Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel is the seventh and penultimate novel in the Maximum Ride series created by James Patterson. It was released on February 14, 2011.
"Plot">Plot
It has been a week since the love of Max's life, Fang, has left the flock. Max is suffering from mild depression at her mother's house. She reveals that Dylan is becoming more wise to her, and learning to fight from her, as they have an early physical disagreement. Dylan finds her in a tree, and kisses her, prompting a fight. Back inside, the Flock is hanging low, until Angel (who Max says has been "sweet" to her since Fang left) notifies everyone that Jeb and Dr. Gunther-Hagen are coming. Max is informed that she is to be the leader of the new generation of mutants, the Gen 77 kids (The Flock was generation 54,and the Erasers were generation 17), who have powers similar to the Flock's, as well as being heatproof, seeing thermal images, and more. Dr. Gunther-Hagen, despite warnings from Jeb, says that Max needs to breed soon, and that he has prepared a home in Germany where she and Dylan will be able to have babies. Dr. Gunther-Hagen says that emerging civilizations are better with a line of leaders in a family, as in a king and queen; otherwise there will be a struggle for power. Dr. Gunther-Hagan continues his case until Dr. Martinez puts the conversation out of the question because she thinks that Max is too young.
Fang, meanwhile, is busy forming his own flock, which is dubbed "Fang's Gang." The first member, Ratchet, is a teenage boy who has enhanced senses, and must wear sunglasses and sound-blocking headphones. He had been kicked out recently by his mother, and had joined a gang before Fang recruited him. The second member, Star, is "rail thin" with blond hair and "cold blue eyes." In the first encounter with Star, it is learned that she almost wrecks a restaurant after finding out they didn't serve hamburgers, due to her massive appetite, easily exceeding that of Max or Fang. She has the power of super speed and is believed to be crossbred with a mouse or a hummingbird. She and Ratchet don't see eye to eye, which is proven when Star threatens to "cut him off at the knees without a blink." She spent ten years in a Catholic school. Another new character, Kate, is Star's friend from school, although they are total opposites. She has thick, glossy black hair that "won't stay behind her ears, supermodel cheek bones, and an easy smile." She seems to be the peacemaker between Ratchet and Star. Kate has enhanced strength which is helpful throughout the book. Ratchet lusts for Kate. Another member is Max II, who now calls herself Maya. Fang is overwhelmed by his feelings when he first speaks to Maya and feelings for Max seem to manifest in his relationship with Maya. She also seems to have feelings for Fang, shown by when she tells him that he is "great" and tells him that " I love it when you talk all sciency." Holden Squibb (aka. Starfish) is the last member of "Fang's Gang." He is about 15, but looks like a 10-year-old and can heal at an accelerated pace and regenerate various limbs like a starfish. Fang chose teenagers for his "flock", in hopes that he wouldn't have to worry about them. Fang discovers that being a leader (what Max does) is harder than he thought it would be because of all the talking he would have to do to solve problems.
Dr. Martinez convinces the flock (mainly Max) that they should visit the Gen-77 kids. They all take a plane to see the kids, but Max decides to fly herself. On the way the plane runs into a trap. Transparent floating balloons connected to the ground with razor wire, hit the plane and rip its wings off. As the plane spirals out of control the flock takes action. Max's mom, Jeb, and Dr. Hans can't fly so they try to carry them. Iggy and Nudge get caught in the wire and begin to free fall, Max catches her mother, but Jeb is falling. Gazzy tries to catch him, but is too weak to support the weight, Jeb tells Gazzy "the human race will have to die, to save the planet...just as I will have to die to save you." Jeb lets go. Before he plummets to his death Dylan catches him. Angel, and Gazzy then help stabilize Iggy and Nudge. Everyone lands relatively safe. In the confusion Dr. Hans disappears. Dylan and Max go to look for his body, but do not find him. They stop by a school on the way and snipers shoot at them. Max thinks that they are "whitecoats" but Dylan saw (with his super vision) that they were kids without eyes. They then camp out in a part of a cave where Dylan tells Max about the constellations. Max begins to get more comfortable with Dylan and eventually falls asleep beside him, with his arm around her shoulder. She notices how well her body fits in with his and calls it a "perfect fit" Angel finds Max and Dylan and they go back to the Gen 77 headquarters where the three of them encounter the "kids without eyes" again. After a brief fight, Max, Dylan, and Angel get a closer look at the children. In reality, they have eyes all around the middle of their head, giving them 360 degree vision, hence the aim. The Gen-77 kids then tell Max and the others that they are more advanced and that they need to "kill the humans" to make the world better. They then proceed to attack the group again. Max, Dylan, and Angel are able to get away but while they are flying, they notice a familiar face. They land and find Mike, the computer guy, under the hypnotic spell of the Doomsday group. When they get home, Ella and Iggy are under the spell also. Dylan, Max, Angel, Iggy, and Ella go to a rally at Ella's school, where Iggy begins a chant of "kill the humans!" The gang takes Iggy back home, leaving Ella behind. They are able to revert him to normal with a cold shower and some mind control by Angel. They find out from Nudge, Gazzy, and Total that Jeb and Dr. Martinez have disappeared without a trace. They all reluctantly come to the conclusion that they are involved with the Doomsday Group. They make a pact with each other to never again trust a grown-up. The group finds Ella at a campfire, singing a song about saving the earth. They are able to capture her and change her back to normal, but they quickly lose her again. She leaves a note saying that she was meant to have wings.
In California, Fang's gang is not getting along so well. Maya and Fang have a conversation in which Fang notices some minor differences between the two. Maya is softer than Max, easier to talk to. She is also more vulnerable, emotionally. Fang is about to kiss her when the rest of his gang attacks the two with Cheez Whiz. Soon Fang surprises Max by calling her, saying that he needs her to meet him in San Diego. Fang isn't very happy because Max would rather throw Dylan in his face and Max is mad because Fang would rather throw Maya in Max's face. Fang is "mad" at Dylan because he is "Max's perfect other half".
The reason that he wants them to meet is because he has found a convention where it is said that the Doomsday Group will be. Coincidentally, Max and the flock have also been looking at this group for the past little while. Both groups meet at the hotel where "Fang's Gang" is staying. They start of with all of them having a meal, but soon Fang and Max are throwing Dylan and Maya in each other's faces. This ends with them flying out and talking about how they felt. After this event they all headed to the Convention looking for the group. The group finds out that the Doomsday Group is indeed at the Convention, and they listen in to one of their speeches. The group decides to fly to Paris on a private jet, where Fang and Max get in another fight. Angel calms everyone down, and they proceed talking about their plans. They land in Paris and find out the Doomsday Group is planning to release toxins and detonate "enough C4 to leave a crater the size of Texas" to kill the population of Paris during a firework display. Angel and Gazzy try to stop them by infiltrating the headquarters, but end up getting captured and strapped to the bombs. Max, Fang, and Dylan go to rescue them, while the rest try to warn the people to flee. All of a sudden, everything explodes around them and Max realizes that she has feelings for Dylan after he almost dies. Everyone seems to be okay, but Angel is missing. After searching for hours, Angel is presumed dead and the flocks part ways.
At the epilogue, Angel is said to be captured by what is assumed the Doomsday Group who wants to use her powers. They are presumably treating her wounds, and tell her that they will take good care of her.
Critical reception
The novel received universal negative reviews.
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