Angelica Mason Period 1 9/26/12 Maximum Ride: School’s Out-Forever, is the second book in the series, Maximum Ride, by James Patterson. Author James Patterson, has sold more books than any other author (according to Bookscan), and in total, his books have sold an estimated 260 million copies worldwide. Since 2006, one out of every seventeen hardcover fiction book sold was a Patterson title. His critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series debuted on the New York Times bestsellers list at #1 and remained there for twelve straight weeks. The series has so far made ninety-four cumulative appearances on The New York Times bestsellers lists, proving that kids of all ages love page turners. Maximum” Max”Ride is the main character; she was ‘created’ to save the world. She tries to do so with the help of the flock. The flock consists of Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. They’re All 98% human 2% avian (they have wings). Of course there are many people holding them back from saving the world but the main person is Ari, he’s a human-wolf hybrid who max ‘thought’ she killed. He was back and stronger than ever, because he now had wings, and he wanted max dead. This story starts off in Washington D.C. where Max and the flock attempt to find their parents, but Fang gets seriously hurt so they take him to the hospital. Then that’s when they meet Anne who they think is a police detective. She lets them stay with her. She even enrolls them in school (they never been to real school). They find out that Anne is a member of the lab that created them, and that’s what caused them to leave. Angel suggested they go to Florida, and for a lack of a better plan Max agrees. While in Florida, the Flock learns that a multi-national corporation named Itex is plotting to destroy the world, and is also tracking the Flock's movements. The story takes place in Washington D.C., and Florida. The Itex Company created a clone of Max. Max is kidnapped, and her double is left in her place. Max escapes, when they pull her out of the tank to examine her. She finds her way to Itex and confronts her counterpart. Max and the clone battle while the flock and a group of scientists, including Jeb, watch. When the real Max gets the upper hand, she starts to choke her clone, but in the end, Max allows her to go free because she doesn't want to sink to the level of the scientists. An explosion injures the scientists and gives the flock an opportunity to escape. They left the building and flew out into the open sky "free" at last, maybe. The theme of Maximum Ride: School’s Out-Forever is appearance is never reality. For instance, when the flock met Anne they let down their guard and trusted her, but if they knew who she really was they wouldn’t have stepped foot in her home. Then when Max got replaced with the clone the flock didn’t even know that wasn’t the real Max. So in the end never judge a book by its cover, because appearance is never reality.