Review: MAX by James Patterson

So, who out there is participating in the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge? 

I'm actually hosting it, along with the delightful Ella from Musings in Ink. Basically, the point of the Challenge is to read (or re-read) all seven of the already-released Max Ride books, in preparation for the release of the LAST ONE, Nevermore! All the details are on the Official MRRC Blog. It's never too late to sign up!


(Don't forget that because this is the fifth book in the series, my review may have slight spoilers for the first four books, but not the fifth! You've been warned! ;D)  

MAX by James Patterson 

Maximum Ride and the other members of the flock have barely recovered from their last Arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone--or something--is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late. 

While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu--a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu's army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?

------ 

I'm getting to the point where all my Maximum Ride reviews begin to sound the same--Max and the flock are back, heck breaks loose, Max kicks butt, and there's some serious romantic tension with Fang.


Well, you can automatically assume all of that. And because it's Max, you can also assume there will be some heavy backtalking and sarcasm. What else could we expect from our Miss Ride?


Now, once we get past the first three books, the baseline of the series changes--which is why the first three books can be referred to as "The Fugitives" and the later books "The Protectors." It's fitting--the first three books are about the flock escaping the school and SURVIVING, and the later books are about them REALLY trying to SAVE THE WORLD. Last time, it was Antarctica and "global warming". This time they're working with mysteriously dying fish and a strange appearing and disappearing mountain.


Riddled with old and new friends and enemies, humor, action, danger, wings, and yes, FangxMax romantic tension, MAX is another exciting installment in the Maximum Ride series, and definitely worth a read if  you've read and liked the others--even if the first three books might still be the best of the series.


Altogether, MAX gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag

In case you were wondering...

...where I've been lately, I'm still here! I've been pretty busy with non-bloggy stuff, so unfortunately I haven't been able to be here or other places online as much as I'd like.

Luckily, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to start posting and chatting more again, pretty soon. I don't know exactly when, so please bear with me!! I'd LIKE to post every day except Saturday, so six times a week, with at least three of those posts being reviews. Not quite sure yet how well that will work out, but here's hoping!

Anyway, that's the reason it's been pretty quiet around here, and why I haven't been replying to comments and such--actually, I'm going to do that now, so if you've commented recently and want to see my response, feel free to check :)

Also, as long as you're here, you should totally vote on my poll on the sidebar ----->

Or, you could go play an INTERACTIVE GAME I created for the Max Ride Reading Challenge.

So, be on the lookout for more content coming soon, and thanks for sticking around!!

(:D)
~Mag

Maximum Ride Reading Challenge: Interactive Game

You guys are probably all sick of me blathering on about the Max Ride Reading Challenge (NEVER TOO LATE TO SIGN UP!!), but I have exciting news.

I've finally fulfilled my promise and created an INTERACTIVE Max-Ride themed game. It's (in my [perhaps biased] opinion) pretty fun and kinda cool!

Basically, the goal is to choose one of the members of the flock and fly around as them, avoiding Erasers.

Sounds simple enough, right? At first. But as the game goes on, more Erasers appear, faster, stronger...and harder to evade.

Anyway, check out the game right HERE at the official MRRC site, and let us know what you think!!

[Incredibly huge thanks to the ever-fantastic CJ, without whom that game would have never gotten done. Okay, maybe it would have, but it would have been waaay lamer. And half the scripts wouldn't work.]

(:D)
~Mag

Review: The Final Warning by James Patterson (MRRC)

So, who out there is participating in the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge? 

I'm actually hosting it, along with the delightful Ella from Musings in Ink. Basically, the point of the Challenge is to read (or re-read) all seven of the already-released Max Ride books, in preparation for the release of the LAST ONE, Nevermore! All the details are on the Official MRRC Blog. It's never too late to sign up!


(Don't forget that because this is the fourth book in the series, my review may have slight spoilers for the first three books, but not the fourth! You've been warned! ;D) 

The Final Warning by James Patterson 

In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her-and maybe save the planet while she's at it. 

Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control government experiment.

Max and the other members of the Flock-six kids who share her remarkable ability-have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism--and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk. 

But even in Antarctica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world. Maximum Ride is James Patterson's greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once. 

------

The Final Warning is probably the Max Ride book I remembered the least of all of them. I'm not sure why that is (possibly because I owned the first three and the last few were read most recently.) Despite that, as I reread it I remembered just how great it was, just like the others!

In the Final Warning, the flock is still on their mission to "save the world." Next on the agenda is a trip to Antarctica to do research on global warming. (Just for the record, I don't think global warming is as big a deal as people would have you think. I've seen statistics showing that the world is getting slightly warmer, yes, but the temperature is also going up AND down, not straight up. But I won't get into that.) Yeah, Antarctica. Like, ice. And penguins. And ICE.

But there's more going on than just ice (how many times can I say ice before it gets repetitive?) and global warming. When have any problems come forward one at a time for Max? No, she also has to deal with the fact that her relationship with Fang is changing in ways she isn't sure she's ready for, plus the fact that he may or may not be flirting with a pretty scientist seven years older than him.

Oh, and it seems that the flock may be mutating even more. Great.

Same as the other books in the series, you're instantly sucked into a whirlwind of action, sarcasm, awesome kick-butt-ness...and maybe even some romance.

One of the greatest things about the Max Ride series is its narrator. Some books tell their story to the world. Max is talking straight to you, and she's not afraid to get in your face and tell it like it is.

Altogether, the Final Warning is another excellent addition to the Max Ride series, and it gets <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)
~Mag

I have a tumblr!

So yes, as the title of this post suggests, I have a tumblr. I've had one for a while, but I only got it so I could follow other people. Now, however, I've been using it to reblog some fun bookish stuff. While most of my blogging really does happen here, like my meme participation and reviews, I figure I can use it to share quick thoughts with you guys, and, like I said before bookish reblogs. 


Anyway, if you'd like to check it out, I made the URL match this blog--so it's http://geekchicbooks.tumblr.com


Of course, tumblr and Blogger aren't the only places I'm active online. If you haven't already, check out the CONTACT ME page to find links to my Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and Formspring accounts. I'd love to hear from you in any way, so don't be shy!


Also, have you checked out the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge? As I've mentioned before, I'm hosting it, along with the fantastic Ella from Musings in Ink. It's never, ever too late to sign up, because we'd love as many participants as possible, because these books are so great! In the "official" schedule (official being in quotes because it's totally and completely flexible), we're in Month 2 and three or four books in, but we're encouraging everyone to read at their own pace, and simply try to finish the first seven books before Nevermore's release in August.


Remember, you can join the Challenge if you've already read the books or if you haven't, if you can read them all or you can't. You don't even have to start with the first book, like if you started the series a while back but didn't finish. Signing up is easy--just go to the Sign Up Now page on the MRRC blog and leave a comment with your name and a way to contact you (your blog, a Goodreads or Twitter account, whatever!).


And there's more to it than just reading, as awesome as that is! Ella and I are working on quizzes, trivia, and other fun stuff. We have discussion posts up, but no one seems to be commenting on them--so don't be shy, be the one to start a conversation! Plus, in a couple of days, I have a big and awesome thing to add to the Fun Stuff page, so check back often!


LASTLY:


I'm behind on a couple reviews, but I'm working on writing them, which means they'll be up later this week (as early as tomorrow). For now, I'll be lurking around Formspring, Twitter, and tumblr, so come say hi! I'll be back here tomorrow for Teaser Tuesday ;)


Have an awesome day, everyone!


(:D)
~Mag

Review: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson (MRRC)

So, who out there is participating in the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge?

I'm actually hosting it, along with the delightful Ella from Musings in Ink. Basically, the point of the Challenge is to read (or re-read) all seven of the already-released Max Ride books, in preparation for the release of the LAST ONE, Nevermore! All the details are on the Official MRRC Blog. It's never too late to sign up! (Also, if you've already signed up, we're going to need you to re-sign up a different way. Details about that are on the signup page on the blog. Thanks!)


