Maximum Ride is a fourteen-year-old girl with wings who is the result of some experiments at a secret lab to inject avian genes into human embroyos. Max is the oldest of the six members of her family, or as they refer to themselves, the flock. The others are Fang - a taciturn boy who is four months younger than Max; Iggy - who was blinded by experimentation on his sight at the lab; Nudge - a young girl who talks non-stop; and two kiddies, the Gasman - an eight-year-old boy with persistent intestinal problems and Angel, his six-year-old sister. Max and her companions were kept in cages and subject to repeated scientific experiments during their life at the School (as the lab was called); they were eventually freed by one of the lab scientists (who are referred to by the flock as Whitecoats) named Jeb Batchelder. Jeb secreted them at his mountain home and raised and educated them; but Jeb suddenly disappeared two years ago and the flock has been on its own since then. Suddenly, Erasers (experimental beings also developed at the lab who can morph into powerful vicious wolf-like creatures) raid the family's mountain hideaway and kidnap Angel. It's up to the flock to save her.
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Repressive society story Yes Lifeform altered? Yes Kind of alteration: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Family relations Yes Descript. of chases or violence - 30 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Who's a slave/repressed? - kiddies are repressed Main Character Identity: - Female Age: - a teen Really unusual traits? Main Adversary Identity: - an organization Age: - a teen How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting Earth setting: - 20th century Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |