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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Aww that was really great. Though Tobias has always been a favorite. I liked the way he worked through his situation and the emotions were real but ow, what a hard thing for a kid to take! I liked the set up and the twist too which I didn't see coming but then I'm not particularly observant in these things. But yes this was great.
This review will contain some SPOILERS so read at your own RISK!
Plot:
There are two main plots. One is pretty much the standard Animorphs infiltration/rescue jig and the other is more character driven. The infiltration plot was okay but those kinds of plots are getting repetitive. I loved the character driven plot with Tobias, though--that really made the book. That part of the plot was unpredictable and while there is a part that seems really convenient for it, the revelation made up for it.
Setting:
While the overall setting is the same, more areas are explored. I found the little "zoo" to be cringe worthy, though.
Characters:
I love books from Tobias' POV and I especially loved him in this one. Tobias is still struggling with his dual life of being both human and a hawk, especially when another hawk moves in on his territory. Things get even more complicated when a family member suddenly comes out of the blue and there's a glimmer of a new life.
Tobias really finally gets to express how he feels about the life he lives and the struggles that come with it. Things get even more complicated when he finds out who his father is--something I had to read twice to believe. It makes me wonder if he and his friends really just randomly got into this war or if there was some sort of plan from the beginning. Either way, it was totally out of the blue but also kind of explains the bond Tobias felt.
The only other character who showed more character development than usual was Rachel, who has gotten closer with Tobias. She finally hints at a chance of her and Tobias being more than friends if he were fully human. While I did get a little annoyed with her constantly questioning Tobias' decision on whether to stay a hawk or not, it did make me wonder if she would choose to be give up her powers if she could.
Aria was believable as Tobias' cousin so when she is revealed to be someone she isn't, it was surprising.
Relationships:
I loved that the Tobias/Rachel infatuation that has been building up was finally expressed. I'm very curious on if anything will come of it as well, but I think I'd rather see this than Jake/Cassie (which is kinda sweet but I feel like there's no chemistry there).
Writing/Voice:
Tobia's character and voice was strong, realistic, and raw. Sometimes I feel as if some of these books are a bit of a filler and some of the characters don't seem to grow or express much but that was not the case at all with this one. I also love how things such as acceptance of different people (races, LGBT) were brought up too.
Ending:
The revelation of who Toby's real father still has me reeling. I'm relieved with Tobias' decision concerning whether to remain an Animorph or not but the rabbit scene was slightly disturbing (though I guess it made sense). The birthday scene between Tobias and Rachel was cute.
Overall, loved it. I'd say I liked it even better than #19: The Departure.
Plot:
There are two main plots. One is pretty much the standard Animorphs infiltration/rescue jig and the other is more character driven. The infiltration plot was okay but those kinds of plots are getting repetitive. I loved the character driven plot with Tobias, though--that really made the book. That part of the plot was unpredictable and while there is a part that seems really convenient for it, the revelation made up for it.
Setting:
While the overall setting is the same, more areas are explored. I found the little "zoo" to be cringe worthy, though.
Characters:
I love books from Tobias' POV and I especially loved him in this one. Tobias is still struggling with his dual life of being both human and a hawk, especially when another hawk moves in on his territory. Things get even more complicated when a family member suddenly comes out of the blue and there's a glimmer of a new life.
Tobias really finally gets to express how he feels about the life he lives and the struggles that come with it. Things get even more complicated when he finds out who his father is--something I had to read twice to believe. It makes me wonder if he and his friends really just randomly got into this war or if there was some sort of plan from the beginning. Either way, it was totally out of the blue but also kind of explains the bond Tobias felt.
The only other character who showed more character development than usual was Rachel, who has gotten closer with Tobias. She finally hints at a chance of her and Tobias being more than friends if he were fully human. While I did get a little annoyed with her constantly questioning Tobias' decision on whether to stay a hawk or not, it did make me wonder if she would choose to be give up her powers if she could.
Aria was believable as Tobias' cousin so when she is revealed to be someone she isn't, it was surprising.
Relationships:
I loved that the Tobias/Rachel infatuation that has been building up was finally expressed. I'm very curious on if anything will come of it as well, but I think I'd rather see this than Jake/Cassie (which is kinda sweet but I feel like there's no chemistry there).
Writing/Voice:
Tobia's character and voice was strong, realistic, and raw. Sometimes I feel as if some of these books are a bit of a filler and some of the characters don't seem to grow or express much but that was not the case at all with this one. I also love how things such as acceptance of different people (races, LGBT) were brought up too.
Ending:
The revelation of who Toby's real father still has me reeling. I'm relieved with Tobias' decision concerning whether to remain an Animorph or not but the rabbit scene was slightly disturbing (though I guess it made sense). The birthday scene between Tobias and Rachel was cute.
Overall, loved it. I'd say I liked it even better than #19: The Departure.
I felt a strange sense of deja vu while reading this book, but I'm not sure why. That said, I really love books from Tobias's perspective as he struggles with what he's become. And Tobias/Rachel IS THE BEST SHIP, FIGHT ME.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Tobias tries to decide how to be himself & whether that means being human, hawk, or a strange mix of both. The Tobias/Rachel storyline is developing in a really cool way, w/some things said explicitly instead of heavily implied.
The layers of deception and pretense are very thick. The titles usually work on several levels, but wow, this one does a lot. There are tricks, traps, pseudonyms, several kinds of impostor syndrome...
The layers of deception and pretense are very thick. The titles usually work on several levels, but wow, this one does a lot. There are tricks, traps, pseudonyms, several kinds of impostor syndrome...
