School's Out-Forever (Maximum Ride) [Hardcover]

Stop! Unless you've read the first book in the MAXIMUM RIDE series, THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, you should not read this review. Although MAXIMUM RIDE: SCHOOL'S OUT--FOREVER, could be read alone, you'll do much better if you read THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT first. Trust me. Read the first book, and then this one, and you'll end up thanking me. Now, if you promise you've already read the first book in the series, hold on to your hats, because the action heats up significantly in this second installment.

Twenty-four hours after Max killed Ari, the bird kids are once again on the run. The whole gang is together again and in one relatively unharmed piece--Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, Angel, and stray dog, Total. Max is trying hard to forget that when it came to escaping the Erasers (half-human, half-werewolf, read the first book!), she had no choice but to kill Ari in their fight for freedom.

Except, surprise, Ari isn't dead! Jeb and the other doctors at the "school" are still trying to recapture them, and Fang has been deathly wounded. Max knows there is no choice but to get Fang to a real hospital, and she's not even really surprised when the FBI turns up to question them. What does surprise her is the appearance of Anne Walker, a head-honcho who wants Max and the gang to come to her home, where she can protect them, feed and clothe them, and study them. Fang still needs rest, and a roof over their heads and food in their belly at regular intervals sounds like a good idea. Although she's wary of Anne's true motives, Max and her flock move, temporarily, into Anne's home. They're even enrolled in school--a real school, not a cover for psychotic men in white coats to perform horrible experiments on them--and although that doesn't turn out so great, the time they spend at Anne's is helping everyone to forget some of the pain they've suffered.

But the Erasers show up, as they always do, and Anne turns out not to be as wonderful as she first appeared, as also seems to happen on a regular basis. Not-dead Ari is determined to destroy the flock, especially Max, once and for all, and the Voice in Max's head is getting increasingly annoying as to her duty to save the world.

This second book in the series is as full of adventure, heart-stopping adrenaline, and edge-of-your-seat action as the first book was. I loved the newfound powers that many in the flock gained in this installment, as well as Total's ability to talk. I can't wait to see what happens next, especially in regards to Itex and how it figures in with the seemingly imminent destruction of Earth. Kudos to Mr. Patterson for another winner in the MAXIMUM RIDE series. The only thing I hate is that it will probably be another year or so before we find out what happens next!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

This book is one of the greatest books you will ever read.

It continues on from the first book, with the story starting exactly 24 hours after the place where the last one ended; With Max and her 'family' (Fang, Angel, Iggy, Gazzy and Nudge) on their way to DC to find out about their parents.

This book is fantastic and will have you hooked from page 1. I couldn't put it down. The humour throughout the story is as clever as it was in the first book, and the plot is as catchy and imaginitive as it was in The Angel Experiment (The first Maximum Ride book).

I would definately recommend this book to anyone, and even though it is aimed at younger/teenaged readers, it is definately suitable for older readers. It is a very good book, though if you haven't read the first book you may not understand it so well, and I would definately recommend The Anglel Experiment to anyone who hasn't read it already.

Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever is the sequel to the best book of last year (in my opinion) Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (this was much better than Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince). the character Max is based on one of James Patterson's earlier works - When the Wind Blows and the Lake House, but the Max and characters in The Angel Experiment and School's out forever is not the same as these books.

The book continues from where the previous left over (about 24 hours later), Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge and Angel are heading to Washington based on the information gained from the institude in New York. But Erasers are never far behind, and after a near fatel attack to one of the flock (i won't say who), the bird-human hybrids and caugh up in events which lead to a temporary family and for the first time in their life school!

This sums up the beginning but for the middle and conclusion read this fantasic book, (i was so desperate for this book i ordered the american version). there are sad parts, funny parts, exciting twists and more revelations about the Kids and the school, and raging hormones leading to some tender and interesting tales.

This is the equal in excellence to the Angel Experiment and fans will not be dissapointed, it's best to have read book 1 first as references and scearnios playout based on events from this volume