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Remnants #9
No Place Like Home
The Remnants want to stop the constant fighting, but their dreams of peace are shattered by a horrifying new weapon held by the Blue Meanies, meanwhile, Jobs is troubled by the existence of an unknown stranger walking among them.
151 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2002
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K.A. Applegate
251 books486 followersalso published under the name Katherine Applegate
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 18, 2025
Beginning NO PLACE LIKE HOME, the ninth in K.A. Applegate’s ‘Remnants’ series, the primary emotion I felt was despair that I am still so far from finishing this 14-part series. I am ready to be done with it.
I hate that I feel this way because, as you are well aware, I am enormously fond of Applegate’s ‘Animorphs’ series. I also felt largely positive about her/their ‘Everworld’ series. Toward the beginning of ‘Remnants’, I had high hopes and I have been impressed by a number of brutal moments—brutal in an emotionally devastating sense as much as in a physically violent sense. Sometimes Applegate’s knack for writing short sentences charged with feeling comes through in spectacular fashion. That’s growing less and less common as the series progresses.
What we’re left with is mostly endless iterations of the same thing. The group of humans (the “Remnants” of the title) bicker amongst themselves about the best course of action to survive in the alien world they’ve found themselves in, a pair of ill-defined alien species make war against them, things move forward but nothing seems to be happening. I previously described this as events “signifying significance” while in actuality failing to deliver anything of substance. Despite the cover image of a person (probably Jobs?) looking out the window of a spaceship at the remains of Earth, the planet does not make an appearance in this book. Instead, it’s all planning for an attack from the Blue Meanies (or is it the Riders? Or both?) and then repelling the attack when it comes. Then there’s the side-plot about Yago’s growing religious following among the Blue Meanies (or is it the Riders? Or both?) as it coalesces and he prepares to set them against the rest of the Remnants.
I care little for any of the characters, some of whom I barely have a concept of. Rodger Dodger shows up early on in this book, for example, and though the name is familiar I have no real understanding of who he is. All of the characters are so flat, in my opinion. I don’t care about 2Face’s positioning for power. I don’t care about Violet’s secret. I don’t care about Tate or Tamara or Burroway or Edward or frickin’ Mo’Steel’s mom. I do not care! The fact that we’re just re-enacting the same story beats over and over again does not help, either. A new character, Amelia, was introduced at the end of the last book. She does not show up here at all, but at the end the book suddenly throws in a reference to her being a threat. We go through the entire book to get there and almost nothing happens that whole time.
I’m just… ugh, exhausted by this. We’re getting more chapters from the perspective of the aliens, but toward no particular purpose. They add little to nothing to the story. Also, sorry but I hate the title. I’m unreasonably irritated by Wizard of Oz references—they’re so cheap and clichéd. The only thing that upsets me more is if somebody says, “There’s a storm coming.” I don’t recall that sentence having been spoken in the ‘Remnants’ series to date, but just you wait, I’m willing to bet it’s gonna happen before we’re through.
I don’t have anything more to say! Maybe I should have given this book 1 star. It’s entirely forgettable.
I hate that I feel this way because, as you are well aware, I am enormously fond of Applegate’s ‘Animorphs’ series. I also felt largely positive about her/their ‘Everworld’ series. Toward the beginning of ‘Remnants’, I had high hopes and I have been impressed by a number of brutal moments—brutal in an emotionally devastating sense as much as in a physically violent sense. Sometimes Applegate’s knack for writing short sentences charged with feeling comes through in spectacular fashion. That’s growing less and less common as the series progresses.
What we’re left with is mostly endless iterations of the same thing. The group of humans (the “Remnants” of the title) bicker amongst themselves about the best course of action to survive in the alien world they’ve found themselves in, a pair of ill-defined alien species make war against them, things move forward but nothing seems to be happening. I previously described this as events “signifying significance” while in actuality failing to deliver anything of substance. Despite the cover image of a person (probably Jobs?) looking out the window of a spaceship at the remains of Earth, the planet does not make an appearance in this book. Instead, it’s all planning for an attack from the Blue Meanies (or is it the Riders? Or both?) and then repelling the attack when it comes. Then there’s the side-plot about Yago’s growing religious following among the Blue Meanies (or is it the Riders? Or both?) as it coalesces and he prepares to set them against the rest of the Remnants.
