Book 2), School's Out - Forever (Maximum Ride

While I can't pretend to like the title of this book, I am definitely still liking the series. As it goes on it only seems to get stranger, more mysterious, and more complicated. As Max struggles to protect her flock from the Erasers (led by resentful child Ari who may or may not be her brother), she also tries to find out about their past and about her supposed destiny (which, if you missed book 1, is to save the world). Though the kids get a peak at what a normal life is like, it seems that this is not their destiny. Instead, they discover that the mystery of their lives extends even further.

Like Fablehaven, this is a book that sort of makes you paranoid about life. You can never really know who to trust and whenever you let your guard down you find yourself betrayed.

I like that the story is so fast paced and teeming with questions. You never know where things are going to take you. (I can't pretend to be shocked by many of the things that happen, but even so I still enjoy.)

While I like the format of the story no better than when I read book 1, I'm used to it now and it at least didn't bother me as much. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes, and luckily, there are a number of other books sort of in this series (about Max and co but technically a different series) to read.

Thank you James Patterson!

This book was the thrilling (see above) sequel to `The Angel Experiment'.

Ari is back, and thirsty for Max's blood. While the Flock is traveling, Fang gets deathly injured by the Erasers, and they are forced to accept help from FBI agents that know suspiciously a lot about them.

It's a wonderful, enjoyable book that you can read again and again. As always, there are a few flaws, but everyone is willing to put them aside to enjoy this book.

But I would like to list the flaws, and see if anyone else is also thinking them.

One, why didn't Max be a BIT more suspicious of the FBI agents? They knew tons of stuff about them, and yet they hadn't done anything about the School or the Erasers of Jeb Batchelder. Either they were cold, callous agents out for no one but themselves, or they were fakes.

Two, why didn't Max just go ahead and use Jeb and **** as punching bags after the huge confrontation scene, just to let them know why they didn't want to go after her again?

Three, why didn't the Flock leave after they found out about the School being a ***** before it was a School? The secret tunnel? Come on! They should have left long before they did.

Four, how does Total know so much about culture, even before he started watching tons of TV while they were at school? Is he a traitor too?

Five, what up with Max II? First she understands Max's loneliness, next she hates her because she was made to be Max, not the original one.

And last but not least, why did Fang kiss a girl when he knew Max had feelings for him?

Beside all that, it was a perfect book, and I excited about the fifth one!

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride introduced herself and her flock in THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, and no one would dare forget these unusual characters. Born into the world as normal kids, they were kidnapped by scientists who fused bird DNA onto their human DNA. As a result, Max, Fang, the Gasman, Angel, Iggy and Nudge have incredible and amazing talents. Their beautifully feathered wings are for more than just show --- they literally can fly, soar and dance among the clouds. And why did the scientists do all of this? One reason is to save the world. What does this mean? Max sure would like to know the answer to that.

The voice in her head won't tell her, though it won't keep quiet with all sorts of unwanted advice. And Max still doesn't know from where the voice is coming --- perhaps from the chip implanted in her arm. But it all comes down to the fact that Max and her flock are still running for their lives and their freedom. The scientists want them back and have ordered the unrelenting Erasers, the half-human/half-wolf hybrids, on a constant hunt for the youngsters' return.

One such showdown with the Erasers leaves Fang dangerously wounded and quickly bleeding to death. An unsuspecting passerby calls for an ambulance. Does Max dare let doctors get their hands on Fang? Does she have a choice? He will die without help. At the hospital, the doctors quickly discover that they aren't dealing with a normal patient, and the FBI soon arrives. One of their agents, Anne, invites Max and the flock to stay at her house for a little while to recuperate, rest and heal. In exchange, they allow Anne to get to know them, ask questions and witness their talents. Max is skeptical and suspicious; she can't afford to trust anyone outside of her flock. But with Fang injured, she doesn't know what else to do. So they decide to hide out at Anne's fancy farm --- complete with a horse, a pond and plenty of fresh air --- and they find a bit of normality for the first time in quite a while.

Soon Anne insists on everyone attending school. There, the children start making friends, and a boy asks Max out on a date. They enjoy their first traditional Thanksgiving and even have a bit of spare time to discover new talents, and to follow up on some clues as to their real parents' whereabouts. But something isn't right and Max is eager to move on. She has no idea what is about to transpire and is shocked to see a very familiar face.

Talented and accomplished author James Patterson has scored again in this action-packed sequel filled with adventure, mystery and lots of sidesplitting hilarity. And it doesn't stop here --- the saga continues with a third book in the series due out next year. So hold on tight for an exciting journey into the imagination, and into the clouds!

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman (author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND)

I was a pretty big fan of the first Maximum Ride book when I read it last year, but for some reason I never found the time to read the second installment until a couple weeks ago.
Well, I've finished the book, and I must say I am satisfied, although there were things about it that bugged me.

I very much liked the idea of taking the obviously abnormal Flock and having them put into a school (not The School, but a normal-or seemingly normal- public school). I thought they could do alot with that. The disappointing part of it is, when they're just cracking the surface and you think the plot is going to expand on that, it completely stops, and the plot is restarted, with The Flock on the run once again.
What made the on-the-run factor The Angel Experiment work, was that we were never in one place long enough to think that this is where the plot will stay and where it could grow from there. The basic plot of The Angel Experiment was that The Flock was on the run, going place to place, and you got that.

With School's Out-Forever, the Flock is at school for a little over half the book, then they're on the run again for the rest of the time. That's the problem. The back cover pretty much fools you into thinking that the whole plot was The Flock at the school, when it wasn't.

[POSSIBLE SPOILER]At the end they'ret on the run again. That in itself is alright, but where the ending goes wrong is how it treats itself as some sort of grand finale, when it's not.[POSSIBLE SPOILER ENDED]

Still, you can't go wrong with this series; you love the characters and care for them every step of the way, and that's what's great about this series.

I'm still recommending it, but I very much find it to be unbalanced.

This is the second installment of the Maximum Ride series, picking up right after The Angel Experiment. I would suggest you listen to them in order to avoid any confusion in the plotline.

Maximum Ride: Schools out Forever starts right where The Angel Experiment left off, continuing with the six genetically engineered children being chased by their main enemies, the Erasers, a wolf/human hybrid. Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge and Angle continue to evade the predators in each city they visit. Max continues to be plagued by the death of their main Eraser pursuer named Ari, who might or might not be her biological brother. She also continues to hear the Voice in her head, and is confused as to who or what it is.

Along the way, they meet a seemingly kind woman, who just happens to be a high-ranking FBI agent, who enrolls them in a normal school where Max feels as though she's an outcast. Max and her fellow winged children end up releasing a bunch of other genetically altered animals onto the city, which doesn't go very far, except they adopt a dog that Angel has become attached to. He seems like your normal, run-of-the-mill puppy, until he opens his mouth and talks! You will enjoy the story and become enthralled in narrator Valentina De Angelis' portrayal of each individual child... including the dog! She did a beautiful job of putting emotion and feeling behind the key points in the story. I also enjoyed the sound effects and musing during the telling of the tale. The only negative thing about this listening experience was the music. I couldn't tell if it was the end of the disc or the end of a chapter.

Overall, it was a wonderful listening experience!

Armchair Interviews says: Another good listen for Young Adults.

Maximum Ride 2: School's Out Forever
By: James Patterson
Book review

Maximum Ride 2 is a book about a group of six kids, Angel, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, Fang, and Max who are genetically enhanced. They are human-avian-hybrids that are 98% human and 2% bird, with wings. They call themselves the flock. They don't know where their parents are and are flying to Washington D.C. to find their parents when they are attacked by erasers, genetically enhanced human-wolf-hybrids. They are led by Ari, a eraser that is the son of Jeb Batchelder, the man who helped the flock escape. Fang is severely hurt and needs to go to a hospital and at the hospital are FBI agents who are wondering why they have wings and how they have advanced raptor vision. One of the FBI agents, Annie, takes them in and has them in her care and they start to go to school. One day they are attacked by the erasers at the school and find out Annie is the head of this whole operation to create mutant children for the government. They decide to not trust anyone except themselves.
If you like action-packed books with suspense on every page then this is a good book for you. At one point in the book he says, "Just then we heard footsteps coming up to the front of the steps. " That's your head,"one guy said. "I'm gonna bust you up." Drug Dealers were coming up the steps with baseball bats and knives while Max and Fang were searching the house. Anyone else would start screaming. That was a very small problem in the book. So you see how much action there is. I think this is a great because of the action, but also because it is a great description by James Patterson. I believe that the book was greatly put together because a bunch of stuff that is affecting their lives between the flock and the government.
Overall I give this book a nine out of ten because it `s such a great book to spend reading. This book is better than most other books because it's so interesting and it's a new twist after every page. It's a great overall written book. If you like this book you will probably like the the other Maximum Ride books and another good book that is similar to it is The Roar By Emma Clayton. It is about the future and mutants. It is a very interesting Sci-fi book about a boy who is a mutant that has never really had a sister since his sister drowned.
I thought this was a really good book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
By: Coleman
10/17/10

Fourth in the kids with wings series and the second marketed as a Young Adult book, School's Out Forever continues the adventures of Max and her flock as they try and find and out who their parents were, battle Ari and the other Erasers and Save the World, although they have no idea how they are supposed to do the latter. Unfortunately the reader will also have no idea by the end of the book as the book has no ending and is just left open for the story to continue (like they used to do with TV shows in the 80's with to be continued...), but so James and the publishers can make money instead of the conclusion to this adventure ending on the last page it'll be published as the fifth (3rd young adult) novel.

