3.75 AVERAGE

adventurous sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous mysterious 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: Yes

I love the Megamorphs books.  There is something great about switching from character to character, exploring multiple plot points at once, jumping from thoughts to thoughts, and getting a little insight from each character around a certain topic.  In this one, Applegate explores time travel and the role of violence as a necessary evil.  Things get deep while also staying comical and that's what I've come to enjoy most about this series.

hstapp's review

3.0

This one requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. Only one of these kids knows anything about dinosaurs?! Just one?!
lycheecha's profile picture

lycheecha's review

2.0

Not a fan of the Megamorph stuff aside from the multiple POVs tbh, but I get it. Dinosaurs rule.
irisfang's profile picture

irisfang's review

4.0
adventurous dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
kartrick's profile picture

kartrick's review

5.0

I really really loved it. Even though it is almost twice as lengthy as the normal Animorphs books, I wasn't bored even once. All the dinos. And the two species. Awesome awesome awesome.

byejohn's review

4.0
adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Fun and quick read!
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timegnostic's review

2.5
adventurous dark funny reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
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bookshelfmystic's review

5.0

This book is so. good. This is absolutely the best Animorphs yet. It is at once a survival story, a science fiction thriller, and a dramatic tragedy. And there is nary a Yeerk to be found.

The Animorphs are totally out of their element throughout all of In the Time of Dinosaurs, which serves well to create the higher stakes and cinematic scope the Megamorphs are going for. The nakedness of their terror in this hostile environment adds so much depth and realness. Marco and Jake both freaking the fuck out on separate occasions really showed their vulnerability.

The layer of
Spoiler the creatively-imagined aliens living on Earth during the Cretaceous period
on top of the human vs. nature story was just fantastic. Especially as the Animorphs
Spoiler must betray the Mercora to save the future of humanity, and we get the beautifully tragic scene of the Animorphs racing away from the impact, knowing they will have to survive the worst years on Earth, and Cassie watches the end of the world
. Dark, morally grey, emotional, expansive stuff. This is what the best sci-fi stories are made of.

And holy cow, the attention to detail in the dino science (complete with Tobias's footnote to satisfy the "well, actually" crowd like myself who looked up each dinosaur and thought "hm, Late Cretaceous?"). The way the world is described: the sounds, the smells being so different without almost any of the animals we know today. What a deliciously nerdy book.

Miscellaneous notes:

*Tobias is quickly starting to compete with Cassie for my favorite Animorph. His nerdy dinosaur knowledge, his adorable newness to morphing, and his incredible maturity as he
Spoiler makes the hard decision so that no one else needs to live with the guilt
add to his already complex and fantastic character.

*I always enjoy when the group is split and different characters are paired up. It was nice seeing Rachel and Tobias work together, and fun how Rachel
Spoiler uncomfortably plays the caretaker for Tobias's broken wing
.

*
Spoiler I am very sad the Animorphs don't get to keep their dinosaur morphs.

kendiepants's review

4.0
adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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