Comments on: Maximum Ride 4 - The Final Warning

By: Sel

Sel — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:33:18 +0000

I’m 14 and I love the Maximum Ride series. I read the first book in school and thought it was a good book. A friend of mine had the second book so I borrowed it and read that too. That’s when I really started to get into it and get drawn into the story. I finished that book in a few hours. When I got to the 3rd book I read non-stop. If anyone even came into my room to interrupt me I would be like “Come back in a couple hours, now go!” And jump right back into the book.
After the 3rd book I waited for months for the fourth book. On the day it came out I went right after school to go buy it. I finished the book in a little less than 3 hours. I have to agree with some readers to say it was a disappointment. Though I don’t consider it awful and a waste. I enjoyed reading it but when I was done I was just like “huh?” I loved some parts, but some parts seemed random to me.
Like when they were in Miami and a hurricane just happens to break the hurricane proof windows and they go flying out into the hallway. Oh and right before they smash into a window the window breaks and they sail through almost unharmed. Plus they get in the eye of the storm? Isn’t that convenient? That part was a bit random for me and too easy.
I became accustomed to fight scenes and all this action. To me there seemed to not be a lot of action, a little bit here and there but not like in the other books. SO in the 4th book it was, “no action, no action, no action, no action, Oh my god! ACTION FINALLY, oh wait the book is done.”
I am glad that James Patterson addressed Global Warming because I feel that is very important. However I think that the entire book was too full of Global Warming facts and not enough of the fast paced action that we’ve all come to know and love.
Also the powers seem a bit strange. I think it is so cool that Total gets wings. Some people think it’s stupid but I personally like it. I also like Fang’s power because it suits his personality. I also liked that Iggy can start to see a bit. I once again understand why people think that it’s what a bunch of fanfiction writers include in their stories. I personally liked it because Iggy is such a sweetie (even though he doesn’t really exist) and I feel he deserves to get his sight back.
Nudge’s power is “… “ to me. It seemed random once again. Angel turning into a bird… is odd. Gasman’s very smelly power is a bit strange too since it doesn’t seem to come in handy that much but it makes sense for Gazzy.
I still enjoyed the book especially those little humorous moments that made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe. I just wasn’t jumping up and down at the end.
There are sooooooo many unanswered questions and I understand they will all be answered in due time, but JP’s just adding more confusion. When the 5th book does come out I’m going to read it of course! I just hope the next book is better than the 4th.
(Wow sorry about the long reply)

By: Neena

Neena — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:00:00 +0000

I wish that you wouldn’t just single out young folks as readers for “Maximum Ride” because I’m sixty-nine years old and enjoy these characters very much! I’m looking forward to the next one.

I’ve read each of the books and “The Final Warning” was just as interesting as the others in the series!

Thank you, James Patterson.

By: Mai

Mai — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:57:50 +0000

This is most definitely the worst in the series, with AE being the best, and the quality of the writing going downhill progressively. SOF was tolerable, SWOES was annoying, but TFW was the first book that made me want to throw it across the room.

There has been a comment on the boards that says it should have been called Maximum Ride: a compilation of every fanfic ever written. Similar to SWOES, it is easy to see where elements in the books were also used in fanfiction, prior to said books release. Either JP is plagiarising his fanfiction authors or he’s really predictable with his plotlines - The Martinez’s being Max’s family, for one example. Hell, that one was FFicced after BOOK ONE. Personally, I hope it’s the latter, because the former - if a multimillionaire writer’s looking at his fans for a plot, there’s something seriously wrong.

I also got the feeling that it was a mismash of the other books, with the preachy global warming twist. And I thought the Blog was annoying. Ick - I don’t want to be brainwashed. JP, you’d be better of preaching to your adult readers! Brigid was Lissa revamped, The uber-director - well, enough said, and the auction, and the DC scenes were more or less lifted from When The Wind Blows and The Lake House. Akila - they already have a damn dog, and the powers, plus the whole ‘we’re mutating on our own, hey fangirl writers, give us really stupid powers’ thing.

In agreement with the above three posters - they’re right. If a fifth book is released, people are gonna buy it, yes, but whether or not they like it is whether or not I buy it.

Pretending that book one’s the only one in the ’series’.

Mai, faithful fanfic writer who’s really annoyed about being swamped with icky little preteens who think they can write (that’s ‘rite, lol!1!!!1)

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:22:22 +0000

This is the worst in the series, and though still an ok book overall, it was the ultimate betrayal to the fans, particularly considering that we clicked a million times to get this book. The worst part is that James Patterson calls this his “best story ever”. For all the praise any reviewer gives this. The true fans know that its the worst in the series and stinks of a writer who’s either caving to pressure from a load of eco-activists, or totally phoning it in cuz of the instant cash. Those new to the series will be happy with this book but, barring a Maximum Ride 5, don’t read this if you read the first three, cuz it’s a waste of your time

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:09:36 +0000

Thank you all for your comments. While I agree that this isn’t the best of the Maximum Ride series, I do think it is significantly better than many of the YA/tween books available, and absolutely disagree with many of you. A “not as great” Max book is still a good book, and I’m glad I read it.