Although the book was enjoyable enough to read the lack of an ending and the fact that nothing much happens in here that hasn't in the previous books means I would wait for this book to become available at your local library rahter than spending your hard earned money on it. Without giving away the plot the fights get more violent, Ari and the Erasers evolve more, and the flock discover they have a few more powers. Max and Fang start to get interested in members of the opposite sex for the first time (although this makes no sense as they already did this in the adult novels which were set time wise before the Young Adult Books).

The Angel Experiment could have been read as a stand alone novel but you have to have at the very least read that book before picking up School's Out Forever. To further understand the plot and get a bit more attached to the characters you really should read When the Wind Blows and The Lake House as well prior to The Angel Experiment as well.

My favorite of the three Max Ride books that I've read. THis one seems less repetative and actually made me laugh out loud several times. I give high marks for that. It kept my attention the entire read.

A less well written "Twilight-type" fantasy series, mostly harmless for the young adult reader. I wouldn't be thrilled if my son read books like this exclusively, though I've read the first three books pretty quickly so there must be something to them. If it weren't so cold I'd call them good "beach books". Fluff with a lot of action and likable characters. The writing is just not demanding or enlightening in the quality of descriptions or the smoothness of the plots. I've read a lot of fantasy and some of them feel real. These plot turns and histories are awkward and artificial. Kind of like a comic book without pictures. THis third one is particularly choppy.

In sum. Easy to read, harmless, and mildly entertaining.

A much better series for young adult and adult fantasy is the Bartameus Trilogy. Deep Character traits that grow with each book.

Maximum Ride: School's Out forever is an amazing book. James Patterson has definitely lived up to his reputation with this book. It starts off where the first book left off and is an action packed ride all the way up to the unexpected ending.

What I liked about this book was the way it brought the flock into a normal family setting, well as normal as you can get with mutant children. They actually got used to living in a family environment for a while until some unexpected events tear them away. Another thing I like about this book is the way James Patterson wrote it so whenever you think the flock is safe then BOOM, he throws you right back into the heat of the action!

The only thing I didn't like about the book was all of the questions I still had left after I finished the book. I'm hoping that all of those questions will be answered in the third book, Maximum Ride: Saving the World and other Extreme Sports.

I would recommend this book to any teenager that liked the first book, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment or to anyone who just likes a good book.

I've read most reviews, and I'd like to cover a few of the complaints as reasonably as I can.

This is a TEEN sci-fi book. The characters, to those who are going to read it, are plenty depthful; that's really how kids are these days. Seriously, we don't have too many "depthful" thoughts at that age, no matter how smart a teen is or how many special abilities we have. In fact, most of the characters are probably more depthful than real teens.

And about the frusterating thing with the chip... um, yeah. It's frusterating to everyone, bub, not just you. They aren't going to figure things out in a snap, they're fourteen and under. You think being the reader is a cruddy job? Try being the character, suffering from wings and teenage hormones at the same time. Yeah. Not a great life, eh?

Also, yes; there's a talking dog. GASP. Once again, it's sci-fi. Anything can happen, and most of everything is consistant and believable. In the first book, Max constantly mentioned that the Flock was much more capable of things than regular humans are. It's a good, nearly-realistic book. If you want reality, don't read. Honestly.

I love the writing style, by the way. It's very quirky and clever, and makes the fast-paced scenes more realistic from a person's point of view. I love how it throws in random chapters of third-person when Max isn't present. It's a very creative way of thinking.

Still, the sentence structure needs a little work, but all of it is very funny and mysterious, and I would rate this book at about A- level. Unfortunately, it makes you only give stars. I can't wait until the next book, and, one more thing:

Though the ending may not be satisfying, that's what keeps us reading. Say marketing!

~Pixie

Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever, by James Patterson, is the 2nd in the Maximum Ride trilogy.

Picking up where The Angel Experiment left off, the flock is still on the run from the "white lab coats" and Erasers. Other than the subplots that existed in the first book, there's no real main plot other than that in this sequel. But there is plenty of teenage angst, chase scenes, and fun use of the kids other special powers. But despite the fact that this book is so similar to the first, it's still an exciting and fun-filled romp. Each of the kids has a distinct personality, each with their own quirks and unique gifts. They are a special family that just can't seem to catch a break. As their purpose of "saving the world" unfolds a little more in this installment, the flock must constantly be on alert and outwit adults and their pursuers.

Though the story doesn't progress very far, School's Out-Forever is still an enjoyable read for teens and adults alike.

A Maximum Ride School's Out Forever is one of my all time favorite books to read. It's about six kids whose names are MAX, Fang, IGGY, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. They aren't like regular kids. They have ....WINGS!!!!!! Maximum Ride School's Out Forever is written by JAMES PATTERSON. I love this book. One of my friends Kiria Barden got me addicted to this awesome book. I'm so glad she did.

My favorite characters are Max and Fang. Max is the leader of the flock. [Yes I said flock - they have wings!!!!!!] She is independent, and will do anything to protect her flock. I like Fang because he doesn't show fear; he stays true to himself, and is always there when the flock needs him the most. They are running away from the place called school. Not the regular schools as in a school were they were taken from their parents, and to the lab. The people inside the lab [the white coats] put things inside them which gave them wings. A man name Jeb took them in as his own. When they were little babies. Jeb turned his back on them and took them to the lab. Max was heartbroken. She thought of him as a dad, and then he turned evil. Max hates him now. He can't even stand to hear his name. Every time she sees him she gets sick inside of her stomach. The white coats didn't want the flock to fly away; in fact they wanted to do more things with them.

I enjoyed reading this book because it is different. I would tell all my friends and family to check this book out. They even have their own website! How many books do you know have their own website?

Like I said, they are running away from erasers, the people in the lab. They went from a nice cabin in the woods far away from a tunnel in NYC all the way to a nice, big, spaced out house that looks like it should be in a Hollywood movie. An FBI member took care of them. She even took them to a real school with real kids who have no wings. Fang and Max had a little too much fun on their 1st day at school in like I don't know 14 years! What do I mean by that? I mean that a girl kissed him by force, and Max went on her 1st date and got her 1st kiss on her front porch.

If you want to know more or you would like to read this awesome book then just go on [...]. I hope you enjoy the crazy things they will do as much as I did!!!!!!! By Dierra

I was easily hooked into this series, and I loved it right from the start. James Patterson has done an amazing job with this very interesting story. And I read all the books with great joy really. And I would have given it five stars, if and only if James Patterson had done a better job at connecting some things in the book.. Sometimes the things that happened in the earlier books had nothing to do with the last books... And the end of last book was quite ridiculous and I didn't like it that much... But it's a good series, it was a bit depressing time to time but it definitely draws you in and gets you mesmerized to read them.

"Sweeping, swooping, soaring, air-current thrill rides - there's nothing better. For miles around, we were the only things in the infinite, wide-open, clear blue sky. You want an adrenaline rush? Try tucking your wings in, dive-bombing for about a mile straight down, then woosh! Wings out, grab an air current." Everyone's favorite flying hybrid kids are back! In the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, Maximum Ride: Schools Out - Forever, The flock is back and more adventurous than ever. The flock is traveling all over, D.C., New York and more! You might think that the sequel to a book like Max Ride would be kind of boring, WRONG! This book is just as action packed as the first one, it may even be better. The flock fights everything from businesses to clones.
Max keeps her leader role and, well, leads the flock through the many hard times the flock face. Patterson keeps his notorious reputation of good books with this one. This book is an all around great book for anyone above ten.
This book is not just for adults even though Patterson. It is geared more towards teens and teen issues, though you adults will love it too. This is a great book, happy reading!

