Book review

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson (2007)

Part three of the Maximum Ride series

More from Maximum Ride and her flock. They've still got a lot to do, Erasers and mad scientists to outwit, parents to track down, world to save, that kind of thing. And there are one or two other things that need to be sorted out too. Like, who or what exactly is that Voice inside Max's head, and can it be trusted? And could Max and Fang ever manage without each other?

Because in this book the unthinkable actually happens. Max and Fang disagree on what to do next and the flock splits:

Flying west without Max was like flying with one wing missing, Fang thought. He kept seeing her face: furious, confused and, even though she would never admit it, scared. He'd seen that face just about every day of his entire life. He'd seen it filthy with caked-on dirt, bruised and bloodied, snarling, laughing, sleeping, telling complicated lies with total sincerity...looking down at him with that light in her eyes, that communication between them...

It's a bad moment but they really do need to divide forces. Fang uses his blog to raise public awareness worldwide, and Max searches out the Director of the whole international mutant research project.

A completely absorbing, action-packed adventure story. I loved every word, even though the plot doesn't stand very close examination and there are plenty of loose ends which are never properly cleared up. It doesn't matter. I'm enjoying filling in the blanks myself.

Highly recommended. She's a winner, Maximum Ride.

What can I read next?

Read the whole trilogy.

If you enjoy the sardonic stream of consciousness, have a look at this razor-sharp book by David Klass, about domestic abuse:

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