Author: Ivan Rotchev

Book review of ‘Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment’,

best selling book of the year!

Max Herself!

“Dogs, Dogs, Go away. Let me live another

day!”

Interviewing

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Maximum Ride is a fourteen-year-old girl with wings who is the result of some experiments at a secret lab to inject avian genes

into human embroyos. Max is the oldest of the six members of her family, or as they refer to themselves, the flock. The

others are Fang - a taciturn boy who is four months younger than Max; Iggy - who was blinded by experimentation on his

sight at the lab; Nudge - a young girl who talks non-stop; and two kiddies, the Gasman - an eight-year-old boy with intesti-nal problems and Angel, his six-year-old sister. Max and her companions were kept in cages and subject to repeated sci-entific experiments during their life at the School (as the lab was called); they were eventually freed by one of the lab sci-

entists (who are referred to by the flock as Whitecoats) named Jeb Batchelder. Jeb secreted them at his mountain home and raised and educated them; but Jeb suddenly disappeared two years ago and the flock has been on its own since then. Sud-

denly, Erasers (experimental beings also developed at the lab who can morph into powerful vicious wolf-like creatures) raid

the family’s mountain hideaway and kidnap Angel. It’s up to the flock to save her.

“And my family: Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel. Welcome to our nightmare...”

- Max

Table of Contents

1 Interview3 Song

5 Poem6 Book Review

9 Advert.

Characters Name: MaxBiography: Max, being raised by scientists and being called an experiment for most of her life has no family, other than a group of 5 other kids. These kids are also mere exper-iments and went through torture after torture. Now why were the kids experiments you may ask? The answer to that is simple: They are only 98% human. The other 2% allows the kids the ability to fly and run FOUR TIMES faster than usual. Not long ago, Max and the kids escaped from the scientists LAB and took refuge high up in the mountains. Max, being the oldest out of all the kids (14 years old) was pushed into a leadership posi-tion and became responsible for the kids, one of the kids being 6 years old. Hello there! Thanks for join me here with this wonderful view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains right behind me! I’m Ivan and I will be here, talk-ing to Max about her wondrous adventures, her leader ship capabilities, and as well as

her opinion on the rescue mission so far.Q: Recently, you and your group had es-caped. All of you are kids, but you, being the oldest were looked upon as a leader. Did you expect this or were you surprised? Do you enjoy being the leader of the group? Is it hard?A: I honestly did not expect being looked upon as a leader, but the circumstances ended up pushing me into the leadership role. My group and I had just escaped the evil scientists that had been ruining our life, so we took refuge high up on a mountain. I didn’t realize it but I was the one who thought of the idea to go up on the mountain. After that, anytime the kids had a problem, they looked towards me for a solution. Per-sonally, I was never prepared to take the role of being leader, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. It is still very hard, trying to maintain order of kids that are as young as 6 and as old as 13.

Interviewing Maximum Ride!

Everyone has their own needs, and each one of them has to be met, which would be my main responsibility. I also have to make sure everyone is participating equally around the house, as well as outside. There is definitely room for improve-ment, but that will have to wait. Q: Does your flaw of ‘fighting for the underdog’ have any upside to it? If there is an upside, then was it worth protecting the little child from bul-lies instead of continuing on your rescue mission, there fore decreasing chances of imminent death for Angel?A: I think there is definitely some good and bad in this, but more bad. It’s nice that I am able to stand up for helpless kids and protect them, but that could also get myself into more trouble than I imagined. For example, what at first glance looked like some larger kids picking on a small kid ended up turning out larger kids WITH GUNS picking on a smaller kid. So when I came to the rescue, I found myself out numbered and out gunned (literally). It would have been wise to avoid this situation and continue my rescue mission for Angel, as she is facing imminent, and most likely torturous death. 3. Q: Due to the physical and mental forces of fatigue, you were knocked out almost cold and were forced to take a break from your long flight towards Angel. Do you think you will still be able to save Angel in time, or will she die from the scientist’s ruthless, and painful test?A: Chances of saving Angel before she dies? I would say very slim. I will be surprised if we came late, as we have already wasted precious time napping when we should have been trying

to find her. My little detour for ‘saving the little kid’ also decreased the chances of Angel surviv-ing.4. Q: Will your rescue mission benefit from leav-ing group members behind? Why or why not?A: I think that leaving Iggy and Gasman behind was both a bad decision and a good decision. Iggy and Gasman both deserve to come with us, but the problem is, Iggy is blind, and Gasman is only 8 years old. Gasman would be slowing everyone down and may not handle the pressure of having to rescue his own sister, Angel. If you think about it, the scientists wanted Angel, so if they wanted Angel, they would want Gasman just as much (as they are siblings). On the other hand, they both deserve to fight for what they