Calling a book a “waste” is not a constructive comment, and I ask future commenters to leave a more specific comment. Authors work really hard to write what you read, so please be polite.

Everyone has a right to an opinion, but I will edit comments that are rude.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:32:20 +0000

I also agree with jaimie and Glenn. Actually, I think this book was an absolute waste–none of the characters were developed–even those of the flock. I became uninterested in their plight, and the few snippets of the relationship between Max and Fang were let downs.
The new powers were completely irrelevant, and several things were left unsolved (i.e. the pizza incident for those who have read it, and the Voice). By the end of the book, I even felt tired of hearing Max’s normally humorous thoughts. It seemed like her point of view became tainted with “Well, I lead the flock so…” She no longer had some sort of flaw, and I the reader was unable to relate with Max.
Perhaps the Global Warming would have made a nice, subtle undercurrent. But it was overly blatant and cheesy, and the book did not fit at all. Mr. Patterson took us from Antarctica, to Miami, to the White House. Suddenly, a girl who wasn’t even sure of Global Warming started preaching to the world about it? Ridiculous.
[edited to delete rudeness]
.
Here’s to hoping for a fifth book [which is better].

By: Glenn

Glenn — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:02:27 +0000

I completely agree with jamie. Having read the first three books and loving them for their fast-pacedness, I think that Mr. Patterson has left us a comparatively mediocre installment. In all three of the previous books, he did a wonderful job of linking events together, usually in ways the reader (us) would not imagine. However, in The Final Warning, he becomes preachy, and doesn’t really present us with a plot. The Uber-Director is never really fleshed out as a character, nor is Gozon or the UD’s assistant. In The Angel Experiment, even the scientists studying Angel after she was captured were given a fuller description than the UD, and he was definitely a more important haracter than they. The concept that Max was engineered to save the world was good originally, but it was a major letdown when we discover what she was supposed to save the world from…any nutjob could have told you global warmng was bad. The entire Antarctica scene (which I believe spans over two-thirds of the book) is pointless: while we are given the opportunity to witness Nudge, Angel, and Iggy gain new powers, ultimately a.) These powers aren’t used, and b.) Nothing really comes from the flock being in Antarctica. The scene where the US Government was trying to get the flock to go to “school” was a complete waste of paper…nothing was gained except a recap of what we already know. The ending of the story is extremely weak, and doesn’t even leave you with a decent cliffhanger moment. On top of ALL this, Patterson pulls a sly one on us, reveals that Jeb is NOT the Voice, and yet, the Voice plays no significant part in the story, and we don’t hear from it for the second half of the book. The Voice is extremely helpful in the first three books, even going so far as to help Max in individual fights. Here, it simply tells Max some coordinates and goes on its merry way.

Overall, while The Final Warning may have been a decent, even good book individually, as part of the series, [it doesn’t hold up to the standard of the others]
[edited to remove rudeness]

By: jamie

jamie — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:44:51 +0000

Book 4 was the biggest disappointment that I have ever read. The book was half the size of the others and answered none of the burning questions that readers had from the first three books; it ended awkwardly and left me with no sense of completion. When it was said in the first that Max had to save the world, it was incredibly anti-climactic when it turned out that it was from global warming… they said that she was created 2% bird so that she could save the world, but any human could have spoken before Congress, there was no need to make her special. There was also barely any information on the relationship between her and Fang… the book was just a serious letdown compared to the first three.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:11:02 +0000

Sammy,
I can agree with your points, and I wished for more on a couple of counts. I wanted to see Max & Fang together (er, for myself, didn’t want to read it to my kids), and wanted to know more about the voice, etc.

However, I still thought it was a cool story, and thought it was a fun read I think there was plenty of the Flock without adults, and the Flock kicking butt in general. As a bonus, it had a good message, and if it makes any kid anywhere think twice about global warming & saving energy, that’s great.

There had better be a book 5! too much of a cliffhanger, otherwise! I’m hoping James Patterson goes beyond the number of Harry Potter books - can you believe these 4 are all in under a year?

By: Sammy

Sammy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:46:49 +0000

I’m sorry but book 4 was a let ddown, I thought. It continued alright but I was expecting answers to some of the big questions like who the voice is and why Fang had been getting those hot feelings after he got Max’s blood. They didn’t get together (maxXfang i mean)! The flock went from kicking earaser/flyboy butt to getting interveiwed for global warming! For crying out loud! Max is a fighter! Not a school kid! I’m hoping for a fifth book, something that has more action and less cooperation with the adults that they always hated so much…