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justjaqueline's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
temporaryhouseplant's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tiepilot_dandy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
justgj's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thistlechaser's review
5.0
Disclaimer: I'm reading this series for the first time as an adult. (Unfortunately) I have no fond memories coloring my reading.
Holy cow, this book. Not only the best book of the series, but the best book I've read in a while! The writing was so good. The title had multiple meanings (I kept saying "Oh this is why it's called that" over and over). But more than those things, it was so realistic and made the whole Animorphs world more real.
To recap the series: "Evil brain slugs" (Yeerks) are trying to take over the universe.
To sum up this book: Yeerks are people, too. They're just as varied as any other race. They have good individuals and bad. They have their whole view on the war. They have their own motives and reasoning.
Holy cow, this book.
How had I bought into the "Evil brain slugs are trying to take over the universe" picture for so long? Why did I not realize they would have their own view on things? Why hadn't I realized we were seeing the whole war from the POV of the race fighting them?
Karen smiled a small smile. "We are not all like Visser Three," she said. "Some of us are just little Yeerks, unimportant nobodies who are caught in this war.
This book changes everything.
"Andalites, humans, there's no difference: You're both smug, moralizing, superior races. You both live in beautiful worlds. You have hands and eyes and the freedom to move about wherever you like. And you hate us for wanting all those same things."
How did I not realize that "brain slugs" would have a reason for taking over people! And I didn't save the quote, but there was a line about how what they do is no worse than what we humans do. Humans EAT other animals. We kill them and eat them. Yeerks are parasites, they "just" live in their brains and take them over.
It also was SUCH an accurate look at how we as people act. This line was so accurate:
"Your morality is real simple. Anything humans do is okay, anything Yeerks do is wrong."
How familiar is that? In our politics, our view on wars and such?
More than that big picture, the writing was so good. I kept copying out sections to save.
He had faced too many dangers. Worse, he had made too many life-and-death decisions. That shows up in your face after a while. In your eyes. It showed up in the way Jake stood taller than before, and yet somehow a little worn-out. There was a ragged look to him.
The only small downside of this book was the ending. Since it's an Animorphs book, since it's meant for young readers, it needed a fight scene. I skimmed it (as I usually do the action scenes). It also, as this series always does, had a cop-out on character death, but I don't suppose the series will ever kill off a main character, so that's to be expected.
Next up: The second Animorphs Megamorphs book. Plus side: It's about dinosaurs. Minus side, after this book, I'm going to have NO patience for an all-action book...
Holy cow, this book. Not only the best book of the series, but the best book I've read in a while! The writing was so good. The title had multiple meanings (I kept saying "Oh this is why it's called that" over and over). But more than those things, it was so realistic and made the whole Animorphs world more real.
To recap the series: "Evil brain slugs" (Yeerks) are trying to take over the universe.
To sum up this book: Yeerks are people, too. They're just as varied as any other race. They have good individuals and bad. They have their whole view on the war. They have their own motives and reasoning.
Holy cow, this book.
How had I bought into the "Evil brain slugs are trying to take over the universe" picture for so long? Why did I not realize they would have their own view on things? Why hadn't I realized we were seeing the whole war from the POV of the race fighting them?
Karen smiled a small smile. "We are not all like Visser Three," she said. "Some of us are just little Yeerks, unimportant nobodies who are caught in this war.
This book changes everything.
"Andalites, humans, there's no difference: You're both smug, moralizing, superior races. You both live in beautiful worlds. You have hands and eyes and the freedom to move about wherever you like. And you hate us for wanting all those same things."
How did I not realize that "brain slugs" would have a reason for taking over people! And I didn't save the quote, but there was a line about how what they do is no worse than what we humans do. Humans EAT other animals. We kill them and eat them. Yeerks are parasites, they "just" live in their brains and take them over.
It also was SUCH an accurate look at how we as people act. This line was so accurate:
"Your morality is real simple. Anything humans do is okay, anything Yeerks do is wrong."
How familiar is that? In our politics, our view on wars and such?
More than that big picture, the writing was so good. I kept copying out sections to save.
He had faced too many dangers. Worse, he had made too many life-and-death decisions. That shows up in your face after a while. In your eyes. It showed up in the way Jake stood taller than before, and yet somehow a little worn-out. There was a ragged look to him.
The only small downside of this book was the ending. Since it's an Animorphs book, since it's meant for young readers, it needed a fight scene. I skimmed it (as I usually do the action scenes). It also, as this series always does, had a cop-out on character death, but I don't suppose the series will ever kill off a main character, so that's to be expected.
Next up: The second Animorphs Megamorphs book. Plus side: It's about dinosaurs. Minus side, after this book, I'm going to have NO patience for an all-action book...
grapie_deltaco's review
5.0
After a battle that ends in Cassie giving into wolf instincts and murdering a Hork-Bajir, she makes the claim that she no longer wishes to be a member of the Animorphs or participant in this war.
“It was battle," I whispered into the sheets drawn up under my chin. "It's a war.”
The guilt is eating her alive and the toll of all this violence is weighing on her heavily.
”Each day, each battle, each mission. I just feel less and less.”
This has to be one of my all-time favorite installments for the series. Not only do we witness an intense journey of self-reflection as Cassie battles with her sense of morality, but we also get a deeper understanding of the Yeerks in a way that genuinely moves them into a sympathetic light. It’s a story that demands introspection and calls on Cassie (and the reader) to ask ourselves what lengths we would go to and what sacrifices we would make in order to gain freedom.
This book had me legitimately crying, especially after understanding the cover. Cassie doesn’t have it in herself to hate. She’s simply not built for it, and that lack of ability to hate leads to an incredibly honest and complex struggle with doing what’s right.
This was so painful and fantastic.
CW: war, slavery, violence, murder, death, ableism + dated ableist language
“It was battle," I whispered into the sheets drawn up under my chin. "It's a war.”
The guilt is eating her alive and the toll of all this violence is weighing on her heavily.
”Each day, each battle, each mission. I just feel less and less.”
This has to be one of my all-time favorite installments for the series. Not only do we witness an intense journey of self-reflection as Cassie battles with her sense of morality, but we also get a deeper understanding of the Yeerks in a way that genuinely moves them into a sympathetic light. It’s a story that demands introspection and calls on Cassie (and the reader) to ask ourselves what lengths we would go to and what sacrifices we would make in order to gain freedom.
This book had me legitimately crying, especially after understanding the cover. Cassie doesn’t have it in herself to hate. She’s simply not built for it, and that lack of ability to hate leads to an incredibly honest and complex struggle with doing what’s right.
This was so painful and fantastic.
CW: war, slavery, violence, murder, death, ableism + dated ableist language
andrewjstillman's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
karkarwitch's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eljoseph24's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5