I care little for any of the characters, some of whom I barely have a concept of. Rodger Dodger shows up early on in this book, for example, and though the name is familiar I have no real understanding of who he is. All of the characters are so flat, in my opinion. I don’t care about 2Face’s positioning for power. I don’t care about Violet’s secret. I don’t care about Tate or Tamara or Burroway or Edward or frickin’ Mo’Steel’s mom. I do not care! The fact that we’re just re-enacting the same story beats over and over again does not help, either. A new character, Amelia, was introduced at the end of the last book. She does not show up here at all, but at the end the book suddenly throws in a reference to her being a threat. We go through the entire book to get there and almost nothing happens that whole time.
I’m just… ugh, exhausted by this. We’re getting more chapters from the perspective of the aliens, but toward no particular purpose. They add little to nothing to the story. Also, sorry but I hate the title. I’m unreasonably irritated by Wizard of Oz references—they’re so cheap and clichéd. The only thing that upsets me more is if somebody says, “There’s a storm coming.” I don’t recall that sentence having been spoken in the ‘Remnants’ series to date, but just you wait, I’m willing to bet it’s gonna happen before we’re through.
I don’t have anything more to say! Maybe I should have given this book 1 star. It’s entirely forgettable.
August 1, 2016
I’m going to guess that is Jobs on the cover at last, gazing at the remains of Earth. Even though Earth is supposed to look like two celestial bodies crushed together, not like it has an entire chunk missing and empty.
After our three month time jump, stuff is still hitting the fan, even more so now that the Remnants have voted that there is “No place like home” – for better, or for worse. Billy is more or less at the helm, a Big Compromise had kept the humans, Meanies, and Riders at peace, and yet no one is completely satisfied with the situation. Not to mention that strange things are once again afoot, things which have been hinted at existing, but not necessarily well-known that they will increase in frequency. Everything has changed since the power-switch up from Isolation and then the revelation about the Missing Eight from Mother, May I?, not to mention the Remnants’ decision to change course literally and figuratively … all of these things mean that once again war is on the horizon. As well as general upheaval in the lives of the Remnants – but then, isn’t that the new normal?
Any tenuous peace the humans had with the Riders and Meanies is about as tenuous, if not less so, than the peace the humans have with each other. Yago is still recruiting followers to his “True Path” with him as “the One” (my gosh are the names they adopt ridiculous and very in keeping with Yago’s egotistical maniacal tendencies…), 2Face is still working her own angle (at least she is actively standing beside someone other than herself now), Mo’Steel and Jobs are still working together (they come across as the “greater good with solid morals” group ringleaders), hardly anyone has seen Billy much up to this point, and as for the rest of the Remnants, well, they have their own bubbles of privacy and interaction which they move between.
I’m finding that everything is such a blur lately that I’m having a more than usual difficult time clearly delineating what happens in one book versus another book. Maybe I’m just trying to read them too fast, despite my conscious efforts to read them slowly…?
Quotes:
“You’d think weapons would be given priority over the lyrics from Rent.” – page 27 – Another Rent reference, hm? April in Everworld was playing in a production of Rent during the course of the series.
Kubrick didn’t deserve 2Face’s friendship, but he needed it. It was the only thing in this awful place worth surviving for. – page 33
[Jobs remembering] Kubrick, his father, and three more people still in their hibernation berths. Another eight mysteriously disappeared before the worms attacked. – page 61 – Ah, some attempts at belatedly correcting the whole Missing Eight discrepancy.
Violet had done it willingly, as a penitence. – page 78 – I had wondered what she could possibly be penitent for…well, by the end we pretty well know.
