We Have Lived a Thousand Lives

You know that feeling when you finish a book?

The one where you can't figure out how the rest of the world is still moving.

Like, how can they not know the importance of what just happened at the conclusion or whatever it is at the time you look up?

Maybe someone died.  Maybe you're clutching the book to your chest or wanting to throw it across the room or both.  Maybe you've already put the book down and are contemplating it --already comparing it to your life.

Maybe, hopefully not, someone is there to witness it.  Maybe they said something to you about it.

“I don't know why you read if it makes you so sad.”

“You're acting like a completely different person.”

“It's just a book.”

Just.

A.

Book.

But, yes.  I do act like a different person.  I read because I refuse to be the same person throughout my life.  I require personal growth and discovery to be content.  Each book brings a new thought.  Every book is a new idea.  Every book is a new person, wrapped in pages.  Reading unwraps the person directly into your mind.  This person shows you things you never thought about before.

This person leaves a little bit of itself in you when the book is done.  You absorb the ideas and feelings.  Part of you becomes this person.

Part of you changes.

We all know the studies about how people who read a variety of genres and who read often are more open minded and reflective.  People who like to read can spend hours comparing the world we know to books.  We find bits of ourselves in everyone.  We can easily identify our faults.

We see ourselves equal to everyone.

Because we have been everyone.

And yet, we know there are some things people go through that we can never understand.

But we are different after every book.  We have changed.

We have lived a thousand lives.

Maximum Ride Forever **CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS**

I feel like I have been reading these books for my whole life.  I started the series when I was nine, when only the first two books had been released.  Since then, I remember waiting anxiously for every book after that to come out.  After eleven years, the book series that linked my sisters and me together, made its way into many of my quotes and jokes, and became the inspiration for quite a few of my essays is over -- forever.

This series feels like a good friend who was really interesting at first, then got boring, then came back and slapped me in the face.  But I loved every second.  These characters grew with me and influenced certain ways I thought.  "Pain is a message; hold all calls." was my mantra for a while, like Max.  I tried to blindfold myself to see if my hearing got better like Iggy.  During rough times, I thought if I stayed still long enough that I could disappear like Fang.  I never was able to hack computers, build bombs, or read minds, but the positive attitudes of the younger Flock was a good thing to remember.  Angel's "age is just a number" attitude, however sadistic, was still kind of cool.  The Flock teaches us to trust our instincts, think before we act (usually), and to take care of the people you love first.  While they can get quite soap-opera-y, it really is a great ride.

I can read this series over and over again and still feel the way I did the first time.  There are a lot of beautiful things that happened in this series.  There are a lot of things that make you appreciate the life you have and the people you love.  It also shows a good idea on the grey lines between good and evil. 

My husband witnessed the event of me reading this final installment.  With only minimal teasing about it being a "just a book", he did give me tissues, caffeine, and hugs throughout the whole thing.  I was expecting to hate this whole book.  For the first 90% of the book, I was right.  I was heartbroken, and I felt like everything was pointless.  I didn't understand why James Patterson felt the need to make me cry within 37 pages of the book.  Take note: I don't cry... Basically ever.

Nonetheless, I couldn't put it down.  In less than four hours (including several crying and food breaks), I had gone from anxious, to crying, to hopeful, to crying, to unbelieving, to being ripped apart and angry.  I ended the book fully content and satisfied.  Maybe that is kind of heartless given the certain Dylan circumstances, but if it came down to him or losing the whole Flock (like we previously believed), I will choose the flock.  I am perfectly happy seeing the original flock still together and alive.  Plus a few.

The book itself was a roller coaster that seemed like James Patterson was just trying to give you more reasons to hate him.  After the last few books, I wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't even give us a bone by bringing the Flock back.  I was so apprehensive with the way everything after the fourth book came out.  But, like most of the other reviews I have read, I am pleasantly surprised and so glad with the way this came out.  It wasn't a fairytale ending (please, don't tell me you expected that).  The world is still gone.  It is still a horrible future to be a part of.  But they are together.  That was really all I was hoping for.

After reflection, I feel like the book was a blur.  There was a lot of stuff happening.  I can't decide how much of it was just filler, but I am leaning towards not a lot.  It went so fast, and I feel like it needs to be reread just to see what I missed.  But I am not ready for that just yet.  It was a well put-together book that does answer a lot of questions (still raising many more).  Honestly, though, I think many of us will be too tired and brain overloaded to keep asking them.

I hope you give this book a shot, and that you end up in favor of the ending.

Enjoy the ride...