The Lake House

Our story opens with Fran, a veterinarian, and Kit, an FBI agent fighting for the custody of six very special children. The six children are the first of their kind. They can fly! Sadly, the only time these children had ever been happy was when the eight of them lived in the secluded lake house. Now, Fran and Kit are fighting the children's biological parents to keep them all together.

Meanwhile, unethical scientists are performing unethical experiments. They, too, would like the children. Unspeakable horrors await the children there.

The pacing of this story is off. Some scenes linger until the reader grows tired of the subject matter. Other scenes seem to jump from scene to scene, glossing over entire scenes, jumping erratically through time. It did not present any confusion, but it seemed unprofessional and very awkward.

Sadly, the characters were likeable in some scenes. In other scenes they acted strangely. There did not seem to be consistency here.

I really liked the premise of the story, but I the found the story it disappointing and even very predictable at times.

A secret laboratory, euphemistically called The School, has been performing illegal genetic experiments on human embryos. Most of the experiments failed and resulted in gross abominations, but not all of them. Max, Ozimandius, Icharus, Matthew, Peter, and Wendy were created at The School. The D N A of the six children was combined with that of birds, resulting in completely viable half human half avian life forms. In other words, the children have wings, and all the other equipment necessary for them to fly.

In When the Wind Blows, FBI agent Kit Harrison and veterinarian Frannie O'Neil rescued the bird-kids from the school. Once The School was destroyed and the children were safe, they were all reunited with their biological parents, from whom they were stolen many years ago. It turns out they weren't safe after all.

While at The School, Max accidentally learned about a secret project, called The Resurrection Project, which was being conducted at a hospital in Maryland. She knows that if anyone finds out about her knowledge of the project, she will be hunted down and killed. "You talk, you die," she continually reminds herself. And so, when a reporter comes around Max's house asking about The Resurrection Project, she is terrified. Max urges the reporter to leave it alone, but the damage is already done. A few days later, the reporter is murdered in her home, and soon after that several gunmen try to kidnap Max and her little brother Matthew.

Max quickly sends out a message to the other four bird kids in their respective homes that they are in danger. The flock meet up and go to the only place they have ever truly felt safe; the home of Doctor Frannie O'Neil. They aren't safe for long; the killers quickly track them down at Frannie's house. Frannie and the six kids make a narrow escape and leave town. When they are a safe distance away, Frannie calls FBI agent Kit Harrison who had returned to his home in Washington DC. Once they are all together again in Washington, Kit uses his connections at the FBI to investigate The Resurrection Project.

Kit's investigation eventually leads him to Doctor Ethan Kane at Liberty Hospital near Baltimore. Kit doesn't know it yet, but Doctor Kane is running an organ harvesting operation in the basement of the hospital. He has discovered a way to greatly increase the lifespan of a person by transplanting the entire organ system from a young healthy person, healthy before he killed them that is, into the bodies of rich and affluent people who are ailing. The procedure is worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Doctor Kane, and the knowledge he could gain by studying the bird-kids could advance his research by light years.

The Lake House is a direct continuation of James Patterson's When the Wind Blows, so hopefully you read that audiobook first.

I didn't like The Lake House quite as well as the first book in the series. I didn't feel like James Patterson ever really established the connection between Doctor Kane and The School. In fact, it felt like the story was about Doctor Kane, and the bird kids were just kind of there.

I noticed one thing that was interesting though. In the current series of Maximum Ride audiobooks, the bird kids are really just people with wings. In these two earlier audiobooks, however, James Patterson really played up the avian part of their genetic make-up. The kids really display the characteristics and behavior of birds and it was interesting to see how Patterson integrated the two halves of their nature.

I liked Hope Davis' narration of The Lake House. She reads with passion and feeling which is not common among audiobook narrators. A while back I listened to the audiobook Heart-Shaped Box, which was narrated by Stephen Lang. I didn't like his narration at all in that audiobook, and I think I described his reading as "wooden." In The Lake House however, I found myself liking him quite a bit. Lang mostly read the parts involving Doctor Kane, and he matched the arrogant tone of the character rather well.

Overall, the Maximum Ride in When the Wind Blows, and The Lake House does not have much in common with the Maximum Ride in Patterson's more recent audiobooks. However, I think that real fans of Maximum Ride will enjoy The Lake House, although it should be remembered that unlike the recent audiobooks, these two earlier novels are not appropriate for kids.

James Patterson does it again!

The Lake House is the follow up to When the Wind Blows, a truly magical tale. The story opens with the inevitable court/custody battle between Kit and Franny and the parents of the winged children. Of course in true Patterson style, there are several layers of subplot and evil doers lurking around every corner. There was one flaw - a confrontation in the story was a little too neatly resolved.

Narrators can make or break an audiobook. I've abandoned them in the past just because the narrator wasn't good. This audiobook has two narrators - the female narrator, Hope Davis, does most of the audio book, while a male, Stephen Lang, does the mad scientist in the story. Both are great to listen to, bringing the talk alive.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much that I would arrive at my destination (work or home) and steal just a few minutes to listen to more. Definitely highly recommended for audiobook listeners.

