The Angel Experiment

This could have been a good book if it had been written by a good author, if that makes any sense. If you're willing to forget that you've ever read anything before in your entire life, The Angel Experiment has a mildly compelling premise if you dig deep enough. I imagine someone with talent exploring the ethics behind experimentation with DNA, lab testing on living creatures, and what it means to be human.

Instead, our author created a character called "The Gasman." Why is he called The Gasman? Because he is gassy. That's right. One main character's entire existence is a fart joke. The problem is he only rips ass one time, at the beginning of the book. It's like this witless ape Patterson said to himself, "I like farts. Farts are funny. show more Here is a character named after his farts. Hehehehe. I'll make him fart...oh God what am I doing. I have to pretend like I still have self-respect." Don't forget, boys and girls, this man made $95 million this year.

The action sequences in this book made me want to die. I'm not joking. After reading for the 89th time about Max feeling one of her half-man half-wolf enemy's ribs crunch before her almighty 14-year-old girl-bird fist, you'll feel the same way.

I'll just give you a little taste, just because I'm a dick.

"Grab Big Mouth", said the head guy, and the other two moved to flank me.
Which made mistake number three. Bam, you're out.
I moved fast, fast, fast. With no warning, I snapped a high kick right into the lead jerk's chest. A blow that would have only knocked Fang's breath away actually seemed to snap a rib on this guy. I heard the crack, and the guy choked, looking shocked, and fell backward.

Sorry, sorry, that's enough.

There is something worse than the fight scenes, unfortunately. It's the dialogue. What was the last thing Max said before she got in that fight I just shared with you?

"Actually, I think kicking your stupid butts would be good for me."

Because, you know, that's how people talk.

The leads in this book are 14, 11, 8, and 6, but I won't claim that they don't talk like kids their age would. I'm claiming they don't talk like kids their species would.

You can tell me that these kids are part bird. I'll tell you they're 2% bird, and they have wings, so that ought to cover it. And I don't think a talking bird would ever say something like this:

"I feel like, like pudding," Iggy groaned. "Pudding with nerve endings. Pudding in great pain."

Whatever you say, Iggy.

Maybe the dialogue isn't as bad as I think it is. I just have a lot of trouble thinking through a quote when it is followed by, "said the Gasman."

This is unrelated, but this is the second Patterson book I've read, and coincidentally, both books had a character suffering from schizophrenia who seemed to have a backstory worth exploring, and in both books, the person in question is used instead as a cartoony punchline. I'm not saying I'm offended by the lack of compassion within this depiction of mental illness. If someone threw up on the sidewalk and the vomit somehow congealed into the n word, I think it's ok to scrub it away and move on without much fuss. But in a book desperately lacking character development, to take interesting people and just waste them spectacularly feels to me like a really bad trademark for an author to have.

Once again, like I said about Guilty Wives, I see The Angel Experiment as a book that is fairly honest about what it is. It's the perfect book for anyone who wanted the old Batman graphics that said stuff like "BOP" and "POW" to be turned into a nine installment young adult series.

Sorry, I have to say it one more time. A main character in this book is named "The Gasman." show less

2.5 stars. It reminded me of the I.Q. series in that it is full of action, to the point where it’s hard to keep track of the passage of time.

This series seems to be geared toward a slightly older audience than I.Q., they stick in a few cuss words, some rough language, lots of fighting,and one person who gets killed (in self defense).

There are some believable parts to how the kids respond, it’s sad that a 14yr old girl sees herself the way she does, and I understand there will be lots of loose ends as it’s the beginning of a long series, but there is also a fair amount of absurdity. For example, these are apparently kids with super high metabolisms because of their modifications, yet they don’t seem to feel it besides show more complaining of hunger occasionally and ordering obscene amounts of food (about which we apparently need great detail…why?) whether they are fed or not they still have all the energy and ability of a video game character at full power.

It really bothers me when authors aim at such a specific audience and lean so heavily on one aspect of a story to the detriment of the story as a whole. This is definitely super action and emotion heavy, and the result is that it obscures parts of the story that might actually be worth telling. show less

Right from the beginning, this book was like one high-intensity climax after another. After less than 100 pages in, all I wanted the characters to do is sit around and stare at each other for awhile, let me breathe. The basic premise of the plot was hide from the bad guys, run when they found you, escape and retaliate when they caught you... and repeat. Things did not seem to get really interesting until after page 200, when the group of winged kids started discovering new abilities.

There are lots of things that don't get explained - which I understand some lack of explanation is necessary to draw out a series - but these kids don't know anything about themselves or even why they exist. The oldest one, Max, is 14, and she can't even show more deduce that the chip in her arm is how to Erasers keep finding them. I probably would have enjoyed this book much more if the reader could have been privy to the mind of Jeb Batchelder, who was once-acting father of this group of kids and keeps claiming throughout the book that he is one of the good guys. By the end of the book, the kids have cross the U.S. in flying distance, but have yet to really solve any of their problems or get any significant question answered, unless you count parentage.

