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wai's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This series was a special interest of mine when I was in elementary school. I was absolutely obsessed and loved it dearly. This is the first time I've really attempted a re-read of the series, and so far it holds up - while some of the references might be dated now, the characters still feel real and the conflict still feels intense and all consuming. I'm excited to continue the series and see if I continue to feel this way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Bullying
moonyreadsbystarlight's review
adventurous
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
This was hard to rate so the star rating is sort of subject to change. The writing style is cheesy and simple but the story is interesting and darker than I expected. Definitely going to check out book 2. I would probably have been into them if I'd read any as a kid. The descriptions of being in an animal's head, I would have loved
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, War, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
kaaaaaaaa's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Body horror
Moderate: War, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Death, Bullying, and Vomit
trashcanmoose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Murder, and Body horror
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, War, Toxic friendship, and Blood
Minor: Vomit
kstericker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Kidnapping, Confinement, and War
Minor: Bullying, Abandonment, and Vomit
ramiel's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A stellar starter in the series, as I've said in my other reviews: making a solid foundation for the series as a whole to build from. The kids are all so young and unaware of the world around them, just as any first time reader would be jumping in without any spoilers. It's a children's book, it's middle school kids who can turn into animals and fight the forces of evil, Saturday cartoon style. Comic book style, as Marco wishes later ("because the good guys don't die in comic books").
This book carries you along, and while it's a quick read it slowly and carefully reveals the story at hand. While Elfangor's death was an incredible tragedy that shook the kids to the point of being something that they carried with them constantly, while the story starts out with his anguished cries, while detailed and despairing it still doesn't completely reveal everything about to come. That's saved for the yeerk pool.
When the kids get to the yeerk pool, that's when things become clear. "We were so few, and so weak". The kids lost the fight, Tom was recaptured, but one woman went free and the children escaped with their lives, escaped to live and fight another day. The fight at the end turns out to be what the entire series felt to me in the end: a strange juxtaposition of futility and hope both existing in the same place at the same time. This is not an insult, nor is it saying it's "better" than any other story - what it does is make the story it's own, it fits because it was created to fit. Very little feels forced in the first few books, and, again, they serve as a good starting point for the anti-war themes the story seems to convey.
No glory in battle, only tragedy and hope for a day when all is well.
This book carries you along, and while it's a quick read it slowly and carefully reveals the story at hand. While Elfangor's death was an incredible tragedy that shook the kids to the point of being something that they carried with them constantly, while the story starts out with his anguished cries, while detailed and despairing it still doesn't completely reveal everything about to come. That's saved for the yeerk pool.
No glory in battle, only tragedy and hope for a day when all is well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child abuse
This is a series about war, and this is a series about child soldiers. It doesn't pull any punches on those themes or anything related to them. This will go for all 62 books in the series.
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