believe, espe-cially Gasman, as it his OWN SISTER we are talking about. But overall, it was for the better that they stayed, as they can make sure that the house was protected and that the Erasers would not attack. Also, if Angel

somehow managed to escape the prison she was being held in, (also called the ‘School’), then the two could keep her safe until Nudge, Fang, and I came back.5. Q: What will be your next step after saving (or not saving) Angel? Will you hide or attack?A: My first priority after the rescue mission will be to retreat back to the house, (hopefully with everyone intact, including Angel), and regroup with the rest of the kids. Then it would be wise to take refugee in a new area as the scientists, along with those wretched Erasers, already know of this place and will soon come back to kidnap one of us again.

Me against the World

I’m a nightmare, a disasterThat’s what they always saidI’m a lost cause, not a heroBut I’ll make it on my own

I’m gonna prove them wrongIt’s me against the world

Me against the world

Now I’m sick of this waitingSo come on and take your shot

You can spit all your insultsBut nothing you say is gonna change us

You can sit there and judge meSay what you want toWe’ll never let you in

I’m a nightmare, a disasterThat’s what they always saidI’m a lost cause, not a heroBut I’ll make it on my own

Me against the world

We’ll never fall in lineI’ll make it on my ownMe against the world

We’re not gonna beJust apart of their game

We’re not gonna beJust the victims

They’re taking our dreamsAnd they tear them apart

‘til everyone’s the sameI’ve got no place to go

I’ve got no where to runThey love to watch me fallThey think they know it all

We won’t let them changeHow we feel in our hearts

We’re not gonna let them control usWe won’t let them shove

All their thoughts in our headsAnd we’ll never be like them

I’ve got no place to goI’ve got no where to run

They love to watch me fallThey think they know it all

Have you ever felt the whole world is trying to thwart your plans? In the song ‘Me Against the World, Simple Plan is displaying exactly that feeling: that everyone is

against him, and that he is the only one that understands his own feelings. The feel-ing that everyone is against him comes to show in the song title, as well as in the cho-rus when he remarks, ‘Its me against the world!’ From this I can understand that he has the feeling that he is being controlled and brainwashed into thinking something against his own beliefs. As you can guess, the artist is letting us know that we should

stand up for ourselves, as well as think for ourselves and always act on our own behave. The artist’s exact words: ‘we wont let them change how we feel in our hearts, we’re not gonna let them control us.’ To sum it all up, the artist is trying to go for the theme of

‘self belief ’, as well as ‘freedom’.

Figurative Language:1. ‘They’re taking our dreams, and they tear them apart.’ - For me, this specific phrase really gives me a vivid image of someone having a part of them being ripped out from their own body. It also seems like whoever is taking the dreams away are also in a way

stealing them. You have the sensation that whoever is doing this could be a bad or even evil person.

2. ‘Me Against The World’ - This is an obvious one as it is the title of the song, as well as in the chorus. This is an obvious exaggeration, which gives a powerful image that whoever is against the world is at impossible odds, although this could be quite pos-sible as some international criminals face those odds. You could imagine around 6.5 billion people against just one person, which is why the artist chose the phrase ‘Me

Against The World’ as it is very imposing to the mind.3. ‘We wont let them shove all their thoughts in our head’ - This is impossible. When this is said, it makes me think that someone is being forced to do something out of

there own will, almost as if they are being brainwashed. Overall this whole song makes the victim vastly outnumbered against all forces.

Why I picked the Song:The fact that the theme of the song is ‘self belief ’ allowed the song theme to be almost identical to the novel. For example, the girl called ‘Maximum Ride’ (who is the main character) has to face up to impossible odds in order to succeed a rescue mission. It’s impossible because she has to face up to half-wolf, half-human creatures which are

much faster and much more deadlier than her. There are also tons of them compared to her being a lone wolf. Along the way of the rescue mission, additional obstacles ap-pear, for example losing her only advantage: The ability to fly. This is why the song ‘Me Against The World’ seems appropriate. She has almost impossible odds, just like if you

were to face up to the world’s population, (kind of exaggerated).

