Maximum Ride The Final Warning James Patterson Young Adult Reviewed for ReadersFavorite.com
The United States government wants to “protect” Max and friends. The protection comes at a price, the chance to “study” the genetically altered children. The protection would keep the kids cloistered without freedom to live a normal life. They go to Antarctica to study global warming with scientists. The Flock is discovering abilities they did not realize they had, such as magnetism. Despite their amazing abilities, the Flock is still children and going through the normal physical and emotional changes children go through as they reach adolescence. Maximum Ride: The Final Warning is the fourth book in the series. James Patterson is a superb writer; unfortunately, like many celebrities, he has decided to “educate” his fans concerning global warming. I am tired of celebs fostering their opinion on others. When I reach for a book like Maximum Ride: The Final Warning, it is for the entertainment value-- not for the author’s opinion. The characters in Maximum Ride: The Final Warning are interesting and well- developed. After I read the words “Max saves the world”, I was expecting a lot of action; it was not there. The romance added to the plot. In the past Patterson has proved himself capable of much more.

 

Robby Stepp	3.0 / 5
I have enjoyed the Maximum Ride books. I was late to the party as I was turned onto them by a friend. I blazed through the first three with great enthusiasm. After reading THE FINAL WARNING though, I feel like I just sat through Al Gore's speach on the environment. Dont get me wrong, I'm all about the issues at hand but this book took such a turn from its previous titles that I often checked to make sure it was the same series. Everything said, it has its merits. It just tries too hard to get into a different realm than it started.

 

D. Bates	3.0 / 5
This book series is not for all ages. After the second book, it gets predictable and childish. I would recommend to a young teenager not over 15.

 

David J. Herman	3.0 / 5
Ever since I picked up the first "Maximum Ride", I made no attempt to hide the quick bond and love growing inside my heart for all the characters. It wasn't a surprise that I was excited about purchasing "The Final Warning". However, when I eagerly plunged into this book, there was definitely a few terrible problems with this sequel of an amazing series. The fun produced by the other books had been squeezed almost entirely out of "The Final Warning", leaving behind a somewhat boring book filled with global warming lectures. Rather than being pulled into this book like the magic of the others had masterfully done, I felt like it was the newest school textbooks. The small strands of romance, humor, and acrion woven in were the only things that kept me reading. Unless you are searching for a book lecturing on and on about global warming or you are a serious Maximum Ride fan/reader, I suggest looking for spoilers of "The Final Warning" on the web and move on to the next book in the series. In my perspective, this book was a letdown and I really hope that the next book in the "Maximum Ride" series will make up for this one.

 

Bridgette Johnson	3.0 / 5
I absolutely love all of the other Maximum Ride books and have gotten several people hooked on them. At 17, I'm a little older than most readers, but the books were still throughly enjoyable. This last, however, was disappointing. I kept waiting for there to be something more than just global warming. That didn't happen. Patterson made the most common mistake in trying to get someone to agree with you: he preached. All of the global warming information was very preachy and condescending. Patterson put this theory-- that we can reverse global warming by changing our habits-- in his teenage books because it is our generation that will make the difference, not the current adults. However, there is no proof that we can reverse it. The world went through a little ice age in Medieval times when there was dramatically less people and virtually no pollution. The scientific community can not even come to a consensus on the issue of people causing out current temperature spike. The book was only ok. I expected it take only two hours to read, but it actually took about six, because it was slow and a little predictable, something completely new for Patterson. I would recommend checking this out from a library instead of buying it. I got my copy at Walden's with a 40% off coupon, so I didn't spend too much. I was happy to see that would be a fifth one. For a little while, I thought Max's mission "to save the world" had been explained in this book and it was global warming. I can only hope that the 5th book will be better and revert back to the traditional, well-loved, adventurous Maximum Ride.

 

John J. Giere	3.0 / 5
As an adult over 70 I have enjoyed this series. I was looking forward to another exciting story in the lives of these wonderful children. What I did not expect was a lecture from the viewpoint of the author. The whole book and story was ruined by this tirade from the author. Next time just give us a story. If the whole meaning of this series was just to get his enviromental viewpoint across he did his readers a great injustice.

