Customer Reviews

When the Wind Blows

5 star:		(189)
4 star:		(124)
3 star:		(94)
2 star:		(72)
1 star:		(197)

 

 

When The Wind Blows by James Patterson is a touching story about a group of children who are mistreated and misused for the benefit of another group of people. This group is using the children as test subjects by mutating cells of different animals and using host women to give birth to the children. These children are born mutated; some have wings, some have no faces, and some do not even survive. The ones that die, or are later "put to sleep" are stuffed away. One of the children in particular, Max, is a 12 year old girl with wings. She and her brother Matthew have taken the abuse from the horrible school for so many years, and are so fed up with it, that they decide to flee the school. This doesn't work to plan. On the other face of the story, a man named Tom Brennan, undercover for the FBI as Kit Harrison, is boarding an airplane to Colorado to investigate the recent news of several murders in and around the Bear Bluff, Colorado area that may possibly be linked. Behind the backs of his co-workers, Kit has been studying the talks of a corporation secretly trying to evolve humans by testing children, which is extremely illegal and distasteful in every way. Kit is told by his boss to go on vacation to Nantucket due to his diligent work ways, but he's actually off to investigate this case. Also there is Frannie O' Neal, a widow of Bear Bluff working as a veterinarian. Her husband, David, was killed a few years ago in a parking lot. The police never found a suspect or lead. She still wakes up sweating after having a dream of her trying to save her loved husband once again. These 3 characters will all meet in one way or another, which leads up to an epic ending full of laughter, surprise, suspense, and loads of entertainment. This book left me wanting more...in which I grabbed a copy of the sequel, The Lake House, to start reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed a James Patterson book, or to anyone who enjoys suspenseful, murder mystery, and adventure type books.

I really enjoyed Mr. Patterson's series featuring Alex Cross, so I was quite excited when I found this book at the library. I've been hearing about it since December (including the television and radio ads). According to the hype, this book was something truly scary, an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Then I read the book. Instead of being scared, I alternated between amusement and disbelief. Patterson starts off with a good premise: what would happen if a bunch of rogue scientists starting experimenting with cross-species genetics, grafting animal parts onto human tissue. He creates interesting characters in Frannie, Kit and Max--then ruins everything with an unbelievable and unlikely plot. A genetic construct like Max is indeed possible, but then Patterson lets the ball drop, favoring action over substance. According to the author's note, over thirty scientists and medical professionals read and aided in the manuscript. What did these professionals do? Patterson's science is pretty accurate as far as it goes (he throws in buzz-words like "cross-species genetics" and includes such set decoration items as glass pipets and laser spectrographs) but there's very little science in this story. Patterson could have gotten the necessary information from a good biotechnology textbook without wasting the time of those 30 biomedical professionals. If you want a really good (and scary) story of what genetics could make possible, try Nancy Kress' "Beggars" series (especially "Beggars in Spain") or her excellent short story collection, "Beaker's Dozen". Mr. Patterson should stick to mystery and leave the science to real science fiction writers.

James Patterson was an author recommended to me but I unfortunately bought his When the Wind Blows first. I liked the short chapters. The plot was completely predictable though, and the book probably should have ended halfway through. I was constantly trying to figure out who the "I" was that was speaking because it read like a man's point of view and not the heroine, Frannie. If it were not for the very slight touch of romance and the swear words, I would recommend this book to my 11 year old. Having read some of the other reviews, I will choose a different one of Patterson's books (certainly not The Lake House since it is a continuation of When the Wind Blows)and try to figure out how his books have become #1 bestsellers.

Okay, here's an example of 'suspense' in this book: As she enters a house she thinks, "Wait! A trap! But it was too late!" That closes the chapter. Turn the page and the first line of the next chapter is, "No, it was not a trap, after all."

I'm not kidding.

What a waste of my time and Patterson's talent. Totally unbeleivable, sophmoric writing. If Paterson needs money that bad, lets take up a collection. The blurbs on the book cover did not give a hint that this was science fantasy. Wish I had bought it through amazon.com so I would have read the reader reviews.

This is the first (and will be the last)Patterson book I've read. It read like it was written by the 11 year old Max; not a mature Best Selling? author. The over use of words like "cool" and "screw" either from the mouths of children or the adult? Dr. Frannie was laughable, when it wasn't surpose to be; and will somebody please explain this dialogue between Kit and Frannie when he tells her "You struck me as brave, wise, adventurous, OBSTREPEROUS? (which means clamorous, turbulent, unruly) as hell". What, he couldn't find enough adjectives to discribe her?! You may wonder why I bothered to finish this book...I kept waiting for it to get better, but it didn't. Sorry Mr. Patterson, YOU BLEW IT with when the wind blows!

(...) I gave it 3 stars because there weren't 2 1/2. The first half of the book it keeps repeating the same things too much, and the ending seems like it was done in a rush, too quick, and really you felt your time was wasted for all that reading. A so-so story, but nothing that leaves you satisfied. I'm giving James Patterson a 2nd try with Roses Are Red & Violets Are Blue. I dont really recommend this one...

Stick to the Alex Cross series - please don't miss them because of this horror.

I really like James Patterson's works and was surprised by the utterly disappointing plot and premise of When the Wind Blows. For the first time in may years I did not (could not) finish the book - it has gone out with the trash.

What an interesting idea, and believable, genetically altered children with superhuman intellect and strength who are like normal children in every other way except that they fly. Totally engaging. I often found myself with a smile on my face and wishing these kids really existed so I could meet them.

One thing I like about Patterson is that he, unlike most suspense novelists, goes out of his way to give the reader a believable excuse that the protagonist does not go to the police. Most novels leave you with the conclusion that the hero suddenly takes idiot pills and that's why he/she doesn't go to the police. In this story, Patterson makes it somewhat understandable why Kit and Frannie don't call for backup.

The one thing I'd like to ask Mr. Patterson: is it really believable that an FBI agent could be such a renegade and survive in that agency? That said, thank you sir, for a great experience of fantasy and fun.