagers, especially teenage girls. Max doesn't come across as very real to me. She's tough, pretty, mean, and sassy, and it all makes a very perfect character with flaws that dont really count as flaws (like Twilight). The secondary characters are just as thin, trapped inside these three word descriptions Patterson uses to introduce them. They have very little depth, and all the interactions between them is very phony.

However, Maximum Ride is a page turner, keeping you glued to the page like only a Patterson novel can. While he does sacrifice literary integrity for book sales, you can at least say you read Maximum Ride in less then an hour.

 

Reader reviewed by Kristen Danielle

What was Patterson thinking? This book was horrible and had absolutly nothing to do with the original two books (When the Wind Blows & The Lake House) Most of thier names get changed, what happened to Max's two kids? I mean come on, at least stay with the story line here...

~ Kristen Danielle

Reader reviewed by Nikki

This book was so good!!! I read the first 4 books in only 4 days!!!  This book is filled with suspense, mystery, and adventure. The book is about six different kids with different and extraordinary talents.These kid shave no family and no place to go. The closest thing they had to a family was Jeb and he disappeared and they have never seen him since. These kids lived in a home until it was blown up by morphing werewolves. These kids are products of an experiment. They are 98 percent human and 2 percent avian hybrid. The morphing werewolves are their enemies that are trying to take the kids back to this place called the school. If you thought it was regular school then you are wrong. The school is a horrible place. This is a place where people steal children and use them for experiments. Most of these kids die at a very young age. This group of kids is the oldest experiment ever made. This was the background. Now this is the real story. The morphing wolves took the youngest od the group, a little girl named Angel, and take her back to the school. It is up to Max, the oldest of the group and a geirl also, to try and save Angel. Dont forget about Fang, Iggy, Nudge, and the Gasman. { also known as Gazzy}