(Don't forget that because this is the third book in the series, my review may have slight spoilers for the first two books, but not the third! You've been warned! ;D)

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson 

In MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another? 

------

The bird kids are BACK, and their lives are full of just as much action and drama as before. Seriously, these guys cannot catch a break. 


The good news? They've escaped from Itex, they're safe and together, and there don't seem to be any Erasers...anywhere.


The bad news? They still have to figure out where they came from, they still have to "save the world," and whatever is going to replace the Erasers is sure to be about six billion times nastier. 


The odds are not in their favor. (Oh, sorry, wrong series ;D)


And, since this is the flock we're talking about, things. get. worse.


It turns out that the sociopathic crazies at Itex/The School are planning something big. Something unbelievable. Something incredibly evil and sick. They want to make the world a purer place...by killing everyone who isn't "perfect."


Yeah, you can see how that would be a problem.


The question is, how will the flock stop them? How CAN they, when they're technically nothing but a bunch of kids with wings, and they're starting to fight among themselves?


Okay, now that I've freaked you out satisfactorily, I'll finish up with some teasers!


One that showcases Fang's awesomeness:

     "Is dere anysing special about you?" asked ter Borcht. "Anysing vorth saving?"     Fang pretended to think, gazing up at the ceiling. "Besides my fashion sense? I play a mean harmonica."

Another that shows the flock's morbid creativity:

     “Look, we're trying to explore other options to your retirement," the whitecoat said. "You might be useful to us in other ways."
     "Because we're not that useful dead," Nudge said thoughtfully.
     "No," I agreed. "Well, maybe as doorstops."
     The whitecoat made an "eew" expression.
     "Or those things in a parking lot that show where the cars should stop," suggested Iggy. He closed his eyes and went stiff, to demonstrate what it would look like.
    "Also an option.”

And one more that basically sums up Max in a nutshell:

     His eyelids flickered, and it seemed to me that he was controlling himself with difficulty.
     Well, I get under people's skins. It's a gift I have, what can I say?

Altogether, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(Also: Remember to sign up for the Max Ride Reading Challenge!!!)


(:D)
~Mag

Review: School's Out--Forever by James Patterson (MRRC)

So, who out there is participating in the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge?

I'm actually hosting it, along with the delightful Ella from Musings in Ink. Basically, the point of the Challenge is to read (or re-read) all seven of the already-released Max Ride books, in preparation for the release of the LAST ONE, Nevermore! All the details are on the Official MRRC Blog. It's never too late to sign up! (Also, if you've already signed up with Linky, we're going to need you to re-sign up a different way. Details about that are on the signup page on the blog. Thanks!)

School's Out--Forever by James Patterson 

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride and the other members of the "Flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It seems like a dream come true--except that they're being hunted by half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" who can fly, too. 

In Book 2 of the series, the Flock members are taken under the wing of an FBI agent and try to live "normal" lives by going to school, making friends--and continuing their relentless search for their parents. But the Erasers return, forcing the Flock to abandon their search and make their escape once again. The voice inside Max's head keeps telling her that it's up to her to save the world, but this is especially challenging to do when she is faced with her ultimate match: a newer and better version of herself, Maximum Ride II. Max's heart-stopping quest to investigate the mind-blowing mystery of her ultimate destiny continues in the scariest, strangest, and funniest James Patterson novel yet. 

------

 The flock is back and better than ever! No, seriously, the second Max Ride book may be even better than the first!


We're tossed right back into the action, as School's Out--Forever picks up right where The Angel Experiment left off. For a second, it seems like everything's okay and the flock might actually catch a break. And then, naturally, all heck breaks loose.


After an emergency leaves them with no choice but to go to a hospital, the flock is discovered by the FBI, who are VERY interested in the genetically altered kids. Which is only to be expected. Oh, and it gets worse. Because now Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel are sent to live with an FBI agent. Who enrolls them in SCHOOL. Yeah. 


