SCHOOL'S OUT - FOREVER Maximum Ride, Book 2

In the second installment in the Maximum Ride series, Max and her flock of genetically altered children are moving closer to understanding the reason for their existence--or at least for the modifications that have been made to them. Valentina de Angelis sets off at a strong pace in a narration that betrays a fondness for her characters in a tone pitched for kids. The periodic musical background is a bit of a distraction, however. It varies in length and at times appears to be a signal that a chapter is ending, at other times an indication of abridgment, and at still other times simply background. The longer passages add a sense of sentimentality that seems unwarranted. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]