I guess I expected more from this book since the first was so great? This one was a disappointment. As others mentioned, the writing itself was not what we've come to expect from Patterson. This book also seemed a bit disconnected from the original in terms of continuity of the littlest details, which bugged me throughout its entirety. For anyone trying to read all of Patterson's books, I recommend your SKIP this one. Spend your time reading something else.

The single worst book I've read by Patterson. So many ways that this is bad:

- A twelve-year-old girl and a boy of about the same age have sex. But it's ok, because they're bird-people and they mature at a different rate. Also, the girl lays two eggs. No one even knew she was, I don't know, pregnant? Is that what we call it?

- Frannie - the narrator - dies. It's not really a spoiler, because she gets better. I don't even understand this one. She's dead, and suddenly nurses are removing wires and tubes and stuff. Are these the same nurses who were working for the bad guy? And now they're helping revive Frannie?

- The bad guy. Or should I say "guys", because he has 4 or 5 clones who are also maybe robots? And he killed his wife and replaced her with a... robot? who performs oral sex on demand.

- really, the whole biotech angle of the story. Apparently they're able to "shuck" a donor; that is, they remove all the internal organs all in one piece. Like, altogether, all at once. Because science?

- bird people. human/bird hybrids.

- really, the worst part? Not the plot, or the made up science, or the crappy, anticlimactic climax. The worst part is the general writing. Here's a sample:

This was not good! Kit and I rode in the Suburban on a dirt road as far as it would take us, and fast. The damn trail just dead-ended into the mountain face. We were in the middle of nowhere. Smack dab.
Staring at a cold, hard rock face.
Not good at all.
"You could say that this is the end of the road," Kit quipped from his place behind the steering wheel. "Damn it. Damn Max."

There are so many things wrong with the book. And I don't understand why. I know Patterson can write reasonably well; I've read other books by him (alone and in collaboration with other writers) that are entertaining and well-written. But this one is so very bad.

My initial reaction in realizing that it centered on flying children was not to read it. However, once I entered the world of the children and the two people who love and protect them against the evil forces who would destroy them, I was completely captivated by the story. Let your imagination fly! Enjoyed it immensely.

Is the Max in Maximum Ride (the series) the exact same as the in this series. Because I've read all the books in the Maximum Ride series and she never once mentions a guy named Oz (Fang?) and the people Frannie (Dr.Martinez?), Kit (no idea who he could be), or Dr. Ethan Kane (Jeb?)! So confused!!!!!!

Great follow-up to When the wind blows. Definitely read them together. Another great one by J. Patterson

A really great story. For the people who did not like it, you need to have an imagination, which Patterson lets run wild in this book!

Interesting story content, well written but not feasible.

(@ jocasey) ......OK? I'll try it, but because of comments & ratings, I won't raise my expectations *too* high. But they still are a little bit high. :)

not as good as the first one- they kill too many characters.

For a best-selling author, I was very surprised at the quality of the writing. Very simplified. No intensity. None of the dramatic 'scenes' had any intensity at all. Very superficial in depth. The story itself had much potential. Anyway, my 9-year-old is now reading this book. I'll try other books from this author, hopefully written a bit better?