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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
I listened to this one as an audiobook, in one day.
What was the point of this whole thing? That Yeerks have feelings? Yes, we know. Other books have shown that "not all Yeerks." I guess we're supposed to feel bad because this is Marco's mother. But knowing what the Yeerk has done before her? Yes, they did awful things. As expected.
Once again, they have the option of freeing Marco's mother, but don't.
Maybe the point is that humans are more complicated than they expected? Well... Yeah, we are.
"Humans, as a species, were mad." Is a pretty accurate line.
I did also like the idea of "internal treason" - an interesting way to describe "free will."
2.5 out of 5 stars. Glad this was one of the "extra" books. It's completely skippable.
What was the point of this whole thing? That Yeerks have feelings? Yes, we know. Other books have shown that "not all Yeerks." I guess we're supposed to feel bad because this is Marco's mother. But knowing what the Yeerk has done before her? Yes, they did awful things. As expected.
Once again, they have the option of freeing Marco's mother, but don't.
Maybe the point is that humans are more complicated than they expected? Well... Yeah, we are.
"Humans, as a species, were mad." Is a pretty accurate line.
I did also like the idea of "internal treason" - an interesting way to describe "free will."
2.5 out of 5 stars. Glad this was one of the "extra" books. It's completely skippable.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know I read this once before, but I didn’t realize how completely I had forgotten what happens in it. There is just so much!
Seeing Vissers One and Three go at each other in this very dangerous situation is also, to put it mildly, thrilling. They turn the tables on each other so many times, and there are so many pitfalls and sudden inspirations, that I couldn’t help but read it slowly and savor the subtleties along the way. Especially when you also consider that Visser One is cherry-picking the details she discloses to the Council. She discloses more to Eva, but everything? Surely not. Just as she denies her own evolution of character, her own changing views, so too would she deny letting on that she would be weak enough to ever succumb to it more than momentarily.
Then there was Visser One’s novel experiences at encountering the human mind and society, and taking the time to learn all she could possibly could about them – and then some. Seeing her journey to get from where she was, ambitious but stuck on a backwater planet, to ambitious and spear-heading the Earth invasion and everything in between which shaped her personality and character… It really gives us a greater understanding of not only the things she learned, but also puts out there truthful observations about humanity as a whole. An outside perspective, if you will, and a mature one at that. She was a Yeerk on a mission of personal ambition … at least most of the time.
Essam 293 was her counterpoint:
Furthermore, it truly reads, to me at least, like a young adult novel: the Vissers and the Council of course use more sophisticated language – they are adults, after all. It also shows us Ms. Applegate’s flexibility with different voices, and just how different of voices she can write. We’ve seen/heard the different voices of the adolescent Animorphs/Ax/Aldrea, and now also the grown-up voices of Elfangor and the Vissers. She also gives us that tantalizing look at how the Yeerk invasion began, and how their political/judicial and military systems operate. The Yeerks are not some simple hierarchy with the ones at the bottom doing all the grunt work and the ones at top lording it over – they have layers, and differing viewpoints which are more complex than just “Take over the humans by outright warfare!” or “Take over the humans by slow and steady infiltration!” Not to mention the irony of the Yeerks having laws against and hefty punishments for, say, killing subordinates (which Visser Three does on a daily basis), but then they can be persuaded to overlook it if you rank high enough and are doing a good enough job. Not unlike some people getting their hands just a little bit dirty in order to realize their goals.
We each fight this war in our own way
Quotes and comments (hey! A few of these aren’t complete spoilers!) :
Sailing was one of the best things about being in a human. It was such a perfect blend of power and subtlety, bending to the inevitable and yet resisting great forces. Dangerous and exhilarating. You skimmed along between sea and sky, a part of each, trusting neither. – page xi
As I had the power to kill, so I had the power to give life.
That’s the subtlety so many Yeerks miss. Threats are very useful. But for the more subtle, and thus complete control over your subordinates, you need the helping hand as well as the killing blade. – page 13
Not a fully redundant system, almost a second, different brain! […] It was then that I knew I was seeing something new. This brain worked by dialectic. Each half of the brain saw and heard and smelled and touched a slightly different world. Each tended toward specialization, but not a hard, fast split. The left half had more language, but not all the language. The right side had more spatial perception, but not all of the spatial perception.