I am 11 years old and my favorite book in this saga is the 2nd one called Maximum Ride School's Out-Forever. Thse books are about a girl who is 98% humen and 2% bird she has wings and her mission in life is to save the world. She also has -I know this is going to sound weird- a voice in her head and not just her own voice. This voice tells her where to go and clues to saving the world. Also she has a flock of friends who are mutants like herself Gasman,Fang,Angle,Iggy,Nudg,and thair talking dog,Total. They aquire new powers through the books. Angle is 6 and it seems that she has the most power. I recommend these books for a teen or a young adult or a tween reader like my self,who likes to read series novels.

Have you ever had the dream of being able to fly using your own wings? Well, in this book, Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, and Angel live it. Although, this story is a nightmare. The flock as Max, the leader, calls them, are mutant bird freaks.They were taken away drom their homes at an early age, and were experimented on by whitecoats. They called this torture lab "school." The flock manages to escape the school only to be secretly followed by the evil, dimented erasers. While they were escaping the school, Max only has one mission to accomplish: to find their parents. Through their treacherous journey, they often battle the erasers. Erasers are also mutant freaks, but evil. They, at first didn't have wings, but to the flock's suprise, the erasers arrived with ginormnous wings, and ready to fight. One eraser, Ari hated Max. This hatred causes many problems along the way. During the first attack, Fang got seriously hurt. The flock, with Max's permission, decide to take him to the hospital.At the hospital, some reporters find out about the bird kids and want to do a report. One reporter, Anne, takes the kids home with her, and raises them as her own. They start to live a normal life, the girls kissing boys, and the boys kissing girls. Once their life is going great, the erasers pop up and cause major problems. While they live at Anne's, they still try to fulfill their mission. Oh, did I mention that Max has a voice inside her head that tells her what to do? Well, she does and the voice keeps telling her of another mission: to save the world. Will they find their parents? Will the erasers bring doom to the flock? Will Ari get his revenge on Max? You'll just have to read Maximum Ride: School's Out- Forever by James Patterson. I loved this book. James Patterson is a fantastic author. He really caught my attention, and i couldn't put this book down. This book is interesting for boys and girls 13 and older.

James Pattersonis a very talented author. He ha swritten many books over the coarse of his career including Bg Bad Wolf,Mary and the Maximum Ride series.It was because of his astounding ability to draw the reader into a storythat i chose to read his book Maxium Ride School's Out Forever.

Maximum Ride School's Out Forever is hte second book of this series. the first book MaximumRide The Angel Experiment tells us that the main charectors where in a genetic experiment in a lab they call the school. In the schoolthey had avain DNA grafted to there own, which in turn gave them wings, incredible strength and the ability to fly.

In Maximum Ride Schools Out Forever the children Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel set out on an adventure to find out who there parents are, because they have lived in the school scince they where new borns. While on therejourney they are constantly being chased and attacked by what they called earasers. Earasers are another experiment the school has created. Instead of avain DNA they have lupine DNA grafted onto theres allowing them to morf inta a wolf like form. An earasers main goal is to take down the children otherwize known as the flock.

After a fight with the earasers Fang is hurt and needs to go to the hospital. while fang is in surgury the rest of the flock undergo interigation by FBI agents. During their interview with the agents the flock agrees to live with Anne Walker a supposed FBI agent until fang is fully recovered. During there stay at annes house they go to school- a real school-, research there heritage and have their first ever thanksgiving dinner. When disaster strikes in the form of earasers, jeb batletcher and a double agent named Anne Walker, the flock must leave and set out on another adventure.

James Pattersonis a very talented author. He ha swritten many books over the coarse of his career including Bg Bad Wolf,Mary and the Maximum Ride series.It was because of his astounding ability to draw the reader into a storythat i chose to read his book Maxium Ride School's Out Forever.

Maximum Ride School's Out Forever is hte second book of this series. the first book MaximumRide The Angel Experiment tells us that the main charectors where in a genetic experiment in a lab they call the school. In the schoolthey had avain DNA grafted to there own, which in turn gave them wings, incredible strength and the ability to fly.

In Maximum Ride Schools Out Forever the children Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel set out on an adventure to find out who there parents are, because they have lived in the school scince they where new borns. While on therejourney they are constantly being chased and attacked by what they called earasers. Earasers are another experiment the school has created. Instead of avain DNA they have lupine DNA grafted onto theres allowing them to morf inta a wolf like form. An earasers main goal is to take down the children otherwize known as the flock.

After a fight with the earasers Fang is hurt and needs to go to the hospital. while fang is in surgury the rest of the flock undergo interigation by FBI agents. During their interview with the agents the flock agrees to live with Anne Walker a supposed FBI agent until fang is fully recovered. During there stay at annes house they go to school- a real school-, research there heritage and have their first ever thanksgiving dinner. When disaster strikes in the form of earasers, jeb batletcher and a double agent named Anne Walker, the flock must leave and set out on another adventure.

Book Review on Maximum Ride- School's Out- Forever

By James Patterson

Released May O6

This book is about six "Avian American" children. This book is the second in a series. The kids were 2% bird and 98% human. The only bird-like things they have are wings. The six kids-Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, and Angel- have lived in an evil place called The School. The school mutates very young babies (who never knew their family, if they had any family) to have wings. Once you have the wings, you are living like a lab rat for the rest of your life, unless you escape. This series is about the six kids who escape. The main kid is Max. He has to save his "family" and the world. These books show that friends can change into enemies.

Most of the reviews the book received are because of the action and adventure. I would give this book five stars, it is my favorite book ever. It is my favorite book because it is funny, full of action, and suspense. It is an overall very good book. I would recommend this book to anybody that can read 300 page chapter books. Even if you don't like reading, you will love this book. The author of this book (James Patterson) mainly writes adult books. This is the second book (first series) he wrote for younger people.

Zach

Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever is the sequel to Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. In this book, the flock(Max, Izzy, Nudge, Fang, Gazzy, and Angel) are still on the run from the Erasers. But now the Erasers have wings! Now they can chase the flock in the air, too. At first the flock is scared, but then they find out that the Erasers are clumsy in the air because of their size and weight. After a battle with them, Fang gets seriously injured. The flock can't help him, so they take him to the hospital. Well, the doctor finds out that they have wings, and the FBI comes to investigate. The FBI agents interview them and the flock feeds them nothing but lies. Soon after, one of the agents, whose name is Anne, offers to take them to her house. After Fang heals, they head over to Anne's house. Anne makes them go to school. They make friends, and begin to fit in. Then their world is turned upside-down when they find out who Anne really is.

What a fun series this is. This is the second book in the Maximum Ride series of novels by James Patterson from 2006.

Action packed, full of excitement and suspense, this book takes us on a high speed adventure. Maximum Ride (Max) and her five friends really want to find their parents, but there doesn't seem to be anywhere they can turn that will get them away from the killers chasing them, who always seem to find them. Max has three problems; she thinks the chip she found in her arm may be what leads the killers to them, she has a destiny to save the world, and she has a really annoying voice in her head.

Oh, by the way, Max and her friends are just kids.

Genetically altered kids.

With huge appetites.

. . . and wings.

James Patterson (Along came a Spider) (Kiss the Girls) has even portrayed Max as having the personality, suspicion and sarcasm of teens everywhere.

I bought this in an airport and most of the other reviews are, IMHO, spot on. It's entertaining and engaging. Patterson's first person style definitely draws the reader in the book and, like a soap opera, leaves you hungry for more. I've not read the first book. This book stands on it's own and I was quickly able to get caught up in the plot.

Each of the main characters have somewhat distinct, though slowly developing, personalities. Each has a distinct gimic that distinguishes them from each other. One likes bombs, one is blind, one is dark and brooding, one is cute and telepathic, and another has some form of psychometry. The personalities are thin and seem to bleed together at times. But, as one poster pointed out, many teens are paper thin personalities. As a father of a daughters aged five and seven, I assure all readers that Patterson didn't catch how children talk. He projected adult ideas and language onto children. But, that didn't matter - I still enjoyed it.

An item that will annoy more detail oriented readers is a number of "leaps of faith". Children that have never driven and have only the tools they can find in a junk yard are assembling and driving cars. Explosives are made from seemingly nothing. Money comes from nowhere. Superhuman strength appears in one scene, but is suddenly gone in another. Iggy can hear a gnat yawn, but misses the bad guys kidnapping Max from under the flock's noses. Etc. It reads a lot like the X-Men comics of old. They keep fighting and bleeding, but never really "win" in the big picture - they break even at best.

There are teasers from the next book in the series at the end which indicate it may all be, gasp, a dream sequence. While that would explain away all the plot problems and how the villains pop out of nowhere, it's often a desperate plot device used by authors who've written themselves into a hole. I hope Patterson isn't going there. The teasers from book three make it look like that's exactly where he's going. Probably via Angel still cooperating with Jeb and Anne.