As they try to blend in with the "normal" kids at school, the flock is still trying to discover all they can about their parents and where they came from. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that Max was apparently made to "save the world". That's a biggie.


All the awesomeness of The Angel Experiment is back in full force. The flock is as hilarious, kick-butt, and lovable as ever, and the twists and turns at every corner keep the pages turning. And if you're a fan of sarcasm, (as I most DEFINITELY am) then Max is seriously the heroine for you, because you can barely go more than two sentences in the narrative without finding a snarky comment.


The rest of the flock is as awesome as ever, too. Especially Fang. I LOVE Fang. And his and Max's relationship can only get more complicated. So it does.


Basically, my point is that if you loved TAE and you haven't read SOF, you MUST. And if you haven't read either, go read them both. (And the rest of the series, during the Max Ride Reading Challenge! [More shameless plugging ;D])


To finish up, some delightful teasers from School's Out--Forever. (You can see more from my Teaser Tuesday HERE)

     "I look like prep school Barbie," Nudge complained, as she entered the kitchen. She caught sight of me in my uniform and looked slightly mollified. "Actually, you look like prep school Barbie. I'm just Barbie's friend."

(This next one's slightly edited for spoilers)

     "You're kidding, right? Please tell me you have a stronger motive for me than 'fair is fair.' Life isn't fair. Nothing is fair, ever. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I need to help you because fair is fair? Try, 'I need you to help me so I won't rip out your spine and beat you with it. I might respond to that. Maybe."

And one more, because I can't resist.

     "Fang! This is a huge break! Of course we should go check it out!"
     He looked at me. "But we're grounded." he said with a straight face.
     I stared at him for a second, and then we both burst out laughing.

School's Out--Forever gets <*><*><*><*><*> 


(:D)
~Mag

Teaser Tuesday: School's Out--Forever by James Patterson

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's Teasers come from School's Out--Forever, the second book in the fantastical Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. (While we're on the subject, more shameless plugging: Join the Max Ride Reading Challenge!)

1.
     "You know what's creepy?" Nudge said, eating caramel popcorn. "A chipmunk that big."
     -Page 328 

2.
     Not amused, I glanced over at Fang. He smiled, lighting up our immediate area, and offered me some Cracker Jack.
     -Page 329

So I just feel like I should mention that that first teaser makes sense in context. But it's so much funnier out of context. So I'll leave it like that.


What are you reading this week? Leave your TT links in the comments!


(:D)
~Mag

Review: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (MRRC)

So, who out there is participating in the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge?

I'm actually hosting it, along with the delightful Ella from Musings in Ink. Basically, the point of the Challenge is to read (or re-read) all seven of the already-released Max Ride books, in preparation for the release of the LAST ONE, Nevermore! All the details are on the Official MRRC Blog. It's never too late to sign up! (Also, if you've already signed up, we're going to need you to re-sign up a different way. Details about that are on the signup page on the blog. Thanks!)

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson 

In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?  

------

Okay, so one thing I forgot about this book is how FAST-PACED it is--and in a good way! It jumps right into the action, and the super-short chapters make it seem even faster.


Max is such a super-awesome heroine. I mean, imagine for a second that you were a genetically altered teenage girl who was part bird, had wings, and were being hunted by crazy wolf-men who'd love to either kill you or take you back to a group of crazy scientists who'd looooove to cut apart your brain. Do you think you'd be able to crack jokes all the time?


But behind her tough exterior, Max is really a kind, soft person (but don't tell her I said that!). She cares about her friends--her FAMILY--and she'd do anything to protect them. Which is why she'll do anything to get Angel back when the littlest Flock member is kidnapped by the aforementioned wack-jobs.


Then there's Fang. Max's right-wing guy, her second in command, her best friend. Nothing with Fang is ever complicated...until it is. But that's all I'll say about THAT.


