Saving the World: And Other Extreme Sports (Maximum Ride, Book #3)

[rating:70/100]

Synopsis

The exhilarating third novel in James Patterson’s exciting adventure series for 9-15 year olds. You’re about to join the adventures of Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel, six extraordinary kids who have powers like no other: they can fly, and they’re being chased – no, hunted – across America and around the world.

This is the end, my friends. But I promise that you’ll fly higher than ever before in this wild adventure, witness battles worthy of multiplex movie screens, and laugh until your sides hurt. Believe it or not, there’s even a little romance. But all good things – and even terrible, unspeakable ones – must come to an end.

This is that moment in time, I’m afraid. Either we save the world, or we crash and burn. And I mean all of us – even you, faithful reader, because you play a very big part in this story. Max The Flock needs your help. Yes, you.

Like the first two books in the series, this is pure escapist reading from James Patterson. Our heroine (the epynonomus, Max Ride) is back with her flock, to find their families, escape the Erasers, find out what the mad scientists are up to, and oh yes. save the world.

Again like the first two books, Max is a feisty, witty and likable guide through their adventures, and yes there is some conclusion at the end, although, Patterson, rather sensibly given the success of the series has left some of the story to be told in a whole new adventure (book 4 is out next month). But there is much to let this book down, there are some odd point of view shifts, to jar you out of the story, there are too many issues with his timeline, some things – plot twists, character revelations etc, just happen far too quickly with little or no explanation. The whole story relying on far, far too many conveniences. Unacceptable when there are completely unnecessary scenes like the ‘it was all a dream’ sequence and mention of the clones for the rest of the flock, these things are not used in the plot in anyway and only serve to annoy.

The only thing that saves this book is the characters of the flock, their enjoyable banter, lights up the pages and you do genuinely care about them.

Just a shame about the faults, that really should have been picked up in the editing process.

Buy, Saving the World: And Other Extreme Sports, by James Patterson, at Amazon. [UK] [US]