Of course, if it is all a dream, the question becomes "why"? Some sort of interactive training experiment using Angel as a virtual reality device. Perhaps it's the chips they have implanted. Or, perhaps Mr. Patterson decided to take the plot line another direction so he had to undo everything that's happened. Or, perhaps the Chapter 40 teaser is out of context, and Angel has control of Jeb and Anne - we just don't know it yet.

All in all, it's a fun read. If you can suspend disbelief and "ride the wave" of the plot line, it's worth the paperback price. I've pre-ordered the next one to find out what happens to Max and the flock.

I've read Mr. P's other books about the bird-kid mutants and assumed this was a continuation of their adventures. But he notes at the beginning that Max and the kids are not the same freak/hybrid kids from the earlier books...oh, really? Anyway, these six kids had escaped from the `School' (a/k/a lab) and are now trying to make their way to Washington DC to find their parents, or save the world or do whatever Max's Voice is telling her. Fang is injured by an Eraser (a bird-wolf mutant) during an Eraser attack. The FBI steps in to help the kids, including one of the officers taking the kids into her home...yeah, right. The kids' adventures, travels, fights with Erasers, Disneyland and meeting the other Max round out this delightful fantasy.

The premise for these Maximum stories is so off-the-wall, wild and crazy and makes for a totally fun read! The humor is a nice touch, too.

One again maximum ride lived up to its expectations. The beginning was a little slow, but you do not have to wait long for it to get interesting. There are some parts that you feel like you want to yell at the book in frustration and then there are parts of the book where you are laughing out loud it is so funny. I liked the ending and am ready to read the next one.

Both of these books have been fast-paced, action and adventure filled with a great story and a likeable cast of characters. The premise is better in this one, with the whole going to school. I really enjoyed the twists and turns. However I enjoyed the first one better because it was more focused on action and this one is more about the story. I like a blend of both, but action appeals to me because of how descriptive it is. All in all they were both excellent reads and I encourage teens all over to read these, because you won't be able to put them down. They are excellent in every way.

STORY 9/10 well done with a great plot, twists and turns, and a cliffhanger ending

CHARACTERS 8.7/10 Likeable but lacking a little in personality

ACTION 10/10 When there is action it's amazing and descriptive

My best freind told me about this serise, but i didn't like the flying kid part, i thought that was stupid. but when my other friend told me more about it, i though," oh well,i'll give it a try, it has lots of action and a big of eveything." And i LOVE action. I read this book right after maximum ride angle experiment. AND i totaly LOVED it. it glues your eyes to the page, the characters great (i'm a max and Fang fan) and the way the book it wriiten is great.
this reveiw is written by a 7th grader. I hope you decide to read it. You won't regreat it!

This book is SUCH a great read. Like the first book The Angel Experiment, this book keeps the pages turning!

I noticed another reviewer 'purple haze', mentioned this being the third book (the first being The Lake House) -- THIS IS INACCURATE. Patterson states at the beginning of The Angel Experiment that the Max from any previous novels is NOT the same Max, and this is a completely different set of books.

So, if you liked reading The Angel Experiment, you will like this one as well. You never know what is going to happen!

I really love these books, the characters, the plot are top notch. I'm just hoping there are more on the way!

The second installment in the Maximum Ride series allows for the characters to grow in a way that wasn't possible in the first. While other reviewers are dissapointed in the lack of beginning-middle-end type of storytelling, it was nice to see these kids get a chance to truly be kids for a while, even if it means they go to school and have Thanksgiving dinner with a shady FBI agent. While this hold over in Virginia doesn't make for the most exciting read, it gives these hard running, hard fighting kids a chance to regain their bearings and focus on the hunt for their birth parents. This was a fast fun read.

This book is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Every page that I read drew me in deeper to want to know what happens next. But if you haven't read the first book, well, you just have to. They are both amazing books and if you are an avid reader this is the right book for you. Because I know I am an avid reader and it was the best book of my life! So if you haven't read it, read it. Because It is so interesting that you won't stop thinking about it until you finish it. I know I am only 11 years old, but this book is really good. Whether you are 13 yrs old or 56 yrs old, it's the book for you!

I'm beginning to think that Patterson is becoming an even better teen writer than he was an adult writer. I love these books and School's Out Forever I found was even better than the first. The characters are very well rounded and unique. The bad guy is sometimes the good guy and the scientiest are "mad," and I mean that in a phycological way. Max is witty and smart and her one-liners are a bit dry funny, which I happen to like.

When Fang is hurt bad, the kids realize they are going to have to bring him to a hospital and fast. But while there, they are approached and questioned by the FBI. The lady in charge takes them back to her place in the country and for the first time in their lives they feel like they are living like real kids. They are even enrolled in the local school. But is their new home a home or really a nice cage?

I'm so looking forward to the next in the series.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to fly? Do you like adventure books? If you do then, read Maximum Ride - Schools Out Forever by James Patterson. This book takes you inside Maximum Ride and her flock of six and a dog's life! This book is the second in a series of three. The first is Maximum Ride - Angles Experiment and the third one is Maximum Ride - Back to Saving the World. This series is science fiction.

The six kids Max, Fang, Nudge, Iggy (who is blind), Angel, Gassman and the dog Total were all experimented on in a lab in the first book and given wings except Total who can talk. Somehow they escaped from the lab when they were not supposed to. The erasers, who worked at the lab are chasing the kids and trying to kill or capture them. When ever they get into fights the kids always win because they are stronger and better flyers. In one of the fights, Fang gets hurt and has to go to the hospital. There they meet FBI agent and lived with one named Ann for two months. Then all the erasers came to Ann's house and attacked them, and forced them to leave her house. The voice inside Max's head talks to her throughout the whole book reminding her that her destiny is to save the world. At the end of the book she takes it to heart and flew off with the flock to do it! Overall, I loved the book and would recommend it to anybody, especially people who like action and adventure!

Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever was a very interesting book to read. When I read it, I thought the book was very well written and organized. I enjoyed reading it because I enjoy fantasy and it was a very easy book to read. The chapters were extremely short,1-3 pages max. The fantasy in the book was that the characters had wings. In every chapter, there was some sort of action. If you enjoy fantasy and action then I highly recommend that you read both of the Maximum Rides(The Angels Experiment and Schools Out Forever).

this book's got anything for anyone. it's like having your own collection of diffrent genres. first drama then action then more suspense then more action then romance and while all of this is going on there's adventure and fantasy. i got this book at about six o'clock on a school day, and stayed up all night reading it -to my parents dislike - but i can stand that for this book. if the next book in the series doesn't come out soon *"i may have to start a petition." this book is a thrilling sequel to a thrilling prequel. if i could give it six stars, i would. : )

*Eoin Colfer used in other review

Which of these three things is the worst idea James Patterson ever devised for a plot, and I'm referring to either juvenile or adult fiction? This book makes Hide and Seek look like a Dickens novel, and that's really saying something if you know how poor that story is. At least it HAD a story. I've read good teen books but this, sadly, is not one of them. There is nothing but violence, kids defying authority, and cleaned up name calling with no value for a young person to learn from at all. True, this is the first juvenile fiction I have read by Patterson, but this one alone proves he's out of his league. As another reviewer said, he should stick to Alex Cross and the Women's Murder Club. He's not even up to the challenge of old S.E. Hinton novels.

Wow, this is such an ORIGINAL book! I mean, I may be wrong, since this is one of the first sci-fi books I've read, but let me tell you - it is also part-fantasy, and I know from reading fiction that this plot is almost completely ORIGINAL!

Another thing that is great about this book is that you really get into the characters. I totally fell in love with the Flock, even more than the last book.

Oh yes, and I read a review from someone saying that this is a horrible book and everyone hates it. HELLO!! If you would look at the reviews, more than 75% say that it is a great book, and it's been given mostly 3+ stars! So WAKE up and see the light, because not EVERYONE hates this book!

This book is a great sequel to Patterson's first teen book the Angel Experiment. We continue the tale of the angel children as they continue to fight the "school" and continue the search for their respective parents. It's thrilling and is great to see a "teen" book whihc does not speak up or down to the aimed demographic. You will enjoy the thrilling plot and great action and emotion no matter the age(well unless you are under 10) of the person reaidng it. You should read this, it iwll fly by, and you will definately enjoy it. I can not wait for more books in this series, although I wish Patterosn would stop putting a book out every 2-3 months, people will burn out on him pretty soon, and it will not be pleasant.

Okay. First of all, anyone who criticizes this book so passionately is clearly either over 35 (though I'm am not saying that normal adults can't read this book)or has never even read the book in depth! It is a great read for kids of the 4th or 5th grade reading level and up. It is even a great read for young adults and adults! Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever has a wonderful, intriguing plot line and is guaranteed to entice even the people who hate to read on their free time. I would know, my sibling hates to read and he even can't put the book down! I give a standing ovation to James Patterson and thank him for taking time to write a book that a teen can easily enjoy.

