Rating: 
Summary: A little disappointed.
Review: As an avid reader of James Patterson, I was a little disappointed with The Lake House. It started out fine but ended leaving the reader with questions. For example, why did he go into so much depth about the woman working the scoop? She never came into play again, so did we really need her? And the other clones? Did they die also? And how did Kit escape? Also it tended to be a little hokey at times with all "The Flock! The Family" together again stuff. Please don't get me wrong I will still wait for his next book to come out because he's still a very entertaining author, but I need to feel a book has been completed, and that the author really enjoyed writing his own story. Just don't rush it next time.
Rating:
Summary: Boring sequel
Review: Although this book is a very fast read, there is nothing new in this sequel to When the Wind Blows. Once again the kids are being stalked, and Frannie and Kit are trying to save them from the evil Dr. Kane. The ending is just plain silly. If you must read this, save your money and get this from the library or wait for the paperback. Bring back the Alex Cross books as these are Patterson at his best.
Rating: 
Summary: Lake House should be drowned
Review: Patterson's latest attempt at sci-fi mystery is again an example of how bad a book could be written. This book has no real plot and is typical of the downward spiral of this author's work...
Rating:
Summary: Not quite that bad but it is pretty weak.
Review: As others have mentioned, Patterson is more known for his Alex Cross novels and Woman's Murder Club. "When the Wind Blows" wasn't exactly a bad book. It was actually entertaining to say the least, and believe it or not, its one of Patterson's most successful novels around the world and THAT'S why he made a sequel. I guess the first thing I'd have to ask is that if you HATED "When the Wind Blows" I'd like to know why you wasted a few hours of your life reading this? No, I'm one of the few who liked "When the Wind Blows". But you if you abhored it I gaurantee you won't like this one so don't even pick it up and I'll explain why. Of course, the first problem with this book. As a sequel it has potential to be better than the first book, but its not. This book is too similar to "When the Wind Blows." The plot in this is the kids with wings now live with foster parents but want to live with Frannie O' Neil, their guardian in "When the Wind Blows." Well, a trial ensues and later the kids find a way to escape the foster parents and get back to the lake house to see their original guardian, while escaping an "evil" scientists. It should sound a little familiar. The problem with it being like "When the Wind Blows" is of course the fact that its so similar to the previous novel that this one is very predictable. This makes the read extremely boring. Mix that together with some unlikeable characters and you've got one of the less exciting reads in a while. So the Lake House had the potential to be better than "When the Wind Blows"... though I still didn't think that people who disliked the previous book would actually read this one. Should there be a third in this series it's best just to avoid it all together. If you're really into what James Patterson writes, check out "Along Came a Spider" or any other Alex Cross novel. Also check out "1st to Die" and the Woman's Murder Club books. They're pretty good.
Rating: 
Summary: BEST PATTERSON IN YEARS
Review: This is Patterson's best book in years. Maybe because he deviates from his formulaic Alex Cross mystery novels. LAKE HOUSE is a sequel to an earlier sci-fi novel, WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, picking up where he left off with a group of genetically engineered children with wings. This book, primarily focuses on two characters, Max the oldest bird girl, and Frannie, the veterinarian who wants to care for her and the other bird children. It begins with the bird children being awarded to the custody of their biological parents. Soon, the evil doctor who created them, Dr. Ethan Kane, returns to collect his progeny. His plot to dominate the world with this scientific findings unfolds. There is nothing offensive in this book. A junior high schooler on up will enjoy this. Just be forewarned, this is not a typical Patterson novel, due to the sci-fi elements of the plot. A good, fast read.
Rating:
Summary: Revenge of the Clones
Review: I really did enjoy reading this book's predecessor. At first, this book did not seem so bad... and then I read page 2. Seriously though, most of the book was tolerable (a FAR cry from what Patterson is capable of)... But I have never been so disappointed in an ending. Can you tell that Patterson had a minimum amount of writing he needed to do? I really felt that about 9/10 of the way through the book Patterson realized that he had almost met his quota for the month, and decided to chop the ending and make it as pathetically brief as possible. I was so disappointed by the way this book ends, and the lack of depth Patterson showed in writing this. He spreads the book in so many directions, and all of them are lucky to get a paragraph in the end to give them any summation.