Before I really begin, let me just highlight something: When the Wind Blows was first published in 1998. This book, its sequel, in 2003. In the intervening years, James Patterson has published 11 (yes, that's right, 11) books. Occasionally this shows, as with here.
As I say, this is a sequel to When the Wind Blows, which must of course be read first, in which veterinarian Frannie O'Neill and FBI agent Kit Brennan rescued six amazing winged (yes, winged) children from a horrendous human testing laboratory dubbed "The School" and exposed its activities to the world. The Lake House begins shortly after those events, and, at first, everything appears fine. The devastating genetic experiments have ceased, the inhuman tortures stopped. Or so everyone thinks. But, unbeknownst to everyone, there is another project currently underway, known as Resurrection, run by a Dr Ethan Kane (which, I'm sorry, but I think is a tremendous name for a villain). But Max, the eldest of the children, has learnt of the project's existence, and that puts her and those around her in mortal danger. Through her immense fear for herself and her friends, she says nothing, keeps it a secret.
But, Kane knows that she knows. And because of that, she cannot be allowed to remain free. So the vicious hunt to bring the children back to captivity begins anew.
If you hated When the Wind Blows, you will hate this. Loathe it, even. No doubt about it. Because it's really just more of the same. If you thought it was ludicrous, silly, childish, pointless, then The Lake House ain't gunna change your mind one bit. However, if you enjoyed the prequel (as I did, but only as an entertaining piece of hokum) then there's a definite chance you may like this too. It's fun, it's enjoyable for the most part, the pages fly by as usual and you finish it very quickly (although, I have come to realise that this means most of his books are very forgettable because of this pace. Indeed, I can hardly remember a single detail of The Jester, which I read but a few months ago.) Mainly, I liked the experience, it's imaginative, amusing, and entirely innocuous.
However, it has big flaws. Thin characters, needless emotional garbage that doesn't fit and would make even Danielle Steele cringe (he should save this lovey stuff for his occasional romance novels) and, finally, a conclusion that leaves the reader unsatisfied and with a sense of anti-climax. Everything just seems to fade away. Things aren't actually explained. Certainly, almost nothing is: Project Resurrection, how it works, what it's really for, and many other things. I still have big questions I want answered.
So, really, although I enjoyed it myself, I can't really recommend it, except to anyone who liked When the Wind Blows, or anyone who is just incredibly liberal with their choice of reading matter and is open to anything. This is a James Patterson novel, so of course it will soar from the shelves, but I sense that there are going to be some disappointed fans out there.

As others have mentioned, Patterson is more known for his Alex Cross novels and Woman's Murder Club. "When the Wind Blows" wasn't exactly a bad book. It was actually entertaining to say the least, and believe it or not, its one of Patterson's most successful novels around the world and THAT'S why he made a sequel.
I guess the first thing I'd have to ask is that if you HATED "When the Wind Blows" I'd like to know why you wasted a few hours of your life reading this? No, I'm one of the few who liked "When the Wind Blows". But you if you abhored it I gaurantee you won't like this one so don't even pick it up and I'll explain why.
Of course, the first problem with this book. As a sequel it has potential to be better than the first book, but its not. This book is too similar to "When the Wind Blows." The plot in this is the kids with wings now live with foster parents but want to live with Frannie O' Neil, their guardian in "When the Wind Blows." Well, a trial ensues and later the kids find a way to escape the foster parents and get back to the lake house to see their original guardian, while escaping an "evil" scientists. It should sound a little familiar.
The problem with it being like "When the Wind Blows" is of course the fact that its so similar to the previous novel that this one is very predictable. This makes the read extremely boring. Mix that together with some unlikeable characters and you've got one of the less exciting reads in a while.
So the Lake House had the potential to be better than "When the Wind Blows"... though I still didn't think that people who disliked the previous book would actually read this one. Should there be a third in this series it's best just to avoid it all together.
If you're really into what James Patterson writes, check out "Along Came a Spider" or any other Alex Cross novel. Also check out "1st to Die" and the Woman's Murder Club books. They're pretty good.

