School's Out Forever

I've read a lot of good YA literature. This isn't one of them. Sound familiar? That's because the second Maximum Ride book commits all the sins of the first and then some. There's generally a rule in writing, that occasional coincidence that makes the protagonist's situation worse is acceptable, but coincidence that makes the protagonist's life easier is a cheat. I don't know what that makes this book, then, because Patterson relies on coincidence to advance the plot in practically every three-page chapter. Characters die and come back to life with no explanation. The villains are of the mustache-twirling variety. The entire effort would end abruptly if various parties would simply talk to each other, but instead they fight because "It show more isn't time to explain things, yet." Don't expect any kind of resolution, revelation or even plot--you won't find one. All this book offers is a series of events that lead the reader to the third book in the series. Somebody, please, make it stop! show less

A brief summary of this book would be, So 6 kids (Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angle) still on the run from Erasers. So it's been 24 hours since they have seen an Eraser and everything seemed as it should until on there flight to get away from the School, Max suddenly just drops like a stone and Fang dives under, her carrying her down to a flat area where she regains her consciousness but not for long. 5 minutes later Max passes out and sees a bunch of pictures about New York City and this place called The Institute. So they decide to go to New York and stay in the National park there. 3 days later they find The Institute and rescue a bunch of children and Angle sees that on of them was a talking dog called Total. So they get out show more of the tunnels and leave the dangers of New York and decide to go to Virginia were Fang gets his butt kicked by Ari (Ari is a Eraser who they new from there childhood) . Then a man who was jogging along the beach noticed that a butt ton of sand by the flock had turned a dark red color. So later an ambulance picks them up and well you now the drill. At the hospital the next morning a FBI agent named Anne Walker took them to her house and enroled the in school. Later they found out that Anne was actually 2nd in command under ter Botch. later in the story max gets a voice tasking her to save the world.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5 because, I love how the writer expressed the characters feeling so you actually thought that they were human and not made up. I also gave it such a positive rating because the she made the book so full of excitement, adventure, humor, and real life situations that it just made you want to read even more. I recommend you read this book if you like twisted outcomes, adventure, humor, action, explosions, and cliff hangers. I love this book so much that one night I was so into it that I read 105 pages. That's how good of a book this is. My favorite part was when Fang got revenge on Ari and taught Ari a very painful lesson. That's why I gave this book the rating of 5 out of 5. show less

This is the second in a nine book series.

Max is dealing with the fact she killed Ari when she and the flock had to go through a heart stopping escape plan. There's tons of adventure, action, and thrills to keep the pages flipping. The flock continues to mutate and gain new powers much to the surprise of themselves and others around them. Even their dog can talk!

The only problem I'm continuing to have is the theme of the environment's imminent destruction. I fully believe in global warming, especially as I just spent Christmas in North Texas wearing a swimsuit then the next day a snowsuit. The way the environment issues are being portrayed though come off a little pushy and unbelievable.

I love Max's attitude and her irreverence show more towards adults while she showcases absolute love towards her family. Something about her reminds me of the way I was growing up and the way my own daughters seem to have inherited. It's definitely fun reading these books with them. show less

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Max and the gang are on the run. Again. They always are. They run from Jeb, the Erasers, and the School - plus anyone who might want to make them into some freak show exhibit. But now there are flying Erasers - yup, you heard right - and Max's mission to save the world is becoming clearer as they figure out who they need to save the world from. They also have to deal with a mommy-ing FBI agent, Anne, who puts them into school and slowly becomes attached to them. How much more could go wrong for this winged family? Well...lots.
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My thoughts -
While this book didn't quite make it as awesome as book #1, The Angel Experiment, it was still extremely gripping, full of show more great characters, and easy to read due to a TON of action. What did I not like? Ari. And...ahem...the entrance of a double of one of the Flock. But more on that...

Character notes -
I love the Flock. LOVE them. They are so realistic, each one sporting his/her own personality. Each one is consistent. Perfect for the story. Spot on. I love it. I never realized how consistent they are until the double entered. She acted so unlike the real deal, and the Flock immediately realized it's not her because everything was all wrong. I was so grateful to the author for this when I recognized it.

