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Maximum Ride Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start with The Angel Experiment (2005).

Maximum Ride, a winged teenager, leads a flock of human-avian hybrids who escaped a mysterious lab.

Where to start

Start with The Angel Experiment (2005).

  • •Nevermore (book 8) was written as the finale; Maximum Ride Forever (2015) came later.

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Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order9 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

The Angel Experiment

Pub: 2005

Over 10 million copies sold!Fierce teen Maximum Ride takes flight to discover the truth about the mysterious genetic experiments that gave her and her friends wings, in the high-octane start to James Patterson’s #1 New York Times bestselling series!Maximum Ride and her "flock," Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel, are ordinary kids—only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but while they’re on the run from the “School” that cruelly experimented on them, their lives can morph into a nightmare at any time.When Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the School, her friends set off to rescue her, facing off against the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers” designed to stop them. Their journey takes them closer and closer to the secrets of their past…and their future—one where Max is responsible for saving the world.Love Maximum Ride? Don’t miss out on the seven novels of the Maximum Ride series, and her next chapter in Hawk and Hawk: City of the Dead!A #1 New York Times bestsellerA Publishers Weekly bestsellerAn ALA Quick Pick for Young AdultsAn ALA/VOYA "Teens' Top Ten" PickA VOYA Review Editor's Choice

2

School's Out—Forever

Pub: 2006

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Angel Experiment".

"Adventure, fighting, backstabbing and love abound" (VOYA) in this action-packed follow-up to the #1 New York Times blockbuster MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, now available in paperback. The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself.

3

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Pub: 2007

Plot details hidden until you finish "School's Out—Forever".

In Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, the time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?

4

The Final Warning

Pub: 2008

Plot details hidden until you finish "Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports".

In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her-and maybe save the planet while she's at it. Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control government experiment. Max and the other members of the Flock-six kids who share her remarkable ability-have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism-and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk. But even in Antarctica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world . . . Maximum Ride is James Patterson's greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once. THE FINAL WARNING is an unrelenting new adventure from the writer Time magazine has called "The Man Who Can't Miss." A JAMES PATTERSON FAMILY PAGETURNER In the spirit of the most enduring hit movies and books, James Patterson has written this story for readers from ten to a hundred and ten. Special care has been taken with the language and content of The Final Warning.

5

MAX

Pub: 2009

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Final Warning".

Don't wait for Maximum Ride to hit the big screen - prepare for takeoff now with the flock's highest-flying adventure ever. When the planet faced destruction, they saved it. Max and the flock have traded in Antarctica's subzero temperatures for sunny Los Angeles, where they're taking over the skies with their hair raising air show. But far below, a deadly assassin watches their every move, waiting for the perfect moment to send them plummeting to earth. Now the battle for survival rages on. Suddenly, the flock learns that millions of fish are dying off Hawaii's coast and that someone - or something - is destroying hundreds of ships. When they are confronted with the most frightening ecological catastrophe yet, they have no choice but to go deep into the murky waters. Now, nowhere is safe. This time, the flock is in too deep. While Max and her team comb the depths of the ocean, a powerful enemy tracks them. He has his own plans for the flock and will stop at nothing until they're under his control. Can the flock protect themselves from the approaching army - and save the world from utter destruction?

6

Fang

Pub: 2010

Plot details hidden until you finish "MAX".

A new, beautifully laid-out edition of Jack London's 1906 classic adventure story.

7

Angel

Pub: 2011

Plot details hidden until you finish "Fang".

Max Ride and her best friends are up against a deadly force, but Fang is gone just when they need him most. Will they be ready for the ultimate showdown? Max Ride and her best friends have always had one another's backs-no matter what. Living on the edge as fugitives, they never had a choice. But now they're up against a deadly force that's racing across the globe, and just when they need him the most, Fang is gone. He's creating his own gang that will replace everyone-including Max. Max is heartbroken over losing Fang, her soul mate. Her closest friend. But with Dylan ready and willing to fight by her side, and she can no longer deny that his incredible intensity draws her in. Max, Dylan, and the rest of their friends must soon join forces with Fang and his new gang for an explosive showdown in Paris that's unlike anything you've ever imagined...or read.

8

Nevermore

Pub: 2012

Plot details hidden until you finish "Angel".

A gripping psychological thriller where a detective searches for a missing person, only to uncover a terrifying secret society lurking beneath the surface.

9

Maximum Ride Forever

Pub: 2015

Plot details hidden until you finish "Nevermore".

Navigate a post-apocalyptic world and experience a thrilling finale with the ultimate Maximum Ride novel.   Discover the ninth and ultimate Maximum Ride story! Legions of Max fans won't be disappointed by this encore episode in the beloved series about the incredible adventures of a teenage girl who can fly. As Maximum Ride boldly navigates a post-apocalyptic world, she and her broken flock are roaming the earth, searching for answers to what happened. All will be revealed in this last spectacular "ride"-a mesmerizing grand finale featuring all of the nonstop action and twists and turns of a blockbuster Patterson page-turner! Don’t miss out on a single Maximum Ride adventure!   The Fugitives The Angel Experiment School’s Out Forever Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports   The Protectors The Final Warning Max Fang Angel Nevermore Maximum Ride Forever   Maximum Ride: Hawk­ Hawk Hawk: City of the Dead

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Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read Maximum Ride in?

Start with The Angel Experiment (2005).

How many books are in Maximum Ride?

9 main books, published 2005–2015.

Can I read Maximum Ride out of order?

It's best not to. The books build on each other, so reading out of order spoils earlier twists.

Has Maximum Ride been adapted for TV or film?

A 2016 film adapts book 1.