Maximum Ride

James Patterson’s *Maximum Ride* series is a set of young adult science fantasy books. It follows the adventures of Maximum “Max” Ride and her family, known as the Flock—a group of human-avian hybrids with wings, created in a facility called the School. The series grew out of Patterson’s earlier novels *When the Wind Blows* and *The Lake House*, which were written for an older audience.

In *The Angel Experiment*, the Flock—Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel—live in hiding. When Angel is kidnapped, the others search for her, battling physical problems, wolf-human Erasers, and the evil scientists at the School.

*School’s Out – Forever* sees the Flock go to Washington, D.C., hoping to learn about their origins. A former FBI agent takes them in, and they attend a regular school. Erasers attack, forcing them to flee. Max fights her murderous clone, Max II, and the Flock learns about their creators, the Itexicon Corporation.

In *Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports*, the Flock must stop Itexicon from wiping out half the world’s population. After a disagreement, the group splits, working separately to take down Itex. Max discovers that Jeb Batchelder, a scientist with unclear motives, is her biological father.

*The Final Warning* has government officials asking the Flock to help scientists study ocean pollution near Antarctica. Some members are captured by the Uber-Director and taken to Florida. The rest rescue them and defeat this new villain during a hurricane. Max and Fang start a romantic relationship.

In *MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel*, bionic robots called M-Geeks attack the Flock at environmental shows in Los Angeles and Mexico City. The government then asks them to investigate ships and fish dying off Hawaii. Max’s mother goes missing. The group takes a submarine trip, rescues Max’s mother, and befriends undersea monsters.

*Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel* takes the Flock to Africa, where they meet Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen, a former Itex worker, and Dylan, another hybrid designed as Max’s “perfect other half.” Dylan joins, but the Flock is wary. Angel takes over the group, kicking out Max and Fang for focusing on their relationship. Fang is kidnapped and experimented on; the Flock rescues him, and Max revives him after he briefly dies. Fang then leaves to start his own Flock.