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Book Review By Eva Ulett
Maximum Ride: School's Out -- Forever by James Patterson

Six ‘recombinant' human-avian children, ages six to fourteen, are fleeing the lunatic fringe scientists that created them. They experience a brief respite from the Erasers, human-wolf recombinants that are the scientists' hit-men and their pursuers, after one of the two oldest children is badly beaten by chief Eraser Ari. Fourteen year old Fang is hospitalized, where FBI agents find the six children, who call themselves ‘the flock' and offer sanctuary to them in the farmhouse of agent Anne.
In Anne's home the flock; leader Max, second in command Fang, blind Iggy, Nudge, and six year olds Gassman and Angel experience normalcy for almost the first time in their lives. In the idyllic country setting they even uncover certain heretofore unknown abilities. All six children can fly but during their stay with the FBI agent Angel discovers she can talk to fish and further develops her ability to read minds and exercise mind control over others. A dog the children picked up at one of the underground genetic engineering labs is discovered to be able to talk. Life, even attending school, seems like it could not get better except for a school principal who seems to have it in for the children and glimpses of Erasers in the local town. Max even goes out on a date and receives a first kiss, yet she cannot escape her feelings of distrust of Anne and of lurking doom. She literally has a Voice inside her head that alternately councils and frustrates her, telling her that she must ‘save the world'.
Max's fears are realized when first Iggy's parents are found; one of the flocks' goals is to discover and reunite with their real families, and the flock must leave Iggy to a new life, then Max is attacked at school by the principal and a group of ‘teachers' who may or may not be Erasers. Max and the rest of the flock, including Iggy who rejoins after discovering his parents want to ‘sell' his story to the tabloids, only escape by flight and superior genetically enhanced strength. Returning to Anne's farmhouse they discover that Anne has indeed been in league with the Erasers and worst still with Max's former ‘father', the evil scientist creator Jeb Batchelder. The flock escapes after a second battle between Fang and Ari; Ari is also Jeb's ‘son' and pathologically jealous of Max – the only child that Jeb seems to care for.
The flock are on the run again and, somehow always located by the Erasers possibly via a chip implanted into Max, they seek out a corporation in Florida called Itex that Angel recalls the scientists discussing during her recent imprisonment by them. Max is captured by their pursuers and a Max-clone is left in her place. She is held captive at Itex, subjected to an isolation tank. Her flock meanwhile is lead by the Max-clone into Itex, ostensibly to discover what they can about the flocks' parentage and the meaning of Max's Voice's exhortation to save the world but in reality into a trap where all the members of the flock are to be terminated. In the climatic scene Max breaks out of the isolation tank, reunites with her flock and resumes life on the run towards an uncertain destiny.



Plot & Themes
Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 30 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Age: - a teen
If magical mental powers: - can fly

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - a kid
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - super strength
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Earth setting: - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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