Another thing that really annoyed me was the length of the chapters, which were no more than 4 pages in length. I get that this is a YA novel, but a 400 page book with 134 chapters is kind of absurd. Mostly, the chapter breaks were used to switch viewpoints between the various characters, and lengthening the chapters in favor of cutting the quantity of chapters would not have harmed this.

There were some touching moments in the book that I wish could have been drawn out, such as Max being with the Rodriguez family, Fang and Nudge interacting with the birds, or the kids being in the New York City toy store, but these moments seemed to be grossly overshadowed by the action and suspense.

Normally, I am a big fan of YA literature, but I think this one is a bit too young even for me. show less

One of the first series I ever got really incredibly attached to, several years ago. My love for it hasn't decreased since.

The thing that struck me immediately about this book was how quickly it grabbed you, and not gently. From Max's first warning words in the prologue, you simply cannot stop turning the pages. There is action around every corner, each snapshot chapter seems to end in a cliffhanger, and Max's sarcastic, real, snarky, very teenage narration carries you through her world in breakneck fashion. And her "family"...! This is one seriously great cast of characters. Everyone can find a favorite, or like me, won't be able to choose. Wittily tomboyish Max, stoic and cool Fang, blind cook and pyro Iggy, motormouth Nudge, tough show more little Gazzy, and sweet-but-deadly Angel. This book also wins the award for making me laugh out loud the most in the shortest space of time. I can't even count all my favorite, hilarious parts.

And the best part is, by the end, you know the story's far from over! show less

While I might have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this series, I loved this book when I read it. Maybe it's a bit immature, but I was reading it at a time when immature was okay. This book was fast paced and funny, and, despite the fact that the rest of the series is what I like to call a "dumpster fire," this book was fun and not completely crazy.
Even though the characters often annoyed me, I still found myself liking them. They were light and humorous, even if I felt like sometimes they had gone off the deep end. I totally ship Fax (Fang and Max), and anxiously waited for the two of them to get together. Angel creeped me out more than a little, and I couldn't understand Max's fascination with her, but I didn't dislike her as show more much as I would come to do so in the future. I liked the whole family aspect of everything, but found the other characters forgettable, found all of them a tad bit annoying, and sometimes I felt like there were too many of them.
This book was fast paced, and I really enjoyed how quickly things moved. Often, they would go on these random tangents, but I didn't really care too much, because even though they weren't really part of the main plot, they were entertaining and action-filled, not just random rambling bores. I would have preferred to have a few less tangents, but they didn't significantly harm the plot in any major, significant way.
So, while I might not suggest the entire series to every person I meet, I really did enjoy this first book. It was fast-paced, entertaining, and even funny at some points. I can understand how some people might not enjoy the humor or the plot line, I think it's aimed at a younger audience, but when I first read this, I was that younger audience, so I liked it well enough. Each element on its own may have been a bit lacking, and in need of some fine-tuning, but when it all came together, I found myself quite satisfied.
Four out of Five Stars
Want to see more reviews like this one? Explore my blog! http://themessengerreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-angel-experiment-maximum-rid... show less

Romanzo veloce, coinvolgente e simpaticamente istruttivo. E' libro diretto a un pubblico giovane e scritto immedesimandosi in una ragazzina quattordicenne ma, nonostante ciò, presenta alcune frasi e aneddoti di una saggezza incredibile. Messaggi freschi e diretti, comprensibili, dietro i quali si possono nascondere anche insegnamenti più complessi e di natura profonda.

Pur essendo al servizio del demonio, il vecchio Jeb ci aveva insegnato l'utile arte del combattimento da stra­da. Mai giocare in modo leale, non è così che si vince. Usare tutti i colpi bassi possibili. Aspettarsi dolore e fe­rite. Farsi sorprendere dal dolore significa perdere

La conoscenza è un terribile fardello, Max, disse la Voce. Sospirai. Era ancora con noi. show more È una lama a doppio taglio, continuò. Potrebbe rivelarsi utile, ma potrebbe anche metterti in guai peggiori di quelli af­frontati finora. Vero. Ma dovevo farlo comunque. Max, la tua missione va al di là del trovare i loro genitori. Pensa ad aiutare il mondo intero, non solo i tuoi amici. Tenni le ali ferme, lasciandomi trasportare per un lunghissimo tratto da una calda corrente ascensionale. Era come galleggiare su una nuvola, la sensazione più bella che si possa immaginare. Vorrei tanto farla provare anche a voi. Magari la prossima volta. Lo sai, Voce... pensai infine. I miei amici sono il mio mondo.

L'ironia di Max, che come detto racconta in prima persona, è pungente e divertente. Dimostra un acume forgiato grazie alla vita di tutti i giorni e alle esperienze vissute con lo stormo. Niente di troppo acculturato ma una sorta di saggezza disincantata e accompagnata da una buona dose di sagacia.