Confusion! Disorder! Illogic!
This mind could argue with itself. This mind could see the same even in different ways. It was insanity! A democratic brain, arguing within itself, with no sure, certain control, only a sort of uneasy compromise. A consensus of disputatious elements.
This brain contained its own traitor!
And, as I began to sift the memories I saw, again and again, the internal argument. The “Should I? Should I not?” debates. The paralysis of internal disagreement.
But I also saw decisions improved as a result of uncertainty. Hesitation and internal discord leading to decisions that were wiser, more useful, than quicker decisions would have been.
And yet that seemed a small compensation for internal treason and confusion and conflict.
No wonder they kill each other, I thought. They very nearly kill themselves!
It was madness. Humans, as a species, were mad. – page 50-51 – It is so interesting to read observations Edriss 562 makes about humans – the sources of her information, then the deductions she makes based on that information and anything else she can gather.
“I see things besides weakness, here,” [Essam 293] said. “This human has suffered what the humans consider to be the most horrific torture and deprivation in their history. An experience in his youth that even a Taxxon would find cruel.” – page 75 – We can only guess at what he could be referring to…child abuse almost guaranteed, and maybe even molestation too?
“Earth is not ours because of the incompetence and treason of Visser Three. I left Earth in a position to be taken!”
< You left Earth before the Andalites landed a force of trained guerillas and saboteurs armed with morphing technology! > Visser Three cried. – page 77 – How flattering of you to say that about the Animorphs, Visser Three!
One thing I found really strange was when Garoff and the Council were incredulous and stiffened to hear that Edriss/Allison and Essam/Hildy "cause[d their] host bodies to reproduce" (94) - How else are they ensuring that their Hork-Bajir hosts don't die off completely? We can safely assume that the Yeerks have the Hork-Bajir reproduce somehow given that Seerow died in captivity but had Jara Hamee first (and though Aldrea and Dak were good, I have serious doubts that they were able to survive to see Seerow grown up). And the Yeerks don't have access to their homeplanet to replenish Gedd hosts, so surely they're doing something there too, right? The only thing I can think of is because Edriss and Essam did it without a need to procreate.
I also think that the Yeerks are not so above their hosts' emotions as the Council/Vissers would have us believe, either: how else were Jara Hamee at Ket Halpak a pair before they were freed? And furthermore, the Hork-Bajir still have individual Hork-Bajir names, not generic names or numbers given to them by Yeerks. Surely that indicates that the infested Hork-Bajir have some influence over their Yeerks?
Better dead than a Controller.
I was caught by surprise. I had not known that humans would do that. Die rather than accept defeat. Oh, I knew that they said they’d do it, but not that they would actually mean it.
It was a depressing insight. Victory always involves a certain amount of bluff. The weaker party must realize that he is weaker and be prepared to submit. A species that will not submit is useless. There was no profit in simply killing humans. We needed them alive. We are not predators, after all. – page 101 – A recurring theme – “Better dead than a Controller.” And another excellent observation of humanity’s tenacity and determination. “Live free or die.”
“Ignorant fool! Humans have fought thousands of wars. Thousands! We as a race have fought a mere handful. They run straight into the bullets, Visser Three, again and again. Did you know that? They attack against insane odds. They defend what can’t be defended. Outnumbered, outgunned, surrounded, helpless, they will still fight, fight, fight till they are each and every one dead. Something you might know if you stopped posturing long enough to learn something!” – page 103 – Emphasis added. Visser One has learned a lot about humanity, and by telling Visser Three, she is also reminding the reader that we are a strong race, we humans. We may lose, but we will never only stand by and let things spiral out of control.
“She what, Visser One of the Yeerk Empire? She what?”
“She was alive! She was alive! She was more alive than me. More alive than any of us.”
Garoff nodded. “You had become Jenny Lines, Visser.”
“What?” It didn’t make any sense.
“You were addicted, Visser One. You became addicted to humans.” – page 114-115 – Visser One has found something bigger to live for than Yeerk society offers, but will she stick by it? Or will she go back to the comfort of her Yeerk societal upbringing? Also a good reminder that we can always learn something new from others not like us, and sometimes, those things can make us better people too. Then it is what we do with it that counts.
