Maximum Ride by James Patterson is about a fourteen year old girl named Maximum Ride, or Max for short.  The theme of this book is that she has to be brave enough to take care of her family, but vulnerable enough to get help when she needs it.  Max is a good role model, as she is tough and brave, but still comforting and patient.  She is a good character to look up to, because she’s not so perfect all the time.

 This book follows Max and her family, who live by themselves in the mountains.  Max is the leader of her family, or ¨flock¨ as she calls it.  She and her family- five other kids ranging from six to fourteen years old- are genetic experiments, or recombinant DNA life forms.  They were born and raised in a scientific lab in California, where they were tortured and experimented on.  Their human DNA was mixed with Avian DNA, giving them bird wings.  A man named Jeb broke them out, but disappeared, leaving Max to lead the small band of misfits as best she can.  This book follows her adventures as she tries to stop several different organizations from taking over the world and killing all normal humans.

The genre of this book is definitely an action/adventure novel.  However, this book has its romantic aspects as Max tries to sort through her feelings for her partner-in-crime, Fang.  This book can also be sorted into the comedy genre.  It has a lot of funny quotes and sayings.  A good one is: “You mean other than the wings?  I once ate nine Snicker bars in a row without barfing.  It was a record.”  This quote demonstrates how sarcastic and funny the characters in this book can be.  Although Max is the main character and narrator of the book, it still goes through each character’s personality enough that you feel as though you know them. 

This book series (eight books) is good, fun filled reading material, however, it is not my favorite.  The plot line seems to vary a bit, so you never really know who the real villains are.  Some of the characters seem to vary from good guys to bad guys, and I can’t decide what to make of them.  This book series is funny, though, and a good read, especially if you like a lot of action and romance.  The main character’s voice is humorous and insanely sarcastic, as only a fourteen year old can be.  The author portrays Max and her friends in a very real and dramatic way.

The author, James Patterson, is a very funny writer.  He brings out the characters in humorous and deep ways so you really get to know them.  For example, another quote from the book is: “‘Yes!’ said Fang, punching the air.  ‘Freaks rule.’”  James Patterson has written many books in all different genres, such as The Thomas Berryman Number and Cross My Heart.  His first book was published in 1976 and won the Edgar Award (an award given to exceptional mystery books).  He also donated millions of dollars to libraries and bookstores throughout America.  I highly recommend reading some of his books.