I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars for When the Wind Blows, so I'm opting for 4. The tale held my interest for the first 2/3's of the novel. I bought into the idea of winged children and mad scientists in "underground" labs. I felt young Max's freedom at finally being able to fly and Dr. Frannie's need to protect her. Even Dr. Frannie's attraction to the mysterious FBI agent Kit - and the ultimate betrayal by her "friends" and the government's interference in the natural order of things. But, in the final climatic action sequence, as the story became more and more fantastic and unbelievable, my interest in the characters waned. I closed the book upon reading the final page feeling that the ending came up short. My humble opinion, of course. I found the character reactions in the last chapter (not wanting to give away spoilers, I won't say who) unreal and so far from true-to-life that I simply no longer bought any of it. I was disappointed.

I should also add that this will not keep me from reading another Patterson novel. The author weaves a fanciful tale, and I'm passionately in love with Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross. What can I say?