Author | James Patterson |
---|---|
Cover artist | Kamil Vojnar & Roger Wood |
Language | English |
Genre | Young adult fiction, science fiction |
Publisher | Little, Brown Headline |
Publication date | April 11, 2005 July 4, 2005 |
Publication place | United States |
Pages | 432 pp (hardback) 413 (paperback) [1] |
ISBN | 0-316-15556-X |
Followed by | Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever |
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is the first book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. The book was released in the US on April 11, 2005, and in the UK on July 4, 2005. [2] [3] The story follows the Flock, a group of human-avian hybrids (98% human, 2% bird) on the run from the scientists who created them.
The Flock, led by Maximum "Max" Ride, are a group of kids genetically altered to have wings. They live in hiding in a house in the woods after being freed by one of the scientists, Jeb Batchelder, now presumed deceased. The youngest member, Angel, is abducted by wolf-human hybrid "Erasers" and taken back to "The School", the lab where the Flock was created and raised in cages. Max, Fang and Nudge set out to rescue Angel while Iggy and the Gasman stay behind. On the way, Max stops to rescue a girl named Ella but is shot in the shoulder; Ella's mom, a vet named Dr. Valencia Martinez, nurses her back to health and discovers a microchip implanted in her arm. Meanwhile, Iggy and the Gasman booby-trap their home and blow it up in a battle with the Erasers. Nudge and Fang follow up on a possible lead to Nudge's biological mother, but it turns out to be a trap by Ari, the Eraser leader. Ari appears physically mature but is actually only seven years old, and resents the Flock. He is Jeb's son and feels that Jeb chose them over him.
The Flock reunites, but they are captured by Erasers and brought to the School. There, they meet Angel and discover that Jeb is alive and working for the School. The Flock break out. Angel has gathered information about the Flock's biological parents, and Max has a sudden vision instructing her to go to the School's other location in New York, the Institute for Higher Living.
The Flock heads there, exploring the city while evading Erasers and living on the run. Max begins hearing a Voice in her head, giving her cryptic information and guiding her. It leads them to the institute, where they find a lab full of other experiments as well as more information on their parents. The Flock frees their fellow experiments and Angel adopts a genetically altered dog which she names Total. Max fights Ari again as they escape, and accidentally kills him; Jeb tells Max that she's killed her own brother. The Flock flies off, heading to Washington D.C. in search of their parents.
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment has received generally positive reviews. Cleveland Plain Dealer described it as "like the best sort of video game or action movie, in book form" and commented that it "shows the promise of becoming a favorite" as well as comparing it to the Boxcar Children series: "Think of this group of six, from 14-year-old Max to 6-year-old Angel, like the 'Boxcar Children' of a new millennium." [4] The School Library Journal delivered a more lukewarm review, calling the book an "exciting SF thriller that's not wholly original but still a compelling read". [5] Booklist described it as "an action-packed cross between Gertrude Chandler Warner's Boxcar Children and Marvel Comics' X-Men", also noting how "Patterson occasionally forgets his audience here, as evidenced by his sardonic tone and such glib adult asides". However, Booklist also praised Patterson for stepping out of his normally adult-genre books as it said, "He's picked a comfortable formula (orphans protecting one another and making a home together)". [6]
Plans for a film were first announced in January 2007, but it lingered in development for years with different directors and writers. [7] [8] The finished film, directed by Jay Martin, was released on Digital HD in August 2016 and followed the events of the first half of The Angel Experiment. It ends with the Flock escaping from the School with Angel, and leaves out the events in New York.
James Brendan Patterson is an American author. Among his works are the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch & Wizard, Private and Middle School series, as well as many stand-alone thrillers, non-fiction, and romance novels. Patterson's books have sold more than 425 million copies, and he was the first person to sell one million e-books. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes's list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million.
The Lake House is a 2003 novel by James Patterson, a sequel to When the Wind Blows. Elements of this series also appeared in Patterson's Maximum Ride series for younger readers.