After our three month time jump, stuff is still hitting the fan, even more so now that the Remnants have voted that there is “No place like home” – for better, or for worse. Billy is more or less at the helm, a Big Compromise had kept the humans, Meanies, and Riders at peace, and yet no one is completely satisfied with the situation. Not to mention that strange things are once again afoot, things which have been hinted at existing, but not necessarily well-known that they will increase in frequency. Everything has changed since the power-switch up from Isolation and then the revelation about the Missing Eight from Mother, May I?, not to mention the Remnants’ decision to change course literally and figuratively … all of these things mean that once again war is on the horizon. As well as general upheaval in the lives of the Remnants – but then, isn’t that the new normal?
Any tenuous peace the humans had with the Riders and Meanies is about as tenuous, if not less so, than the peace the humans have with each other. Yago is still recruiting followers to his “True Path” with him as “the One” (my gosh are the names they adopt ridiculous and very in keeping with Yago’s egotistical maniacal tendencies…), 2Face is still working her own angle (at least she is actively standing beside someone other than herself now), Mo’Steel and Jobs are still working together (they come across as the “greater good with solid morals” group ringleaders), hardly anyone has seen Billy much up to this point, and as for the rest of the Remnants, well, they have their own bubbles of privacy and interaction which they move between.
I’m finding that everything is such a blur lately that I’m having a more than usual difficult time clearly delineating what happens in one book versus another book. Maybe I’m just trying to read them too fast, despite my conscious efforts to read them slowly…?
Quotes:
“You’d think weapons would be given priority over the lyrics from Rent.” – page 27 – Another Rent reference, hm? April in Everworld was playing in a production of Rent during the course of the series.
Kubrick didn’t deserve 2Face’s friendship, but he needed it. It was the only thing in this awful place worth surviving for. – page 33
[Jobs remembering] Kubrick, his father, and three more people still in their hibernation berths. Another eight mysteriously disappeared before the worms attacked. – page 61 – Ah, some attempts at belatedly correcting the whole Missing Eight discrepancy.
Violet had done it willingly, as a penitence. – page 78 – I had wondered what she could possibly be penitent for…well, by the end we pretty well know.
August 11, 2016
Wow wow wow wow wow. Others had a pretty trepid reception to this book, but I think this may be my favourite so far? Because once again, the authors lob some grenades into the narrative and take it places I didn't expect. A mere 11 pages in, I basically screeched "WHAT THE FUCK???" and my jaw hit the floor. Which is really impressive for a book not even 200 pages long to evoke such strong shock and surprise in me!
War is brewing, with the repercussions of their Terrible Decisions in the previous book. Our heroes redeem themselves to me a little, because Jobs realises what a bad call they've made, and 2Face has sided with Billy rather than against him (their changed dynamic is rly cute in this one imo). Like, above all I just wanted to hug Kubrick, Billy, and 2Face. And Noyze and Angelique, I guess. And Mo'. And the poor kids! EVERYONE IN THIS BAR, REALLY.
And holy jesus christ, the superpowers! There are some interesting new players entering the game -- I'm remaining vague because this is a relatively late book in the series and I don't want to give it away to anyone who hasn't read it yet, but I really want to see where & how this storyline plays out.
Yago and his faction continue to grow, and though his characterisation is still shot and will probably literally never recover, his arc now has me officially cracking me up with his aliens' naming conventions. Yago's Razor-Sharp Wit, Yago's Buff Biceps: it's like Fight Club (I am Jack's Smirking Revenge), but like... with aliens. And way funnier because Yago is a delusional megalomaniac.
Also, that ending, man, THAT ENDING, that had me pawing at my face and needing to find out what happens next. It's horrific, the absolute stuff of which nightmares are made -- read that description in the last few pages and explain to me how this is still middle-grade. I ask you.
Also, re: what I thought was a SNAFU about the Missing Eight in the previous book, I think KAA explicitly tried to backpedal and correct her goof now:
I still think she's just trying to cover her tracks, though. I'm pretty convinced that Kubrick/Alberto/Noyze/Angelique should have counted as part of the Missing Eight, because people didn't go missing until after the others had already done their checks.
