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A review by thistlechaser
The Beginning by K.A. Applegate
2.0
Disclaimer: I'm reading this series for the first time as an adult. I have no fond memories coloring my reading.
On the rating: Okay -- it's complicated
Rating for first half of the book: Loved
Rating for second half: Disliked (or "hated" if I'm being honest, but that pains me to write)
I averaged it to: Okay
The first half of this last book was great. It looked at the impact of the war on all these kids. What happens to the "bad guys" (Yeerks). What happens to the other aliens. I loved it and believed it, especially how Jake changed once the war was over. Or how he didn't change, as the case may be. Some kids were able to leave what happened and what they did behind, and some could not.
Though this was a YA book, it pulled no punches on the morality of acts done during war. Cassie, the pacifist, speaking to a Yeerk, about Jake's act of genocide.
"Jake did what he had to do."
"Did he? Someone flushed the Yeerk pool into space. Did he have to do that, too? They were unhosted Yeerks. They were harmless."
"We needed a div —" I stopped myself.
"A what? A what did you need? A diversion? You're going to tell me you needed a diversion so Jake massacred seventeen thousand sentient creatures? A diversion?"
But unfortunately, and somewhat bogglingly, the book didn't end there. The whole second half of the book started a new adventure. An unfortunately not very believable one. *announcer voice over* Animorphs In SPACE!
Worse than the ending being pointless and unbelievable, it ended on a cliffhanger. The whole series, ended in the middle of an action scene.
I suppose young readers wouldn't have been satisfied with the ending at the halfway point of the book. There was no action, it was too thoughtful. Perhaps young readers don't want "realistic impacts of war".
But man, for an older reader? The latter half of the book ending SUCKED.
Eight hours or so later: I've had time to think on the end of the book, as well as to read others' reviews. While I still dislike the latter half of the book, I understand the point of it. As unbelievable as it is, it sort of gives a happy ending for Jake, since he's a man unable to leave war behind. I just wish the author had been able to do it in some other way.
The first half of the book was so great though. The author said she wanted a realistic look at a war, and she completely succeeded at that in this series.
On the rating: Okay -- it's complicated
Rating for first half of the book: Loved
Rating for second half: Disliked (or "hated" if I'm being honest, but that pains me to write)
I averaged it to: Okay
The first half of this last book was great. It looked at the impact of the war on all these kids. What happens to the "bad guys" (Yeerks). What happens to the other aliens. I loved it and believed it, especially how Jake changed once the war was over. Or how he didn't change, as the case may be. Some kids were able to leave what happened and what they did behind, and some could not.
Though this was a YA book, it pulled no punches on the morality of acts done during war. Cassie, the pacifist, speaking to a Yeerk, about Jake's act of genocide.
"Jake did what he had to do."
"Did he? Someone flushed the Yeerk pool into space. Did he have to do that, too? They were unhosted Yeerks. They were harmless."
"We needed a div —" I stopped myself.
"A what? A what did you need? A diversion? You're going to tell me you needed a diversion so Jake massacred seventeen thousand sentient creatures? A diversion?"
But unfortunately, and somewhat bogglingly, the book didn't end there. The whole second half of the book started a new adventure. An unfortunately not very believable one. *announcer voice over* Animorphs In SPACE!
Worse than the ending being pointless and unbelievable, it ended on a cliffhanger. The whole series, ended in the middle of an action scene.
I suppose young readers wouldn't have been satisfied with the ending at the halfway point of the book. There was no action, it was too thoughtful. Perhaps young readers don't want "realistic impacts of war".
But man, for an older reader? The latter half of the book ending SUCKED.
Eight hours or so later: I've had time to think on the end of the book, as well as to read others' reviews. While I still dislike the latter half of the book, I understand the point of it. As unbelievable as it is, it sort of gives a happy ending for Jake, since he's a man unable to leave war behind. I just wish the author had been able to do it in some other way.
The first half of the book was so great though. The author said she wanted a realistic look at a war, and she completely succeeded at that in this series.