When the Wind Blows is a novel by James Patterson, followed by the sequel The Lake House. It also served as inspiration for the Maximum Ride spin-off series for teens.
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is a young adult novel by Dyan Sheldon. Originally released in 1999 through Candlewick Press, it was later turned into a Disney motion picture of the same name in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan and was made one of the ALA book picks for 2006. A sequel, My Perfect Life, was released in 2002.
Maximum Ride: School's Out—Forever is the second book in the sci-fi action-adventure series Maximum Ride by James Patterson, published by Little, Brown. The book was released in the US and the UK on May 23, 2006. The series centers on the Flock, a group of six super-powered human-avian hybrids on the run from the scientists who created them.
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports is the third book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. It was released in the United Kingdom and the United States on May 29, 2007. The series is set in modern times, and revolves around the 'flock', a group of human-avian hybrids on the run from the scientists who created them.
MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel is the fifth book in the Maximum Ride series, written by James Patterson. The book was released on September 15, 2009. MAX was published by Little, Brown and Company.
The Mortal Instruments is a series of six young adult fantasy novels written by American author Cassandra Clare, the last of which was published on May 27, 2014. The Mortal Instruments is chronologically the third series of a planned six in The Shadowhunter Chronicles but was the first one published. It follows Clary Fray, whose chance encounter with a group of elite angelic superhuman beings -- known as Nephilim or Shadowhunters -- leads her to make life-changing discoveries about herself and her family history. The mission of the Shadowhunters is protect the world of human people, also called mundanes or "mundies," from dark forces beyond their world. A recurring theme throughout all Shadowhunters Chronicles books is that "all the stories are true" -- and as a result, many creatures popularized in fantasy writing play a role in the books. The book series falls under the young adult genre, specifically that of the paranormal romance/urban fantasy and supernatural genres.
Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel is the sixth book in the Maximum Ride series written by James Patterson. It was released on February 5, 2010 in Australia, New Zealand and the UK and was released in the US on March 15, 2010. Its tag line is: He has always been there for her. Now he may be gone forever.
Maximum Ride is a series of young adult science fantasy novels by the author James Patterson. The series centers on the adventures of Maximum "Max" Ride and her family, called the Flock, who are winged human-avian hybrids created at a lab called The School. The series is a reboot of Patterson's earlier novels When the Wind Blows and The Lake House, which were aimed for older audiences.
Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel is the seventh novel in the Maximum Ride series created by James Patterson. It was released on February 14, 2011.
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances is a fix-up novel comprising three separate stories that intertwine with one another. It was released on 2 October 2008 through Speak. The stories are "The Jubilee Express" by Maureen Johnson, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" by John Green, and "The Patron Saint of Pigs" by Lauren Myracle. The book follows three different teenagers as they experience a huge snow storm in the town of Gracetown during the Christmas season.
James Patterson has written or co-written many "Bookshots" or novellas, and has co-written books with many authors. The list below separates the works into four main categories: fiction written for adults, for young adults and for children, and non-fiction.
Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure is the eighth book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. It was released on August 6, 2012.
The Family Fang is a bestselling novel written by Kevin Wilson and published by Ecco in 2011.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a coming-of-age young adult novel by American author Benjamin Alire Sáenz which was first published February 21, 2012. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the novel follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships. Since its publication, the novel has received widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades.
Maximum Ride is a 2016 American science fiction film based on the novel series of the same name by James Patterson. It adapts the first half of The Angel Experiment, the first book in the series. YouTube personality Jenna Marbles served as an executive producer of the film.
Treasure Hunters is a children's adventure novel written by James Patterson with Chris Grabenstein and Mark Shulman. It is the first book in the Treasure Hunters series. It was published in 2013.
Witch & Wizard is a series of dystopian fantasy novels written by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet. The first novel in the series, Witch & Wizard, was released in 2009. It was followed by a new book in the series each following year, with the exception of 2012, until the release of the last book in the series, The Lost, in 2014. Two graphic novels set in the series' world were released in 2010 and 2011 through IDW Press.