Nevermore by James Patterson

1,000 stars of 5 stars

Nevermore by James Patterson was...breathtaking. I was gasping so much, it's a wonder i got any breath at all. The twists and turns were so intense, I nearly got whiplash. I knew without a doubt that it was going to end with a bang - a big one. So my mind started to try to untangle the web of hints dropped throughout the novel and the series before I was even halfway through the book, in an attempt to prepare myself so I wouldn't combust from shock. I've read many, many books, and there are patterns that crop up often. But I've never read an ending like this. Ever. The shock was insane, and the conclusion left me wondering. Not about anything in the book though (every question is heart-stoppingly answered) but about after the last page. Which happens with every book, I suppose, but most books end in a place where everything that follows is predictable. They live happily ever after, they try to move past the trauma, blah, blah, blah. That's usually easy to see. This book ended in such a way that trying to guess what happens next takes an enormous amount of imagination, since it seems that practically anything can happen. The epilogue's title says it all: The Beginning. Max's story may have ended, but her world is just beginning...

Now for an in depth review. Let's start with this summary, as taken from Goodreads.com, and appears on the inside flap of the book jacket:

"One last chance...
For Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.
Before it all ends.

Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming."

If you looked up "cryptic" and "not helpful" in the dictionary, you would find this synopsis. But you might also find it under "suspenseful" and "thrilling". This is a synopsis that gets right to the point.,.if you've already read the series. It is not one that would make someone picking up the book for the first time, never having seen the Maximum Ride series before, want to look for the rest. Sure, it makes one question, but really, there's not enough there to interest people other than current loyal readers. I'm a current, loyal reader, so I loved it, but from a third party perspective, they could have done better.

Fang vs Dylan. Honestly, for most of this book, I was Team Dylan. He was sweet, and the chapters in his third person point of view really help us know him a bit better I think. He came into the story in Fang, and was there through Angel, but it wasn't until this book that I feel like I got a feel of his character because Fang is kind of out of the picture. In Fang, Max was in love with Fang, In Angel, she was getting over him. In Nevermore, she's not over him, but she no longer thinks about him as much, which means we get to see more Dylan.
But every hero (or hero's friend) goes through their ups and downs, and Dylan is no different. Except his down was...well, let's just say it was down through the Earth's crust an into the inner depths of hell. His down made me do a double take. It starts off with a decision he's conflicted on, and escalates until I can't see the sweet, nice guy I thought was through the entire book, anymore. It's as if he morphs completely for a bit. He gets it together, but the aftermath leads me to dislike him. But overall, he has great character development here.

We find out who the voice is. Prepare to gasp and/or choke on your saliva.

Does Max save the world? Well, in my humble opinion, that's debatable. Depends on your definition of "world".

What's next? For Max? Anything. Nothing. You're really left wondering until the final page, and maybe even after that if you choose to delve into the unknown.

The last few pages will have you near tears. The first part of the epilogue, entitled: Max's Final Words, will present a conundrum unlike anything I've ever seen. Nearly gave me a migraine as I tried to both figure it out, and not cry at the same time. The second part of the epilogue...well, as I've said, the title speaks for itself.

This book was really a thrilling ending to a series that I believe children, teens, and adults alike will be reading for sometime to come. Action, romance, mystery, sci-fi, these books have had a bit of everything for anyone, and I don't think they'll be quickly forgotten by those who read them.



Look for Confessions of a Murder Suspect, James Patterson's next thrilling, mysterious tale, out 9.24.12.