Review: The Final Warning

The Final Warning
Maximum Ride #4
James Patterson

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.

Rating: 3/5

Quotes:
“Right now, America looks like a fatheaded, shortsighted, gas-guzzling arrogant blowhard to the rest of the world.”

“Have you guys been playing in toxic waste again?" Fang asked severely, putting his hands on his hips.
Nudge giggled. "No."
"Been bitten by a radioactive spider?" Fang went on. "Struck by lightning? Drink a super-soldier serum?"
"No, no, no," said Iggy. He started reaching for things around the table, and his hand landed on Total. "You're black."
"I prefer canine-American." said Total. "When's that pie coming? I'm starving.”

“What happened to your tan?"
"It was dirt."

My Thoughts:
This is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride series, and I liked it. Just like, no love. In this book Max and the flock go down to Antarctica with some scientists who are trying to stop global warming. The flock is pretty excited to finally do something productive, but of course there is some evil dude who wants to kill/study/use them. I really liked the first three books in this series, but this one just wasn't up to par

I have two major gripes about this story. Okay, one isn't as bad as the other, but they still both really bother me. The lesser issue was Fang's blog posts. There were entries from his blog throughout the story, and while it did offer some insight it was just weird. In the book Fang is such a quite guy and then to have him go spill his guts on a blog just kind of threw me off.

The major problem with this book, though, is that it is basically one big PSA for global warming. I mean I get that it is a big issue, but it killed the book. There were a few scenes where it is just a global warming info dump. Every time something happened they referenced back to global warming, and that got old fast.

So in all, there were elements of the other books in this one that made it somewhat enjoyable, but the topic of global warming just kind of overshadowed everything.