Thursday, August 23, 2007

Book Review - Maximum Ride; saving the world and other extreme sports



Maximum Ride; saving the world and other extreme sports is the third in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. Yes, that James Patterson. I’m guessing most of you are familiar with his adult fiction, and his turn toward YA is just as engrossing.

Max, the leader of the flock, is one of an elite few genetically enhanced kids who are on a mission to save the world. Through her voice, full of sarcastic wit and teenage ‘I’m so over this’ attitude, the reader experiences the roller coaster ride of emotion as the flock is hunted across the globe by the scientists responsible for their powers and the flyboys they’ve created to terminate the flock.

This book is ideal for the reluctant reader. Chapters are short and entertaining and the plot moves very fast. Patterson has done a masterful job of creating the teenage voice which permeates this world, filled with lifelike emotion in an extraordinary background.

For the adult or serious reader, some of the scenarios seem slightly contrived with too much tension but not enough character to hold onto. This is, as Max admonishes early in the book, the third of a series and, while it does stand alone, the first two parts obviously flesh out these characters and give the reader a greater understanding of the stakes.

For the middle grade reader, this can be a fun romp and a great way to ease the non reader into a love of story. Great fun and even more humor, even you’re a fan of sci-fi and a quick pace, this one’s sure to please.




Visit Mother Talk for more information about writing reviews for your blog! If you enjoy reading and blogging, this could be a lot of fun for you.

3 comments:

Merry Monteleone said...

For those of you interested in writing reviews, check out the Mother Talk link on the blog.

This is my first, but I have two more scheduled for September. The rules are fairly straight forward. They give you a description of the books to be reviewed and you can decide if they'd be right for you and ask to be included in the review.

You get the book for free, straight from the publisher, and a review date. Reviews are honest - you're not asked to promote a book you don't like, just give a fair assessment of the book. They also ask that you not give spoilers.

Each review pays $20.00 in Amazon gift certificates - so it's nice because you not only get a free copy of the review book but money towards your literary habit as well.

If you like YA, children's fiction, or any topic of interest to moms, you might really enjoy these.

Mary Witzl said...

Merry -- I am going to be reviewing Maximum Ride too, and I can't imagine doing a better job than this, damn it! Still, I'll give it a go.

I love the idea of reviewing books, especially ones for YA readers and teens. I never realized how hard a YA book was to write until I tried it myself. I think James Patterson's done a very good job too -- but I'll leave the rest of my opinions for my own review!

Merry Monteleone said...

Hi Mary,

I look forward to reading your review, as well. I like the idea of reviewing, too, plus I love getting the fresh new, sometimes not yet released book from the publisher... My next two are adult fiction, and they look delicious...

Plus, I think it is very helpful to the author - I know I've bought books because other bloggers I like have recommended them.