If you dare read this story, you become part of the Experiment. I know that sounds a little mysterious-but it’s all I can say right now.

            Maximum Ride, better known as Max, is a fourteen-year-old girl who’s in charge of saving the world. 

           Wait. What? A fourteen-year-old, trying to save the world? You gotta be kidding me. But no, this isn’t a silly, stupid prank. 

            You see, Max isn’t just your typical teenager. She’s lived in a world without school or grown-ups to boss her around. She takes care of her friends, known as the flock-Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel after their father figure, Jeb Batchelder disappeared without a trace. So it’s up to Max to protect her friends, wipe out half-human, half-wolf creatures called Erasers, find the best chocolate chip cookie in New York city, help the flock find their parents to discover their origins and to top it all off save the world from the destruction being caused by grown-ups. 

            Think that’s too much for a normal fourteen-year-old? Well, think again. Max has been there and done that. Max knows how to soar to survive. And I mean that literally. THIS GIRL CAN FLY. 

            Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is the first installment in James Patterson’s new series, “Maximum Ride” (The Fugitives). Maximum Ride focuses on six genetical prodigies who are known to be 98% human and 2% avian. They escape from the School, the laboratory responsible for grafting avian DNA on them and giving them an assortment of extraordinary capabilities and  a lot of power-packed punches and roundhouses kicks. But now the School wants them back and the whitecoats and Erasers are set to capture Max and her family. They manage to get Angel, the youngest member of the flock which leaves Max and the rest of the gang out on a mission to rescue her from their worst nightmare. 

            Do not put this book down. I’m dead serious. Your life could depend on it. I’m risking everything by telling you-but you need to know. 

            Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is a book that’s indeed hard to put down whether the speaker threatens you or not. The plot is simple yet interesting and some of the dialogues are witty and humorous. The idea is very original and the combination of action, friendship, adventure, science fiction, and love truly makes the book a worthwhile read. 

           I definitely loved Max and her strength and persona as a leader. She is selfless, determined and imperfect, which makes her one of my favorite butt-kicking heroines. I was also drawn to the character of Fang, dark and soundless, always shifting through the shadows. And I also loved the way James Patterson revealed each character’s fatal flaw, making the readers realize that even though the flock are a group of superhuman beings, they, too face challenges and acquire imperfections that normal teens would experience. 

           On the down side, although the plot is interesting and hard to miss,  I think it lacks something more, some satisfaction that I was looking for. Sometimes it was too predictable and it kept repeating itself. The flock getting chased by Erasers, the flock escaping and beating their lupine enemies up, the flock proceeding to another city and discovering new abilities, the Erasers coming after them again. It went on and on like a repeating cycle. I was also looking for more action and details for the fight scenes. All I read was a few kicks and punches, some blood there, a crack somewhere and they’re done. The writing style lacks description in some parts which gives the audience a blank map to fill out. 

            All in all, despite its scifi genre, the book was a light and easy read. I’d give Patterson’s work a  6 out of 10. I recommend this book to people who have a sense of adventure, like me. I also suggest this as a good summer read and for those who are interested in badass female characters and genetic experiments. 

            I am now on my way to the next book in the series, “School’s Out-Forever” and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Max and the flock. Will be posting a review of it as soon as I’m done. The Maximum Ride series will truly keep you turning page after page.