The arched roof was supported in part by steel beams, but was still mostly just so much dirt held in place by force fields. – page 123-124 – But then how did the Animorphs dig through the dirt and force fields to enter the Yeerk pool area? Got lucky and found a part that was supported by a steel beam instead of a force field? That is also a lot of energy going towards maintaining that force field – if the Animorphs can figure this out, they have a new way to attack the Yeerk pool!
[Marco replied over the phone,] “I know. Like you said, you know me. If you wanted me dead it would be easy. You could take me, infest me, and have all of my friends within a few hours. So you need me. This is about your little personality conflict with Visser Three. You’re desperate. But you won’t give me up to Visser Three because you hate him more than you hate us.”
I almost choked. From almost no information he had painted a very cogent picture of the situation.
Then I almost laughed. “I once thought you were too soft, too gentle.”
“Yeah, well, things change.” – page 128-129 – Marco has changed, the Animorphs have changed, even you, Visser One, have changed. Even though you refuse to admit it and you cling to your Yeerk heritage and ideals, you have changed.
Preposterous! A scrawny teenage threatening me. I was a prisoner of Visser Three, already all but condemned to a death by torture and starvation. Did the child think he could frighten me? It was laughable.
< And yet you’re not laughing, are you, Yeerk? > [Eva said.]-- page 130-131
Perhaps the strange disappearance of the task force that had been sent to investigate the Anati planet. – page 132 – I read this and thought, ooh I bet the Anati planet is going to come back somehow!! (I was not disappointed, either.)
[Visser Three’s] speech had an effect. I saw several of the Council members standing taller in their gravity-neutral field, squaring shoulders and jutting their jaws. They were, after all, politicians and thus easily swayed by grand visions.
I waited till the echoes of Visser Three’s thought-speak faded. Then I said, “You know, I was wrong about Visser Three, he’s not a dupe of the Andalites. Rather, with all this bluster and raving he sounds as if he’s been spending his time with Helmacrons.” – page 144 – HAHA, so true, Visser One! Three-pointer!
< [Marco] sees it, > Eva said. < He sees the trap you’re in. >
< The boy is clever, > I admitted. < He has grown. >
< You infested me at random, so you believe. But I believe in higher powers, Yeerk. I believe I was taken so my son would grow strong and wise and someday destroy you. > -- page 156 – Human hope. Something else Visser One underestimates.
< You’ll leave me without a host. Helpless. Blind! > [I said to Eva.]
< No, Edriss. Because Marco is my son. He has the ability to see clearly from beginning to end. He inherited that trait from me. > -- page 158 – Even Visser One earlier commented internally something about how Eva could see the bright clear line. Wish I could find that quote now!
“We’ll never surrender!” Marco blazed.
Eva took his face in her hands. “Marco, that’s a nice sentiment, a brave ideal. But the truth is, Marco, humans do submit. Not all, and not always, but some, maybe most. Enough will submit, Marco. Enough to give the Yeerks what they want. And the rest will be dead. Millions. Billions. […] You can’t rely on slogans, my brave son. You have to win this war.” – page 161 – Excellent words to all the children and adults of the world, not just Marco and the Animorphs; a steady reminder of how humanity as a whole is. Also good words for Visser One to remember – she started the Sharing with slogans, with big words. It’s very effective, but will it be effective enough to truly, win the war in the end?
The tiger spoke again. < We may prefer Visser Three to be in charge. He makes stupid mistakes. His people all hate and fear him, which makes his people less effective. And, we know him. Know what to expect. Visser One might be a more dangerous enemy. >
Surely that succinct summary was from an Andalite mind. It was flattering, in a way. And true, of course.
[…]
Marco looked to the tiger. “What do we do, fearless leader?”
< It’s your call, Marco. Your mom, your call. >
By the Kandrona itself, the tiger was human, too! Were they all humans? All but the lone Andalite? – page 164 – A little bit stretching to have her go switch her opinion of Jake so completely, on so little information, I think? But then, I guess it’s because she knows of Andalite arrogance and hierarchy. A true Andalite Prince would almost never let a subordinate make a decision like this. More importantly, she’s open to the idea that the “Andalite bandits” could be humans, especially since she knows Marco is one.
“We each fight this war in our own way, Marco.” [Eva told Marco.] – page 165 – And humanity needs multiple ways to fight the war, to have the best chance possible of surviving it.
