James Patterson strikes again

I had hoped the Maximum Ride books were flying off our YA shelves because they were being read by YA readers. I suppose, in the bigger picture, a circ is just a circ, and that's a good thing. But I still feel cheated by a nefarious marketing ploy. I've been irritated by this before.

Call me a cynic, Mr. Patterson.....

The New York Times writes about author James Patterson's attempts to reach a broader audience with his YA series, Maximum Ride. I don't care what he says in the interview: this is about selling more James Patterson books, not about successfully introducing adult readers to the joys of YA literature. Let's at least be honest, folks! Mr. Patterson isn't really so different from many adult authors (and actors) who think they have children books locked away inside of them. He is fortunate that he has the opportunity to get them published because of his track record in a different genre. But to throw his weight around like this, and then try to represent it as bringing great books to the masses, is nauseating.