Monthly Review

The novel, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson, is a adventurous story following the mutant birds of Max, Fang, Nudge, Iggy, Gasman, and Angel. This tightly fitted pack, a family of their own, take on the world being young children with different ages trying to blend and learn about their unfortunate pasts. Along the way they face malevolent creatures called the Erasers, who work at the experimental place called School. Max, the leader at the age of fourteen, finds her inner stenght and love for her mutant family. When Angel is captured by the Erasers, Max is determined to get her back and obtain some revenge from the whitecoats, the scientists, and the Erasers. After accomplishing her goal, she still faces a family that wants to know why who their parents are and why they would give them up. The idea of figuring the past haunts Max because she knows enought to see the outcome being disappointing but relief to at least showing them because it eventually would have been asked.


4.How would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?
James Patterson shines in making this book loveable to variety of ages, especially the young children of imagination. The characters are all young and are mutants, trying to defeat the School. It basically sums up what every kid imagines of doing. His writing style in this book digs into a fourteen years old girl who is overly mature for her age. He includes in sarcasm and jokes, differently set in each character which is a unique style. A book packed with laughter and adventure is rare for me to read and so I think that is a great style to have. Though he is a dude, he empowered the vision and emotions of what a girl would see in her everyday life, though Max is a mutant. Her personality is shown alot through her thoughts such as "Note to self:Give subconscious a pep talk re: better dreams." Patterson equips the action scenes with full details, and it may not be G rated. When Max bites Ari, an Eraser and son of Jeb, the emotions from both characters exudes. From Max teeth digging through the skin and Ari's whailing of pain. The suspense in this book is key to having me wanting to finish this book before returning it. The sub-sections of each chapter ends with a shock, and Patterson breaks the book into sections of each character in a different setting. That was very interesting, because I have never seen that happen before in a book. The flow between each character is carried along smoothly which was enjoyable to see. The flow doesn't leave the readers hanging from what is going on with all the mutant kids. Another style incorporated is the forshadowing of who Max's true parents are. James Patterson's style is unique and his own which is enjoyable to read through out this book.

8.Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth.
Hands down my favorite character was Maximum Ride. She is an her own individuality that can't be overused in other books. The leader of the pack she believes in what is right and shows so much strenght emotionally and physically. From beginning to end, she grows stronger and smarter, though sometimes she doesn't want to follow her own plans, it is what's best for her family. She thinks first about what everyone is feeling and thinking, and puts herself last, even to her secretly admirer Fang. She is definatley likes to be hard headed but it is what she feels right. When she saw this girl in an abandoned warehouse with three guys who had guns, she intervened. The girl escaped, but Max did not leave easily. She got shot and that hurt her time of saving Angel, and everyone's patience. One trait that I liked about her is her strong willingness to understand that you can't trust someone who is working against you, such as the character Jeb. Jeb was a father figure to the pack and supposedly died until he showed up working in the school. " Now my eyes were telling me that he was one of them. THat maybe he'd been one of them all along. that everything I'd ever known or felt about him had been a rotten, stinking lie." Max's fast change of mind, shows she sets aside personal history and feelings for the better of her family. When Max endures the massive headaches, that shock her body, she still tries to give her strenght into escaping because without her she wouldn't be able to make sure her family it safe and living freely. The Voice that keeps talking to her with knowledge but no straight answers, angers Max. Her wisdom wasn't up to par until the Voice started to speak to her and so she learns to use knowledge to find a way to the Institute, which holds the key to the pack's past. Smarts, and strength will lead hopefully lead Max to saving this supposed "world."

James Patterson unique incite of creating these fictional characters in the same world that we live in could definatley make someone believe that is could be true or it is just someone's childhood memory to have powers. The characters are depicted differently and have the same emotions as any other mortal or human. The struggles are uncomparable which saddens some readers but the funny moments makes this book one of a kind. The settings are all different, and includes the never sleeping city of New York. As they struggle to blend with humans, they must embrace their new powers which eventually helps them find what they are looking for. For any reader who adores action, this book embraces a variety of ideas into escaping and fighting. This is the first of the series and I am truely awaiting to read these Maximum Ride books. A book worth the time.