The Inner-Sharing, that was the test of true greatness. And all a human had to do to enter was to surrender their will.
This was what Essam, who had infested only Lowenstein and Hildy, would not credit: that humans would surrender their freedom in exchange for empty words. But I had infested the lost soldier, and the even more lost Jenny Lines. I had tasted human defeat and superstition and weakness.
I knew. – page 171 – Yes, Edriss, you experienced the weakest sides of humanity, which Essam did not. But Essam saw the strengths of humanity, and our ability to overcome even the most horrible of circumstances.
< You’re a thief, a slave mistress, a murderer many times over, > Eva said. < How is it I can feel even the slightest pity for you? > -- page 178 – This is another great message to readers: someone can seem so horrible, but yet, you can still pity them. It is what separates “us” from “them”, too, in a way.
“Is that everything, Visser One?” Garoff asked.
Everything, I thought. Everything but the years of missing Essam, missing Allison. Regrets. Rage. The thrill of seeing my power grow as my plan came to fruition. The impotent despair of watching my children from afar. Half Yeerk, half almost human.
I had taken this final host because, at least unconsciously, I wanted to know the life I could never really know. The love of a spouse, an equal. The love of a child.
But none of it had ever really touched me. I’d had my fling with humanity. I was Yeerk once more. I was Visser One. – page 186 – Visser One has come full circle. She was wholly Yeerk, then she succumbed to human emotions, and now she thrusts her “humanity” aside in favor of her Yeerk-ness. But that does not mean her “humanity” is gone. No, it just means that she has locked it up to fester, until one day, it won’t stand to be contained any longer. (Or at least, I hope!)
< I shouldn’t have helped you, > [Eva] said. < Even if it did lead to open war, I shouldn’t have helped you. You filthy, evil thing. I thought I’d found something decent inside you. I thought you were a mother, too. >
< I was. I am. >
< At least now you’ll die and I’ll be free. >
I laughed. < You’ll die, too, human. What freedom is there in death? >
< I’ll be free of you. > -- page 187 – Again, the theme of “live free or die” which we see so often in the series.
Yes, it was all going to work out fine. It was a great, big, lovely galaxy of opportunity. – page 191
Seeing Vissers One and Three go at each other in this very dangerous situation is also, to put it mildly, thrilling. They turn the tables on each other so many times, and there are so many pitfalls and sudden inspirations, that I couldn’t help but read it slowly and savor the subtleties along the way. Especially when you also consider that Visser One is cherry-picking the details she discloses to the Council. She discloses more to Eva, but everything? Surely not. Just as she denies her own evolution of character, her own changing views, so too would she deny letting on that she would be weak enough to ever succumb to it more than momentarily.
Then there was Visser One’s novel experiences at encountering the human mind and society, and taking the time to learn all she could possibly could about them – and then some. Seeing her journey to get from where she was, ambitious but stuck on a backwater planet, to ambitious and spear-heading the Earth invasion and everything in between which shaped her personality and character… It really gives us a greater understanding of not only the things she learned, but also puts out there truthful observations about humanity as a whole. An outside perspective, if you will, and a mature one at that. She was a Yeerk on a mission of personal ambition … at least most of the time.
Essam 293 was her counterpoint:
Spoiler
where Edriss 562/Visser One was driven to advance in the Yeerk Empire despite her growing attachment to humans, Essam let his attachments to humans grow and was willing to forfeit everything he had known for what he now knew. He is possibly the first Yeerk to see and pursue the benefit of a host body to live life more fully. Essam and Hildy’s relationship reminds me of Mr. Tidwell and Illim’s relationship (#29). Practically member of the Yeerk Peace Movement before it was cool! That would be interesting if the current YPM learned about Essam’s history – then they too could have another figurehead next to Aftran.Furthermore, it truly reads, to me at least, like a young adult novel: the Vissers and the Council of course use more sophisticated language – they are adults, after all. It also shows us Ms. Applegate’s flexibility with different voices, and just how different of voices she can write. We’ve seen/heard the different voices of the adolescent Animorphs/Ax/Aldrea, and now also the grown-up voices of Elfangor and the Vissers. She also gives us that tantalizing look at how the Yeerk invasion began, and how their political/judicial and military systems operate. The Yeerks are not some simple hierarchy with the ones at the bottom doing all the grunt work and the ones at top lording it over – they have layers, and differing viewpoints which are more complex than just “Take over the humans by outright warfare!” or “Take over the humans by slow and steady infiltration!” Not to mention the irony of the Yeerks having laws against and hefty punishments for, say, killing subordinates (which Visser Three does on a daily basis), but then they can be persuaded to overlook it if you rank high enough and are doing a good enough job. Not unlike some people getting their hands just a little bit dirty in order to realize their goals.
