Title:
The Angel Experiment
Author:
James Patterson
Publication
Date: 2006
ISBN #:
0446617792
Number
of Pages: 413
Trend: Science Fiction, Tough Girls, Young
people with abilities
Publisher: Warner Vision Books
Patterson, J.
(2006) .The
Angel Experiment. New York, NY: Warner
Vision Books.
Summary:
The series is about a
group of young children ranging from six years old to Max, the oldest, who is
14. After being broken out of a facility where they have been experimented on,
known as "The School" these orphaned children are relying on each
other to stay alive. They are avian-human hybrids. They have hallow bones, air
sacs, and course wings. The wings can be concealed under their clothes so they
appear for all intents and purposes completely human ). The stories starts out
many years after they have already escaped the experimentation facility where
they were created. After years of peace and quiet, "The School" has began
hunting them. They must flee their cabin home they made for themselves in the
forest after being tracked by another form of experimented on creations called
Erasers (Lupine-human hybrids). Max is the oldest and the de-facto leader of
the group. She decides to try to find out why they are being hunted. As she
leads the group of young people that she has come to know as her family, a
mysterious voice is talking in her head, and telling her that she is on a
mission to save the world, but she does not know from whom or from what. Each of
the characters is very unique, so they provide a spectrum of personalities. The
themes explored in this book are loyalty to one's family, having to deal with
leadership that is reluctantly thrust upon one.
Curricular connections: When discussing the moral implications of experimentation of humans. This is a good book to place on display in the YA section
of the library for super heroes, or super powers. This is a good book for
reluctant readers because James Patterson is the master of the short chapters.
With only three of four (sometimes two) pages per chapter, some reluctant
readers might find themselves drawn to the book.
Review
Sources:
Paula Rohrlick of Kliatt gives this book a favorable review
that praises its action, and fast pace. She believes that the wise-cracking and
witty voice of Max, the narrator, will draw the reader into the story as much
as the action. "The action never flags in this X-Men-like adventure"
(Rohrlick, 2005).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Publishers Weekly gives this novel an unfavorable review stating it is an "incomprehensible story pitched at young adults" (Publisher's Weekly, 2005). The review compares this book to that of an Saturday morning cartoon. The review also criticizes the voice of the narration "which is self-deprecating but never sounds like a real teen's voice" (2005).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Publishers Weekly gives this novel an unfavorable review stating it is an "incomprehensible story pitched at young adults" (Publisher's Weekly, 2005). The review compares this book to that of an Saturday morning cartoon. The review also criticizes the voice of the narration "which is self-deprecating but never sounds like a real teen's voice" (2005).
Personal
response: I
am actually in the camp of the second review. I thought it was was lethargic in
getting along in the story. The descriptions of the characters were not enough
to draw a clear picture
in my head. The
action was also choppy, not knowing what is going on from one second to the
next. The holes in the storyline were also a problem for me, and I had no idea
that the books started out as an adult book. I would have rather read that book
first since I had no idea why these kids were in the middle of the woods taking
care of themselves. There is a Manga-version of this series which I have read
and I find it much more digestible. The story seems to lend itself better to
the graphic format.
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