When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

Earlier I reviewed the Maximum Ride series by this author. It turns out that the character of Max was first created for this novel. Almost, that is.

We meet Max almost immediately as she escapes from the school in which she was born and imprisoned, and as she escapes, we learn that she has wings and can fly. We are then introduced to Kit, and FBI agent, and Frannie, a veterinarian, and eventually all three come together in an attempt to first keep Max from being recaptured and second, to free the rest of the flock. Oh, and Kit is there to solve some murders, one of which happens to be that of Frannie's late husband David.

Coming from the perspective of having read the four Maximum Ride books, When the Wind Blows comes across as an almost/sort of take on what Max was like at age eleven and how the escape from the school could have occurred. The problem is, in looking at things from that perspective, things just aren't quite right, and the most glaring of these things is how Max and the flock are physically formed. In the newer books, the kids' wings fit into some sort of special areas in their backs, and their arms and wings are completely separate. In this book, the arms seem to be the main wing supports. Max freely admits she is oviparous (meaning that she lays eggs to reproduce), which, again, does not seem to be the case in the later books. Most readers will notice many other differences as well, making an uneasy relationship between this book and the Maximum Ride books.

But one shouldn't review a book based upon how well it fits into a later series, especially when there's no claim that it should fit. So, how is it when considered on its own?

Like most of Mr. Patterson's books, it moves very quickly. Chapters are very short -- often two or three pages -- and switch between character viewpoints often. It's a quick, enjoyable read, and if you like the style of this writer's young adult books, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. In the end, there seemed to be just too many people connected to Frannie who were part of the conspiracy for it to be believable to me, and I'm still not sure what to make of the epilogue.
If you like the Maximum Ride series, this book is worth reading just to meet an almost Max at eleven. If you didn't like that series, then I'd give this one a pass. (And if you haven't read the series, I highly suggest you give the first book a try.)

Rating: 6.5/10