Final Warning and Max (Maximum Ride #4-5), (The Protectors #1-2) by James Patterson

The Final Warning (Maximum Ride #4), (The Protectors #1)

In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her-and maybe save the planet while she's at it. 

Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control government experiment.

Max and the other members of the Flock-six kids who share her remarkable ability-have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism--and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk. 

But even in Antarctica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world. Maximum Ride is James Patterson's greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once.

This is actually going to be a hard one for me to review. The series really veered from the original formula quite severely for me and I'm not sure how I should handle that. So... here I go...

Let me start with my biggest complaints about the book....

The last book did fill in a lot of the questions, but things were left open and it didn't feel as if they had defeated the evil corporation. So, why are they suddenly environmentalists? Not that I think that is a bad thing at all, and I could see things growing in that direction, but it just didn't fit. It was too sharp of a turn in direction. It would have made more sense if they had totally defeated the evil and now could concentrate on the more common evil of global warming. So... I'm not sure where the story is planning to go.

It also had a lot of plot holes. Things I hoped would start to make sense from the last books have been forgotten and parts of the book just didn't fit with other parts. Also some aspects seemed to be just dropped. It's like a patchwork of stories that just didn't quite make a quilt.

As to the positives...

There are a few. I still enjoyed how the flock interacted with each other. I enjoyed Max's snark. I also laughed at Total falling in love with an Alaskan Malemute. Those things kept the story going and kept it entertaining. I also felt that MG readers would get more out of this book and even the previous ones more than adult and older YA readers.

Here is the hard part... how to rate it? I guess I'll go with 2 stars. As far as part of the series, I'm not sure I like it. It's just too different too quickly. However, they did put it as part of a new series (The Protectors #1) so I may be a bit too harsh. What I'll end with is that I still like the way the characters interact with each other. I also think that MG readers will really enjoy the story and message. I'm just not sure it fits easily within the series.

Max (Maximum Ride #5), (The Protectors #2)

Maximum Ride and the other members of the flock have barely recovered from their last Arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone--or something--is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late. 

While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu--a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu's army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?

With this book, the second in the Protectors part of the series, it continues the environmental message, but is much more coherent within the plot. It runs much more smoothly and I enjoyed it a lot more. That may be because it had one objective, to save Max's mother in which the side story of environmental activism could also present itself. As we had in the previous books, the flock's interaction is fun and Total cracked me up with him lamenting about Akila the Malemute. Yes, this book is what the last book should have been more like when it changed tactics.

I give this book 3 stars. It's much more readable, but still refuses to clear up any questions you had in the previous books. MG readers will love this one especially with the side romance.

I received both books from the publisher, Little, Brown and no compensation for my review was given.

Bloggy note: I know that many of you don't all come on the weekends as I had been sometimes taking them off... but do check out the giveaway for In a Fix by Linda Grimes. It's an adult UF. Just go HERE for the post to enter for the US/Can giveaway. Good luck!