Like most Patterson novels, this one raced along (on top of his usual short chapters and fast pace) to a relatively satisfying conclusion, although somehow it seemed like the last 15 miles of a 500 mile race were mysteriously eluded. But unlike the author's other efforts, there wasn't much original in this story. Not only is the cast identical (except for the villain) to "When the Wind Blows" (namely, Kit, Frannie, and the six bird-children), but the plot is virtually the same as well, substituting the evil "Hospital" for the evil "School" that hatched the kids in the first place. At the Hospital, a new practice called "shucking" removes all the organs of the unknowing subject "donor" at once so that in effect a total transplant to a "deserving" older wise man can extend the life of such a valuable human. The perpetrator of this miracle work is mad Dr. Ethan Kane, who takes an interest in the six bird-children for what they can add to his "resurrection" feats. The book culminates with the first 30 total transplants while Max, Kit and Frannie are fighting for their lives to escape their captors.
If this sounds a bit like Dean Koontz and Robin Cook, move over, it is. We would urge you to skip the original story else it will probably spoil this one out of sheer similarity. We had read it, but fortunately don't recall it in detail from about ten years ago. But this one can stand fine on its own, as how the bird-children came to be, their relationship with Kit and Frannie, and their special powers (flying, hearing and visual acuity, etc.) are adequately explained. How the bad guys were so totally overcome near the end is conveniently glossed over, leaving us to feel a little hoodwinked as we came down the final stretch.
So - a reworked fantasy plot, and a weak tail-end are offset by an entertaining, fast-paced book in the Patterson style; so on balance, average. This book is in no way related to his similarly entitled "Beach House", but that just might be the best place to read it!

Most sequels to brilliant, or otherwise inspired, predecessors are disappointing at best, leaving their audiences unfulfilled, disillusioned, and feeling cheated. Sadly, THE LAKE HOUSE is no exception to this general premise, as its only kinship with its ancestor WHEN THE WIND BLOWS lies in the main characters: Frannie, Kit, Max, Oz, Ic, Matt, Wendy, and Peter. Even then, the characterization does not compare to the earlier novel. Had we not become acquainted before with these amazing people, their fates would have been only tangentially meaningful to us. A reader who had not had the pleasure of experiencing the first book would be at an even greater disadvantage, because Patterson breathed no life into the characters comprising his second flight into the realm of the bird children.
Having read every previous novel written by James Patterson, I was astounded by this latest product. While reading WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, I remember thinking: "This is one of the best books that I have ever read". I thought almost exactly the opposite while reading THE LAKE HOUSE. In fact, I could not believe that I had just finished a James Patterson novel.
Patterson usually spins exciting yarns, complete with well-developed plots, larger-than-life characters, fast-paced narration, and intelligent prose. In this novel, however, he is lacking on all points. The plot is so thin as to be almost nonexistent. The characters, both good and evil, are either one-dimensional, shallow, or just passing glimpses into a fictional world having little substance. The ending was anti-climactic and particularly unsatisfying. Questions, which had been posed throughout the novel, remained unanswered. A beloved character was "dismissed" with neither fanfare nor a true sense of loss, while a nefarious scheme essentially went unchecked, if not unchallenged.
In short, THE LAKE HOUSE, although still containing some of the same remarkable ingredients that made WHEN THE WIND BLOWS such a luscious treat, required a LOT more baking in Patterson's fictional oven. Most readers who enjoyed the earlier work will come away from the sequel with a bitter taste in their mouths and will be less enthusiastic about sampling future wares from this author sight unseen.
Although Patterson may not have completely turned away his more die-hard fans because of this anomaly, he certainly needs to re-inspire our trust in the continued viability of his skill and imagination. As such, if there is to be another edition to the life and times of Max, et al, then Patterson must correct the mistake of THE LAKE HOUSE and prove to his loyal fans that he is still on top of his game. To do less, not only would be an insult to his readership, but also a breach of his own acknowledged talent. Let's put this aberration behind us and move on to the promises of tomorrow.

I really enjoyed this book. Personally I enjoyed this book and 'When the Wind Blows' much better then the Maximum Ride series. Evil Scientists trying to 'perfect' the world in their image, kids with wings trying to survive, a veterinarian and a FBI agent risking their lives to protect the kids they love. This story has it all, drama, romance, a little comedy, suspense, action... I love it. A must read.

This is Patterson's second book concerning a group of children genetically altered to have wings. Much of this book concerns their custody fate now that they have been freed and revealed to the world.
Frannie and Kit want to adopt the children but there is a strong case for their biological parents to have custody (I didn't recall them knowing who they were). As the battle continues, a test period is set up to see what solution is really best.
But soon the calm is shattered. Max apparently knows something about people worse than those at The School. If she tells anyone she will be killed. But two-thirds of the book concerns what she knows about something called The Hospital, Resurrection, and attempts to capture and/or silence her and the other children.
The story is fast paced and the Lake House only enters the picture in the epilogue. I still find the children themselves completely unbelievable despite the author's assurances that it is possible. Max has a wingspan of 10 feet. A swan has 8 feet and weight 30 pounds. An albatross has 11 feet and weighs 18 ponds. Considering the children have no tails and are larger than these two birds, their wings would have to be much larger. There is also no explanation as to their strength, genius, or why the doctor wants them. I suppose there is always a chance of another book.
But if you like the first book (When the Wind Blows) then you will probably enjoy this one as well.

So many contemporary books and movies are written with an end in mind: appeal to a mass audience. They use the formula of extremely good and evil characters, some pseudo-scientific special effects, suspense building to a climax, and a brief happy-ever-after period. These stories also tend to have no message and no purpose other than escape. They are the literary junk food - equivalent to watching mindless television.