Back on the Animorphs re-read train with The Pretender, our first Tobias book in what feels like forever. Tobias leads the Animorphs in rescuing a captured free Hork-Bajir child; meanwhile, he has to deal with the usual teenage angst: some woman claiming to be his cousin wanting to take care of him, a letter from his departed father to be read on his birthday, and another red-tailed hawk muscling in on his prime feeding grounds.
The usual.
The B plot (or A plot? I don’t know which is which) is not great here. After The Hork-Bajir Chronicles we have a much better idea of Hork-Bajir life and culture. Applegate drops some references into this story, but for the most part this is your standard “Animorphs have to break into a Yeerk facility and sabotage it” plot. It just has some added Hork-Bajir muscle and some new punchlines from Marco. So in terms of the challenges the Animorphs face, there is nothing really new here, which is probably why Applegate spends surprisingly little time on this plot.
Tobias’ arc totally steals the show here. I know this was a Nickelodeon show when it was a TV show (so I think it was on YTV here in Canada, if I remember correctly), but Tobias was an angsty CW boy before the CW existed or had angsty boys on it. He just drips with regret and self-loathing and self-pity. Don’t get me wrong: I feel a lot of sympathy for him. This is well-deserved angst, not “some other person likes the person I like” angst. (Which I guess is also legitimate angst, if you’re at the age where that’s your life. I was never that age.)
I enjoy the way Applegate offers Tobias a legitimate, difficult dilemma. He can morph his human body and become Tobias the human again—but after two hours, that’s it. He can have a regular life, but he won’t be an Animorph any more. On the one hand, this would be a huge relief. He wouldn’t be under direct threat from the Yeerks. He could eat human food and sleep in a proper bed. On the other hand, he wouldn’t be in the fight any more. And his life as a human seemed pretty crappy, to be honest.
This book also directly addresses Tobias/Rachel for the first time in a while. Rachel pretty much comes out and says that if Tobias were human she would date him. It’s heartbreaking, especially because I totally ship Tobias/Rachel. Her conversations with Tobias are the best part of this book, because she is all about keeping it real. She’s like, “This is what it is. You’re a hawk, but you’ll never be a hawk.” And Rachel—who, let’s not forget, is the most gung ho, warlike of the Animorphs—advocates for Tobias to drop out and become human again.
Almost as if she is envious of that option. Almost.
Tobias has an out. He doesn’t take it. Does that make him a hero? I don’t know. Even at this point in the series, I think Applegate has already come down pretty hard on the “in war, there are no heroes” theme: Tobias has done his share of questionable things, and he will go on to do more questionable things, as will the rest of the Animorphs.
Speaking of questionable things, next time, You’ll Never Believe How Cassie Shrinks Her Waistline With This One Easy Trick!
My reviews of Animorphs:
← The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
The usual.
The B plot (or A plot? I don’t know which is which) is not great here. After The Hork-Bajir Chronicles we have a much better idea of Hork-Bajir life and culture. Applegate drops some references into this story, but for the most part this is your standard “Animorphs have to break into a Yeerk facility and sabotage it” plot. It just has some added Hork-Bajir muscle and some new punchlines from Marco. So in terms of the challenges the Animorphs face, there is nothing really new here, which is probably why Applegate spends surprisingly little time on this plot.
Tobias’ arc totally steals the show here. I know this was a Nickelodeon show when it was a TV show (so I think it was on YTV here in Canada, if I remember correctly), but Tobias was an angsty CW boy before the CW existed or had angsty boys on it. He just drips with regret and self-loathing and self-pity. Don’t get me wrong: I feel a lot of sympathy for him. This is well-deserved angst, not “some other person likes the person I like” angst. (Which I guess is also legitimate angst, if you’re at the age where that’s your life. I was never that age.)
I enjoy the way Applegate offers Tobias a legitimate, difficult dilemma. He can morph his human body and become Tobias the human again—but after two hours, that’s it. He can have a regular life, but he won’t be an Animorph any more. On the one hand, this would be a huge relief. He wouldn’t be under direct threat from the Yeerks. He could eat human food and sleep in a proper bed. On the other hand, he wouldn’t be in the fight any more. And his life as a human seemed pretty crappy, to be honest.
This book also directly addresses Tobias/Rachel for the first time in a while. Rachel pretty much comes out and says that if Tobias were human she would date him. It’s heartbreaking, especially because I totally ship Tobias/Rachel. Her conversations with Tobias are the best part of this book, because she is all about keeping it real. She’s like, “This is what it is. You’re a hawk, but you’ll never be a hawk.” And Rachel—who, let’s not forget, is the most gung ho, warlike of the Animorphs—advocates for Tobias to drop out and become human again.
Almost as if she is envious of that option. Almost.
Tobias has an out. He doesn’t take it. Does that make him a hero? I don’t know. Even at this point in the series, I think Applegate has already come down pretty hard on the “in war, there are no heroes” theme: Tobias has done his share of questionable things, and he will go on to do more questionable things, as will the rest of the Animorphs.
Speaking of questionable things, next time, You’ll Never Believe How Cassie Shrinks Her Waistline With This One Easy Trick!
My reviews of Animorphs:
← The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
Still and always one of my absolute favorites. (Of course it is, it's a Tobias book.) Here we have a massive existential crisis, two plots that tie very well together despite the page constraints of the book, SECRETS UNVEILED (a favorite trope forever), Rachel and Tobias admitting their feelings in the most blatant way yet, and just so many incredible Tobias moments I wouldn't even know where to start. I love it desperately though.
It's also the last book in the series that I have crystal clear memories of reading. Everything from here on out lives in my memory more as vague feelings and impressions. Which should begin to make this re-read a new sort of adventure!
It's also the last book in the series that I have crystal clear memories of reading. Everything from here on out lives in my memory more as vague feelings and impressions. Which should begin to make this re-read a new sort of adventure!