We each fight this war in our own way
Quotes and comments (hey! A few of these aren’t complete spoilers!) :
Sailing was one of the best things about being in a human. It was such a perfect blend of power and subtlety, bending to the inevitable and yet resisting great forces. Dangerous and exhilarating. You skimmed along between sea and sky, a part of each, trusting neither. – page xi
As I had the power to kill, so I had the power to give life.
That’s the subtlety so many Yeerks miss. Threats are very useful. But for the more subtle, and thus complete control over your subordinates, you need the helping hand as well as the killing blade. – page 13
Not a fully redundant system, almost a second, different brain! […] It was then that I knew I was seeing something new. This brain worked by dialectic. Each half of the brain saw and heard and smelled and touched a slightly different world. Each tended toward specialization, but not a hard, fast split. The left half had more language, but not all the language. The right side had more spatial perception, but not all of the spatial perception.
Confusion! Disorder! Illogic!
This mind could argue with itself. This mind could see the same even in different ways. It was insanity! A democratic brain, arguing within itself, with no sure, certain control, only a sort of uneasy compromise. A consensus of disputatious elements.
This brain contained its own traitor!
And, as I began to sift the memories I saw, again and again, the internal argument. The “Should I? Should I not?” debates. The paralysis of internal disagreement.
But I also saw decisions improved as a result of uncertainty. Hesitation and internal discord leading to decisions that were wiser, more useful, than quicker decisions would have been.
And yet that seemed a small compensation for internal treason and confusion and conflict.
No wonder they kill each other, I thought. They very nearly kill themselves!
It was madness. Humans, as a species, were mad. – page 50-51 – It is so interesting to read observations Edriss 562 makes about humans – the sources of her information, then the deductions she makes based on that information and anything else she can gather.
Spoiler
The interest in progeny was persistent. It intruded on any number of thoughts. It formed part of the basis for the creature’s sense of his place in the world. – page 53 – Hm. Foreshadowing to what happens to Visser One as she spends more and more of her time in a human host?“I see things besides weakness, here,” [Essam 293] said. “This human has suffered what the humans consider to be the most horrific torture and deprivation in their history. An experience in his youth that even a Taxxon would find cruel.” – page 75 – We can only guess at what he could be referring to…child abuse almost guaranteed, and maybe even molestation too?
“Earth is not ours because of the incompetence and treason of Visser Three. I left Earth in a position to be taken!”
< You left Earth before the Andalites landed a force of trained guerillas and saboteurs armed with morphing technology! > Visser Three cried. – page 77 – How flattering of you to say that about the Animorphs, Visser Three!
One thing I found really strange was when Garoff and the Council were incredulous and stiffened to hear that Edriss/Allison and Essam/Hildy "cause[d their] host bodies to reproduce" (94) - How else are they ensuring that their Hork-Bajir hosts don't die off completely? We can safely assume that the Yeerks have the Hork-Bajir reproduce somehow given that Seerow died in captivity but had Jara Hamee first (and though Aldrea and Dak were good, I have serious doubts that they were able to survive to see Seerow grown up). And the Yeerks don't have access to their homeplanet to replenish Gedd hosts, so surely they're doing something there too, right? The only thing I can think of is because Edriss and Essam did it without a need to procreate.
I also think that the Yeerks are not so above their hosts' emotions as the Council/Vissers would have us believe, either: how else were Jara Hamee at Ket Halpak a pair before they were freed? And furthermore, the Hork-Bajir still have individual Hork-Bajir names, not generic names or numbers given to them by Yeerks. Surely that indicates that the infested Hork-Bajir have some influence over their Yeerks?
Better dead than a Controller.
I was caught by surprise. I had not known that humans would do that. Die rather than accept defeat. Oh, I knew that they said they’d do it, but not that they would actually mean it.