Patterson's bird-kid sequel in part falls into this category, but has some virtues. Kind and virtuous people and innocent bird-kids fight against an evil genius and other exploiters. The implications of genetically mutant beings are explored a bit. The flight scenes are nicely composed, and there is even a coming-of-age romance between the two oldest bird-kids. The text seems to be deliberately aimed at the less sophisticated audience.

There is a message about protecting and valuing those who are different, and a good testimonial to the strength of maternal instincts even in cases of adoption. Also, since almost everyone dreams about flying, it's fun to experience it vicariously through the bird-kids. So, it's for the best that messing with the genes gave them bird wings rather than bird brains.

Like other current light novels, Patterson taps into the summer beach market with Lake House, revisiting the theme from his 1998 success, When the Wind Blows. The sibling bird/children from the prior novel are now embroiled are in a court battle that has become a media circus. The man and woman who have championed the children's rescue from "the School", FBI agent Kit Brennan and veterinarian Frannie O'Neill, have petitioned family court for guardianship. Unfortunately, the biological parents have intervened, challenging the guardianship, which would mean separating the siblings. Under the discretion of the court, the judge rules in favor of the biological parents.
The heartbroken Kit and Frannie are deeply concerned about the safety of these young creatures, as a number of nefarious individuals seek to exploit and/or experiment with the children. The world is ill prepared for any aberrant life forms, even if they are only a curiosity. The children are particularly vulnerable to the evil intentioned, M & M loving, Dr. Ethan Kane, a genetic scientist who is preparing for "the Resurrection", his own personal experiment in life extension.
Kane's primary target is Max, the oldest female, aged twelve, but with the maturity of an adult. Suddenly all the children are in danger as hired assassins move closer. Helping each other, they fly to safety once, but are later recaptured. Then ensues a battle for the preservation of "the flock", when Frannie, Kit and the kids are taken to Dr. Kane's "Hospital". His plans are well underway, happily harvesting innocent donor's organs.
With mass audience appeal and international recognition, Patterson has established a niche market. By dipping into fantasy, instead of his formulaic mystery/suspense, Patterson may garner new fans of the Sci-Fi genre. Lake House is written in the abbreviated style that works for Patterson's fast paced mysteries, the text peppered with question marks, italicized words and exclamation points, a technique that doesn't allow for subtle definitions of characters. On the other hand, for those easily bored, Lake House is easy reading . Rest assured, we have not seen the last of this series.
It is difficult to give an author's work less than three stars, but it is also necessary for each reviewer to establish his own criteria for the books reviewed. I look back on Patterson's earlier work, novels that I would look forward to reading in his particularly engaging style. Like many popular authors, constantly pressured by the market for more material, Patterson has turned out a huge number of books to meet the needs of his audience. I am willing to wait a little longer to read something of the same quality as his earliest novels. Luan Gaines/2003.

Well I have read many of James Patterson's novels and am usually a fan of his work. When I chose this book for a quick pre-vacation read I was not expecting the "supernatural" and was really in the mood for a typical mystery Patterson novel. As I began the first chapter of this book it was quite apparent this was not a typical Patterson read. But as a fan I decided to continue reading to see where he took me and where we would end up.

Well, I have to first say apparently this is a sequel to another book. I really wish this would have been expressed somewhere in the synopsis or even on the beginning pages of this book. I only learned this was a sequel after reading some of the other reviews listed here on the store. So, now I am left unsure if I should read the first book knowing how the story ends.

Secondly, I did not feel the usual twists and turns Patterson normally takes the reader on. The plot seemed apparent from the beginning of the book (which speaks volumes for the depth of this book considering I had no back-story from the first book) and the read was very predictable.

The characters seemed flat and the story never really "grabbed" me like I normally experience at some point in a good read. It read quickly as it is a small book, but I don't think I would have continued reading if I would have known this was not a typical Patterson book.

All in all this was a disappointing and non-stimulating read. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best I would have to give this a 1.5 to 2.

The children from When the Wind Blows are back. In the sequel, we catch up with the children as they're part of a bitter custody battle.
Frannie and Kit aren't their real parents but know the children aren't your typical kids. They're special. Different. But the biological parents want their kids back.
Maximum, Ozymandias, Matthew, Icarus, Peter and Wendy aren't just your average kids. They can fly. And they're really part human, part bird as the result of torturous experiments they suffered at the School.
But when their flock is broken up, Frannie slips into a deep depression. Kit attempts to move on with his life, without Frannie and the children. The children struggle to fit in even though they're so awkwardly out of place that it hurts.
Pretty soon some old habits of the evil kind come into play and the kids are running, or flying, for their lives. There's only one place they truly feel safe and it's far away. Almost out of reach. The Lake House.
As they fight just to stay alive, they learn there's a bigger reason they're being pursued. It's not just because they're scientific phenomenons. They're needed to carry on a much bigger role. One that extends to everyone from past presidents to geniuses.
If you're expecting an Alex Cross novel, this isn't it. Readers coming to the book looking for the fiction that drives our favorite James Patterson character are going to be disappointed. But if you can look at the novel itself, with none of those stereotyped expectations that this is going to be the type of Patterson novel you're used to, then you're in for a good read. If you haven't read When the Wind Blows, you'll want to pick up a copy before you dive into The Lake House.