 

Taryn	3.0 / 5
Okay, like the rest of America i was sooo excited for the continuation of the Maximum Ride series, but instead of the action-packed thriller,nonstop read, edge of your seat book i had beed expecting,i got a dinky little 256 book that was one big boring lecture. Don't get me wrong, i believe in stopping global warning and helping to enviorment too,but the whole time i was reading it ,it felt mocking. The only real rediming quality about this book was the progress in Max's and Fang's relationship. Also, one bad book in a great series i can forgive, but i'm wondering is JPs' going for two? The fith book in the series "Waterwings" is only going to be 272 pgs long, and the theme is "polution". *Sigh* we can only hope its better than it sounds i suppose...

 

Rachel	3.0 / 5
This book was so utterly disappointing I'm glad I read it in Walmart instead of buying it. This book was a combination of confused mysteries, stupid pointless plots lines, more lying from Jeb, no response from Max, and more stupid love triangle stuff between Max and Fang. Just kiss him Max, and stop being a baby! The bomb, Max and the Flock blindly listening the Voice (which Jeb claims isn't just him, so she will keep trusting it), living in Antarctica for...some reason that had nothing to do with them helping them in any way, almost no action, more pointless skills (Fang `fading' into the background instead of turning invisible? What's the point of that exactly? And Gazzy's new power? Ick), another pretty girl that Max can hate because she's in love with Fang and doesn't want to admit it (except this one is a WOMAN), and another villain whose character is never developed (unlike the previous villains, whose ultimate agenda was never explained in previous books). All in all, it was a BIG disappointment. Now we had to wait another year and hope that the one that came out today will be better. James Patterson, the tree hugging and propaganda shoved down our throats wasn't called for. We get that in school, TV, science books, and now our favorite series. Max's speech to Congress when she didn't even care about global warming until a few days ago was a bit much. Also, in book one, Max dosen't know what she's going to save the world from, just that Jeb, who is evil in this book, says she is. In book two, she thinks she's saving the world from Itex, that they are going to blow up the world. Same in book three. But in book four, it's global warming. In book five, it's pollution! Make up your mind! Please have tried harder with this one... P.S. And just so you know, the three stars were because of the prequels, and my respect for them, not this one. I would have given it one.

 

James Meredith	3.0 / 5
I've loved every single Maximum Ride book. I could always count on the fact that they would have good action, witty dialouge, and a great plot. The problem with this one was that most of these elements were missing. The dialouge was still funny as ever, but other parts were a major let down. There wasn't really any action other than one part and there was no fighting. The villian in this book was not interesting to me at all and just seemed doomed to fail. Even with these problems I still thought that it could be a good book and that was because the plot is always great. Not this time. The story didn't have anything to do with the other books. Gone is the quest to take down Itex. Instead they have to stop global warming. Don't get me wrong I think it's agood message to be sending, but not in a kids book. I'm 14 and I tink most kids my age know global warming is bad. The entire book just seemed preachy instead of fun and action packed. I'll say it again I love the Maximum Ride books, but this one was a letdown.

 

A. Sweet	3.0 / 5
I was excited when I first learned that James Patterson had written a new Maximum Ride book. After reading it however, I find myself let down. The book, especially at the beginning is promising, but it quickly levels off into a rather long boring section where the reader learns about Global Warming. I am not going to say that Global Warming isn't an important issue, or that people shouldn't learn about it--but the agenda comes off much too obviously. This book is also shorter than the others, and while the romance does keep it interesting, it follows the same pattern of the other books and soon becomes predictable. I read somewhere that James Patterson is trying to make the books more appealing to all ages, but in my mind in doing that he loses what was so special about the books to begin with. That said,the book is still entertaining, full of the sass and sarcasm we have come to expect from Max and her motley crew, and a less critical reader will probably find some enjoyment in it.

 

A. Contarino	3.0 / 5
I expected a lot more from the next chapter in the Maximum Ride saga. After all, the first three books were all about heart-pounding action, excellent character development, and just the right amount of romance to keep it interesting. Now take all of the first three books and squash them together into a single miniature version without any of the action, and you have The Final Warning. Granted, there are some good points, not to spoil any, but most of them happen towards the beginning of the novel. The last three quarters were, in my opinion, mainly rehashed storylines from the first three books. The action is only seen from the point of view of two characters including Max and Fang's meaningless 'book blog', not the actual blog that exists on the Web. Then there's the fact that the series has become a huge environmental tree-hugging plug as well. Yeah, we know the environment needs to be saved, but you don't have to beat it into our brains by making Max Ride the Eco-Lady of Popular Literature. Is this book what we Maximum Ride fans clicked a million times for? I think not. This one needs a sequel, if the Flock is to be saved.