The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1)
by James Patterson
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Book Summary Information
Author: James PattersonBrand: Little, Brown and Company
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-04-01
ISBN: 0316067954
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1)
Book Review: "Warning: If you dare to read this story, you become part of the Experiment."
Summary: 4 Stars
Three and a half stars for MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT.
"Warning: If you dare to read this story, you become part of the Experiment." If this cryptic little note for the reader, pasted on the book's title page and signed by Max, doesn't intrigue that reader, then I don't know of any teaser which will. MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT is James Patterson's first venture into the Young Adult fiction genre, and, as such, it's a commendable rookie effort. And, certainly, his target audiences have been enthralled all to bits as this one rapidly climbed the New York Times Bestseller list. Myself, I liked it, despite its flaws. THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT is inspired by (but not a continuance of) two of Patterson's earlier novels, the excellent When the Wind Blows and the merely okay The Lake House. Think of it more as a re-imagining done by Patterson as he extracts Max from that old storyline and gives her a new backstory. The name's the same and the sinister School is the same. But a lot is different. You won't find Kit and Frannie in this new series (which is a pity).
Plot SPOILERS begin.
Six kids on the run, relentlessly pursued by their School, which is a covert and sinister organization. Six kids, who were raised in a laboratory, locked in tiny cages and subjected to torturous, unending experiments. Who then escaped some years ago, with the aid of a scientist who now cannot be trusted. Maximum Ride (but call her Max) is the leader of these very special children. Very special, because, for one thing, all six have functional wings, having been cross-bred with avian DNA. But that's not the end of their extraordinary abilities. There's a perfect mimic in their midst, and a tactile empath, and a mind reader. And who knows what else, as new powers are constantly emerging. So you see why their old School wants its flock back so badly.
So life hasn't been easy for Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel (ages ranging from 6 to 14 years old). Yet the children believed they had finally found sanctuary in the isolation of Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains. But Max never planned on the Erasers - genetically-engineered, werewolf-like enforcers of the School - somehow always being able to track her and her flock. Things really fall apart when the latest run-in with a pack of Erasers ends with the kidnapping of Angel, the youngest child and a mind-reader. Much of the book's first half deals with Max and the others desperately attempting to rescue Angel, which does happen but not until Angel had been put thru more horrible experiments. Later, Angel tells the flock that there might be a way to unearth their birth parents' identities. But, to access this knowledge, they would have to find and infiltrate the shadowy Institute for Higher Living, hidden somewhere in New York City. So off they go...
And, as if things aren't horrible enough, it gets even more challenging for Max. Suddenly, she begins to suffer from excruciating brain seizures. Then she begins to hear a Voice in her mind, which urges her to save the world. Max finds this demand particularly outrgeous as she can barely get her younger charges to clean up their rooms. Not to mention, vicious, lycanthrophic mutants forever trying to kill them.
SPOILERS end.
MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, straddling fantasy and science-fiction, is an effortless read, made even easier by the very short chapters and the fast pace of the story as the venue shifts from Colorado to Death Valley and, finally, to the streets and underground subways and sewers of New York. Patterson's storytelling skills are mostly on display here, okay, maybe simplified a bit to accomodate the younger years of the intended reader. But older, more critical persons can enjoy this, too. Patterson writes in some very good vignette scenes, as when an injured Max is taken in by a normal family, and the flock's misadventures in a toy store and a restaurant. Actually, I enjoyed these character-driven moments more than the frenetic action sequences. Not to mention, Patterson unveils some funny bits as Max turns out to have a pretty subversive sense of humor.
Patterson makes sure that we come to care about these six kids as, in this incarnation, Max and company seem to be even better-developed (character-wise) and more endearing. Members of the flock get a chance to narrate a piece of the story from their point-of-view, except for the ever-reticent but always cool Fang, who is seen thru the other children's eyes and, therefore, comes off as the most enigmatic. 14-year-old Max herself makes for an awesome heroine, plucky and fierce and brave and very protective of her flock. And, because a huge chunk of the novel is told thru her first-person narrative, the reader will identify and sympathize with her inner turmoil and insecurities, things she's naturally reluctant to share with her younger charges. In fact, all the kids have their distinct personalities, and it's very easy to root for all six.
But I can see where fans might become simultaneously intrigued and put off by this book. The premise is addictive, the characters are winning, the adventure is non-stop. Yet THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, clearly meant to be a first installment in a series, suffers as a stand-alone book. There's a hectic and disjointed feel in these pages. Partly because these Erasers pop out of the woodwork way too often. Partly because Patterson, perhaps unwilling to reveal everything as yet, becomes too stingy with the plot progressions and the big reveals. There are inconsistencies and too many coincidences (yes, the second credit card was a bit much for me). And the book does end on an unsatisfying note. So a huge chunk of how you end up liking this book will be determined by how much these kids ingratiate themselves with you. Me, I like them a lot, and well enough to forgive the book's several trespasses.
James Patterson may have made his hay with the brilliant Alex Cross series, and, more recently, with the Women's Murder Club novels. But, with MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, he's carved himself a new niche in fiction and has made me into an even bigger fan. Having just finished reading the riveting and much more cohesive sequel, MAXIMUM RIDE: SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER, Max may have just toppled Alex Cross as my favorite James Patterson-created character. The Maximum Ride series has blown up in a gynormous way, each of the books so far having garnered a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. I can't wait to check out the third and fourth books. And the movie cannot get here fast enough (but it's still a few years away).
The Maximum Ride series, so far:
- MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT
- School's Out - Forever (Maximum Ride, Book 2)
- Saving the World (Maximum Ride, Book 3)
- The Final Warning (Maximum Ride, Book 4)
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