The Lake House by james patterson is a science fiction novel filled with mystery and suspense. the book starts out in a usual way, a scene where one of the main characters is leading their normal everyday life. Then before you know it you are smack dab in the middle of the plot and you just can't put it down. in this book's case, the character portrayed in the first scene is Frannie. She is a middle-aged woman that takes care of animals, she is a veterinarian.
In the first scene she is walking into a court house with her friend Kit who is a FBI agent. they are trying to win custody of the bird children that they love so much and who love them back. After the court case this book takes off on a whirlwind adventure. When two of the children are attacked in their home they immediately fly to round up all the other kids and go on the run from teh mad scientists with Frannie and Kit again.
It you read the book When the Wind blows (the prequal to this book) you would have learned that this couple met the six extraordinary bird children when Frannie helped the eldest, Maximum, when she shot out of the sky. THe children were test subjects at an ilegal facility called the SCHOOL. Their genes had been spliced so that they had super strength and intelligence. They also had some senses an dphysical features of birds, they even had wings that made them fly!! Frannie and Kit helped the children escape and they became one happy family until the media came around and the biological parents wanted their children back.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I had a lot of trouble putting it down; in fact, the only way i stopped reading was if I fell asleep in it. Even though the book seemed predictable there were spots that cought me off guard and scared me at what was happening. My favorite thing about this book though, it that at the end it leaves you hanging, setting up for a third book in this series. (Ooh I'm so excited!!!!!)

The bird kids are in dire straights again, only this time from an even more delusional monster (x4). Kit and Tyranny to the rescue but can they continue to protect these children, they're only human, after all and there are too many that want the flock for their own purposes and greed, even the biological parents. This book becomes a real page Turner about a quarter of the way in.

The end was a bit disappointing though and felt really rushed as if the author already had enough pages and just decided to quickly make the reader happy with an ending. "When the Wind Blows" (the first book in this possible series) took much more time to end and satisfy the reader's need. I've read that this is the last book of a two book series, but it ends so that we might have the pleasure of reading another book or two. We can only hope

Does Patterson's sequel to "When the Wind Blows" FLY, like his fantastically bio-engineered characters with wings?

Well. . . the innovative liftoff of the first installment of the bird childrens' story unfortunately can no longer soars as high in this tale which begins with veternarian Frannie O-Neill and FBI-agent Kit Brennan attempting to get custody in a media- saturated trial that rivals the likes of the current Michael Jackson fiasco. Burdened with a repetitive storyline and way too many atta-birds, "The Lake House" -- a reference to the idyllic dream dovehouse of the bird children -- fails to refeather the nest so wonderfully conceived by Patterson's first foray.

As with in first story, Patterson enjoys writing about his wunderkind; soaring descriptions of flight and formation of the "flock" literally fly off the pages. But some of his praise quickly gets stale; yes,thank you very much, the reader becomes aware right from the start that the kids' IQs are "all off the charts". Patterson's penchant for attempting to narrate from a child's perspective with a child's limited vocabulary also lays an egg; his transition into the more mature voice of vet-lady Frannie remains at the same immature level where the most over-used word of the book is some form of "creepy". Yet even this juvenile feel rings false when the children chirp songs from another era and relate to pop culture that is surely far older than even the eleven year old elder of the flock.

If you can get through these flaws --- and how I wish I didn't have to expend such energy and well, charity on this offering---- Patterson does tell a fast-paced albeit repeat story with some predictable side issues which urge the reader to turn to the next page, or in my case. listen to the next cassette simply because the reader wants to satisfactorily confirm what he believes will coming next.

At an attempt at a higher plane, Patterson takes some jabs at today's fixation on the media and his feelings about science running amok, but these ideas although well juxtaposed with his fantasy, are almost lost in the too false and cooing rah-rah enthusiasm of the kids and their almost overly indulgent make-shift parents.

The audio edition of this book is well-produced complete with thematic music. A female and male actor perform the larger roles of Frannie and Dr. Ethan Kane. Bottom line: if you enjoyed the first book of the series, than by all means, give this one a shot; its okay as a mind-engager while you exercise, but if you are like me, you may find yourself grimacing in pain at the somewhat silly dialogue and hoping that if a third book is in the works, Patterson at least checks to make sure his voices ring with some sense of consistency befitting an imaginery species.

I have recently started reading James Patterson. I have quickly come to enjoy his work on the Alex Cross series. That's why I chose to try this book. What a mistake!

