Fang: "What happened to your tan?"
Max: "It was dirt."
-James Patterson
Hello everyone, I'm back with a new Maximum Ride book review. Today's review will be on The Final Warning, which is the fourth book in the series. It is also the first book in The Protectors sub-series. It was published on March 17, 2008. James Patterson received the Author of the Year award, thanks to this book. If you would like to see my review on the previous book (Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports), click here. Okay, moving on! Here's some praise for this book. | |
"The Maximum Ride series is top-flight." -Free Lance-Star (VA)
"Adrenaline galore...action-packed chapters end breathlessly, with twists at every turn." -Kirkus Reviews
"A never-ending series of twists and action." -Virginian Pilot
"The Maximum Ride series is top-flight." -Free Lance-Star (VA)
"Jump on board this MAXIMUM RIDE...Fights and flights are non-stop." -USA Today
"Adrenaline galore...action-packed chapters end breathlessly, with twists at every turn." -Kirkus Reviews
"A never-ending series of twists and action." -Virginian Pilot
"The Maximum Ride series is top-flight." -Free Lance-Star (VA)
"Jump on board this MAXIMUM RIDE...Fights and flights are non-stop." -USA Today
As you can see, the reviewers say this book is really action-packed. Read my opinionated review to see if I agree. But for now, check out this summary.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING TEXT CONTAINS SPOILERS. I ADVISE YOU NOT TO READ ANY FURTHER THAN THIS MESSAGE UNLESS YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THE PREVIOUS BOOK. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, AND DOOON'T SAY I DIDN'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOOOUU!
After Ari's death, the flock get some downtime, staying at Dr. Martinez's home. But even there they aren't safe, so the flock flee. The Voice inside Max's head ("What, you don't have one?") gives her coordinates to go to. Max has no other choice, so she rounds up the flock and heads off to what turns out to be… Antarctica?! The Voice's coordinates lead her right to a research vessel, where scientists are researching the effects of global warming and pollution on the world. This group of scientists includes a young, intelligent Brigid Dwyer, who Fang takes a liking to… (Max isn't particularly happy). Max realizes that staying with the scientists and helping them is part of her mission to save the world. During that time, the Flock begins to gain more abilities… for example, Nudge is magnetic. Total finds a lady-dog (to the Flock's surprise). However, after an imposter is revealed to be in their midst, Max must accept that even if she goes to the bottom of the world, she can't escape from her fate.
As mentioned above, here's my personal review...
The series could only go uphill from Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, which was a little underwhelming. It was an interesting move on Patterson's part to include global warming as a key plot. Not sure how I feel about that. It almost sounds like an overused idea, but then I realize that I've read hardly any non-informational books with global warming as a main idea. And this book was not as action-packed as the rest, but it made a little more sense than Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports. However… I feel as if this just doesn't belong in the series. I mean, where's the witty humor and sarcasm? Where are the action-filled scenes? And the characters don't have much depth to them anymore. It's almost as if they were assigned to behave a certain way. It's that kind of book that's just there. It doesn't do much else. And after reading it, you're almost like, "That's it?!" Because even though the book is smaller than the rest, it had the tiniest impact on you.
As you can see, I was a bit disappointed in this book. But that's just my opinion. Who knows, to you it might be the best book ever. What was your opinion on this book? Let me know in the comments below. Also, what other books do you guys want to see me do?
For now, this is goodbye.
-Hera :3
-Hera :3
CREDITS! (#BORING)
- Patterson, James. The Final Warning: A Maximum Ride Novel. N.p.: Little, Brown, 2008. Print. Maximum Ride.
- The Final Warning cover image: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1829709.The_Final_Warning
- James Patterson image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Patterson