Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

     “‘I don’t want to have fun! I want some answers!’ I blurted without meaning to – the crazy girl talking back to her little Voice.” The absurdly annoying Voice inside her head is just one of 14 year old Max’s many problems in James Patterson’s fascinating novel Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. That isn’t including the fact that she is a human-avian hybrid, otherwise a mutant freak, or that those who mutated her are now after her, and her family. In her childhood, Max was subjected to cruel experimentation at a place called the School until a whitecoat, Jeb Batchelder, helped her and several other bird hybrids to escape. When he mysteriously disappears, assumed dead by Max and the flock, Max is suddenly left as leader. Then, Erasers, half-man half-wolf, show up to kill them. As you are engrossed in Maximum Ride, find out just how much imminent death one person can experience and what Max is meant to do.

     Max is the best thing about the novel, even the neat plot twists can’t compare. She is cool, sarcastic, and generally an interesting character. James Patterson really makes her come alive; it is almost as if she is standing next to me telling her story. Just about anyone can understand where she is coming from, and relate. Sometime in our lives, usually in our teens (oh, dear!), we feel out of place, but Max always feels like that. Her entire life is about fighting just to see the light of day once more, never knowing what life will throw at her next. Despite death knocking on her front door (if she actually had one), Max can laugh, have some fun, and care about others.
     The unsuspected plot twists and the interesting characters make this a great read. I really love the book and how much Max truly cares about others, even though her own hardships are more than enough for anyone to handle. Maximum Ride is a fast-paced and suspenseful science fiction novel. If you are having a hard time finding a book to entertain you, this is it! I warn you though, you will stay up all night just to see what comes next, so don’t blame me when you fall asleep in one of your boring classes. 
     Rating: 9
     Find the first book in the Maximum Ride series anywhere from Amazon to Walmart.