I could not get over the fact that Patterson was attempting some form of cross between mystery and science fiction. Obvious potential storyline (what happens to the parents of the children?) was lost for tiring character development. It takes way too long for the villan of the story to come forward and actually play a part. Then, when he does, not much happens. It felt as though a quarter of the book was spent developing the feelings of two characters towards eachother and then maybe 5 chapters (out of over 100) spent resolving the problem.

Due to the excitement I have had in reading the Alex Cross novels, I felt it was difficult putting this book down. Burning eyes and constant yawning fought me as I tried to search for something to happen. Once it did, it was over. I have never been so glad to complete a book and put it away. I hope James Patterson does not venture down this path again.

James Patterson won my undying loyalty and admiration about ten years ago. The book that did it was KISS THE GIRLS, and the reason was in a way personal, and in another way not --- personal because having that book to read got me through one of the most difficult weekends of my life; not so personal because I suspect the very qualities of Patterson's prose that engaged and, in a sense, protected me on that weekend, are the same qualities that have brought about his huge success. He writes short chapters, which means that it is never particularly hard to find a place to put the book down, if you must. Conversely, he writes with a driving narrative force so that you are eager to return to the book as often as you can; you avidly desire to stay with it, to keep turning the pages quickly. Still, most of his books are lengthy enough so that you can take a nice long while to read them; thus, when you're done, you feel as if you have had a substantive, rewarding experience. You don't go away from a Patterson novel feeling cheated or hungry --- unless it's hungry for the next one.
Serious James Patterson fans will likely find it as fascinating as I did (immediately after my experience with KISS THE GIRLS) to read his earliest books, which are readily available in paperback. These books, written before Patterson created his thriller series character Alex Cross, show his style developing along with his ability to portray characters and unfold plot. ALONG CAME A SPIDER, if you read in sequence with those earlier titles (which may be easily found through Bookreporter's link to James Patterson's Bibliography), shows an almost exponential leap forward ... and Patterson's success has been non-stop ever since.
THE LAKE HOUSE is a sequel to WHEN THE WIND BLOWS; if you haven't read the first one it would be a good idea to purchase it and read them together, since WHEN THE WIND BLOWS is available in paperback at little expense. Both books are markedly different in substance, but not in style, from Patterson's earlier works; these are thrillers, yes, but they are of a different flavor and scope. I would call these stories cautionary futuristic fables. It might be good to remember that fables have a point to make more than an elaborate tale to tell. In other words, in a fable, the plot is simple by design.
THE LAKE HOUSE picks up shortly after WHEN THE WIND BLOWS ended. The main character, Max (her full "name" is Maximum), is a hybrid, a bird-girl. She is the oldest of six, all genetically engineered bird-human hybrids who, in the first book, escaped from The School where they had been kept in extremely cruel conditions. Next to Max in age are Ozymandias and Icarus, called respectively Oz and Ick (Ick is blind) --- these three are teenagers, precocious in their adolescence. Matthew is Max's younger brother. Peter and Wendy, the youngest, are twins aged four. Of course they all have wings and can fly, but they are so stunningly beautiful that only the most heartless or ignorant person would call them freaks. Unfortunately, American culture has never been lacking for heartlessness and ignorance, and of such tensions books are made.
The tale begins with the suspense of a custody trial. Though genetically engineered by the scientists of The School, the children nevertheless have biological mothers, with whom they were sent to live shortly after WHEN THE WIND BLOWS drew to a close. But remember, these kids are half-bird, so together they are a flock; further, like little birds, they have imprinted not on their biological parents but on Frannie and Kit, who were the first humans to love and befriend them. Frannie is a veterinarian and Kit is an FBI agent. We learn in the early pages of THE LAKE HOUSE that the only place the kids have ever felt safe was during their time with Frannie and Kit at a cabin by a lake --- yes, the house of the book title --- before the unimaginative, short-sighted courts dispersed them to their various biological parents. Led by Max, the kids want to reunite with Frannie and Kit, who have petitioned the courts for custody of all six. Frannie, a compassionate doctor of animal medicine, understands the bird children as no one else does. The fact that she and Kit are not married seems, to her, only a minor obstacle in this day and age --- but fictionally speaking, there are interesting romantic possibilities here.
The judge who hears the custody case doesn't understand the stresses that the kids are under in a "normal" family, their deep-seated need to be together, or the danger they are all in. Only Max really understands the danger ... and she's not telling. But she is planning, and when the bad guy goes on the move, Max gathers the others and they fly away together. The chase is on.
The bad guy is Dr. Ethan Kane, who survived the supposed destruction of The School at the end of WHEN THE WIND BLOWS. Now he has a project underway at The Hospital, a place so diabolical it makes The School look tame. Kane is a classic bad guy in Pattersonian mode, a truly chilling, teeth-grinding tension-producer. His project, Resurrection, is both evil and ingenious. The reason Max doesn't tell, until it's almost too late, is that she knows the likelihood of Resurrection is that none of the bird-children will make it out alive. "Resurrection" is thus the cruelest of ironies.
The plot is mostly all chase --- please recall what was said earlier about fables being simple by design. During the chase there are pauses, and bits of beauty and tenderness, that frequent thriller readers will recognize as somewhat rare in the genre. In spite of potential grimness, the story is not a downer. The children's wings seem to be a symbol of hope so that I found myself wondering if Mr. Patterson knows the Emily Dickinson poem: "Hope is a thing with feathers/that sits inside the soul...."
THE LAKE HOUSE is a little gem. Taken together with WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, which is already Patterson's bestselling book outside the United States, this is a tale for the child in all adults --- the child who delights in being scared by a story, all the more so when that same story also makes the child feel loved.
--- Reviewed by Ava Dianne Day

