in this action-packed follow-up to the #1 New York Times blockbuster MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, now available in paperback. The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself.

Maximum Ride: School's Out--Forever begins with the Flock heading off to look for their parents using papers with a computerized code that they had obtained at the Institute for Higher Living. On the way, they run into flying Erasers (with deformed, patched-on wings), including Ari. After a fight with Ari, Fang suffers injuries serious enough to need medical treatment at a hospital. FBI agent Anne Walker and her colleagues question members of the Flock for information about the School and its experiments; in exchange, she offers her home for residence while Fang recovers, though he healed in only a few days. The Flock agrees, and eventually they are enrolled into a public school. While at the school, Max witnesses Fang kissing a girl named Lissa, nicknamed by Max the 'Red-Headed Wonder'. Shortly after, most likely out of jealousy, Max starts to go out with a boy named Sam. The principal of the school works for the Institute for the Higher Living and almost traps the Flock at the school. Once they return to their residence, Anne Walker reveals herself as the leader of the labs that created the Flock, and even offers to adopt them. Later, Max is kidnapped and replaced with a clone known as 'Max 2' that has the appearance but not the personality of the original Max. In the end, Max discovers that she had been set up to kill Max 2; however, Max cannot bring herself to destroy the other Max and escapes with the Flock after Gasman and Iggy set off a bomb.

Picking up right where the first book left off, Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever takes Max and the rest of the flock on a whirlwind adventure. The flock is still on the run from some of the same old baddies, but now they have new foes to deal with as well, including a Max clone. However, they're not entirely on their own, and help comes from some unexpected people. But are they really trying to help? Only time will tell.
And not only do they have to worry about staying alive, grades now hang in the balance for the flock. Once again, they find themselves in school... but this time it's for real. New challenges are faced every day, with classes, teachers, an evil principal, field trips, and even possible romances, all while new powers are being discovered and developed.