[For those who read the book] Was it worth the read?

[Cat]

So I finished the (hopefully) last Maximum Ride book and I think that it was definitely worth the read, mainly because the ending was WAY better than Nevermore. I know some other people probably think differently, which is why I want to know: What did you think about the ending? Are you happy that Patterson wrote another book? Or were you happy enough to let Max and the Flock go in Nevermore?

[Claire]

I thought the ending of Forever definitely had better closure than Nevermore. Though I still can't say I loved the ending, because well think about it, there is no instance that says that Max and Fang had sex. Because yes, it is totally appropriate for them to bump uglies during the apocalypse! And then there is the fact she is pregnant, at mind you 15 years old. Honestly, I think that this is such a bad example, in our society, teen pregnancies are very much frowned upon and though I get it, this book is fiction - I still think that the whole Max being pregnant was not needed. I was pretty happy Patterson wrote another book, I love this series and had a huge effect on my 12 year old mind when I started and "finished" this series. I thought Nevermore was the last book and was so disappointed in the end, at least he wrapped up the end but don't call Nevermore the last book if you ask me, just say you're gonna write another.

[Jen]

I guess it was worth the read, an ending to an era and all that. Though I didn't really see the point in the book except to give us closure (which wasn't that great in my personal opinion.)

[Cat]

Claire wrote: "I thought the ending of Forever definitely had better closure than Nevermore. Though I still can't say I loved the ending, because well think about it, there is no instance that says that Max and F..."

I guess that's true about the Max and Fang thing. I always forget about how young they are because of how old they act.

[Heena]

Yes this book is worth the read. The ending was amazing, way better than Nevermore (the whole story is better than Nevermore).

[Jh]

Honestly, how is this baby even alive? Max should have sustained major stress from impact in battles and such. She was eating termites for her only source of food(and sure they might have proteins, BUT STILL) ten pages earlier. She never got enough nutrition for herself, let alone a baby.

[Emespre]

I'm glad I read it. There was a lot of it that I didn't like, but I agree that there was more closure. My confusion about Angel's loyalties was resolved, for example, and I think it would have been worth it for that alone.

But yes! How the pregnancy was handled was so annoying. I don't mind that she feel pregnant, given that they develop at a different rates to normal humans, but I hated how unclear it was about whether or not they'd even slept together. If I hadn't already known about the baby, I would have just assumed they made out. As it was, I still spent a few chapters trying to work out whether or not they had had sex. There's a massive difference between keeping things clean and being so careful that someone who knows to expect it isn't even sure if it happened.

[Spacedesktop]

Excellent

[Rahila]

I wouldn't. An unpopular opinion but hey. To me I believed that Nevermore was the last book, so I accepted that even thought the book didn't end the way I wanted it to. So when I discover this book, a book that in my mind was finished, I just couldn't get into the flow of the characters and the story telling anymore.

[Emerald]

Am I the only one who hated this book, and maybe the whole series? I don't have a Fax vibe, and Dylan made me feel joy. Think about it. Dylan loves Max so much. Fang has left Max twice and only cares about her body. Dylan would never have sex with Max, he'd care about the hurt. I freaking hate Fang , he left Max and Maya, a girl who said she loved him. Did readers forget that? A girl loved him and she died and than he resumed his relationship with Max like NOTHING happened. I threw my book at the wall. Max and Fang only care about each other, and no one notices. Yeah cute, except they would rather have sex in the floor than find food for the flock and bury the dead. Did they fucking forget about Akila dying? Dylan was good. He made fang angry. I was hoping Fang would die. Max says she loves the Flock, but i doubt it. I'm sure she doesn't. Fang is a distraction to her mothering if the flock. In one book, she said she never wanted to have sex and than woop de doop de doo! My lord I am outraged. I hate fax

[Mariah]

I am happy to hear what people thought about it after actually reading it. I have not read it yet because the fact that Nevermore was soooo bad that it made me loose a little faith in the series. So im glad that another book was written to make up for the very bad ending of Nevermore.
thank you

[Larose]

Emerald wrote: "Am I the only one who hated this book, and maybe the whole series? I don't have a Fax vibe, and Dylan made me feel joy. Think about it. Dylan loves Max so much. Fang has left Max twice and only car..."

*wipes tear*Thank you! I couldn't of said it better my self. You brought up like every point. I love your comment. You literally made my day! :'D

[Willa]

Okay, excellent question! I think this book was actually my favorite in the series. While I definitely agree with the opinions that say the series was dragged out, I love this final, final installment even though it came as a complete surprise to me after I thought Nevermore was the last book. I think it expressed some new themes and definitely showed a lot of new ideas that haven't been explored so far. It has the prefect blend of action and spice and I love it so, so much! Just BTW, I cried a lot. So it is very dramatic. But I also stayed up all night finishing it even though I had a test the next day, so it was worth it.