Patterson writes in the front pages of this novel that his book "Where the Wind Blows" is his most popular book overall. That doesn't surprise me as it is certainly one of my favorites. "The Lake House" is a sequel to that best seller and picks up pretty much right where the other book left off. Unfortunately. Rather than take us on a new journey with familiar characters we like (Kit, Fran, Max and the gang), Patterson rehashes the same plot (mysterious lab doing bad things to people in the name of science) and sadly, doesn't even do that very well. I was very disappointed in this book and would not recommend anyone who is a Patterson fan read it. You will be left wondering, as I was, why did this even get published? One word answer for that one I'm afraid - money. Not Patterson best effort.

I am a writing student at Vanderbilt University. My brother, after seeing an advertisement for this book on TV, bought it, and I promtly picked it up for some vacation reading. I am so sorry that I wasted the 4 hours that it took me to read, as I could have read something that was at least well written. I do not usually write reviews on the store, but this book was so bad that I felt that I had to warn someone...
FIrst of all, Patterson throws around pop-culture references as a subsitute for plot and charachter depth. I could not even force myself to become emotionally invested in even the children's fate. He lacks any sort of captivating descriptions and his spare, dumbed-down prose offended the writer in me. I kept reading in the vain hope that I would eventually become involved in the story.
I would not want anyone that I know to read this book.
James Patterson, while I'm sure that the research was, to him, very interesting, managed to RUIN a perfectly good concept.
Thanks to The Lake House, I won't be reading any more of his work EVER AGAIN.
BOTTOM LINE: not worth the money you'd spend on shipping or gas to the bookstore.

This book attempts to be a medical thriller but fails miserably. For me, most of the fun of a medical thriller is to have the medical science not only explained clearly in layman's terms, but plausible within the foreseeable future. A good part of the scare is in knowing it could actually happen and exactly how.
Patterson indicates to us that transplantation of entire organ systems is only one part of Resurrection, but never gets around to explaining what else is involved. What medical procedure could conceivably make a 94-year-old man appear to be in his 40s? Exactly what does Kane want the children for? I reached the final page hoping to find out, but never did. From now on I'll stick with Patterson's Alex Cross novels and medical thrillers written by MDs.

This is the first James Patterson book I ever read. I haven't been reading in a long time, and I don't remember when or where I bought this book. It was just sitting on by bookshelf. I wanted something to read for a camping trip so I grabbed this book. The writing is amateur. Everything about it is stupid. The story is stupid. The word choices was stupid. I kept putting it down because it was just too boring. Anyway, just brought it with me to read at the beach and it was unbearable how stupid and boring this book is. I'm at page 236 and decided not to waste any more time on it. I threw it in the garbage because no one should waste their time reading this book. Will never read another James Patterson book.

I am generally a fan of Patterson . . . his books are quick reads . . . easy to read "just one more chapter" before turning out the light. With "The Lake House" I found myself reading "just one more chapter" thinking it HAS to get better. It didn't so I stopped. I didn't even bother to read the last chapter, I just don't care about any of the characters or the "unexpected" ending. And this from someone who was on an airplane with nothing else to read except for People magazine (which was far superior to this book).
Is Patterson trying to meet a contractual agreement for book publishing here? How disappointing (ah, but how grateful I am that I checked this one out of the Library instead of purchasing it . . . . ;-)

FBI agent Thomas "Kit" Brennan and veterinarian Frannie O'Neill rescued the six Winged children from the School where they lived in appalling conditions and were the subjects of dangerous experiments. The octet lived together for four months before they were returned to their biological parents but in that time the children, who had bird DNA mixed into their genetic make up, imprinted Kit and Frannie as their parents. Kit and Fran sued for custody and lost but when danger threatened, the children turned to their real "parents" for help.
Dr. Ethan Kane works on illegal experiments using unsuspecting donors for his Resurrection project. He wants the children who he envisions as the next step up in the evolutionary ladder and he'll use any means at his disposal to get them. Kit, Frannie and the children are on the run but the doctor has sources within the government that leads him and his minions to their hideout. He brings them all back to his lab where the leader of the children, Maximus has a final showdown with destiny.
THE LAKE HOUSE, the sequel to the best-selling WHEN THE WIND BLOWS is a fascinating thriller starring six unusual children whom capture the hearts of the audience as they try to make a place for themselves in this BRAVE NEW WORLD. James Patterson revisits some very important moral and social issues that should be addressed before scientists go much farther in genetic engineering. The plot is well developed with plenty of action scenes but the heart of this novel remains Kit and Frannie who will do everything in their power to make sure their children are safe.
Harriet Klausner

