I’ll say right off the bat – I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.
I read many young adult books. There are a couple reasons for this. Many times, the stories are more interesting than most of the ‘adult’ books. This could be because YA has more fantasy style books, whereas ‘adult’ books are more serious and rarely get into fantasy that I enjoy.
They are also usually a quicker read. Now, this isn’t always my defining criteria. I still enjoy a good 800 page horror novel or some engaging sci-fi. But often, I’ve been working long and need to relax, which means I don’t want something I have to think too hard to read.
Maximum Ride fits those spots. That doesn’t mean it’s a childish book, not at all. But Patterson knows how to craft a book that you don’t want to put down and each sentence gets you to the next quickly.
Here are some lessons for writers. This book has short chapters, so it’s very easy to say “Just one more.” But then you tend to do that for 10 more chapters. Patterson does this on purpose. Only a couple pages with a slight cliffhanger that makes you want to get to the next chapter.
Another lesson is the characters. They are varied and interesting. I would say, reminiscent of a good anime group. I’m sure many young people have had discussions on who their favorite character is. And guess what? That makes all the other kids want to read the book so they can get in on the conversation.
The most interesting thing for me – I normally don’t like Patterson books. No matter who the co-author is, I haven’t enjoyed them and usually won’t read any more. This one was different. And even with some bad character decisions and a few minor plot holes, the writing itself was enjoyable.
While I wouldn’t put Patterson at the top of my list of favorite authors, I can give this book a good thumbs up. If you or your kids haven’t read it, check it out. There’s a series, so can can continue reading.
