The Lake House Review

Over the last couple of years I have become quite the James Patterson fan.  One of the books that got me to really like Patterson was the The Lake House.

The Lake House

Dr. Kane is a brilliant Doctor. He believes that it is his mission to save the world, and he will go to great lengths in order to do this. These lengths include harvesting organs and body parts from naive volunteers. These volunteers believe that they are just helping out with research for the great Dr. Kane's Resurrection Project. These victims however will never be seen again.

Dr. Kane also has another obsession that keeps him busy. He is obsessed with capturing and studying and possibly using the Bird Children.

In a genetic lab called, "The School" 6 children were taken from their mother's wombs (each of the mothers being told their babies had died), and were genetically altered with wings. Each of these children would of course be able to fly. Each child was also gifted with great intelligence and strength. But they were not treated well at the school. The oldest of the children runs away from the school and is discovered by Veterinarian Dr. Frannie O'neill. This actually occurs in the previous book but knowing this is important to understanding this book. Frannie falls for the young girl whose name is Max and along with FBI Agent Kit Harrison set out to save the other 5 bird children. This is of course no easy task, and causes a great deal of turmoil and destruction to their lives. Frannie and Kit fall for the children, and for each other, and attempt to live as a family while enjoying wonderful life together, living at the Lake House.

After a brief introduction to the sick world of Dr. Kane, the Bird Children's story begins in this book with the media swarming the Bird Children as they enter the court House. This is the story of the year as we find Frannie and Kit at a custody hearing for the 6 children: Maximillion (Max), Ozomandius (Oz), Mathew, Icarus, Peter and Wendy.

The children's biological parents, after finding out that their babies were alive had all of course decided that they wanted their children back. But Frannie and Kit are fighting to keep the children because they love them, and because the children are special. The biological parents could not possibly understand the special needs of these children. The most important need being that they are a flock, Frannie, and Kit included and a flock needs to stay together.

When the court decides that each of the children should return to their biological parents, the children reluctantly do as they are instructed. The media however is always trying to get at the bird children, and the biological parents do not understand how dangerous this is. But Max the oldest of the bird children knows how dangerous it is, for she has been warned, "You talk, you die." After a particarly pushy reporter gathers up too much informatin and visits Max attempts at Bird Children's lives are made and the ambitious reporter loses her life, a fate that Max had warned her about.

Each of the children decide that they must do what is natural to them, and that means that they must return to each other, and to Frannie and Kit. They each run away (or fly away in their case) from the homes of their biological parents and return to Frannie. The action really begins here. They are not only fighting to stay together, but they are also fighting to avoid capture, or even worse death, as there are powerful beings out to get them.

The reader is taken along on the exciting journey, as Frannie, Kit, and the kids fight for their lives and their freedom.

 I was immediately sucked in to the story line. I also immediately liked Frannie and sympathized with her character and could immediately feel the love she had for these children.

This book was a great read both for its action and for the loving and tenderness demonstrated throughout the book. These were characters I truly found my self caring about and that made me get in to the story all that much more.

But all of this caring should not undermine the fact that there is something extremely sinister and twisted going on in this book. And the villain of the book is every bit as distasteful as the heroines of this book are lovable. And moments of tenderness are often interrupted by threats of danger, keeping the reader on their toes at all times.

I would recommend this book because it has the elements that I believe make a good story. Is it flawless? No I found a couple of flaws, but the flaws didn't really detract from the story too much. Was it realistic? Probably not. But it is fiction and fiction is meant to take us away from our own realities, so to be honest I don't really care of it is realistic or not. Things are explained very well in the book so you don't feel like this is complete rubbish, it makes it almost believable all though you know it is not really possible.

The character development is fantastic. The action, and mystery are equally good. The three of these things combined make for an excellent read in my opinion. I would recommend the Lake House by James Patterson.