This was my first Patterson book. I've been thinking of reading Patterson for many years, mainly because I liked Kiss the Girls and Along came the Spider - the movies based on his books. Needless to say, this book was a total letdown. First off, I did not realize that it was a young adult book, since I have never read any reviews. And don't even get me started on the absurdity of it all - the characters, the plots, the dialogue. The setup of the mystery was actually not that bad, the buildup was tedious,and then it just seems like Patterson got tired of writing, and put the book conclusion into a few pages.

Read it if you must, but do yourself a favor and get this book from the library!!!

I must admit that I actually enjoyed When the Wind Blows and this one, The Lake House. But I was a bit dissappointed with the end of The lake House. It went along smoothly but in the end it seemed as if he ran out of thoughts or time. There should be a few more chapters toward the end that aren't there. I felt a little jipped. Also if you read Maximum Ride and its sequel which are also very good, keep in mind that the characters are not related. Maximum from When the Wind Blows and The Lake House is not the same Maximum that is in Maximum Ride and the other children though similar are not the same either. Not sure why he did this, but as seperate stories they are pretty good.

The story continues the tale of the bird children - beautiful children with super powers and the ability to fly. They escape the School. They are reunited with Frannie and Kit. They are chased by the Bad Guys. They uncover a lab deep in the bowels of Liberty Hospital where sci fi things are going on. They get captured. They escape. All is well. End of story. Who cares?
I love to read James Patterson and have read every one of his books. That said, I have to say that this is the worst book he's ever written. It was boring, juvenile (it could be a teen book), simple, poor, transparent plot - I came very close to not finishing it - something I rarely do.
I kept thinking that James Patterson had his teenager try his hand at writing.... Or, that he was tired and hired someone else to write the book..... What I don't want to think is that this is the best we can expect from him in the future.

"When The Wind Blows" was a thriller about genetically engineered children kept in cages by the evil doctors. The kids had wings and could fly. In "The Lake House" the same kids are back involved in a tedious custody battle between their natural parents whom they had never known and the Veterinarian who had helped, along with Kit Brennan the FBI agent, to rescue them. The story is basically strange kids growing up and silly.
The Alex Cross books written by Mr. Patterson were his best literary efforts. When the Wind Blows sold a lot of books so on came the sequel. The result was a watered down version of a once successful book. It would be great to see the original suspense of the Cross series come back.

I have to admit, this was the first James Patterson novel I've read. And, I picked it up on a bargain table. So, I guess I shouldn't have been too disappointed.

Still, I liked the film versions of "Kiss The Girls" and "Along Came A Spider" enough to hope for more.

It wasn't until I began reading that I realized this was a sequel. I'm not particularly a fan of fantasy but I'm not sure this even deserves that classic a category.

The comic book plot with its stereotype characters made me wonder if he wrote this for children. Then I came to the sex scenes and thought, no, he meant this for adults.

Well, I guess someone as prolific as Patterson has to be allowed a bomb now and again. I won't rule him out. But, I think I'll be more selective and read a few pages before buying.

I've been an avid Patterson reader for many years but have watched with sadness as the quality of his work has declined. The Lake House is the worst so far. One reason: the writing is plain awful. Exclamation points are supposed to convince readers that something is exciting or important. The pages are filled by making two word (or less) paragraphs. Take these excerpts:
"Chapter 36
Max was up very late that night, getting absolutely nothing accomplished, futzing about in her room.
Anxious.
Uncomfortable.
Angry without reason.
Couldn't sit still.
Could not.
Sit.
Still."
"Chapter 41
They were elated to be together again - the flock!
The tribe!
The family!"
In The Lake House, Patterson has substituted pop culture for authorship, leveraging the public's appreciation for movies, games, and other books to do the writing for him, rather than using his own words to describe scenes. He drops names like Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, the Panic Room movie, Mulder and Scully from The X-Files, medical thriller author Robin Cook, Abercrombie, American Eagle, Playstation2, Moby, Einstein Bagels, Tony Hawk, M&Ms, and more. He even works the Harry Potter phenomenon in by calling the readers Muggles.
On the one hand, I marvel at Patterson's ability to publish what seems to be about 4 books per year. But after reading these works, I realize why: formula plot, no substance. I feel like the butt of an author's joke. Perhaps he's churning out his recent books as a form of ego experiment: seeing how fast he can write a book and still, on the basis of his name alone, make the bestseller list. I hope with the response to this book it will be clear that the experiment is backfiring.