I've done it again. I've finished a book suggested by a reader. And this one I liked! This suggestion came from Jumble Mash, author of
Jumble Mash . She's funny and random and so spot-on that I completely forgive her for being Team Jacob. You should check her out sometime.
On to her book recommendation. She recommended
Maximum Ride
by James Patterson. I added it to my library queue and waited. When it showed up on my front doorstep (yes, the library delivers to my front door... jealous, are you?) it looked intriguing so I cracked it open that day.
I did not sufficiently do my research; this book is one of a long, not yet finished series and I now have to wait for the next book to arrive. Curse you, Jumble Mash!
Anyway,
The Angel Experiment, the first book in the series, centers around these kids that have been scientifically engineered to be half birds/ half humans. Intriguing, no? It's YA/ Sci Fi and it moves pretty quick.
The main characters are pretty young, the three older ones all being about 14. Which means, of course, the the movie version will call them 17 and have them played by 20 year olds. Because talented 14 year old dramatic actors are rare. Rare like a bloody steak. So here are my technically-too-old-but-actually-perfect picks.
Max is the leader of the group. She's the "mom" to the younger kids. She's the thinker, the organizer and the comforter. She's headstrong and cocky, like nearly every other teenager on the planet. Oh, and she has 15 foot wings. The girl on the cover is blond, and I think I will admit to this coloring my judgment slightly. But, I think
Hayden Panettiere is a believable butt-kicker (RIP Heroes).
Fang is the quiet, brooding type. He's kind of a tall, dark and handsome rebel kid of few words. Despite the obvious draw, I like that the author didn't throw him and the pretty heroine together. This may still turnout differently, but I at least like that it's not a love-fest for now. I think somebody like
Reece Ritchie would fit the bill nicely.
Iggy is blind. He's described as being gangly; you know the type of teenage boy that has way more limbs than he really knows what to do with. All arms, feet, legs and wings. Er... you know what I mean. He's one of the more sarcastic characters, and I like him a lot. I think this kid,
Sterling Knight, could do it.
Nudge is a younger girl and is quite the motormouth. This girl has issues. I mean, they all have issues, being genetic freaks and orphans and all, but this girl is still coming to grips with it all. Any actress who play her will have to have some serious chops. This is where I see
Abigail Breslin.
Gasman gets his nickname from the most juvenile of sources. I bet you could figure it out if you tried. He's supposed to be very young, but he's smarter than the average bear. He and Angel are actually biological siblings. I think
Ryan Ochoa would do just fine.
Angel is probably the most "special" of the group; she's the youngest, by far. She's also telepathic. She's the one that tugs at your heartstrings and won't let go. We need somebody young with some serious chops; like
Morgan Lily.
Ari is a half man, half wolf (not werewolf) Eraser that hunts the bird-kids. He's savage and ruthless and sadistically violent. Cool guy. He's supposedly only about 7 years old; but the genetic mutation makes him look like a grown man (get it... dog years *snicker*). Ahem. All the Erasers are described as being handsome, strong with full, shiny heads of hair and melodic voices. There's also something to their powers that allows them to appear out of thin air. Kind of like
Agent Smith. Somebody like
Trevor Donovan; handsome yet lethal-looking.
Jeb is a mad scientist/ foster dad. Confused? You bet. I won't explain him, but we see a couple different sides of him through flashbacks and whatnot. He's not specifically described; but he taught the bird-kids to fight and fend for themselves. He's caring and a doting father figure to the flock. But, he also worked for the School where they were subjected to a horrific battery of tests and studies. He may even be part of the team that created the bird kids. So, we a need a double-agent looking type of guy.I call for
Christian Slater.
Yes, he's a big name, but he's also kind of a has-been. But, these books are popular, and there are a lot of them, and it seems as though there's going to be a lot of Jeb. This could put somebody (back) on the map. And did you see
My Own Worst Enemy? Dude, this guy can switch back and forth from Joe Schmoe to Wanna-Kill-You in a heartbeat.
Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts in the comments?
Images: Google Images
, the second book in the Maximum Ride series
by James Patterson, and there are some changes to make to my initial fantasy cast. 
or Horton Hears a Who
? And the trailers for Paul? Uh. Hil-ar-i-ous. This guy is going to go down in history as one of the comedic-voicework-geniuses of all time. 
