Product Description

Characters based on James Patterson's international bestsellers When the Wind Blows and The Lake House are re-invented in Maximum Ride and are launched on the ultimate action-packed adventure full of humor and suspense.

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "Flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time--like when Angel, the youngest member of the "Flock," is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were genetically engineered by sinister scientists. Her friends brave a journey to Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #472840 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-11
• Released on: 2005-04-11
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From Publishers Weekly
Themes from Patterson's popular adult titles When the Wind Blows and The Lake House waft through this YA thriller, the author's first in the genre. Wood stars as Maximum Ride, 14-year-old leader of a band of kids who have escaped the lab where they were bred as 98% human and 2% bird (wings being a key component) and developed a variety of other-worldly talents. In Patterson's unusual universe, Max and her young cohorts are soon forced to rescue one of their own—a girl named Angel—from a pack of mutant wolf-humans called Erasers. Wood nails Patterson's often adult-beyond-their-years dialogue with a jaded tone. But the result of this pairing makes Max sound more off-putting than cool or intriguing. The listening experience is stalled in the starting gate, keeping the action-adventure earthbound rather than high-flying. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Non-stop thrills keep listeners on the edge of their seats as they enter the world of 14-year-old Maximum Ride and her sibling clan of genetically-enhanced children. In best-selling adult author James Patterson's fantasy (Little, 2005), the six children were experiments created in a lab called the School, but they've been living on their own since a scientist helped them escape. Now they're being tracked down by wolf-human predators who have been programmed to destroy the kids at all costs. The danger never lets up for a second as the kids are kidnapped, hunted, and must flee across the continent to escape. Fortunately for them, they have the power to fly with the help of wings that were grafted onto their bodies. Some scenes take a long time to develop and others seem like offshoots of the main plot, but narrators Nancy Ku and Ed Sala create a myriad of voices for the cast of characters. Short, fast-paced chapters keep this lengthy novel from becoming tiresome for listeners. Readers and listeners will eagerly await the sequel. A good choice for school and public libraries; Patterson's adult fans will probably want to borrow it as well.–Casey Rondini, Hartford Public Library, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
James Patterson's facile writing and Evan Rachel Wood's expressive, wide-eyed reading make this entrée for the teen audience a remarkable success. A group of bird-kids, genetically altered with avian DNA, and led by Max, have escaped from the experimental "school" and must survive the perils of other mutants as they save the youngest member of their flock. Wood has all the slang and colloquial pacing down pat. Teens will love the chaotic chases and frantic action--Wood in Max's first-person narrative has the aura of a comic book superhero. The abridgment is smartly done, and Wood keeps listeners' attention. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read
As a teenager, I always look for a book that has a bit of everything: romance(just a bit), action, adventure, suspense, and mystery. And Maximum Ride had everything I was looking for, without being too overwhelming.
In summary, the story is about a group of six kids who can fly, and all have amazing abilities that they discover. There's Max, fourteen, the oldest, and the leader,Fang, only four months younger, Iggy, six months younger, and also fourteen, and then there's Nudge, eleven, Gazzy, who's eight, and Angel, who's only six.
Then Angel is kidnapped, and their once-peaceful world is turned upside down- again. So Max and the rest of the "Flock" must go and rescue her from the horrible place they had once fled...facing questions like: Will I survive to see tommorow? Will I ever be normal? What the heck is NORMAL like?
James Patterson weaves a splendid tale of growing up and what family really means, and leaves a satisfying ending open for the next book.
It's full of wit, humour, and lots of kick-butt action. I'd recommend this book for ages eleven and up.

Modern Fantasy
I absolutly love Maximum Ride. It is my all time favorite. I love Max's sarcasme and how she has feelings she refuses to admit! This book is like a ride that just gets better and faster every second. A real accomplishement for James Patterson.

One of his best!
I have read MANY of James Patterson's books and i am a huge fan of his style of writing, this book however just became my all-time favorite! I LOVED the way he wrote this story and the characters that he developed, i was enjoying the book so much that i did not want it to end and therefore would only read two or three pages a night.

I am not normally one to like a sci-fi twist on things, but he so beautifully created and molded this story that to me it felt completely believable and possible. I even found myself chuckling out loud on the bus during certain parts and obviously recieved a few inquiring looks as a result. This book is heartfelt and touching with light and enjoyable humor dispersed throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and i was even more excited to find that there is a sequal!

Mr. Patterson said this was one of his favorite books to write and it has definitely become one of my favorite books to read!