Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

The first edition United States cover for The Angel Experiment
Author	James Patterson
Cover artist	Kamil Vojnar & Roger Wood
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Young Adult Fiction Science Fiction
Publisher	Little, Brown Headline
Publication date	April 11, 2005 July 4, 2005
Pages	432 pp (hardback) 413 (paperback)
ISBN	0-316-15556-X
Followed by	Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is the first book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. The book was released in the US on April 11, 2005 and in the UK on July 4, 2005. The book is set in the near future and centers on the flock, a group of human-avian hybrids (98% human, 2% bird) on the run from the scientists who created them. It focuses on Maximum Ride (Max), the leader of the flock, and the first-person narrator and protagonist of the story.

List of characters

Main article: List of characters in Maximum Ride

Maximum Ride, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, The Gasman (Gazzy), Angel, Total, Erasers, The Voice, Ella, Dr. Valencia Martinez, Jeb Batchelder, and Ari Batchelder

Reception

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment has received generally positive reviews. Cleveland Plain Dealer described it as "like the best sort of video game or action movie, in book form" and commented that it "shows the promise of becoming a favorite" as well as comparing it to the Boxcar Children series: "Think of this group of six, from 14-year-old Max to 6-year-old Angel, like the 'Boxcar Children' of a new millennium." The School Library Journal delivered a more lukewarm review, calling the book an "exciting SF thriller that's not wholly original but still a compelling read". Booklist described it as "an action-packed cross between Gertrude Chandler Warner's Boxcar Children and Marvel Comics' X-Men", also noting how "Patterson occasionally forgets his audience here, as evidenced by his sardonic tone and such glib adult asides". However, Booklist also praised Patterson for stepping out of his normally adult-genre books as it said, "He's picked a comfortable formula (orphans protecting one another and making a home together)". This made adults and children very happy when he came out with this series because it was a series for adults and kids to read.

Film adaptation

In January 2007, it was announced that a film would be created based on the Maximum Ride series but a film was never made. James Patterson was to be the executive producer. Avi Arad, one of the producers of Spider-Man, X-Men and other Marvel movies, was also chosen to produce alongside Steven Paul. In an interview with James Patterson, however, it was revealed that Arad has already planned out the first two movies only one of them is out. On August 7, 2008, it was announced that Columbia Pictures had bought the screen rights to the franchise. The film was slated for an early to mid-2010 release. Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) was now selected to direct the first movie, with Don Payne (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) writing the script. In January 2010 it was announced that the film was to go into pre-production. The film's director, Catherine Hardwicke, had asked for a script rewrite as she wanted more action in the film. This further delayed the film's release until 2014. She later on quit as film director leaving the future director unknown, as well as the future cast. However, series creator, James Patterson, continued to say that he was hopeful. In August 2016 a film adaptation was released under the title of Maximum Ride, adapting the first half of The Angel Experiment. The director was Jay Martin.

External links

• Maximum Ride, via Concept Farm
• Maximum Ride, via Hodder Headline
• Patterson.com James Patterson
• maximumride blogspot