As we read, I find that the story still has some unfinished points to it (which is why I will continue reading the next one) and yet I still think that Max has grown as a character, and become more of a teenager, and less of a "mom". Even though she still worries about her flock, I think she's getting better at balancing that and her fourteen-year-old problems.

Including the developement of the plot, and the awesome detailed writing and intriguing story, I have just recently put James Patterson on the top 10 of my favorite author list, just because of these books.

I loved the first book in this series. The plot was good (I thought it was complex; I don't know about you), but maybe a half-star off because of its overall unoriginality. I was kind of struggling to enjoy this book... call me ridiculous, but I had to stop reading because of Fang.
Fang is like a character straight out of a horribly bad fanfiction. Good looking, awesome, powerful, awesome, popular with girls, tall-and-dark-super-overratedly-popular type, handsome, Mr. Cool, awesome. Blah blah blah... okay, I got so tired of him, I ditched the series. The 6th book is even called Fang, I think, and it seems as if the whole series revolves around him. He's obviously Patterson's favorite character; it's glaringly obvious. Please get rid of Fang, erase him from our minds, and I will gladly read this otherwise pretty good series.

This book simply was awesome. Despite the fact that it wasn't as action packed as The Angel Experiment it was still excellent. The book didn't seem as adventurous as the 1st book either but I really liked how I got to see the characters become more developed. Seeing how Ari felt actually made me fill sorry for him. I actually started caring for the characters. This book was alot more funny than the 1st and I loved the whole idea of the evil corporation. Plus the final fight seen was simply the coolest thing I've ever read (for those of you who read the manga the fights going to be even more epic). If you have already finished The Angel Experiment BUY THIS NOW! It's funny, smart, and a book that encourages you to keep reading. It's simply a masterpiece.

This is the first and only book of the series I'll read. At first it was like "The lake House" or "When the Wind Blows", those were books. Then the story went completely out of everything, for instance: from where the flock had money to eat? To crash on an hotel? To ride a car without gas? Be aware I'm not talking about Disney World because they entered there flying. So what an example to the kids this book was written for? To enter to a theme park for free? Not paying for what you'll use? You'll teach that to your children? I'm definitely not.

If you liked The Angel Experiment, you'll probably like the sequel. Max and Co. are just as humorous as ever and still finding trouble around every turn.

As the novel unfolds, Patterson slowly reveals more secrets about the bird children while giving them about two-hundred pages worth of trying to act like normal school kids (complete with pranks, field trips, and yes, even a date!). Of course, things never go smooth for long. Their lives are periodically interupted by the diabolical Erasers, who have evolved somewhat from book 1, intent on capturing the children and bringing them back to Jeb (aka Max's father/scientist).

While this novel does add a few interesting plot twists, don't expect too much to be resolved. School's Out--Forever is clearly only book 2 of a longer series. For me, that's a good thing. But for those wanting a conclusion, you'll have to keep waiting.

The book was exciting and brought new depth to the characters. It also introduced new characters, new challenges, while using innovative as well as familiar plot hooks. A hint of romance, a lot of action, a fair amount of suspense and a whole lot of head spinning. The conspiracy stuff rides high yet again in this series, as well as the tongue in cheek fun stuff.

I finished the first book ASAP. The second wasn't as surprising, but still a good read.
Max and the flock are on their way to DC, when they're suddenly interuppted. The Erasers teach the flock a lesson.... that they can now fly!!!
Fang gets severely injured and they must get to a hospital in order for him to live.
I think I have spoiled enough.. good book!!

I love all of the Maximum Ride books. Max is witty and smart and she can take care of herself. There's nothing worse than a 'poor me' mary sue who can't do anything for herself. James Patterson has an amazing series going here and I would very strongly suggest that you read them all. Can't wait for the final book to come out!

Picking up right where the first book left off, Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever takes Max and the rest of the flock on a whirlwind adventure. The flock is still on the run from some of the same old baddies, but now they have new foes to deal with as well, including a Max clone. However, they're not entirely on their own, and help comes from some unexpected people. But are they really trying to help? Only time will tell.

And not only do they have to worry about staying alive, grades now hang in the balance for the flock. Once again, they find themselves in school... but this time it's for real. New challenges are faced every day, with classes, teachers, an evil principal, field trips, and even possible romances, all while new powers are being discovered and developed.

With this book, James Patterson manages to prove once again what a great storyteller he is. I'd never even read any of his books before, but Maximum Ride has turned me into a true fan. Fun and enjoyable to read, with a great plot and interesting characters, it will not disappoint. Full of surprising twists and turns, School's Out - Forever will leave fans feeling satisfied, yet eagerly anticipating the next Maximum Ride.

This book is BETTER than its predecessor, The Angle Experiment! It had me cracking up almost the entire time because of Max's witty, sarcastic comments. It's got even more action than the first!! Also has more drama and a little bit of romance. I was completely absorbed in this book. You can really get hooked onto it! Its SO hilarious! You will NOT be disappointed at ALL!

amazing book way to go james patterson. max and fang have yet to fail to amaze me. and gazzy is so funny. nudge is like me. CHATTY with a capital C-H-A-T-T-Y!!! i love freaky little angel and maxs way of talking cracks me up. you could go up to her and say "did you just roll aroundin a dumpster? cause it looks like it." and she wuld just say "yeah i did. too bad you missed out. the one behind walmart was full of fresh trash." i love this series and own them all.

Still unsure about fang and max's relationship. This is a really good series and i like her personality. You are going to like this one especially if u liked the first one. Read to uncover new mysteries of maximum ride and where the journey takes this awesome flock of children mutants.

In this "wonderful" second installment, Patterson highlights the flaws of the first. It is a cheesy, condescending book that hardly is the exciting, different tale of a flying group of kids. First off, the characters are underdeveloped. Max - great leader, gonna save the world, oh boy!. Fang - hmm, apart from the name, all we know is that he seems pretty egotistical and is a dark!? love interest. Angel is obviously the product of Patterson trying to make the super-est of super characters. She controls minds, is smart, can talk to animals, and is basically perfect. The other characters are just supposedly smart and fun, but aren't really. The main villians (which keep changing, and not in a good way) are not scary. Ari, supposed sympathetic and strong, comes across crazed and weak. The fake Max (really, Patterson? an imposter?) is just silly. And the talking dog...need I say more?
But apart from the weak characterization, the obvious marketing put in is infuriating. Fang starts a blog, which is a real website that kids are encouraged to visit. Patterson even includes the url of this cash-cow.
Finally, the absurdity of the plot. It rushes along, not really going anywhere. Max finds her mom, who she almost immediately starts calling mom. Remember Nina and her mom? Well the nice doctor/vet was a scientist with an evil corporation in this book, though she is still nice. She is, of course, Max's real mom.
Patterson can write anything and it will be lapped up with rave reviews, but don't be tricked. This book is not exciting/thrilling, the characters are dull, the villains cheesy, ad the overall lesson to be learned is that when Patterson gets an idea, he puts it in the book, no matter its relevance.
_

First, I'd like to say something to those people who don't like MR2 because "there were things still unresolved." MOST BOOKS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRILOGY ARE LIKE THAT. Do you think people don't enjoy reading Lord of the Rings just because Frodo has not yet destroyed the ring in The Two Towers? I think not.

Now, to review the book. (I won't describe MR2 in its entirety because you must read it for yourself. Or just read a couple of book descriptions.) MR2 was a fast-paced, suspenseful, funny, and witty novel. It was a quick read, making it perfect for boring summer days. It doesn't dive much into the great philosophies of good vs. evil. It focuses on the meaning of family and friendship, which are just as important.

What I liked about MR2 was that James Patterson writes about how the characters grow as people and as "mutant freaks" as they experience new encounters and feelings. Max is trying to deal with the new mother-figure named Anne taking over her role, school and her first date, her new-found feeling for Fang, and of course, the Voice in her head and her destiny to save the world. Iggy meets his birth parents for the first time and discovers something about them was surprising in was he didn't expect. Fang is now become less like a mute statue and seems more open and comfortable talking to Max about his feelings.

The only negative things about the book that were the repetitive fighting scenes and some corny jokes. Other than that, I loved the book. I am eagerly waiting for the third MR to hit the shelves and for more news about the upcoming MR movie.

Do not pay attention to those who gave this book a ONE STAR rating. All they did was complain it was not like his Cross books or was like "teen fiction". Um DUH !!!!! That is what it is exactly - TEEN FICTION !!!