The whole Flock is really great. We have Max the leader, Fang the strong and silent, Iggy the pyromaniac, Nudge the chatterbox, the Gasman whose name needs no elaboration, and Angel, the cute little one. Every last one of them is unique, and fantastic in their own way. Together, though, is when they really shine, whether they're fighting Erasers or just working together on finding information about the School and their parents.


One more major thing I love about the Angel Experiment (and ALL the Max Ride books!) is how FUNNY they are. Seriously, they're all full-to-the-brim with laugh out loud moments. I couldn't even come close to naming them all, but I'll share a couple:

     Popcorn for breakfast! Why not? It's a grain. It's like, grits, but with high self-esteem.

     "I didn't know a van could go up on two wheels like that, for so long." -Nudge 

     Why was the blind guy playing with matches, you ask? Because he's good at it. Anything to do with fire, igniting things, exploding things, things with fuses, wicks, accelerants...Iggy's your man. It's one of those good/bad things.

And one more:

     "Feeding a crowd?" the woman behind the counter asked.     "Yes, ma'am," Fang said sweetly.      Yeah, him and all his split personalities, I thought.

 Anyway, this book ROCKS, so it gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(Seriously, you guys, go check out maxridereadingchallenge.blogspot.com!)


(:D)
~Mag

The Maximum Ride Reading Challenge Starts Tomorrow!

Hey you guys! Do you remember a couple weeks ago when I started talking about the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge that Ella from Musings in Ink and I decided to put together?


Well, tomorrow is the first day of March, and it's also the first day of the Challenge! The Challenge itself is really quite simple: We'd just like to get a bunch of people together to read and talk about the Maximum Ride books by James Patterson.

All of the details for the Challenge can be found at its official blog, specifically on the Details Page. It explains all about what the books are about, and a little bit about the other fun things Ella and I have planned for the duration of the Challenge, like quizzes, polls, debates and trivia. 

Then, you can sign up for the Challenge over at the Sign Up Page, That's as easy as entering your name, email address, and profile of any sort (your blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, whatever!) into the Linky form there. That's it! You're officially signed up for the Challenge.


After that, if you'd like, you can pop over to the Grab A Button Page and, well, grab a button to display on your blog or other forum. Because the more people participating in this Challenge, the more fun for all involved!


The official schedule for the Challenge suggests reading two books a month for the first two months (That means reading The Angel Experiment/School's Out Forever in March, and Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports/The Final Warning in April) and then one book a month until August, when Nevermore, the final Maximum Ride Adventure, is released.


The most important thing to remember about this Challenge is that it doesn't matter if you've read the books or not, you're more than welcome to join the Challenge. Besides that, you're in no way obligated to read all the books, review the books, or even follow the schedule. The choice is entirely your own. The only thing Ella and I ask is that you avoid revealing spoilers to anyone who hasn't read whatever book you're talking about. The discussion posts will all be marked, so that it's clear up to what point in the series spoilers are allowed. (For example, in a discussion about The Final Warning, spoilers from the first four books will be fair game; therefore anyone who HASN'T read the first four books should avoid it, and anyone who's read, say, six of the books should avoid spoiling anything from books five or six.)


This post has gotten rather long, so I'll go ahead and sign off. Just remember, you can find out all kinds of information at maxridereadingchallenge.blogspot.com. If you have any questions about the Challenge, feel free to leave a comment somewhere on that blog, or to contact me or Ella. (My email is mag.geekchic[at]yahoo[dot]com)


And one more thing: We're trying to get as many people involved in the Challenge as possible, so, even if you're not interested in participating yourself, please help us out and spread the word! Thanks so much!


(:D)
~Mag

Maximum Ride Reading Challenge

Exciting news, everyone! Ella over at Musings in Ink and I have come together to host the Maximum Ride Reading Challenge. 

If you head over to maxridereadingchallenge.blogspot.com, you can see more info about the Challenge, check out the schedule and grab one of several buttons to display on your blog, Facebook, or anywhere else. 

So if you love the Maximum Ride books and can't wait for Nevermore, or if you'd like to check out the books, please head over there and check it out!

(:D)
~Mag