War is brewing, with the repercussions of their Terrible Decisions in the previous book. Our heroes redeem themselves to me a little, because Jobs realises what a bad call they've made, and 2Face has sided with Billy rather than against him (their changed dynamic is rly cute in this one imo). Like, above all I just wanted to hug Kubrick, Billy, and 2Face. And Noyze and Angelique, I guess. And Mo'. And the poor kids! EVERYONE IN THIS BAR, REALLY.
And holy jesus christ, the superpowers! There are some interesting new players entering the game -- I'm remaining vague because this is a relatively late book in the series and I don't want to give it away to anyone who hasn't read it yet, but I really want to see where & how this storyline plays out.
Yago and his faction continue to grow, and though his characterisation is still shot and will probably literally never recover, his arc now has me officially cracking me up with his aliens' naming conventions. Yago's Razor-Sharp Wit, Yago's Buff Biceps: it's like Fight Club (I am Jack's Smirking Revenge), but like... with aliens. And way funnier because Yago is a delusional megalomaniac.
Also, that ending, man, THAT ENDING, that had me pawing at my face and needing to find out what happens next. It's horrific, the absolute stuff of which nightmares are made -- read that description in the last few pages and explain to me how this is still middle-grade. I ask you.
Also, re: what I thought was a SNAFU about the Missing Eight in the previous book, I think KAA explicitly tried to backpedal and correct her goof now:
I still think she's just trying to cover her tracks, though. I'm pretty convinced that Kubrick/Alberto/Noyze/Angelique should have counted as part of the Missing Eight, because people didn't go missing until after the others had already done their checks.
April 18, 2017
Coming to the review game late this time, mostly because I'm going on hiatus after this installment--I'm borrowing these from a friend and have yet to get the next (and last) batch.
This one felt in some ways like a continuation of #8: tensions continue to rise in the wake of Billy changing the ship's course, culminating in a dramatic collapse of the truce and both Meanies and Riders invading the Zone.
Yago is still acting like the Messiah, but this time his Meanie followers break with the rest in the beginnings of civil war. We get some VERY interesting glimpses into Meanie culture and biology--apparently they reproduce by budding in a manner that kills the parent; KA seems fond of this speculative reproduction strategy, as it also showed up in the Yeerks.
Really, I just wanted more here: more alien POV chapters, more insights into their origins and culture. A persistent weakness of this series is I just...don't care about the human characters that much? They're fine, but in some ways they're about as interesting as a random group of people shoehorned onto a space shuttle right before the apocalypse could be expected to be, which is to say, some are, some aren't.
Notable exceptions: Billy and 2Face develop an interesting dynamic in this installment, as she goes from his adversary to something like his chief adviser.
Violet has a secret that I won't divulge because it's worth discovering; I will just say there's a strong element of body horror and it's an unexpected surprise this late in the series.
Loose ends round up: This book makes a valiant effort to correct the discrepancy in the previous volume regarding the Missing Eight, but it's pretty transparent.
What the heck is Billy? This series is never going to explain him, is it?
This one felt in some ways like a continuation of #8: tensions continue to rise in the wake of Billy changing the ship's course, culminating in a dramatic collapse of the truce and both Meanies and Riders invading the Zone.
Yago is still acting like the Messiah, but this time his Meanie followers break with the rest in the beginnings of civil war. We get some VERY interesting glimpses into Meanie culture and biology--apparently they reproduce by budding in a manner that kills the parent; KA seems fond of this speculative reproduction strategy, as it also showed up in the Yeerks.
Really, I just wanted more here: more alien POV chapters, more insights into their origins and culture. A persistent weakness of this series is I just...don't care about the human characters that much? They're fine, but in some ways they're about as interesting as a random group of people shoehorned onto a space shuttle right before the apocalypse could be expected to be, which is to say, some are, some aren't.
Notable exceptions: Billy and 2Face develop an interesting dynamic in this installment, as she goes from his adversary to something like his chief adviser.
Violet has a secret that I won't divulge because it's worth discovering; I will just say there's a strong element of body horror and it's an unexpected surprise this late in the series.
Loose ends round up: This book makes a valiant effort to correct the discrepancy in the previous volume regarding the Missing Eight, but it's pretty transparent.
