Maximum Ride

The Angel Experiment

By: James Patterson

Narrated by: Evan Rachel Wood

Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

James Patterson's explosive debut in the young adult market is guaranteed to create legions of new fans for this beloved, multimillion-selling author.

Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, Angel, and Maximum: Six kids who are pretty normal in most ways, except that they're 98% human, 2% bird. They grew up in cages, living like rats, but now they're free. Riding the wind, their wings are an amazing gift...and yet, their world can morph into a nightmare in a single instant. For when the bloodthirsty Erasers, half men, half-wolves genetically engineered by sick and sinister scientists, kidnap little Angel, the Flock embarks on a rescue mission that will change them forever.

From Death Valley, California, to the bowels of the New York City subway system, 14-year-old Max leads her five feisty "family" members on a journey full of nonstop action, adventure, and soul-seeking, not to mention a little bit of saving the world on the side!

©2005 SueJack, Inc. (P)2005 Time Warner Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"An action-packed cross between Gertrude Chandler Warner's Boxcar Children and Marvel Comics' X-Men." (Booklist)

Promising, but incomplete.

I've never read any other James Patterson books. This is apparently an advantage-- people who read "When the Wind Blows" and "The Lake House" seem to feel cheated, because this is a re-worked version of the story in those books but does not match up with them. Without the hindrance of these preconceived notions, I quite enjoyed the story. It is marketed for teens, but I found it well-suited for a wide age range, including adults. Were it not for the huge flaw of the incomplete ending, I would happily give it 5 stars.

From a parent's perspective, I would feel comfortable giving it to my 8-year-old, and it wouldn't bother me if my 5-year-old listened as well (though I don't think it would hold his interest). There IS violence-- the bird-children protagonists are hunted by mutant dog-people and have several bloody fights. Mostly fist-fight kind of stuff, but there is some gunplay as well. However, I did not find it gratuitous or unduly gory. There is death too, but it happens to bad guys and is also not "gratuitous"-- it is treated somberly and with appropriate angst. Probably the most disturbing element is the inhumane treatment of the children at the hands of the scientists who have genetically engineered them and raised them as experimental animals rather than as people. Most of this though happens off camera and is alluded to indirectly.

The big problem with the book is the fact that it ends, but doesn't FINISH. I am a long-time sci-fi fan well-accustomed to double-digit series, but this is unfinished even by that standard. There is no satisfactory closure and no real answers to the dozens of mysteries raised in the story. I sincerely hope that the sequel resolves some of these mysteries and lives up to the wonderful promise of this part of this story-- I will certainly be buying the sequel as soon as it is available! However, for those of you not yet involved, I think I would recommend that you not start this one until there IS a sequel!

loved it was amazing story

great story a must read going to finish all the books when I have the money to do so yeah love this series.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

This is a great book, the reader was very good, I really liked listening to her, but as for the rest of the books I would have preferred Evan Rachel Wood reading all of them. it just seems that for the first book you use a great reader get people hooked and than down grade.

Missing parts of story

Maximumride is my favorite series however I am upset at the fact that we are miss chunks of this book. I do love the voice actor for this. I believe she suited the character well.

Great

I love this book James Patterson is my favorite author he is the best person

Good Story from Childhood, but...

Picked this up to listen to while at work. I read this one in my childhood, and the story still holds up today -- perhaps it's better. The reader's performance sells it well.

What I failed to notice, though, was that this is the abridged version of the story. Certain scenes that stuck out in memory were removed, including an extended sequence of Angel in the cage, Ella asking Max if she's an angel, and a sequence where Angel learns how to breathe underwater. Almost nowhere in the product description or title is this disclosed.

amazing story!

I remember reading this book originally years ago from my local library. When I saw it on here I had to get it and see how the narration was. I have to say it's really well done.

I’ve probably read this book a million times.

Every year or two I re-read the series. I can’t get enough and I’m way too excited for the newest book!

Great story

loved the story, great plot and will be one of my favorite books among many

great story

I loved the story, didn't care for the dramatic music that was in the background sometimes.