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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This was a good "episode," dealing with some Marco feels. I'm still really enjoying Marco. He's pretty sharp when it comes to knowing the purposes his humor is serving for him. I wish he would open up to his friends more, and some of that gets forced in this book anyway. Looking forward to the next time this plotline comes up again.
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Escape is certainly consequential in the Animorphs series for addressing one of the more burning secrets that has lingered for nearly ten books now. However, the unfortunate lack of stakes in the reveal, the glossing over of this consequential information, not only lessens the impact of this entry but also weakens previous books that propped up Visser One as a key element to be addressed. No other character has any opinions on the vital information, and as a result the group fails yet again to turn the tide of the war against the Yeerks. Not that they would need much help considering the Yeerks remain geniuses off-screen and completely inept on it. The mismatch of villain characterization in what is told to the reader about them versus what we see continues to be one of the more head scratching elements within the series. Their mischievous plan in The Escape features them using copious resources to control sharks knowing full well that water is not the key domain for the race that they’re actually intending to control. Were it not for Marco being a compelling, snarky protagonist and a few interesting sequences involving a unique new morph, this entry would be a complete miss.
Spring 2020 (Animorphs Read 2020 April);
I don't like Marco at all.
He's bearable when I'm only getting commentary about his existence through other people, but I find myself having to push myself so hard to get through any of his books. I see the "telling" of the constant mentions of people saying he's humorous, and especially is bragging/bungling with it, but there so little doing of it, and every time they seem to show it, I just groan and want to silence the child. He's everything about That Guy that I don't like.
I don't like Marco at all.
He's bearable when I'm only getting commentary about his existence through other people, but I find myself having to push myself so hard to get through any of his books. I see the "telling" of the constant mentions of people saying he's humorous, and especially is bragging/bungling with it, but there so little doing of it, and every time they seem to show it, I just groan and want to silence the child. He's everything about That Guy that I don't like.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While the plot of this book was fairly average, I felt like this was a great exploration of Marco as a character, particularly how masculinity, grief, and trauma have influenced who he is as a person and how he relates to those around him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In this book, the Animorphs discover a secret Yeerk facility in the ocean. The facility is being used to create shark controllers for the invasion of a water planet, Leeran. The frog-like species that inhabit the planet (also called Leeran) cannot be infested by the Yeerks, as they possess strong psychic abilities. Therefore, the Yeerks are genetically engineering sharks to serve as aquatic versions of the Hork-Bajir. Shark brains unfortunately don't allow for Yeerk infestation, so they've been modifying shark anatomy accordingly.
This facility is being headed by Visser One, the Yeerk that has infested Marco's ~dead mother. Marco is torn as to whether he should tell the other Animorphs the truth about his dead mother, not wanting his friends to kill the innocent woman who is just acting as the host body. Unfortunately Visser One is swept up in the deluge as the Animorphs destroy the facility, and Marco is unsure if she made it out alive. Thanks to the words of a traitor Leeran, if she did make it out alive, there's the very real possibility that the Yeerks now know that the 'Andalite bandits' are not Andalites at all.
---
I feel like the pacing has been off for the past couple of books. In [b:The Unknown|363391|The Unknown (Animorphs, #14)|Katherine Applegate|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327890558s/363391.jpg|2239382], the Animorphs undertook reconnaissance for 95% of the novel and the action was bunched up quickly in the last few pages. It's the same deal here: the Animorphs discover the Yeerk facility, do some reconnaissance and infiltrate it, but the actual battle is over in the blink of an eye within the last 5 pages.
I'd prefer that the book be equally divided into quarters:
1. While going about their daily business, the Animorphs stumble across a new Yeerk facility/mission/whatever
2. The Animorphs decide to do reconnaissance on the Yeerk facility/mission/whatever
3. The Animorphs interfere with the Yeerk facility/mission/whatever, winning by a stroke of luck
4. The Animorphs regroup to discuss the outcome of the Yeerk facility/mission/whatever and what it means for their continued fight against the slugs.
I'm hoping Visser One made it out alive, because I'd like to see Marco reunited with his mother at the end of the Yeerk war. That being said, her being alive can only mean bad things for the Animorphs! Assuming the traitor Leeran didn't die, it's likely that he managed to get it through her skull that the Andalite bandits are actually a ragtag bunch of kids. Fingers crossed that Visser One survived the destruction but the Leeran somehow didn't!
But the repercussions caused by the Leeran don't end there! So far we've been under the impression that the Yeerk invasion has started small, confined to this medium-sized American town. We've believed that the Yeerks don't have the resources or power to do much more than infest school principals and start up small businesses. But in this book we learned that the Yeerks are gearing up to simultaneously invade the planet of Leeran. The Yeerks must have a much larger force and much more resources than we anticipated to pull that off. And who's to say that the Yeerks are only invading Leeran and Earth - it's entirely possible that they're in the midst of invading 5 other planets!
This wasn't the best paced book, but it presents a lot of new challenges for the Animorphs! Excited to see where the next few books take me.
This facility is being headed by Visser One, the Yeerk that has infested Marco's ~dead mother. Marco is torn as to whether he should tell the other Animorphs the truth about his dead mother, not wanting his friends to kill the innocent woman who is just acting as the host body. Unfortunately Visser One is swept up in the deluge as the Animorphs destroy the facility, and Marco is unsure if she made it out alive. Thanks to the words of a traitor Leeran, if she did make it out alive, there's the very real possibility that the Yeerks now know that the 'Andalite bandits' are not Andalites at all.
---
I feel like the pacing has been off for the past couple of books. In [b:The Unknown|363391|The Unknown (Animorphs, #14)|Katherine Applegate|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327890558s/363391.jpg|2239382], the Animorphs undertook reconnaissance for 95% of the novel and the action was bunched up quickly in the last few pages. It's the same deal here: the Animorphs discover the Yeerk facility, do some reconnaissance and infiltrate it, but the actual battle is over in the blink of an eye within the last 5 pages.
I'd prefer that the book be equally divided into quarters:
1. While going about their daily business, the Animorphs stumble across a new Yeerk facility/mission/whatever
2. The Animorphs decide to do reconnaissance on the Yeerk facility/mission/whatever
3. The Animorphs interfere with the Yeerk facility/mission/whatever, winning by a stroke of luck
4. The Animorphs regroup to discuss the outcome of the Yeerk facility/mission/whatever and what it means for their continued fight against the slugs.
I'm hoping Visser One made it out alive, because I'd like to see Marco reunited with his mother at the end of the Yeerk war. That being said, her being alive can only mean bad things for the Animorphs! Assuming the traitor Leeran didn't die, it's likely that he managed to get it through her skull that the Andalite bandits are actually a ragtag bunch of kids. Fingers crossed that Visser One survived the destruction but the Leeran somehow didn't!
But the repercussions caused by the Leeran don't end there! So far we've been under the impression that the Yeerk invasion has started small, confined to this medium-sized American town. We've believed that the Yeerks don't have the resources or power to do much more than infest school principals and start up small businesses. But in this book we learned that the Yeerks are gearing up to simultaneously invade the planet of Leeran. The Yeerks must have a much larger force and much more resources than we anticipated to pull that off. And who's to say that the Yeerks are only invading Leeran and Earth - it's entirely possible that they're in the midst of invading 5 other planets!
This wasn't the best paced book, but it presents a lot of new challenges for the Animorphs! Excited to see where the next few books take me.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No