Rating:
Summary: Too many loose ends
Review: This book attempts to be a medical thriller but fails miserably. For me, most of the fun of a medical thriller is to have the medical science not only explained clearly in layman's terms, but plausible within the foreseeable future. A good part of the scare is in knowing it could actually happen and exactly how. Patterson indicates to us that transplantation of entire organ systems is only one part of Resurrection, but never gets around to explaining what else is involved. What medical procedure could conceivably make a 94-year-old man appear to be in his 40s? Exactly what does Kane want the children for? I reached the final page hoping to find out, but never did. From now on I'll stick with Patterson's Alex Cross novels and medical thrillers written by MDs.
Rating:
Summary: One star because he wrote it, one because I read it
Review: Very disappointing story. I kept waiting for it to get good, but that never happened. The ending thudded like the author remembered he had to be somewhere and so he decided to slap something together. The story--which was totally different from what I expected from Patterson--had so much going for it, with its delightful, science fiction premise. You'll definitely be seeing this one available as a used book for not much more than the cost of postage. :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Too Much Cooing Bears Heavily on the Wings of this Tale
Review: Does Patterson's sequel to "When the Wind Blows" FLY, like his fantastically bio-engineered characters with wings?
Well. . . the innovative liftoff of the first installment of the bird childrens' story unfortunately can no longer soars as high in this tale which begins with veternarian Frannie O-Neill and FBI-agent Kit Brennan attempting to get custody in a media- saturated trial that rivals the likes of the current Michael Jackson fiasco. Burdened with a repetitive storyline and way too many atta-birds, "The Lake House" -- a reference to the idyllic dream dovehouse of the bird children -- fails to refeather the nest so wonderfully conceived by Patterson's first foray.
As with in first story, Patterson enjoys writing about his wunderkind; soaring descriptions of flight and formation of the "flock" literally fly off the pages. But some of his praise quickly gets stale; yes,thank you very much, the reader becomes aware right from the start that the kids' IQs are "all off the charts". Patterson's penchant for attempting to narrate from a child's perspective with a child's limited vocabulary also lays an egg; his transition into the more mature voice of vet-lady Frannie remains at the same immature level where the most over-used word of the book is some form of "creepy". Yet even this juvenile feel rings false when the children chirp songs from another era and relate to pop culture that is surely far older than even the eleven year old elder of the flock.
If you can get through these flaws --- and how I wish I didn't have to expend such energy and well, charity on this offering---- Patterson does tell a fast-paced albeit repeat story with some predictable side issues which urge the reader to turn to the next page, or in my case. listen to the next cassette simply because the reader wants to satisfactorily confirm what he believes will coming next.
At an attempt at a higher plane, Patterson takes some jabs at today's fixation on the media and his feelings about science running amok, but these ideas although well juxtaposed with his fantasy, are almost lost in the too false and cooing rah-rah enthusiasm of the kids and their almost overly indulgent make-shift parents.
The audio edition of this book is well-produced complete with thematic music. A female and male actor perform the larger roles of Frannie and Dr. Ethan Kane. Bottom line: if you enjoyed the first book of the series, than by all means, give this one a shot; its okay as a mind-engager while you exercise, but if you are like me, you may find yourself grimacing in pain at the somewhat silly dialogue and hoping that if a third book is in the works, Patterson at least checks to make sure his voices ring with some sense of consistency befitting an imaginery species.
Rating:
Summary: Remember -- this is a FANTASY!
Review: The Lake House which is the sequel to When the Wind Blows is a lovingly written book showing James Patterson's affection for his creations in the first book. If you are reading this book as you read James Patterson's Alex Cross series or the Murder Club books, you will be very disappointed. If, however, you enjoy some science fiction/fantasy dealt with in straightforward fashion and a story showing the characters, their growth and love as well as some suspense and excitement, you will enjoy this book. I do not usually cry over a book but was definitely weepy at this end of this book. Read it for what it is and enjoy!
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