What the heck is Billy? This series is never going to explain him, is it?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 2, 2022Charlie! Worms! A popped bubble! Meanie pods! I did not at all remember the Meanie pods and rituals. The Meanies are a fascinating species.
May 23, 2023
Humans are not to be trusted, that is what I’ve learned from this book. They force the other species inhabiting the ship in to a tentative compromise just to break it in as many ways as possible. This book is also a look at the impossibility of utopias and brings back the body horror in a solid way.
August 27, 2019
shit is getting serious yo
March 5, 2022
Booooring, I'd like to finish this series already.
August 12, 2014
Yago and his army of worshipful Meanies are getting dangerous. Because Jobs was able to convince Billy to move the ship and return to whatever the shell of the Earth might be now, the Meanies are angry, and Yago's megalomaniacal tendencies are fueled by his alien followers. And yet another previously missing person appears, with revelations popping up about some Mayflower survivors hiding their mutated abilities. If they get to Earth at all, will they still be alive? Will they still be themselves?
This book had a very weird ending, and the way it's going felt more like it was spreading apart instead of coming together. Frayed edges of plot lines and personal stories are getting further split instead of tying up with others, which makes it tough to follow and tougher to get invested. The storytelling is, as usual, very tight, though, and if you've developed attachment to the characters in previous books, you'll want to find out what happens to them.
This book had a very weird ending, and the way it's going felt more like it was spreading apart instead of coming together. Frayed edges of plot lines and personal stories are getting further split instead of tying up with others, which makes it tough to follow and tougher to get invested. The storytelling is, as usual, very tight, though, and if you've developed attachment to the characters in previous books, you'll want to find out what happens to them.
May 25, 2016
While it's still not as good as the earlier books in the series, the ending still managed to be dramatic and intense enough to grab my attention.
The problem is that the characters are getting old. I'm tired of reading about 2Face being a jerk, tired of Yago being insane. I really wish Jobs, Mo'Steel, Edward, Billy, and Olga would go off and do something else, but I supposed their choices are limited.
But I understand why the plot of this book exists. It's necessary because of the world K.A. Applegate built, but it just makes me angry that the characters can't be better people.
The problem is that the characters are getting old. I'm tired of reading about 2Face being a jerk, tired of Yago being insane. I really wish Jobs, Mo'Steel, Edward, Billy, and Olga would go off and do something else, but I supposed their choices are limited.
But I understand why the plot of this book exists. It's necessary because of the world K.A. Applegate built, but it just makes me angry that the characters can't be better people.
April 29, 2008
Another wonderful chapter in the life of the Remnants. In this book, the Remnants have decided to head towards Earth, even though they are not sure what they will find when they get there, and it means breaking the Treaty with the other ship's tenants.
We meet a new Remnant, friend or foe, we don't find out till the end of the book. We also learn about some new mutations that our original Remnants have been hiding.
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
We meet a new Remnant, friend or foe, we don't find out till the end of the book. We also learn about some new mutations that our original Remnants have been hiding.
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
June 3, 2010
A problem I'm beginning to realize is that I don't know how old most of the characters are. I default to thinking that they're adults if they weren't among the first few introduced, but I don't think that they actually are. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about having adults included at all. I've said this before, but I really think it messes with the dynamic a bit.
March 8, 2016
No Place Like Home by Katherine Applegate
Why I read it: Still reading Remnants.
Rating: 3/5
What I thought: I barely remember this book at all, but looking at Wikipedia, it's still more offputting oddness and a sense that this whole thing is just marking time. Which is kind of a shame because I'm pretty sure I did like this book when I read it.
Why I read it: Still reading Remnants.
Rating: 3/5
What I thought: I barely remember this book at all, but looking at Wikipedia, it's still more offputting oddness and a sense that this whole thing is just marking time. Which is kind of a shame because I'm pretty sure I did like this book when I read it.
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October 3, 2015OMG. Everything. Worms. All of it.
February 21, 2014
It's starting to get good again, I mean, I wonder what will happen with the Earth!
August 20, 2008
Weird ending. It's really just starting to spiral so you wonder if it's going to go anywhere.
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