These are great books. I have read them and enjoyed them as an adult and my jr high aged daughted has also enjoyed them.

This is book #2 in an ongoing series that Mr. Patterson has written specifically for a teen/tween audience (Grades 6-10). Unfortunately, as I discussed at some length in my review of the prequel to this book (Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment), there are a number of elements in these books that place them squarely in the PG-13 genre, not G.

As such, parents may benefit from my previous review, which discusses and critiques these books from a parental perspective. (Simply click the link "see all my reviews" and look for my review of the above prequel dated Jan 4, 2007.)

In short, although these are highly entertaining books with a no-rules, no-parents, no-restraints, kick-the-bad-guys-butts storyline that teens will gulp like soda pop, I still think they are problematic based on the implicit messages they send to teens about situational ethics and premarital sex. There is also quite a bit of violence in these novels. I'm not a prude...but I do think parents should know what their kids are reading and make informed choices accordingly.

In this installment, we find Max and her flock of likewise genetically engineered avian/human adolescents trying to track down their true origins while escaping a new, improved, and more deadly version of the human/lupine/avian "Erasers" tasked with finding the kids and neutralizing them. Now, we have Erasers V2.0, replete with wings, just like our protagonists.

I won't go into the plot in detail. Suffice to say that the kids are taken in by a kindly woman who turns out to be an FBI agent, the kids escape, and we're given the usual pages and pages of ensuing chases, violent fights with Erasers, and narrow escapes. Meanwhile, the mysterious Voice in Max's head continues to propel her towards some strange destiny to save the world. And, a romance erupts in the middle of it all between our heroine and Fang, another member of the brood.

Be advised, however, that Mr. Patterson is a former advertising executive. As such, he understands not just writing, but marketing. And these books show it in spades. Don't expect any of these books to "finish." They simply end - generally with more questions raised than resolved and the strongly implied "to be continued..." that makes the reader line up for the next installment in the series. Patterson has created a money machine here, and he's going to milk it for everything it's worth. So treat these books for what they are: a literary soap opera for teen readers. There will be as many installments as there are people willing to pay for them.

I realize I'm in the minority here by not gushing over this book and awarding it 4 or 5 stars. My problem is not with the plots, the dialog, or the writing. Patterson is a fine writer, and here he is clearly taking things down a notch to address a teen audience. So, I'm not holding him to the same standards that I would impose on somebody writing adult fiction. In fairness, many adults will probably like this book and can view it as simply a continuation of events started in Patterson's adult novels "When the Wind Blows" and "The Lake House" and continued in the teen-targeted installment "The Angel Experiment."

He's created compelling characters, good dialog, and interesting plots.

What's not to like? Well...perhaps not much if you are an adult. But when you consider some of the messages these books send to teens about situational ethics and premarital sex, then I'm afraid I do have some problems with that. I think there are other things I can give my kids - particularly the age group that these novels target - that are more wholesome.

There's tremendous potential here for Patterson to have some fantastic books for teens. Unfortunately, in his efforts to be "hip," he's injected some content that I think is better left for more mature audiences.

Endnote: It's also flattering to see that Mr. Patterson reads the reviews of his readers, as noted in his "Plog" for this book here on the store. I don't know if he'll read this particular review or not, but I'd like to encourage him that with a few refinements to bring this series from PG-13 back into the G or PG range without becoming sappy, he'll have something that can reach an even broader audience.

Excellent suspense! A very intense installment of the series! I love how strong and together these kids are....yeah I know, they are genetically altered.... but still. Love a 6 year old who can keep their head.

Book 2: School's Out-Forever was a really good read that was fast paced and filled with lots of action. In Book 2 the flock find's a home with Anne whom they struggle with whether or not to trust.

I enjoyed book 2 more than book 1. Great series for all ages.

In this "wonderful" second installment, Patterson highlights the flaws of the first. It is a cheesy, condescending book that hardly is the exciting, different tale of a flying group of kids. First off, the characters are underdeveloped. Max - great leader, gonna save the world, oh boy!. Fang - hmm, apart from the name, all we know is that he seems pretty egotistical and is a dark!? love interest. Angel is obviously the product of Patterson trying to make the super-est of super characters. She controls minds, is smart, can talk to animals, and is basically perfect. The other characters are just supposedly smart and fun, but aren't really. The main villians (which keep changing, and not in a good way) are not scary. Ari, supposed sympathetic and strong, comes across crazed and weak. The fake Max (really, Patterson? an imposter?) is just silly. And the talking dog...need I say more?
But apart from the weak characterization, the obvious marketing put in is infuriating. Fang starts a blog, which is a real website that kids are encouraged to visit. Patterson even includes the url of this cash-cow.
Finally, the absurdity of the plot. It rushes along, not really going anywhere. Max finds her mom, who she almost immediately starts calling mom. Remember Nina and her mom? Well the nice doctor/vet was a scientist with an evil corporation in this book, though she is still nice. She is, of course, Max's real mom.
Patterson can write anything and it will be lapped up with rave reviews, but don't be tricked. This book is not exciting/thrilling, the characters are dull, the villains cheesy, ad the overall lesson to be learned is that when Patterson gets an idea, he puts it in the book, no matter its relevance.
_

First, I'd like to say something to those people who don't like MR2 because "there were things still unresolved." MOST BOOKS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRILOGY ARE LIKE THAT. Do you think people don't enjoy reading Lord of the Rings just because Frodo has not yet destroyed the ring in The Two Towers? I think not.

Now, to review the book. (I won't describe MR2 in its entirety because you must read it for yourself. Or just read a couple of book descriptions.) MR2 was a fast-paced, suspenseful, funny, and witty novel. It was a quick read, making it perfect for boring summer days. It doesn't dive much into the great philosophies of good vs. evil. It focuses on the meaning of family and friendship, which are just as important.

What I liked about MR2 was that James Patterson writes about how the characters grow as people and as "mutant freaks" as they experience new encounters and feelings. Max is trying to deal with the new mother-figure named Anne taking over her role, school and her first date, her new-found feeling for Fang, and of course, the Voice in her head and her destiny to save the world. Iggy meets his birth parents for the first time and discovers something about them was surprising in was he didn't expect. Fang is now become less like a mute statue and seems more open and comfortable talking to Max about his feelings.

The only negative things about the book that were the repetitive fighting scenes and some corny jokes. Other than that, I loved the book. I am eagerly waiting for the third MR to hit the shelves and for more news about the upcoming MR movie.

Do not pay attention to those who gave this book a ONE STAR rating. All they did was complain it was not like his Cross books or was like "teen fiction". Um DUH !!!!! That is what it is exactly - TEEN FICTION !!!

These are great books. I have read them and enjoyed them as an adult and my jr high aged daughted has also enjoyed them.

Stop! Unless you've read the first book in the MAXIMUM RIDE series, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride), you should not read this review. Although MAXIMUM RIDE: SCHOOL'S OUT--FOREVER, could be read alone, you'll do much better if you read Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride) first. Trust me. Read the first book, and then this one, and you'll end up thanking me. Now, if you promise you've already read the first book in the series, hold on to your hats, because the action heats up significantly in this second installment.

Twenty-four hours after Max killed Ari, the bird kids are once again on the run. The whole gang is together again and in one relatively unharmed piece--Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, Angel, and stray dog, Total. Max is trying hard to forget that when it came to escaping the Erasers (half-human, half-werewolf, read the first book!), she had no choice but to kill Ari in their fight for freedom.

Except, surprise, Ari isn't dead! Jeb and the other doctors at the "school" are still trying to recapture them, and Fang has been deathly wounded. Max knows there is no choice but to get Fang to a real hospital, and she's not even really surprised when the FBI turns up to question them. What does surprise her is the appearance of Anne Walker, a head-honcho who wants Max and the gang to come to her home, where she can protect them, feed and clothe them, and study them. Fang still needs rest, and a roof over their heads and food in their belly at regular intervals sounds like a good idea. Although she's wary of Anne's true motives, Max and her flock move, temporarily, into Anne's home. They're even enrolled in school--a real school, not a cover for psychotic men in white coats to perform horrible experiments on them--and although that doesn't turn out so great, the time they spend at Anne's is helping everyone to forget some of the pain they've suffered.

But the Erasers show up, as they always do, and Anne turns out not to be as wonderful as she first appeared, as also seems to happen on a regular basis. Not-dead Ari is determined to destroy the flock, especially Max, once and for all, and the Voice in Max's head is getting increasingly annoying as to her duty to save the world.

