Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel [Large Print] [Paperback]

James Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Maximum Ride

Being a kid with wings--constantly on the run--has never been easy, and Max and her flock are getting tenser than ever. First, on a trip to Africa, they meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the Flock makes her fear the worst. Then, a cryptic message from a young girl arrives, warning them "The sky will fall." And as if an impending apocalypse weren't bad enough, canny birdkid Angel makes a dire prophecy about Max's soul mate: Fang will be the first to die. Max's desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever. But can the team weather the storm, or will the turmoil rip them apart for the last time?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-9–Patterson has created another thrilling adventure that is sure to capture readers' imaginations. Max is the leader of a group known as the Flock, and the story revolves around her struggles and emotional dilemmas. These winged mutants are set upon by an evil scientist who wants to use their special talents to suit his own ends. However, that is just one of Max's problems. After a dire prediction by Angel, she is terrified that Fang will die. He is the love of Max's life, and she can not bear the thought of losing him. The author's strong writing style will draw readers into the situations that arise as Max tries to protect the Flock from peril while attempting to avoid Fang's impending doom. The love triangle between Max, Fang, and another winged mutant is also well developed and creates tension throughout. The story line moves readers from the dry, sweltering heat of Africa to the bright lights of Hollywood as Max tries to maintain unity in the Flock and shelter them from danger. The action builds throughout, and there are enough plot twists and surprises to keep readers guessing about what will happen next as the young Flock is eventually snared in the villain's web. Patterson's quick-paced tale of adventure, betrayal, and redemption is full of vibrant and memorable characters. It truly has bite.–Greg Stone, Oak Mountain Middle School, Birmingham, ALα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

The Maximum Ride series' flock of winged children is off to Africa for a photo op while providing humanitarian aid. Then Max's rival, Angel, prophesies that best-friend Fang will be the first to die and it will happen soon. When Dr. Gunther-Hagen introduces Max to Dylan, a gorgeous new bird kid who has been designed to be Max's perfect mate, Max's voices tell her Dylan is perfect for her. But how does this affect her commitment to Fang? This will excite the legions of fans waiting for this installment in the flock's story. Grades 7-9. --Diana Tixier Herald --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 Lrg edition (March 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316071064
• ISBN-13: 978-0316071062
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,165,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

From my publisher:

James Patterson...


* James Patterson holds the New York Times bestsellers list record with 63 New York Times bestselling titles.

* JP has sold more than 220 million books worldwide. And considering pass-along and libraries, it's safe to say many more people than that have read a Patterson!

* In 2010, JP was named by kids everywhere the Children's Book Councils' Children's Choice Book Awards "Author of the Year" in 2010. More than 15,000 kid and teen readers voted for JP in a category he shared with Suzanne Collins, Carl Hiaasen, Jeff Kinney, and Rick Riordan. His Witch and Wizard series saw the biggest launch of a series for young readers ever, surpassing sales of first installments of Twilight, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians.

* JP has grossed over 3 billion dollars in worldwide sales. This is larger than the worldwide theatrical gross of Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time.

* JP has had 43 New York Times hardcover #1 bestselling novels, also a publishing industry record.

* Last year, JP has sold more books than John Grisham, Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, and Stephen King combined (source: Nielsen BookScan).

* JP properties are gaining wide interest amongst film and TV producers. JP's award-winning series for young readers, Maximum Ride, is currently with Avi Arad (Spiderman, Iron Man) and Universal Pictures. Lloyd Levin (Green Zone, Watchmen) is attached to produce a feature film adaptation of JP's newest young readers series, Witch and Wizard, and James Patterson Entertainment is set to produce the next Alex Cross film, I, Alex Cross which will feature Idris Elba (The Wire, The Losers) as Alex Cross. And, a television adaptation of JP's 2007 love story Sundays At Tiffanys aired in December 2010 starring Alyssa Milano and Eric Winter.

* JP's books are licensed in 43 countries worldwide, and are in print and actively sold in 100 countries.

* According to a 2010 Bowker Sisters in Crime Survey, JP is the favorite mystery writer amongst readers under 50...AND over 50! Survey respondents comprised American men, women and teens who bought at least one mystery fiction title in 2009 and/or 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Containnnns spoilers!, April 14, 2010

By 

anonymousss - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel (Hardcover)

Alright. Just finished the book. About 15 minutes ago.
At first I wasn't going to read it, because to tell you the truth, I was kind of upset with Mr. Patterson here. I felt like after the third (or second?) book, he kind of just gave up on the series. Got lazy. Became all about the money, less about the plot. This angered me. So, I had a Maximum Ride fast for about a year. And on March 15, this book came out.
And unlike all the other books, I DIDN'T GO OUT AND BUY IT. In fact, I really didn't even think about it for a while.