Per un'ora e mezzo, Fang e io cercammo in tutti i modi possibili e immaginabili e trovammo un'infinità d'istituti di ogni genere, con sede a Mahattan e in tutto lo Stato di New York, ma nessuno faceva ben sperare. Il mio preferito? L'Istituto per la Realizzazione del Potenziale Interiore degli Animali da Compagnia. Se qualcuno di voi è in grado di spie­garmelo, mi mandi due righe.

Lo 'stormo' è ben assortito e ogni personaggio è stato approfondito accuratamente tanto da permetterti di immedesimarti in ognuno di loro.

Il colpo di scena è assicurato, anche se alcuni elementi sono piuttosto 'scontati' ed è possibile indovinarli, vale comunque leggerlo e tenerlo in libreria. Il secondo romanzo assicura un'impennata positiva di azione da non sottovalutare! show less

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Being a mutant isn't always easy. In fact, it's never easy. Maximum Ride and her friends - her family - are six mutants created by scientists at the School. They...well...they have wings. They can fly. Max, Fang, Iggy, the Gasman, Nudge, and Angel: a family, the best of friends, in hiding, freaks to the rest of the world, never completely safe. They are on their own, after their savior and father figure, Jeb, was killed.
But when the youngest of their Flock, Angel, is kidnapped by the Erasers, creatures created by the School for evil purposes, Max and her friends will do anything and everything to get her back - and they might just discover some startling secrets and life-or-death obstacles along show more the way.
_________________________________________

My thoughts -
This story is told from Max's perspective, and let me just say first off - Dang! That girl has one powerful, impressive, and strong voice. But more on that in a bit....

This was one heck of a book. It was another "Well...I'm not sure if I'm going to like it" book. Another, "Holy crud I was sooooo wrong" book. I can't say enough good stuff about it - in fact, I'm lacking any sort of criticism...because there's nothing to criticise! James Patterson has all sorts of talent - in every area of writing/story-telling. It blew me out of the water.

For a while I was like, "Wow, this book is really well-developed in the story factor!" Then, a bit later, I thoguht, "He really focuses on characters and making them real...I'm impressed!" Then, the same thing about the action. Then the writing. Then the emotion. I went on like this in dog-chasing-tail fashion before I realized: It isn't one of these aseptcs...it's all of it - the whole flipping package!

Character notes -
From the very first pages, I felt like I knew Max already. She's strong, sweet, loving, and tough when she needs to be. When I think of Max, I think mature. She's had to go through so much, had to practically raise these kids on her own, and even through all the tough pockets of life, she loves them more than she loves herself. Her selflessness amazed me - as did the rest of the Flock's. All six of them were willing to give their lives for the others in a heartbeat.

I loved the whole Flock. All of them, so so much. They all brought something to the table, something vital to the story. They were all alive - I can still picture them perfectly, as though I've known them all my life. It's a pretty neat feeling.

(It's a difficult job, picking a favorite in a book that holds so many great characters, but Fang has got to be at the very top. He was wonderful the whole time. I love how his eyes and his fraction-of-a-second smiles convey his moods so perfectly, and all the while keep his character consistent and just awesome. And the sacrifices he makes for his "family"...man...I was so impressed - let's just say that!)

Story notes -
This is one of those books where everything bad that could possibly happens - happens. Like, there is no end to the amount of trouble, danger, and action. There are bombings, chase scenes, going under cover, fist fights, and lots and lots of secrets. Every chapter held a new dilemma, every chapter brought up some new disaster that kept the Flock from attaining their goal. This only worked to make this book even more genius than it already was.

The actual story is super duper emotional. More so than I was expecting. On top of the action-packed scenes (which take up the majority of the book), I couldn't help but feel deeply...for the entire book. It was heart-breaking, pitiful, and just plain yucky-feeling that these kids have nowhere to go...that they are looked upon as freaks, cast-aways of society. Life will never be normal for them. And when they triumph over their enemies in scenes throughout the book, all I wanted to do was jump out of my seat and whoop for joy! James Patterson really use the characters and their sticky situation to tug at your heart and keep you sucked into the story until you've turned the last page. And even after, coming from my perspective.

The writing is just as wonderful as the rest of this wonderful, awesome package of a story. It's simple, its own style, with a touch of humor and lots of really great dialogue to keep it flowing perfectly. Each character had his/her own way of speaking/expressing him/herself.

Oh, and the irony of this story.... Geeeee it kept me on my toes. Max was often put in ironic situations that she couldn't get out of, or that reminded her of something terrible from her past, or both. And this leads me to...

One word of phrase to sum it up (final thoughts) -
Ironic. Seriously ironic. And of course, all the other words you can use to describe a wonderful, action-packed, emotional sci-fi adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. Except, this isn't the end. There are six more books, and this is making me sooooo happy. I'm just dying for book #2 to come in at the library! (This is one of those series where I cease to care about all other books I have to read - I must...get...the...next...book!) Recommended to anyone and everyone...seriously. Don't hesitate to pick this up!

This is a very clean book - I think good for ages 12 and up! :) show less