Reviews

The Secret by K.A. Applegate

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I'm not sure why I find Cassie's POV so unsufferable. She seems so two-dimmensional while the others have so many layers. Marco is the funny guy, yes, but when you read from his POV you find out he's actually scared to his stomach and just wants to make it lighter for everyone around him, he cares for his dad and friends, he had to be there for his dad after mum "passed away" but he doesn't resent it, more like worries all the time.

Jake is compassionate but strong, he always wants to do the right thing for the group, and knows it's not easy to lead but still makes the decisions when everything goes downhill. Nonetheless he likes sports, loves his family to death and wants to save his brother Tom

Spoiler

but questions himself every now and then what he would do if he needs to fight the Yeerk inside Tom's head

.

Rachel loves shopping and gymnastics, is beyond pretty and tall, and from the others perspective she may seem stereotypical (besides being brave) but it couldn't be further from it. She's actually scared plenty but goes on anyway because she knows her family and friends need her. She wants to be normal but is willing to fight this war to make it happen.

karlbarx's review

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

epsilina's review

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adventurous reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is my least favorite book in the series so far. As far as the plot goes, everything introduced in this book gets resolved in this book, and doesn't seem to have any larger impact on the overall plot, so it's easily skippable. I felt more frustrated about the exposition in this book than I did previously. It was the first time I bumped up against the formulaic nature of these books.

The main thrust of this book is Cassie dealing with her perceived contradiction of being an animal lover and the predator/prey aspect of the natural world. It is a book that is ostensibly about Cassie dealing with the trauma she has been going through. While I think this gives good insight into Cassie's character, I didn't feel it was the most effective. I also just felt kind of bored. I did appreciate that one of the kids brought up the differences in the way they approach fighting human versus non-human controllers, however. I felt that was missing from previous books and I'm glad the thought is being presented for consideration. However, I feel like the books are also acting like Cassie wouldn't have a concept or understanding of invasive species. But I'm getting into the weeds.

Overall, this book was more character driven than plot, which is fine and something I often appreciate, but it felt a bit contrived to me and lacked the spark of the previous books.

orsuros's review

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3.0

I felt this was pretty typical for a book in this series. It's good and has a lot of fun moments but feels a little less important in the overall plot of the series.

tashagrimaudo's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

masonn's review

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4.0

Best of the Animorphs yet - Cassie is my favorite. And a skunk defeating violent aliens committing environmental terrorism? *chefs kiss*

suspiciouspinecone's review

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dark

4.5

The one with the skunks and termites.

Wow. That was horrifying. My girl has C-PTSD. They all have C-PTSD. No wonder really. And something about Tobias eating the baby skunk really drove home something. I don't know what, but I felt the horror and the overriding wrongness of the situation. Wow. Kids read this.