...Until this morning. At FOUR IN THE FREAKING MORNING. When I very randomly woke up, wide awake, with the intense craving to read Maximum Ride. I tried not to, I really did. But I guess my will-power just couldn't keep up. I guess long-term grudges just aren't really my thing.
And so I read. And read...

And then, I caved and bought FANG today. I'm not proud of myself, but I just couldn't resist.

So I gotta say, I'm a pretty big fax fan. Or more like just a Fang fan. So this book was just perfect for me.
(Now I'm kind of confused about whether I liked the book for the book, or just because Fang was in it a lot. To be determined later.

So now for my review:
For starters, one of the main reason I started my so-called "fast" was because I felt like James would start theories about 'the big picture' and just leave them hanging and never develop them. I liked how he actually brought them up in this book! Like the whole 'Max-looking-in-the-mirror-and-seeing-an-eraser' thing. Okay, so he didn't REALLY develop them. But at least it was mentioned. I felt like he had completely forgotten about them, so it was comforting that he hasn't...yet.

Dylan. I don't know about him. He seemed pretty okay to me, but just kind of..boring. And dependent on the scientists. Like the whole 'I'm programmed to love Max thing'? What was up with that? I don't know. But I didn't completely hate him, he was just a little boring. Never met Max in my life but I already love her? She's my SOULMATE? Please. Give it a rest, James. Oh, and I have this theory that he's Max's voice! I'm kind of proud of myself for coming up with this one: Think about it. He was created 8 months ago. If you remember, Max and the Flock left their home about a year ago. Max really didn't start to hear the voice until a while later...say, maybe FOUR months later? (Dylan's creation...hmmm...)

Hey, uhm, Fang? Yeah, WAY TO GIVE ME A FREAKING HEART ATTACK. Seriously. I never cry during books. Ever. It really hasn't ever happened. Did I cry during this book? Yeah. TWICE. Don't know what is wrong with me. So Fang died, and I just burst into tears for a good 20 minutes. It was a sad sight. And then, wooh, he's back! Okay, I said to myself, calm down. Everything's okay. Fang's alright. Everyone's alright. (Oh, by the way, Dylan's suicide attempt? WTH?) And then Akila and Total got married? Uhm, okay, whatever floats your boat... but I was good. Satisfied. Fang was safe.
So then Patterson decides he couldn't POSSIBLY have everything be fine and dandy. He had to make Fang write the saddest. letter. ever. I cried even harder that time. If that's possible. And I just kind of sat there in shock for a while. (Why was I in shock? Still don't know. This is totally a thing Mr. Patterson would do, since he likes to play with our emotions...)

Liked the Fang blog. Added some mmph into it. Wish I would've saved it for later after I experienced all the emotions of the book to their full potential. I'm such a sap.

LOVED VEGAS. Love, love, loved it. Especially the jackpot scene. Made me laugh.

Dr. G-H was interesting. I guess.

Mr. Chu...huh? green kid? Do I want to know?

Still hating Angel. Why can't she just be HAPPY?! or at least content??

So, I'm thinking a four outta five. What say you?

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I Miss The Original Plot, June 10, 2010

By 

Astro 599 "the Space Coyote" (aboard Moya in the Uncharted Territories) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel (Hardcover)

Anyone else feel that this series has gone seriously downhill? The original three books were so great, with such a good arc. The next three made no sense, not even as singular episodes.

Character development, plotlines, and overall cohesion have all disappeared. *Sigh* Things are just getting silly now. Maybe whichever ghost writer of Patterson's is writing this series now should quit while they're not too far behind.

26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, not as good as the first three but better than the Final Warning, March 15, 2010

By 

rebelutionarywriter (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel (Hardcover)

Well, my bro bought this book today and I read it before him, as usual. I enjoyed the book less than the first three, but more than Final Warning, so it's about as good as Max. I thought it could have been summed up in a few dozen pages, and the whole Max/Fang thing went a little overboard. I mean, they're in survival situations constantly- so they don't exactly have time to be all mushy-mushy like they are. I guess that's love? More like obsession. Love is more than a feeling- it's an action, and Patterson doesn't capture that. Whatever. In any case, not as good as we were all hoping, but not as ridiculous as Final Warning.