The Final Draft

Reading Maximum Ride, School’s Out Forever by James Patterson

When you are reading James Patterson’s easy-to-read, fast-paced Maximum Ride series, it’s a great way to past the time. He keeps the chapters short, and you find yourself turning the pages at a fast rate, keeping in line with the novel’s pace. Since I’ve just come off a streak of reading nonfiction books about genetic engineering, Patterson’s page turner was a relief. Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, and Angel are back for a second round of action (after their first adventure in Maximum Ride, The Angel Experiment), running from Erasers (half-wolf, half-human experiments like The Flock but with wolves), outsmarting the Whitecoats (evil scientist bent on destroying the world and The Flock themselves.) The six genetically engineered bird kids and their talking dog, Total, they picked up where the last round left off. They have information that might lead them to their parents. Max’s Voice is driving her crazy. And, they’re going to school (the real kind).

Ari, is a 7-year-old Eraser, but is the size of a full grown human, and Jeb's only son. He had wings retrofitted on by the whitecoats in, School’s Out Forever. In The Angel Experiment, while fighting in the New York sewers, Max accidentally snaps Ari's neck and he supposedly died. However, at the School they fused the bones in his neck and brought him back to life, much to the dismay of the Flock. Ari, the genetically engineered Eraser (half-wolf, half-human), finally shows his human side.

This was the one thing the first book, The Angel Experiment, was lacking. We see that he is not just a monster, but he has retained his human feelings after all of his alterations. On the other hand, we are also should remember that Ari is a 7-year-old boy beneath that grown exterior.

One of the main events is when Fang is critically injured on the way to DC by a flying Eraser attack. They have no choice but to go to the hospital where their secret is discovered. The Flock is questioned by the FBI, and in return for Fang's treatment, Max reluctantly agrees for the Flock to stay with Anne Walker, an agent, until Fang recovers.

I conducted two interviews of a woman named Brinda Laya, who owns a bookstore in my neighborhood and Cody, a childhood friend of mine.

When I asked them of what they thoughts of Anne personally, they were quite similar. Cody deadpanned, “I just don’t like her. When she revealed that was Jeb’s boss, I started to hate her and still do hate her though, I do wonder what is going to happen to her later in the series.” Brinda shook her head, simple saying, “I don’t like Anne, that’s it. I won’t say anything else, I just don’t like her and that’s that.”

I wondered, when I read the book personally, why did Ari want to ‘take’ Max away so badly? Cody suggested, “I think it’s an obsession that Ari has with Max as she is his sister and wants to the only one to be with her.” Though Brinda says differently, “Ari wants Max to be his friend; he loves her a lot and wants to be alone with her for his whole life after all he is only 7 years old.”

Most of the story was told through the eyes of Max. She becomes jealous of the FBI agent who takes them in and plays the mother role to the kids for a while. She becomes jealous, or at least mad, at the girl who kisses Fang at school.

Brinda declared, “I give the book 5 stars for the second sequel of Maximum Ride. I feel so excited when running in the same ride as Max and the Flocks. James Patterson is indeed an amazing writer. His stories made me not only flutter with excitement but also not predict what will happen next. Perhaps, this is one of the factors that make Maximum Ride become a bestselling book.”

Cody had a similar opinion on the story, “I read the book "School's out-Forever" by James Patterson and liked all of it just not one part. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of James Patterson's work, or someone that enjoys reading books that are action-packed.”

When interview both people, I asked them what their favorite character was. Brinda had said it was Max. “She seems like a great leader and a great role model. In the books they always say how Max was determined and she will win this fight. That shows that she doesn't give up and I like that about her. It also says how everyone looks up to her and the rest of the flock respect her and listen to her.”

Cody took a while to think about this, he stated that he didn’t have a favorite character but did have a least favored character, the youngest of The Flock, Angel. He explained, “She's just a 6 year old and she thinks she can lead the flock. When she doesn't get what she wants she tries to control they’re mind and change what their thinking. Sometimes it comes in handy when they're in trouble. But other times she doesn't use it for a good cause. She also tries to take over Max's spot as leader.”

Continuing on, during the book series there was a substitute Max that replaced the real Max at one part book. OK the diabolical scale of 1 to 10, what do you rate of the fact that Max had been replaced by a substitute Max?  

Both interviewees agreed with each other on this topic. Brinda rated higher with a 9 and was convinced when Substitute Max was the real Max for some time before she learned when that it was not the real Max but the fake one while the real Max was captured by Jeb and The School. Cody rated a 7, “I really can’t tell the difference between both Max’s but only that their personalities are very different.”

When they were both finished with reading the book, I questioned what their contemplations were of Jeb and The School. Both had a similar outlook with saying they didn’t like both Jeb and The School in the end.

“I really don’t know what to think of Jeb, I used to think that he was a cool person who took in the Flock but at the same time not a good parent when he left Ari behind. Now The School, I think it’s a sick place when they performed (they still are) all the experiments with all the children and the clones and all that.” Brinda stated with an objectionable look on her face. Yet, Cody’s replay was short and simple, “I really can’t say anything on it but I do hate them both.”

Both interviews went very well, Brinda and Cody were very happy to give their opinions. With managed to get two points of views of the book from a male and a female and a general outlook from each person was a good idea. But Brinda seemed to have a better outlook on the story then Cody as he just skimmed through some parts of the book then actually read it when he confessed at the end of the interview.

When reading School’s Out Forever, Patterson focuses on character development throughout most of the book. The major storyline left off in the same place that it began. It’s hard not to like the action. Not to like the easy-flowing style.