Reviews

The Deception by K.A. Applegate

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thistlechaser's review against another edition

1.0

Disclaimer: I'm reading this series for the first time as an adult. (Unfortunately) I have no fond memories coloring my reading.

You know, in this series they knock people out a lot. They hit them over the head with metal things, Marco in gorilla morph punches them on the head, tiger morph hits them with a paw. Throw them head first into stone walls. Lots of people get hit hard on the head, and the kids always say/think/assume they're completely fine. I guess they hadn't known about traumatic brain injury back in the 90s?

Anyway, onto this book.

So, with eight books left in the series, the war has finally started for real. Open warfare. The kids are no longer trying to hide their morphing or their attacks.

The Yeerks too are no longer trying to hide their attacks. Their new plan is to start another World War, so humans kill each other and make it easier for them to take over.

All that being said... this story was pretty hard to believe. The Animorphs (children) steal and fly one of the Air Force's newest, fastest jets. Crashland it into the ocean and walk away completely healthy and without injury. Then they reach an aircraft carrier that the Yeerks are going to use to start World War 3. All too fast, the military people there figure out what's going on, who is on which side, and start fighting side by side with the Animorphs. At one point Ax (an alien, in his alien form) asks one of the soldiers if he can use his DNA, and the guy says "I'd be honored". All this in less than an hour or so since they crashed the plane in the ocean.

Still, with the not quite believable stuff, the story had some interesting elements. Ax POV. Interesting insight into what can and does happen during war. Too bad the interesting parts were so brief and far between.

grapie_deltaco's review against another edition

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4.0

This story begins with the Animorphs on a call with the Andalites asking for their long-awaited assistance against the Yeerks on earth and to everyone’s surprise, they’re hesitant about extending that assistance.

But there’s a new Visser One and the Yeerks have instigated a new world war.

This installment is chaotic and filled to the brim with horror, death, and needless violence. We watch an influx of innocent lives be put on the line and lost through Ax’s eyes as a difficult decision must be made born out of twisted, last chance attempt at victory for planet earth.

“Billions of human lives versus ten or twenty thousand…”

Ax makes a decision that is so violently Andalite in every way and he’ll hate himself for the rest of his life over it.

Horrifying.

CW: war, violence, mass murder, death, grief, slavery, murder, terrorism

mugsandpugs's review against another edition

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5.0

FRICK this one was amazing... Like being punched in the heart ten times per page.

Remember in book #31, when Ax insisted he would never torture anyone again? Or book #43, when Cassie refused to do a mission for fear of hurting people?
Yeah.... Those were simpler times.