This is a delightful, fun read.  The story takes place on planet earth in the not too distant future.  The story is told from the standpoint of an eight year old female bird-kid who is 98 % human and 2% bird, named Max.  Max is the leader of a flock of human bird-kids, all created by the same team of scientists. Their mission is to save the planet; apparently saving the planet is an on-going project, with which mankind will be occupied for decades to come.  This is not a story that needs more action.  Our heroine and her bird-kid flock are faced with non-stop crisis after crisis as the plot unfolds. Not only are there many battles to be fought, but there are also a number of mysteries to be solved.

There is time for a bit of romance as Max experiences the first stirrings of attraction towards the opposite sex when Fang, a male member of the flock, kisses her for the first time.

There is also some humor in the story.  At one point, the U.S. Navy is assigned the task of putting the flock through basic training.  The flock humiliates all of the instructors and passes all the tests in record time.

At times, Max thinks like an eight year old.  But she feels responsible for the whole flock, often putting herself in danger to get one of the other bird-kids out of trouble.  She must also show the qualities of a leader.  If that is not enough to dump on the shoulders of an eight year old, she and her flock must also save the world.

The book is listed as being for young adults.  I am 72 and I thoroughly enjoyed it.