This second book in the series is as full of adventure, heart-stopping adrenaline, and edge-of-your-seat action as the first book was. I loved the newfound powers that many in the flock gained in this installment, as well as Total's ability to talk. I can't wait to see what happens next, especially in regards to Itex and how it figures in with the seemingly imminent destruction of Earth. Kudos to Mr. Patterson for another winner in the MAXIMUM RIDE series. The only thing I hate is that it will probably be another year or so before we find out what happens next!

This is book #2 in an ongoing series that Mr. Patterson has written specifically for a teen/tween audience (Grades 6-10). Unfortunately, as I discussed at some length in my review of the prequel to this book (Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment), there are a number of elements in these books that place them squarely in the PG-13 genre, not G.

As such, parents may benefit from my previous review, which discusses and critiques these books from a parental perspective. (Simply click the link "see all my reviews" and look for my review of the above prequel dated Jan 4, 2007.)

In short, although these are highly entertaining books with a no-rules, no-parents, no-restraints, kick-the-bad-guys-butts storyline that teens will gulp like soda pop, I still think they are problematic based on the implicit messages they send to teens about situational ethics and premarital sex. There is also quite a bit of violence in these novels. I'm not a prude...but I do think parents should know what their kids are reading and make informed choices accordingly.

In this installment, we find Max and her flock of likewise genetically engineered avian/human adolescents trying to track down their true origins while escaping a new, improved, and more deadly version of the human/lupine/avian "Erasers" tasked with finding the kids and neutralizing them. Now, we have Erasers V2.0, replete with wings, just like our protagonists.

I won't go into the plot in detail. Suffice to say that the kids are taken in by a kindly woman who turns out to be an FBI agent, the kids escape, and we're given the usual pages and pages of ensuing chases, violent fights with Erasers, and narrow escapes. Meanwhile, the mysterious Voice in Max's head continues to propel her towards some strange destiny to save the world. And, a romance erupts in the middle of it all between our heroine and Fang, another member of the brood.

Be advised, however, that Mr. Patterson is a former advertising executive. As such, he understands not just writing, but marketing. And these books show it in spades. Don't expect any of these books to "finish." They simply end - generally with more questions raised than resolved and the strongly implied "to be continued..." that makes the reader line up for the next installment in the series. Patterson has created a money machine here, and he's going to milk it for everything it's worth. So treat these books for what they are: a literary soap opera for teen readers. There will be as many installments as there are people willing to pay for them.

I realize I'm in the minority here by not gushing over this book and awarding it 4 or 5 stars. My problem is not with the plots, the dialog, or the writing. Patterson is a fine writer, and here he is clearly taking things down a notch to address a teen audience. So, I'm not holding him to the same standards that I would impose on somebody writing adult fiction. In fairness, many adults will probably like this book and can view it as simply a continuation of events started in Patterson's adult novels "When the Wind Blows" and "The Lake House" and continued in the teen-targeted installment "The Angel Experiment."

He's created compelling characters, good dialog, and interesting plots.

What's not to like? Well...perhaps not much if you are an adult. But when you consider some of the messages these books send to teens about situational ethics and premarital sex, then I'm afraid I do have some problems with that. I think there are other things I can give my kids - particularly the age group that these novels target - that are more wholesome.

There's tremendous potential here for Patterson to have some fantastic books for teens. Unfortunately, in his efforts to be "hip," he's injected some content that I think is better left for more mature audiences.

Endnote: It's also flattering to see that Mr. Patterson reads the reviews of his readers, as noted in his "Plog" for this book here on the store. I don't know if he'll read this particular review or not, but I'd like to encourage him that with a few refinements to bring this series from PG-13 back into the G or PG range without becoming sappy, he'll have something that can reach an even broader audience.

Excellent suspense! A very intense installment of the series! I love how strong and together these kids are....yeah I know, they are genetically altered.... but still. Love a 6 year old who can keep their head.

Book 2: School's Out-Forever was a really good read that was fast paced and filled with lots of action. In Book 2 the flock find's a home with Anne whom they struggle with whether or not to trust.

I enjoyed book 2 more than book 1. Great series for all ages.

I think this is the best book in the series. Nonstop action-adventure, good vs evil, even some romance is involved. We really get to know the characters well in this book. All I can say is that this is a high octane book that you will not be able to put down, no matter what your age.

This book is GREAT! I highly recommend it - and to tell you the truth, when I read the first book, I thought it deserved a spot on my shelf next to J.K. Rowling!

Oh yes, and to the people who think Mr. Patterson shouldn't be trying to write a childrens book - HEY! What about Dr. Seuss??? J.K. Rowling??? Doesn't James Patterson get a chance to try, too??

P.S. In my opinion, he did pretty well!!

My son read these books. I was waiting for him to finish football practice. He was rereading book one, which I had never seen him do. So I picked up his book and started reading while I waited. I just finished book two and ready to start book three. The best bonus, my thirteen year old son and I have something to talk about.

I adored this book. The action and suspense was mind blowing! The topic on this story, kids with WINGS! It's fantastic. I've read the fist one and second and I'm on the third. I have to say, I'm going to be sad when I finish the series.

The book Maximum Ride School's Out Forever was a very exciting read. The book starts off right where the first book left off. Max, Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel are on a quest to find their parents. About a quarter of the way through the book, Iggy finds his family. He soon finds out that they only want him for the publicity that he carries with him. That is because all six kids are human-avian hybrids. This means that they are half bird, half human. I won't give anything else away, but that the book grabs ahold of you and won't let you go. I recommend that when you finish reading this review that you go and get a copy of this book. Enjoy!

In the second book of the Maximum Ride trilogy the kids find themselves going to school for the first time. I think that this book was a little bizzare but good. I think that the author took the erasers to a whole new level of creepy! Max and her gang are all in school and being taken care of by a woman that they met at the hospital. Max and her gang find out that each one of themselves have a new type of power than before. I think that this book is very revealing about Max nd her gang.

I really enjoy the Maximum Ride Series. But, I would like to know why the Kindle Edition of this book is more expensive than the paperback edition. Let's save some trees and let the books be competitively priced. Why gouge us on an electronic version? Any thoughts?

I am a young "middle-aged" women who doesn't even like science fiction, but standing in the children's section of a local bookstore while waiting for my daughter to choose a book, I picked up "Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment" and got sucked in from the first page. I ended up buying the book and couldn't wait for the second in the series, "Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever" to be published. Again, once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I passed on both Maximum Ride stories to my 12 year old nephew. So, although these books are written for the middle school age group - it even has appeal for those of us who are "kids at heart".

I read all the maximum ride books! all of witch were great, but the one that made me never put the book down was this one! all the action the flying and the detail made me jump out of my seat. James Patterson wrote this book like it was real life! it sounded in the book like it felt real to him. well for sure it felt real to me. well thank you and enjoy this action packed adventure.

Like my Angel Experiment post, im on book four of this series, and im dropping by on past books. School's Out Forever was unlike other sequels- not boring. I fell in love with this book like the first. The Ari bit shocked me a bit.... Warriors has really had to scoot over now for Maximum Ride. Wings over claws? Wings.

It was an amazing book-but not quite as good as the others. It was a little bit slow on the action. but it was still really good and I highly recommend it. I also look forward to reading more about Fang/Max in the future.

The generic fight or flight response to danger takes on new meaning in this thrilling sequel. The fight or flight becomes fight and flight as the six bird kids continue to flee from the white coats and the dreaded mutant Erasers led by Ari. Comforts of home are few and far bewteen for these teens and preteens as they try to fulfill theri destiny and avoid termination.

George O. Love, Author of On the Scene, On the Scene II; Status Check and One the Scene III; Busy on Call

This book will knock your socks off! Mr. Patterson writes an amazing sequel to his book "Maximum Ride: the Angel Experiment". Max's Voice continues to annoy her. Quite frankly, it annoys me, too. **SPOILER ALERT!** The doppelganger Max surprised me like a mouse roaring.

Patterson does an excellent job of bringing his somewhat 2D characters to life. Additionally, the story is more readable, with twists and intrigue to keep the reader engaged in more than just a single conflict.

Does learning ever finish? Do we ever stop learning? so much fun filled fantasy its great to fly away with the kids, Cant wait to read book three..

Nicole (Angelx) Author Rainy Day Poems and more 1 and 2

Great scecond part to the series. Good read for the teens in your life. Exciting,Good read from James Patterson. Leaves you wanting to read more on the characters. Written for the young (teens or tweens) to read. Keeps up with the James Patterson reputation. Even though written for the younger some of James Pattersons followers will enjoy reading the series too. Easy read!

I cannot say enough good things about this book. This series is some of the best writing James Patterson has ever done! Not only am I totally hooked, but my daughter, grandaughter, and tons of her friends are as well. This book has made the rounds through all of us and my grandaughter's other middle school friends are begging to borrow it as well. If you haven't read the Maximum Ride series yet, PLEASE grab Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment FIRST then move straight on to this one. All I can say is - I can't wait for the next installment!!