The Flock interacts so well together...I just love them and their adventures. (Have I said it enough yet? Ha!) And Fang. Fang gets double love. Iggy shot up on my favorites list because he was just so sweet and sad the whole time. And Angel...she just cracks me up! (There's laugh out loud humor through this book, by the way. Be up for funny stuff the whole book - it really set me in a good mood!)

So. The double. Now that I look back on those scenes with her, I realize that they were needed, but when I was actually reading the scenes, they felt a bit rushed. Maybe that's just a personal opinion? I felt like since she was introduced at the beginning she should have taken the place of the real character earlier in the book; instead, they "switch" when the book's almost over.

And Ari. Just weird. I'm all for creepy weird mutant villain who can fly and looks like Wolverine... but when it's an 8-year-old boy stuck in such a body...I dunno - it felt weird and slightly stupid. The scene where he steals the gameboy actually make me laugh. Not, "Haha this is so funny!" But, "Seriously? This is soooo ridiculous." Plus, what's all this coming back from the dead crap? Bring on the new villains!

Story notes -
Woah! Seriously - I love how non-stop these books are! Even in the scenes where the Flock aren't being chased by Erasers, there's an unbearable tension and you just have to keep reading!

I felt like there were less twists in the story line this time, but that didn't make the book any less exciting. The twists that were there were great!

One word/phrase to sum it up (final thoughts) -
Undeniably exciting! I get one serious kick out of this series (so far) and I'm looking forward to book #3, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports.

For the parents - A few minor cuss words and some short references to cuss words. (Max jokes, "Let's get the Flock outta here!" and then later throws Fang "the bird" as another joke.) Two kisses - Max to a boy she gets to know at school and goes on a date with; Fang to a girl who's totally in love with him. Good for ages 12 and up. show less

Yes, yes, I know. Everybody loves Max. I think that phrase is written across all three of the Patterson books I own. I'm still trying to love Max. I still don't.

The series is not bad. I liked the first book better than I liked School's Out - Forever. I think that they idea of these kids going to school is a little far-fetched and ridiculous, and as much as the travelling annoyed me before, their goals seemed more realistic to their situation. And I simply couldn't get past Anne, their caretaker. The lack-of-FBI-esque qualities that abounded in her character made me want to chuck the book across the room, and several times I found myself telling the page "Ha! And FBI agent would NEVER say that." Obviously later on the lack of traits show more becomes explained, but the lack of even trying bothered me enough that it distracted me.

I have issues with the characters in general, still. The older children are less frustrating - Fang and Max, namely. Total, the dog, bears a Toto (coincidence? I think not) like resemblance to me but he's annoying, and Angel is simply too bossy/innocent... she gets away with too much. That leaves "comic relief" to fall to Gasman and Izzy... and thus it makes them seem less vital to the story, other than being part of the flock. I do, however, give kudos to Patterson's method of handling the situation with Izzy's parents.

I still believe that for grades 8 through 12, the Maximum Ride series should be a huge hit. The characters are relatable, and there is less need for suspension of disbelief. Patterson's pacing is amazing, though. As much as I may find the series disappointing (and that, too, is a danger of a series with so much hype), I can move through the books very quickly, making them a good choice for a light read. show less

In general I do not enjoy James Patterson novels as I find them predictable and formulaic but for some reason I quite enjoy the Maximum Ride series. I found the characters to be interesting and I found the story to be fascinating. I liked how it was fantastical but also believable enough that it felt like the vents could maybe actually happen. The writing style is very readable if a bit simplistic.

Good continuation with this story. This is one of the few series that I am perfectly okay to finish a book with more questions then answers. I also enjoy that I do not figure things out until the flock does, and its not one of those books where you feel like the characters are spoon fed answers and responses. I honestly feel like all the kids in the flock talk and sound like real kids their ages and not some made up kid who talks like an adult thinks they should. Good job Mr.Patterson :)