Song Ananalysis

I am from the endless torture, The sting of a cold sterile needle,Behind unwelcoming black bars

Overwhelming darkness is all I see, The lull of loneliness is all I feel

Forced to comply, by the white-coated mad men,Showing only stark and staunch unfeeling glares,

They smell like burned rotting fleshNothing more than a rat

Yearning to be as free as the windClear, cold, and fast

Where I’m FromBy: Ivan Rotchev

Panting, catching my breath.Relieved of the black bars,

Taking flight from the hoosegow Finally,

I am from the gray hills on the distant horizon

Dotted with Spruce treesThey taste like mossy pinecones

Dull Brown like dirtThis is the taste of freedom

From the Angel I lostAdults are not family…

Love is.Looks red

As blood looks

I am from the hounding barks They’re coming near

Go away is all I can say,Let us live another day

You have the AngelBut not her tough blood

I am from the blind,As well as the loud,

Not to mention the Fang. I am Maximum

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment - Book Review

percent of the world’s population is made up of orphans. That’s 16.2 million kids, or half the population of Canada. ‘Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment’ follows 6 of these 16.2 million orphans on an extreme journey. The only difference between these 6 orphans and the rest: They literally have no parents. This is because they were chemically created in a laboratory by scientists in a diabolical experiment to create super beings. I have read many novels at school over the years, and this book, not to mention the whole series, is in the top three I have ever read. This action packed book would be quite enjoyable for grade 8 students and I deeply recommend it for the grade 8 curriculum. It has to be one of the most plot twisting

books I have read, creating lots of inter-est for me as a reader. No matter how hard I try, I am not able to predict any part of the plot, therefore adding a suspenseful mood to the book. The characters are also extremely unique and interesting, you can’t help but have some sort of attachment to them and relate them to yourself. The way the author describes the setting of the book gives you a very rich, imaginary image, which captivates you and captures you in the moment. Any grade 8 will come to love this book because of its action packed contents and plot twisting storyline, which is why it should be implemented into the grade 8 language arts curriculum.

Unpredictable books are the most entertaining, which is why I consider ‘Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment’ an outstanding book. There are many plot twists, leading the characters into many different situations, constantly keeping you guessing. At times you would think the book is going to end, if not for the extra 90 pages, still unread. Then, suddenly a new problem arises, keeping you on edge at all times during the reading of the book. For example, at one point in the book, all the main characters are just talking, gos-siping, worrying about the little things. Next thing they know, they are being attacked and slaughtered by half human, half wolf maniacs. When you actually read the book it isn’t as random, as there is a constant supply of suspense, which brings me to my next point.

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9And Why It Should Be In The Grade 8 Ciricullum

Suspense and plot twisting together make a very great combination in a book, which is exactly why this book is great. With a con-stant supply of suspense, the book always seems exciting and entertaining. When there is a build up of suspense, and the plot twist comes into action, the readers are even more anxious to get to the final pages of the book, but are disappointed when they eventually get to the ending. This feeling results in a very enjoyable reading experience, and is almost perfect for the grade 8 level. There are multiple great examples of this in the book. One of them was when one of the main characters gets kidnapped and a very intense and suspenseful chase follows in an attempt to save the kidnapped child. This chase results in a failure, which made me disappointed. But at the same time I enjoyed the overall suspenseful and exciting chase down.

The last reason this book should be imple-mented in the grade eight-language arts curriculum is because of the author’s ability to create rich and vivid settings within the book, as well as character personalities and the physical look of characters. The images that the author is able to create seem to cap-ture me at times and make me ponder about them. I always have an extremely radiant image in my mind. No matter if it’s dark and damp or bright and sunny, I can always envision the setting.

Along with the rich setting comes the rich character description. In my case, the author only had to go over each character once and I was able to easily identify and remember the characters judging from their unique personality (and nicknames) from that mo-ment on. I also have each one of the charac-ters defined by their own sharp image that the author, you could say, managed to ‘create for me’. I know some books I read: There are so many characters, and three quarters of them completely irrelevant to the story. All of the main characters seem bland and have no unique features to them. Compared to someone like Harry Potter, who you can easily describe as ‘the boy with the scar’. The scar is something to easily remember him by, and can almost be considered as his ‘sig-nature’. The author of ‘Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment’, does this very well him-self, which makes him good at both char-

acter description and setting description.

As a summary, this book has very rich and de-scriptive settings, char-acters, as well as plot, and there is much sus-pense in between. Like I said before, definitely in

the top three book series I have ever read at school. All the characters are unique, there-fore giving the whole book an overall image of uniqueness, and making this series very recognizable among the general popula-tion of most schools. The character’s unique personalities could create a strong bond with a student, attaching them to the book furthermore. For once, (no offense), novel studies could be a fun thing to do for grade 8 students, and students would even look forward to humanities on a daily basis.

Full of adventure, mystery, and suspense this would be a good book to use as a class novel. The

characters, along with the action, provide good descriptive reading. I believe young adults would identify with the loyalty the children exhibit for each other and enjoy the fantasy of what genetic

experimentation may provide in the future.