I enjoyed reading this book, but not as much as the first in the series. It's nice and long, but James brings in seemingly important characters and then drops them out of the storyline completely. I don't know if he's planning on bringing them back later in the series, but it's a little annoying. Also, his three-to-four page chapters get especially annoying. He puts chapter breaks where there is absolutely no need for one, and I wonder if he only does this to make the book look longer. Lastly, the plot is not much farther along at the end of this book than it was at the end of the last one.

It's not the best writing I've ever seen, but it's not bad, either. The plot is interesting and it's an entertaining read.

This book just never has a boring point in it! It sure didn't take long for the book to get right into the good stuff. I mean if a book is about kids who have wings and can fly, how can it be boring?! This James Patterson master piece is full of Action, Adventure, suspence, and excitment! Twists and turns that you never saw coming, with suprises around every corner! It's a book you cant put down no matter how hard you try! I think that anyone could read this book, but for a bit of advice, i would read the first one before you go on to the second one. Read - NOW!

My dad read the 1st Maximum Ride and recommended it to me. After reading it I wanted badly to read the sequel! Once I started to read it I couldent put it down! Its just enough action, drama, and thrill to boggle your mind!!!!

I started reading thes series because it was on a high school recommended reader list and we received good marks if we read from the list. I immediately got hooked. I finished the book without putting it down when I returned home. When I went back to school, my first stop was the library to continue the series. Currently I'm on sitting on edge waiting for the next book in the series to hit.

This book was exciting and proved a feeling as though you were in the book. In some parts of the book though it was slow but what books don't have a down time. It is full with surprises and it deliveries emotions to certain characters. I would recommend it for someone who enjoys action and surprises with mystery and you should also read the first book too.

I'm working with a child who hated to read and was making terrible grades in language arts class. Because we like Patterson's books, we thought maybe the Max books would interest this kid. Wow! Today he even chats the Max books up with other students when they are choosing a book to read. Patterson has really captered his imagination. Best, he has started to enjoy reading.

James Patterson wrote an amazing, interesting, and exciting book series with the Maximum Ride series. It is nonstop fun from the first book to the last. I would reccommend this book to anyone, from child to adult.

I bought this book for my 15 year old son, His review:
Since I really enjoyed the first Maximum Ride book from James Patterson, anxious to start reading his second book of the Maximum Ride series. Couldn't put the book down, would start reading "School's Out" as soon as I came home from school and finished it in one day. A MUST READ!!!

Amazingly written! Humorous, hilarious, and epic!!! I hope you write more great books! Never expected anything compared to this!! I strongly suggest this to anyone above 9 years of age, 10 & up!

ok lets start here by just saying saying basic praise to Patterson. i have a couple things to say: it was a great book but really the preview of chapter 38(of #3) at the end just got me freaked, the way it was said that the kids were dreaming for the last 6 months. Was that true, or was a load of crud to readers? I myself think it was plain crud. let us know!

This book is filled with adventure ~ It shows us a "flock" of children that love, fight and live together. It's misxed with humor, drama, love and surprises. Just when you think you have got the plot, you get thrown a curve ball. Great book ...great for the young imagination as well as for refreshing the older ones!

Ordered this book at the request of my son. I have been a fan of James Patterson for many years, he has now done what no other author could do, get my son interested enough to stop the video games and sit and read two books and completely enjoy them. Angel Experiment, I bought for a roadtrip and after reading it gave it to my son. He finished it in 1 day, requesting the 2nd book right away. He is now hoping that there will be more to follow.

This book was one of the best books I have ever read. I would highly recomend it if you have already read maximum ride 1. If you are looking for a book with action adventure or comedy, this is the perfect book for you.

I liked this book it went more into detail about the flock and max but I am still itching for more. I want to know more about max and the mystery where she's from, whos her parents, and how shes supossed to save the world, ect... I liked this book alot but it keeps you longing for more,more,more!!!

This book is filled with adventure ~ It shows us a "flock" of children that love, fight and live together. It's misxed with humor, drama, love and surprises. Just when you think you have got the plot, you get thrown a curve ball. Great book ...great for the young imagination as well as for refreshing the older ones!

Ordered this book at the request of my son. I have been a fan of James Patterson for many years, he has now done what no other author could do, get my son interested enough to stop the video games and sit and read two books and completely enjoy them. Angel Experiment, I bought for a roadtrip and after reading it gave it to my son. He finished it in 1 day, requesting the 2nd book right away. He is now hoping that there will be more to follow.

This book was one of the best books I have ever read. I would highly recomend it if you have already read maximum ride 1. If you are looking for a book with action adventure or comedy, this is the perfect book for you.

I liked this book it went more into detail about the flock and max but I am still itching for more. I want to know more about max and the mystery where she's from, whos her parents, and how shes supossed to save the world, ect... I liked this book alot but it keeps you longing for more,more,more!!!

This is a great series for any age group, and book 2 continues the bird kid's adventures. You can't help but fall in love with Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, and Angel. And the dog!! What a hoot! Can't wait to see what happens next.

I Love this James Patterson series. I wished the story wouldnt end. The story never got boring, the action was great, and I loved the charactors. I cant wait for the next installment of Maximum Ride......

Enjoyable, easy read. Passed the 1st, 2nd and 3rd book in this series on to my 12 year old neice. Nice, clean language (nothing worse than crap) and no sex scenes (just first kisses). A very impowering book/series for young girls and boys.

I must say before i start that all of the maximum ride series and sub series books are great. i have read all of them and this was by far my favorite. if you enjoyed this book i also highly reccomend the sub book titled Fang.

I'll admit, I enjoyed the first book. It was cute, clever, and I liked the idea. But the second book made me angry due, particularly at one character- Angel. A cute, six-year old girl with pure white wings who can read minds and control minds and breathe underwater and talk to fish that everyone loves. I can no longer read this without wanting to bludgeon this Mary Sue over the head.

Neither Max or Fang are too original either. Max just has an annoying personality, while Fang is the "OMG Dark mysterious pretty boy angst dark angel!!!". Yeah, like that's original.

And don't get me wrong, I loved Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy... Iggy had a little bit of page time, but the others? Max mentioned in the first book that she spoke all the time, but I can barely remember her. Gazzy is the worst though. As the older brother of Angel, he holds nothing in comparison to her superspeshulness. While Angel can do so many magical things, Gazzy farts. You heard me... infact, his name is literally 'Gasman' while his sister is some Holy Being to the rest of the group!

Don't waste your time on this book unless you like unoriginal characters and Mary Sues.

I have really enjoyed both books about Max that James Patterson has written. Although he has created a unique family due to their scientific beginnings, they continue to face similuar issues that many young people and diverse families face. I can't wait for Mr. Patterson's next version of life as only Max knows it.

THE SERIES IS ENGAGING, THE INTERACTIVE WEBSITE IS A USEFUL RESOURCE, LESSON PLANS ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE THROUGH THE WEBSITE. MY NON READERS WERE HOOKED AND TOTALLY ENGAGED! GREAT NOVEL FOR ALL READING LEVELS.

As an adult, I picked this book up for my daughter and began looking over it in the car. Before I knew it I had read the whole thing and wanted to read the first book in the series. My daughter and I both really liked it, sci-fi, adventure, and a little romance thrown in just for fun.

I was not able to put this book down!! I have not been dissapointed yet in anything that James Patterson has written. The Maximum Ride series is appropriate for Adult and Teens alike. Lots of action and of course the twist at the end keeps you guessing.

I purchsed this book, as well as Maximum Ride Angel Experiment. I read them both before giving them to my children to read. I found them to be "clean" of sex,language and violence. We all throughly enjoyed them and would recommend them to any child who likes fantasy and drama.

A very good read. I finished it in three to three-and-a-half hours, and in one go. There are no contradictions to the first book (refreshing) and it sticks to the characters' personalities. Some parts get strange and a little too vague, but all in all very, very, good.

I shouldn't have read the book when I read the disclaimer in the beginning that explains that these kids are not the 'originial' Max and the gang. WHY in god's name then write such a similar book; even having a blind kid in the mix. I already loved the first crew and those two books. If going to write anything why not a continuation of their adventures. If had hadn't read the first books then I might have enjoyed this - it is not like it was poorly written, howeve, I have room only for the originals.

i love this series of books. i know this one was supposedly written for young adults but since i had already read the others related to Max i couldn't resist this one. Hope the next one isn't far behind.

This book should come with a warning label. It's not an adult thriller, for which Paterson is famous. It's sort of an adolescent science fiction novel. I'm trying to find it interesting enough to continue, but after 70 pages I think I'm going to quit.