It was a depressing insight. Victory always involves a certain amount of bluff. The weaker party must realize that he is weaker and be prepared to submit. A species that will not submit is useless. There was no profit in simply killing humans. We needed them alive. We are not predators, after all. – page 101 – A recurring theme – “Better dead than a Controller.” And another excellent observation of humanity’s tenacity and determination. “Live free or die.”
“Ignorant fool! Humans have fought thousands of wars. Thousands! We as a race have fought a mere handful. They run straight into the bullets, Visser Three, again and again. Did you know that? They attack against insane odds. They defend what can’t be defended. Outnumbered, outgunned, surrounded, helpless, they will still fight, fight, fight till they are each and every one dead. Something you might know if you stopped posturing long enough to learn something!” – page 103 – Emphasis added. Visser One has learned a lot about humanity, and by telling Visser Three, she is also reminding the reader that we are a strong race, we humans. We may lose, but we will never only stand by and let things spiral out of control.
“She what, Visser One of the Yeerk Empire? She what?”
“She was alive! She was alive! She was more alive than me. More alive than any of us.”
Garoff nodded. “You had become Jenny Lines, Visser.”
“What?” It didn’t make any sense.
“You were addicted, Visser One. You became addicted to humans.” – page 114-115 – Visser One has found something bigger to live for than Yeerk society offers, but will she stick by it? Or will she go back to the comfort of her Yeerk societal upbringing? Also a good reminder that we can always learn something new from others not like us, and sometimes, those things can make us better people too. Then it is what we do with it that counts.
The arched roof was supported in part by steel beams, but was still mostly just so much dirt held in place by force fields. – page 123-124 – But then how did the Animorphs dig through the dirt and force fields to enter the Yeerk pool area? Got lucky and found a part that was supported by a steel beam instead of a force field? That is also a lot of energy going towards maintaining that force field – if the Animorphs can figure this out, they have a new way to attack the Yeerk pool!
[Marco replied over the phone,] “I know. Like you said, you know me. If you wanted me dead it would be easy. You could take me, infest me, and have all of my friends within a few hours. So you need me. This is about your little personality conflict with Visser Three. You’re desperate. But you won’t give me up to Visser Three because you hate him more than you hate us.”
I almost choked. From almost no information he had painted a very cogent picture of the situation.
Then I almost laughed. “I once thought you were too soft, too gentle.”
“Yeah, well, things change.” – page 128-129 – Marco has changed, the Animorphs have changed, even you, Visser One, have changed. Even though you refuse to admit it and you cling to your Yeerk heritage and ideals, you have changed.
Preposterous! A scrawny teenage threatening me. I was a prisoner of Visser Three, already all but condemned to a death by torture and starvation. Did the child think he could frighten me? It was laughable.
< And yet you’re not laughing, are you, Yeerk? > [Eva said.]-- page 130-131
Perhaps the strange disappearance of the task force that had been sent to investigate the Anati planet. – page 132 – I read this and thought, ooh I bet the Anati planet is going to come back somehow!! (I was not disappointed, either.)
[Visser Three’s] speech had an effect. I saw several of the Council members standing taller in their gravity-neutral field, squaring shoulders and jutting their jaws. They were, after all, politicians and thus easily swayed by grand visions.
I waited till the echoes of Visser Three’s thought-speak faded. Then I said, “You know, I was wrong about Visser Three, he’s not a dupe of the Andalites. Rather, with all this bluster and raving he sounds as if he’s been spending his time with Helmacrons.” – page 144 – HAHA, so true, Visser One! Three-pointer!
< [Marco] sees it, > Eva said. < He sees the trap you’re in. >
< The boy is clever, > I admitted. < He has grown. >
< You infested me at random, so you believe. But I believe in higher powers, Yeerk. I believe I was taken so my son would grow strong and wise and someday destroy you. > -- page 156 – Human hope. Something else Visser One underestimates.
< You’ll leave me without a host. Helpless. Blind! > [I said to Eva.]
< No, Edriss. Because Marco is my son. He has the ability to see clearly from beginning to end. He inherited that trait from me. > -- page 158 – Even Visser One earlier commented internally something about how Eva could see the bright clear line. Wish I could find that quote now!
“We’ll never surrender!” Marco blazed.
