MAX Maximum Ride #5

Samuel Goldwyn said: "If you want to send a message, call Western Union." Patterson apparently missed that memo when writing this fifth book in his Maximum Ride series as the story and its characters take a backseat to environmental preaching. Nevertheless, what the book misses in character and plot, it makes up for in action and snappy dialogue. Max and her flock of part-bird teenagers fly to Hawaii to help the Navy find out what is killing millions of birds. In the process, they discover new talents and encounter new enemies. Jill Apple reads capably but lacks the spunky energy of the book's 14-year-old heroine. Many of Max's sassy observations are delivered flatly. The reading is accompanied by background music and sound effects, which add aural scenery to an otherwise flat adventure. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2010]