My kids aren’t quite checking books out of the “young adult” section of the library yet, but they are precocious readers, and I like to keep up with what’s out there. So when offered a chance to review the latest in the bestselling Maximum Ride series, I thought I’d check it out.

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports is the third installment in the story of fourteen-year-old Max, who has escaped from and is now battling the evil scientists who created her (she’s 98% human, 2% bird). She’s joined by a cohort of mostly younger bird-kids and a talking dog, for good measure.

The book reads very much like a teen action film, with minimal plot and plenty of violence against robotic bad guys. Max is out to stop the mad scientists, who plan to make the world a better place by killing off most of the population. There’s also a flimsy discussion of environmentalism (along the lines of: The grownups have ruined the world! No fair! Let’s take over!) without any explanation of what Max and company might do to green up the planet. And then we’re back to battling the robot army and other genetically-engineered enemies.

As for the boring details I always wonder about when choosing a book for my kids:

AHEM, ROMANCE: There’s a bit of kissing and a drooling description of scantily-clad women on a beach, but everyone stays clothed throughout.

LANGUAGE: A handful of “Good Lord”s and “God”s, but nothing in the way of excess profanity.

VIOLENCE: Well, yes. About on par with what they’d catch on television, if they watch such things: main characters suffer only minor injuries while defeating hordes of bad guys. The bird kids are protected by a fictional street gang at one point, and the gang helps them battle the droves of enemy droids.

This one wouldn’t fly with my kids, but there’s clearly an audience for it, seeing as the series sells and sells. Consider it for reluctant readers, especially those who might otherwise prefer to catch their entertainment on a screen.

Visit MotherTalk for dozens more opinions on Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports.

Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book, as well as a small honorarium from MotherTalk for participating in this blog book tour.