[Patricia]

I loved this book and everything about this series. Need say no more.

[Abbegail]

I have loved Maximum Ride since I read the first three books right around the time the third book came out. (This was nine years ago, people.) I was young and impressionable, and Max was my hero. Even when the next books came out (which are generally regarded as the start of the decline of the series), I still loved Max's story. Of course, after STWAOES, the story did take a turn for the worse, and I thought that Nevermore was the series going out with a horrible, plot-hole-filled bang, but I was wrong. While Nevermore, Angel, and Fang frustrated me beyond belief because they were full of plot holes and annoying characterization, MR Forever made me scream because how dare you do that to a character who is loved by so many kids?

The book started out better than Nevermore or Angel, but quickly became the worst thing I could imagine. It wasn't the flock splitting up, or the world ending, or everyone I love dying (I was honestly relieved. My actual thoughts were something along the lines of, "At least they don't have to go through crappy writing anymore.") No, what infuriated me beyond belief is what this book taught its readers. Max has been a role model to everyone who read this series (which, I might add, is targeted towards mostly middle schoolers.)

Max is probably about 15 or 16 by this point. (She turned 15 sometime in Fang and I'm assuming it's been at least a year since then by the time the book (before the epilogue) ended.) Our beloved heroine has been told repeatedly- by scientists, by her family, by strangers, by the Voice Who Is Ambiguously Jeb and Angel at the Same Time- that she is going to save the world. Now, being a superhuman with wings and powers and the ability to kick ass, the logical conclusion is that she's going to defeat the bad guy.

But no. James Patterson (or his ghost writer, or whatever) once again decides to be a misogynistic asswipe who doesn't see the value of women aside from reproductive purposes.

Max and Fang have sex, Fang dies, and it is revealed that Max is pregnant.

This would be bad enough if they left it there. But no, Max is still set to save the world by carrying on Fang's genes. No one even cares that it's Max's kid, they care that it's Fang's, and Max has to be "protected" the rest of the book so the baby doesn't get hurt.

Even if Max was a grown woman, that would not be okay. Add in the fact that she's a 15-year-old who is a role model for a lot of young, impressionable kids? It's deplorable.

This is not the first time a JP book has had a young girl named Max get pregnant and carry on her late boyfriend's genes. Where the Wind Blows is an adult series about a girl named Max with wings who's about 12 years old when she has sex with a guy who later dies and then lays his eggs. (Okay, but what even, JP?)

While this is an absolutely disgusting thing for a grown man to write, at least it was an adult series, not a middle grade/ young adult series. Most adults already have their opinions on sex and a book like this isn't going to make them think it's suddenly okay for 12-year-olds to be pregnant.

Most of the people who read the Maximum Ride novels are kids. Kids are supposed to learn from books. And while it may not lead them to thinking teenage pregnancy is good, it might lead them to think, "Hey, Max saved the world by having her boyfriend's kid. Having children is the best thing I (as a human with working ovaries) can do for the world." And for those non-ovary-carrying humans, "Hey, it's really important to pass my genes along. I need to make sure my partner knows that that's the most important thing in the world."

Obviously, ideas like these don't just stem from one thing, but placing these ideas in the minds of young readers isn't a good thing. It's why I'm so opposed to pregnancies in YA and Middle Grade books. Because yes teenage pregnancy is a real thing that happens to 15-year-olds like Max but it's not something that should be celebrated.

TL,DR: Nevermore may have sucked, but at least it didn't make me want to scream in rage over how sexist the writer was, so, yeah, I would have been happier with the questions it left us with than with MR Forever. Also, the books should have stopped after STWAOES.

[Fangirl164]

Emerald wrote: "Am I the only one who hated this book, and maybe the whole series? I don't have a Fax vibe, and Dylan made me feel joy. Think about it. Dylan loves Max so much. Fang has left Max twice and only car..."

dude you are so freaking right!! I felt like I was the only one who thought that!

[Fangirl164]

FANG YOU PIECE OF CRAP!!! 'oh i better ditch like Max for the second time, come back, and fight Dylan who loves her more then me but i won't let them be happy' dude just stop! your ruining everything you stupid emo! oh look you got Max pregnant! good job! That should be Dylan's baby! you should have stayed dead!

[Annia]

I totally agree with you but i just wanted to say one thing that i looked up to be sure and it says max is 20 in maximum ride forever so just to say that one thing but otherwise i agree with what your saying.