Eva took his face in her hands. “Marco, that’s a nice sentiment, a brave ideal. But the truth is, Marco, humans do submit. Not all, and not always, but some, maybe most. Enough will submit, Marco. Enough to give the Yeerks what they want. And the rest will be dead. Millions. Billions. […] You can’t rely on slogans, my brave son. You have to win this war.” – page 161 – Excellent words to all the children and adults of the world, not just Marco and the Animorphs; a steady reminder of how humanity as a whole is. Also good words for Visser One to remember – she started the Sharing with slogans, with big words. It’s very effective, but will it be effective enough to truly, win the war in the end?
The tiger spoke again. < We may prefer Visser Three to be in charge. He makes stupid mistakes. His people all hate and fear him, which makes his people less effective. And, we know him. Know what to expect. Visser One might be a more dangerous enemy. >
Surely that succinct summary was from an Andalite mind. It was flattering, in a way. And true, of course.
[…]
Marco looked to the tiger. “What do we do, fearless leader?”
< It’s your call, Marco. Your mom, your call. >
By the Kandrona itself, the tiger was human, too! Were they all humans? All but the lone Andalite? – page 164 – A little bit stretching to have her go switch her opinion of Jake so completely, on so little information, I think? But then, I guess it’s because she knows of Andalite arrogance and hierarchy. A true Andalite Prince would almost never let a subordinate make a decision like this. More importantly, she’s open to the idea that the “Andalite bandits” could be humans, especially since she knows Marco is one.
“We each fight this war in our own way, Marco.” [Eva told Marco.] – page 165 – And humanity needs multiple ways to fight the war, to have the best chance possible of surviving it.
The Inner-Sharing, that was the test of true greatness. And all a human had to do to enter was to surrender their will.
This was what Essam, who had infested only Lowenstein and Hildy, would not credit: that humans would surrender their freedom in exchange for empty words. But I had infested the lost soldier, and the even more lost Jenny Lines. I had tasted human defeat and superstition and weakness.
I knew. – page 171 – Yes, Edriss, you experienced the weakest sides of humanity, which Essam did not. But Essam saw the strengths of humanity, and our ability to overcome even the most horrible of circumstances.
< You’re a thief, a slave mistress, a murderer many times over, > Eva said. < How is it I can feel even the slightest pity for you? > -- page 178 – This is another great message to readers: someone can seem so horrible, but yet, you can still pity them. It is what separates “us” from “them”, too, in a way.
“Is that everything, Visser One?” Garoff asked.
Everything, I thought. Everything but the years of missing Essam, missing Allison. Regrets. Rage. The thrill of seeing my power grow as my plan came to fruition. The impotent despair of watching my children from afar. Half Yeerk, half almost human.
I had taken this final host because, at least unconsciously, I wanted to know the life I could never really know. The love of a spouse, an equal. The love of a child.
But none of it had ever really touched me. I’d had my fling with humanity. I was Yeerk once more. I was Visser One. – page 186 – Visser One has come full circle. She was wholly Yeerk, then she succumbed to human emotions, and now she thrusts her “humanity” aside in favor of her Yeerk-ness. But that does not mean her “humanity” is gone. No, it just means that she has locked it up to fester, until one day, it won’t stand to be contained any longer. (Or at least, I hope!)
< I shouldn’t have helped you, > [Eva] said. < Even if it did lead to open war, I shouldn’t have helped you. You filthy, evil thing. I thought I’d found something decent inside you. I thought you were a mother, too. >
< I was. I am. >
< At least now you’ll die and I’ll be free. >
I laughed. < You’ll die, too, human. What freedom is there in death? >
< I’ll be free of you. > -- page 187 – Again, the theme of “live free or die” which we see so often in the series.
Yes, it was all going to work out fine. It was a great, big, lovely galaxy of opportunity. – page 191
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
possibly the darkest book of the series, right along with 33 which is literal child torture. and possibly my new favorite animorphs book of all time!!! such a well written fucked up story from the pov of an imperial colonizer, slaver, abuser, murderer - mother. visser one is such a wonderfully nuanced evil. her voice - and more specifically, eva's voice trapped within her - has been sorely needed in this series, i almost wish she was the primary villain all along. my heart is breaking for marco all over again - how many times is he going to have to watch his mother die - by his own hand - before this story ends?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization
dark
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated