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Animorphs #7
The Stranger
Okay. Rachel and the other Animorphs have finally found the new entrance to the Yeerk pool. They've even figured out a way to sneak in. The infamous roach morph. But they didn't count on roaches being a Taxxon delicacy. This time escape doesn't look so good.
And then everything stops. Everything. The feasting Taxxon, the human-Controllers, the Hork-Bajir. Time. Now Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Jake, Tobias, and Ax are in for their wildest trip ever. They're going to get the chance to decide whether they want to stay on Earth and fight the Yeerks. Or go to another planet. And the guy giving them the choice says he can save them. Now all they have to do is make the choice. . . .
And then everything stops. Everything. The feasting Taxxon, the human-Controllers, the Hork-Bajir. Time. Now Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Jake, Tobias, and Ax are in for their wildest trip ever. They're going to get the chance to decide whether they want to stay on Earth and fight the Yeerks. Or go to another planet. And the guy giving them the choice says he can save them. Now all they have to do is make the choice. . . .
163 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1997
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1158 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Applegate
251 books486 followersalso published under the name Katherine Applegate
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
August 14, 2016
Enter The Ellimist, an all-powerful being who can bend space and time to his will, and who has taken an interest in the planet Earth. Andalites tell their children fairy stories about his kind; humans have never heard of him. He's up to something.
Gosh, Rachel books are just the best. I alllmost upped this one to five stars, but I'm saving it. But allllmosst, because in The Stranger, I really feel like this series kicks into gear, and is now aligning itself with my memory of it being totally awesome. As a child it just felt like time travel and aliens and saving the world, but as an adult, oh man, Rachel's POV is intense.
The kids are headed into the Yeerk Pool again (the new entrance is in the mall: enter through The Gap, exit through the movie theater). All the Animorphs except Ax, who wasn't around the last time, are leery of going into that place again. This time, though, they're going in with much more manageable goals and idea of what they're up against. This time, they're going to try and find out where the Kandrona is, so they can strike a crippling blow to the Yeerks, one which they can recover from, but will do them great damage before that happens. Things go wrong pretty much right away, but instead of fighting their way out blind from inside the body of the Taxxon who has just eaten them, time stops. Everything around them freezes, and in comes The Ellimist.
So that's the emotional stuff, but this book is also notable for what The Ellimist brings to the table. I love the way his existence opens up the worldbuilding of the series, letting us know there is sooooo much more out there that we're not yet seeing because we're stuck on Earth with the kids. It also showcases Applegate's ability to weave a tricky, surprising plot. Time travel is hard to pull off and make fresh, but I think she manages it quite well.
Up next, the first Megamorphs, because Scholastic wanted to make more money, and kids wanted more Animorphs, so win-win.
Gosh, Rachel books are just the best. I alllmost upped this one to five stars, but I'm saving it. But allllmosst, because in The Stranger, I really feel like this series kicks into gear, and is now aligning itself with my memory of it being totally awesome. As a child it just felt like time travel and aliens and saving the world, but as an adult, oh man, Rachel's POV is intense.
The kids are headed into the Yeerk Pool again (the new entrance is in the mall: enter through The Gap, exit through the movie theater). All the Animorphs except Ax, who wasn't around the last time, are leery of going into that place again. This time, though, they're going in with much more manageable goals and idea of what they're up against. This time, they're going to try and find out where the Kandrona is, so they can strike a crippling blow to the Yeerks, one which they can recover from, but will do them great damage before that happens. Things go wrong pretty much right away, but instead of fighting their way out blind from inside the body of the Taxxon who has just eaten them, time stops. Everything around them freezes, and in comes The Ellimist.
So that's the emotional stuff, but this book is also notable for what The Ellimist brings to the table. I love the way his existence opens up the worldbuilding of the series, letting us know there is sooooo much more out there that we're not yet seeing because we're stuck on Earth with the kids. It also showcases Applegate's ability to weave a tricky, surprising plot. Time travel is hard to pull off and make fresh, but I think she manages it quite well.
Up next, the first Megamorphs, because Scholastic wanted to make more money, and kids wanted more Animorphs, so win-win.
January 19, 2014
I never read these books as a kid - they seemed boyish, silly and scary and I imagined myself a sophisticated 9 year old. I am now a very unsophisticated 24 year old so when my boyfriend bought the entire collection (more than 50 books!) I decided to give the Animorphs series a go.
I am blown away by how good these books are. It is rare to find books for young teens that treat the reader as intelligent. The plots of the series are very exciting, but more than that. The books are exciting because the risks are high, safety is not guaranteed, the stakes are very high, and the reader is drawn completely into the world and is made to care about the characters. It isn't about cheap thrills. It's about saving humanity, the Earth and the Universe. It's about freedom vs conformity, love vs. hate, the environment vs. progress, humans vs. slimy grey parasite slugs. No one comes away unscathed. The 6 main characters are a triumph of characterisation - they're complex, believable, and evolve as the series evolves. Their experiences change them all in different ways.
While the tone is often light and jokey - a few kids hanging out and conspiring - these books get pretty dark. It's very rare for me to be shocked and moved and still thinking about a kid's book months later.
Highly recommended to anyone looking for a quick, exciting read with some pretty powerful messages about what it means to be human.
I am blown away by how good these books are. It is rare to find books for young teens that treat the reader as intelligent. The plots of the series are very exciting, but more than that. The books are exciting because the risks are high, safety is not guaranteed, the stakes are very high, and the reader is drawn completely into the world and is made to care about the characters. It isn't about cheap thrills. It's about saving humanity, the Earth and the Universe. It's about freedom vs conformity, love vs. hate, the environment vs. progress, humans vs. slimy grey parasite slugs. No one comes away unscathed. The 6 main characters are a triumph of characterisation - they're complex, believable, and evolve as the series evolves. Their experiences change them all in different ways.
While the tone is often light and jokey - a few kids hanging out and conspiring - these books get pretty dark. It's very rare for me to be shocked and moved and still thinking about a kid's book months later.
Highly recommended to anyone looking for a quick, exciting read with some pretty powerful messages about what it means to be human.
May 6, 2015
Marco finds the location of the main Yeerk pool. (It’s underneath the Gap, guys! We don’t have a Gap in Thunder Bay any more. But I remember when we had one—in the nineties.) It’s too difficult to destroy the pool, but if they can find the Kandrona that emits the rays the Yeerks need to live, then they can deal a serious blow to the Yeerks. Don’t worry, the Animorphs have a plan … and I’ll let you guess how well that turns out.
Good thing the Ellimist shows up to be minimally helpful! (TVTropes)
I had forgotten how soon the Ellimist becomes involved in the series. As I reflected in the previous review, this demonstrates Applegate’s larger plan for the series beyond “kids fight body-snatching aliens by turning into animals.” As much as I might be inclined to criticize things like the writing style or the length (and that last is mostly because I just want more Animorphs!), I can’t fault the way Applegate foreshadows what is to come.
The Ellimist is a gigantic dick in this book. He shows up and claims he’ll transport the Animorphs, some of their family, and a few other humans to an Earth-like planet where humanity can survive. After the Animorphs refuse, it comes back with a whopping possible future in which Rachel is a Controller and the Yeerks have conquered Earth. But even that proves to be more of a gambit on the Ellimist’s part than anything else—sneaky fellow.
I had also forgotten how even the earliest books are very dark and serious when it comes to the psychological effects of war. People often pan the ending of the series, because it really isn’t a very happy one, but it’s not like Applegate ever lied to us. She never made it easy for the Animorphs. I mean, their plans never work out the first time around, and in this case a nearly-omnipotent alien had to save them.
And when they do find the Kandrona and decide a full-frontal assault is the most sensible way to take it out? Dismemberment. Gaping wounds. Not only is it pretty graphic, for what is ostensibly preteen literature, but some of the Animorphs nearly die.
This is Book 7.
We get to see it all from the perspective of gung-ho Rachel! Each Animorph reacts differently to the prospect that losing this war is a foregone conclusion. Rachel, being an Action Girl, needs to lash out: she has to do something, take control. She goes for a flight, finds another fighting morph, anything. Applegate mirrors this in Rachel’s reaction to being invited to move out of state with her father. As with the grim future scenario, Rachel cannot seem to do anything to change her father’s decision to move. She feels powerless, trapped—and that is so not Rachel’s jam.
I just love how Rachel will never, ever give up or settle for less than winning. She revels in the power of her new grizzly morph and its feeling of invincibility, because as a teenaged girl, she feels vulnerable and wants to wrap herself up in that grizzly morph. She wants to charge through all the obstacles in her life, be they of alien or human origin. And she does this with utter conviction and commitment.
Even though so much of The Stranger is serious, however, Applegate still manages to find time for the humorous. Take, for instance, Marco’s approach to getting them into the building that houses the Kandrona:
And then, once inside and in their fighting morphs, they cram into a freight elevator, and this happens:
Ordinarily I don’t visualize while reading. In this case, though, I couldn’t help but picture a bear, tiger, and gorilla waiting in an elevator, trying to figure out how to punch for the top floor. And then, elevator music playing as they ride. That is the kind of visual gag they should have had in that horrible TV show Nickelodeon made. Oh well.
(Oh, and Rachel also talks about going to see a new Keanu Reeves movie. So nineties!)
In the end, what do we take away from this book? Well, there are far stranger beings out there than the Yeerks or the Andalites. The Ellimist isn’t just going to leave them alone now. And Marco’s quips about Rachel starting to crack aside, even this early in the fight, these experiences are starting to take their toll on the Animorphs.
Next up: the first Megamorphs adventure! And no, that doesn’t involve the Animorphs merging together into a single, formidable morphed being.
My reviews of Animorphs:
← #6: The Capture | Megamorphs #1: The Andalite’s Gift →
Good thing the Ellimist shows up to be minimally helpful! (TVTropes)
I had forgotten how soon the Ellimist becomes involved in the series. As I reflected in the previous review, this demonstrates Applegate’s larger plan for the series beyond “kids fight body-snatching aliens by turning into animals.” As much as I might be inclined to criticize things like the writing style or the length (and that last is mostly because I just want more Animorphs!), I can’t fault the way Applegate foreshadows what is to come.
The Ellimist is a gigantic dick in this book. He shows up and claims he’ll transport the Animorphs, some of their family, and a few other humans to an Earth-like planet where humanity can survive. After the Animorphs refuse, it comes back with a whopping possible future in which Rachel is a Controller and the Yeerks have conquered Earth. But even that proves to be more of a gambit on the Ellimist’s part than anything else—sneaky fellow.
I had also forgotten how even the earliest books are very dark and serious when it comes to the psychological effects of war. People often pan the ending of the series, because it really isn’t a very happy one, but it’s not like Applegate ever lied to us. She never made it easy for the Animorphs. I mean, their plans never work out the first time around, and in this case a nearly-omnipotent alien had to save them.
And when they do find the Kandrona and decide a full-frontal assault is the most sensible way to take it out? Dismemberment. Gaping wounds. Not only is it pretty graphic, for what is ostensibly preteen literature, but some of the Animorphs nearly die.
This is Book 7.
We get to see it all from the perspective of gung-ho Rachel! Each Animorph reacts differently to the prospect that losing this war is a foregone conclusion. Rachel, being an Action Girl, needs to lash out: she has to do something, take control. She goes for a flight, finds another fighting morph, anything. Applegate mirrors this in Rachel’s reaction to being invited to move out of state with her father. As with the grim future scenario, Rachel cannot seem to do anything to change her father’s decision to move. She feels powerless, trapped—and that is so not Rachel’s jam.
I just love how Rachel will never, ever give up or settle for less than winning. She revels in the power of her new grizzly morph and its feeling of invincibility, because as a teenaged girl, she feels vulnerable and wants to wrap herself up in that grizzly morph. She wants to charge through all the obstacles in her life, be they of alien or human origin. And she does this with utter conviction and commitment.
Even though so much of The Stranger is serious, however, Applegate still manages to find time for the humorous. Take, for instance, Marco’s approach to getting them into the building that houses the Kandrona:
Marco said in thought-speak.
And then, once inside and in their fighting morphs, they cram into a freight elevator, and this happens:
Jake said. He held up one of his huge paws to show me.
It wasn’t easy. Bear paws aren’t exactly subtle tools. But after carefully lining up my first claw, I hit the top button.
Ordinarily I don’t visualize while reading. In this case, though, I couldn’t help but picture a bear, tiger, and gorilla waiting in an elevator, trying to figure out how to punch for the top floor. And then, elevator music playing as they ride. That is the kind of visual gag they should have had in that horrible TV show Nickelodeon made. Oh well.
(Oh, and Rachel also talks about going to see a new Keanu Reeves movie. So nineties!)
In the end, what do we take away from this book? Well, there are far stranger beings out there than the Yeerks or the Andalites. The Ellimist isn’t just going to leave them alone now. And Marco’s quips about Rachel starting to crack aside, even this early in the fight, these experiences are starting to take their toll on the Animorphs.
Next up: the first Megamorphs adventure! And no, that doesn’t involve the Animorphs merging together into a single, formidable morphed being.
My reviews of Animorphs:
← #6: The Capture | Megamorphs #1: The Andalite’s Gift →
May 20, 2025
(Read in March 2015, February 2020, and May 2025.)
FIRST REVIEW / MAR 12, 2015
Not one of my favourites, but I think it's important because of how it juxtaposes Rachel struggling with Normal Kid Problems like being the child of divorce, in addition to her war problems, finally cracking, and being offered not one but two ways out and having to make a hard choice -- plus its themes of escapism, guilt/responsibility, annnnnd introducing the Ellimist, who is a major player and important element throughout the entire series. (And hot on the heels of the glimpse of the SPOILER REDACTED at the end of the previous book, too! Gosh, I'd forgotten they get involved so early.)
Plus, Rachel finally obtains her iconic grizzly morph :"]
---------------------------------
SECOND REVIEW / FEB 17, 2020
Bumping this up from 3 stars to 4 stars on this re-read, because I'm appreciating how... foundational? this book is: how it establishes the early signs of Rachel's bloodthirstiness (and yet how it's still tempered right now with her still wanting to be a normal kid, which breaks my heart); the introduction of the Ellimist, who's going to become such a significant player; the kids' first experience with wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey events; the questions they have to grapple with, the trap and loophole that the Ellimist plants for them; the ending and its foreshadowing; the kids already coming apart at the seams with the awful ongoing stress of the war (and poor Jake trying to hold them together by the skin of his teeth):
I keep saying this, but we’re still so early and this is already so brutal. There's even more gory physical description in the battle this time: the stump of Rachel’s paw, the Hork-Bajir screaming as it holds its own severed arm. Welp!
But as ever, it's the psychological toll that hits harder.
Favourite quotes moved to Google Docs.
---------------------------------
THIRD REVIEW / MAY 16, 2025
Rachel's unraveling starts so, so early — this is only her second-ever narrated book — and man, it's just going to get worse over the next few years.
FIRST REVIEW / MAR 12, 2015
Not one of my favourites, but I think it's important because of how it juxtaposes Rachel struggling with Normal Kid Problems like being the child of divorce, in addition to her war problems, finally cracking, and being offered not one but two ways out and having to make a hard choice -- plus its themes of escapism, guilt/responsibility, annnnnd introducing the Ellimist, who is a major player and important element throughout the entire series. (And hot on the heels of the glimpse of the SPOILER REDACTED at the end of the previous book, too! Gosh, I'd forgotten they get involved so early.)
Plus, Rachel finally obtains her iconic grizzly morph :"]
---------------------------------
SECOND REVIEW / FEB 17, 2020
Bumping this up from 3 stars to 4 stars on this re-read, because I'm appreciating how... foundational? this book is: how it establishes the early signs of Rachel's bloodthirstiness (and yet how it's still tempered right now with her still wanting to be a normal kid, which breaks my heart); the introduction of the Ellimist, who's going to become such a significant player; the kids' first experience with wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey events; the questions they have to grapple with, the trap and loophole that the Ellimist plants for them; the ending and its foreshadowing; the kids already coming apart at the seams with the awful ongoing stress of the war (and poor Jake trying to hold them together by the skin of his teeth):
Marco shrugged. “Rachel’s losing it. If she loses it, how long are the rest of us going to last?”
“Shut up, Marco, I’m not in the mood for your jokes,” I said.
“Me neither,” Marco said flatly. “You know how much sleep I got last night? About an hour. Nightmares. I was a zombie in school today. I felt like… like my skin has all been rubbed with sandpaper. I’m jumpy. I’m scared. I’m stressed.”
“It’s gonna happen,” Jake said.
“This was always insane, right from the start,” Marco said. “A handful of kids fighting an alien invasion? Look what’s happening. Tobias is trapped in a morph. Rachel is starting to use morphing to get away from her problems. The other night I woke up in bed, and I didn’t know what I was. I didn’t know if I had hands or fins or claws or talons. Maybe you and Cassie are immune, Jake. But I doubt it.”
“We can’t give up,” Jake argued stubbornly.
“All we ever do is lose,” Marco said. “We annoy the Yeerks. Maybe we blow up a ship, or have some little success. But the invasion marches on. And all we ever do is barely escape with our lives. We’re like some baseball team that never wins a game. And now, according to the Ellimist, we know it’s going to be a whole losing season. We aren’t going to the play-offs.”
“I don’t care,” Jake said. “I’m not giving up.”
I keep saying this, but we’re still so early and this is already so brutal. There's even more gory physical description in the battle this time: the stump of Rachel’s paw, the Hork-Bajir screaming as it holds its own severed arm. Welp!
But as ever, it's the psychological toll that hits harder.
Favourite quotes moved to Google Docs.
---------------------------------
THIRD REVIEW / MAY 16, 2025
Rachel's unraveling starts so, so early — this is only her second-ever narrated book — and man, it's just going to get worse over the next few years.
March 14, 2016
I think Rachel is kind of my favorite.
August 30, 2020
"You all know I take care of lots of sick animals. They are always afraid of me, even though I am trying to help them. Are we being brave by saying no? Or are we just being foolish, resisting someone who is trying to save us?"
I think this is my favourite one so far, or at the very least, it ties for first place with Tobias' book!
Despite this being a scifi series, I didn't really expect to show up in the plot, it's one of my favourite scifi plot devices so I was really excited to see it happen, even if only briefly :D
I never stop being surprised about how dark these books get, not only does this book have Rachel experiencing a huge crisis of conscience and 'coping' through risk taking behaviors, it also managed to legitimately shock me by having the characters do the exact opposite of what I expected, even if in the end, the result of the dilemma was still the obvious one.
Oh, and I can't not mention Just... Wtf? Children read this series! I guess I was lucky to not have picked up this one as a kid 😅
I'm also surprised that there is still another 47(!) books left in the main series until the ending, I feel the whole situation, not to mention the mental states of the group, is deteriorating really quickly and it feels like we're a good way into the story, even though it's barely begun.
I think this is my favourite one so far, or at the very least, it ties for first place with Tobias' book!
Despite this being a scifi series, I didn't really expect to show up in the plot, it's one of my favourite scifi plot devices so I was really excited to see it happen, even if only briefly :D
I never stop being surprised about how dark these books get, not only does this book have Rachel experiencing a huge crisis of conscience and 'coping' through risk taking behaviors, it also managed to legitimately shock me by having the characters do the exact opposite of what I expected, even if in the end, the result of the dilemma was still the obvious one.
Oh, and I can't not mention Just... Wtf? Children read this series! I guess I was lucky to not have picked up this one as a kid 😅
I'm also surprised that there is still another 47(!) books left in the main series until the ending, I feel the whole situation, not to mention the mental states of the group, is deteriorating really quickly and it feels like we're a good way into the story, even though it's barely begun.
July 21, 2022
The Animorphs attack the Yeerk pool but everything’s going very wrong. And then everything just stops. The Ellimist is an all powerful being who doesn’t partake in the war against the Yeerks. But he has a proposal for them. To take him up on it means forfeiting the war. Can they really just give up and let the Yeerks win? This is all about the psychological toll this war is having on the Animorphs. This is where they have to dig down deep within themselves to find the motivation needed to keep on fighting, no matter how brutal this war can get.
January 22, 2022
Come check out my 4 hour 35 minute deep dive into reading every single Animorphs book for the first time on YouTube. I recap and review all of the books from the main series: https://youtu.be/H8kUM2q3CIU
September 9, 2022
“I wasn’t brave. I was blind.” i love rachel so bad fr
Read
September 7, 2022a gamechanger!
September 13, 2018
If there's one thing you can say about the Animorphs series, it's that it will give you a good grounding in Sci-fi conventions. Adding onto the very awesome (and not at all humanoid) aliens, we have invasion, shape-shifting and, now, time travel.
It was nice to see that Rachel is just as scared as the rest of them- in everyone elses' POV, she comes across as fearless- and scarily so. As for the other characters, I am extremely biased towards Marco, Tobias and Ax (most AWESOME character in the series so far). I continue to feel incredibly sorry for Jake (. I'm not really fussed about Cassie either way.
Like all of the other Animorphs books, I found this book quick, light and fun.
It was nice to see that Rachel is just as scared as the rest of them- in everyone elses' POV, she comes across as fearless- and scarily so. As for the other characters, I am extremely biased towards Marco, Tobias and Ax (most AWESOME character in the series so far). I continue to feel incredibly sorry for Jake (. I'm not really fussed about Cassie either way.
Like all of the other Animorphs books, I found this book quick, light and fun.
April 11, 2020
Latest review April 10, 2020 here.
Original Review: April 29, 2015
Finally, Rachel gets the grizzly bear morph I remember as being her go-to firepower morph! (Honestly, I had pretty much forgotten she only had the elephant morph for firepower in the beginning...
That aside... this book takes what the other books started (each Animorph finding their own reason to fight), and multiplies it several times over. This is where they all find the reason to continue fighting, and what will give them the incentive to keep up the fight no matter what happens. Even when thing seem tough and horrible (another trip to the Yeerk pool, anyone? ... Anyone?), when it would be so much easier to move across the country or take up the Ellimist on his offer to inhabit a new planet far from the Yeerks. But humans have hope -- Jake voiced that in the last book when he was a human-Controller -- and when we're backed into a corner, even if its a corner of our own mind, we continue to fight. We are resilient, and we never back down. Hope may not always be visible, but we always keep it tucked away in our hearts and minds. No matter how horrible the journey of life can get, we keep moving forward.
THAT is what this book is about. And if you happen to be facing big life decisions, where you have different paths you could start walking down, this is the book to read. It will help you realize that you need to focus on what is truly important, and that no matter what happens, you should never turn away from something that may seem scary or hopeless. Because, in the end, you don't really know how things will work out. You have to take the chance, and see where the path leads you.
Select quotes:
< I was up in the hills yesterday, and I was attacked by one of those very large cats. What do you call them? Cougars? It was very exciting. > [Ax said]
"Are you okay?" I asked.
< Certainly, Rachel. And I did not hurt the cougar, Cassie. Not fatally, anyway. But he won't try to eat me again, I think.> Ax gave his strange Andalite smile, an expression he managed even without a mouth.
Marco rolled his eyes. "I'm telling you, Ax and Rachel belong together. The two of you are sick. Someday you could get married while bungee-jumping into an active volcano."
I squirmed a little. Not because I minded Marco thinking I was bold. But because I really was not interested in Ax that way. -- page 18
"The Yeerk pool," Cassie said grimly, and looked away.
I didn't say anything. I don't like talking about nightmares. But I'd had them, too. They were pretty bad.
< I am not very good at understanding human emotions, > Ax said. < But you all seem afraid. And your fear is beginning to scare me. >
"Good," I said. "I don't know if you Andalites believe in places like heaven and hell. But let me just tell you -- the Yeerk pool is definitely not heaven." -- page 25
We were going back to the Yeerk pool, and they were counting on me to be brave and strong. That's what they thought I was.
But if I was so brave and so strong, why was I suddenly imagining a very different life, a long, long way from the war with the Yeerks? [...] If I was so brave and so tough, why was I imagining a normal life? -- page 38
-- It's good that Rachel, and the others, are continually questioning their decision to fight the Yeerks. It makes them real and relatable.
I could imagine [my dad] packing up to go.
I could remember the screams in the Yeerk pool.
I could remember Tobias trying to joke about college.
Too much. Things that were small and personal, and things that were huge, all swirled together in my head. Nothing made sense. It was too much stuff. Too much fear and guilt and loneliness. Too many decisions. Too much.
You know, there are days when I just don't feel brave and fearless. There are days when I just want to go to a ball game with my dad and eat popcorn and tune out everything else that's going on. Be a normal kid.
But that wasn't the life I had. Not anymore. -- page 47
The involuntaries would struggle. They would fight. Curse. Some would dare the Hork-Bajir to kill them. [...]
That memory was in all of our minds [as we headed down to the Yeerk pool]. All except Ax, who had not been there.
< I wish I could see more clearly, > Ax said. < I wish I could see all that is going on. >
< No. You don't, > I told him. -- page 59
Then, I saw something moving. One single thing in all that eerie stillness.
A boy. He was tall, a little gangly. He had hair that looked as if it had never been combed.
"Oh..." I whispered. "Oh...look! It's Tobias!"
The others all turned to see.
Tobias shrugged his human shoulders. He held up his hands to stare at his own fingers. "It is me," he said, sounding like he doubted it. "My old body. Here."
I ran to him. I don't really know why, I just did. I wanted to touch him. To know he was real.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" he yelled. He jumped back and suddenly threw his arms up and down.
He was flapping, trying to get away. Trying to fly. I had scared him by rushing at him.
"Sorry," he whispered, terribly embarrassed. "Sorry."
I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly. -- page 67
"The Yeerk race is also sentient," the Ellimist said. "And they are technologically more advanced than you. They will continue to infest the human race. The Andalites will try to stop them, but they will fail. The Yeerks will win. And soon, the only humans left will be what you call human-Controllers."
I had stopped breathing. The way he said it... it was like you couldn't argue. Like you couldn't say anything. He spoke every word with utter and complete certainty.
He wasn't guessing. He knew.
He knew that we would lose. -- page 75
-- One of the big 'reality check's' for the Animorphs, and the first foreshadowing is what to come. Good thing Jake already let us know/realized that humans will always fight, even when we're backed into a corner and the fight seems hopeless. Because the thing is, we always hold on to hope. Always.
Ax was trying to morph into his human body, but he was having trouble. Morphing is exhausting. Morphing rapidly from one form to the next more than once makes you feel like you want to just crawl in a corner and die. -- page 91
-- This is the big "tell, not show" about how draining morphing can be.
Spoiler: quotes from the end of the book under the cut
Original Review: April 29, 2015
Finally, Rachel gets the grizzly bear morph I remember as being her go-to firepower morph! (Honestly, I had pretty much forgotten she only had the elephant morph for firepower in the beginning...
That aside... this book takes what the other books started (each Animorph finding their own reason to fight), and multiplies it several times over. This is where they all find the reason to continue fighting, and what will give them the incentive to keep up the fight no matter what happens. Even when thing seem tough and horrible (another trip to the Yeerk pool, anyone? ... Anyone?), when it would be so much easier to move across the country or take up the Ellimist on his offer to inhabit a new planet far from the Yeerks. But humans have hope -- Jake voiced that in the last book when he was a human-Controller -- and when we're backed into a corner, even if its a corner of our own mind, we continue to fight. We are resilient, and we never back down. Hope may not always be visible, but we always keep it tucked away in our hearts and minds. No matter how horrible the journey of life can get, we keep moving forward.
THAT is what this book is about. And if you happen to be facing big life decisions, where you have different paths you could start walking down, this is the book to read. It will help you realize that you need to focus on what is truly important, and that no matter what happens, you should never turn away from something that may seem scary or hopeless. Because, in the end, you don't really know how things will work out. You have to take the chance, and see where the path leads you.
Select quotes:
< I was up in the hills yesterday, and I was attacked by one of those very large cats. What do you call them? Cougars? It was very exciting. > [Ax said]
"Are you okay?" I asked.
< Certainly, Rachel. And I did not hurt the cougar, Cassie. Not fatally, anyway. But he won't try to eat me again, I think.> Ax gave his strange Andalite smile, an expression he managed even without a mouth.
Marco rolled his eyes. "I'm telling you, Ax and Rachel belong together. The two of you are sick. Someday you could get married while bungee-jumping into an active volcano."
I squirmed a little. Not because I minded Marco thinking I was bold. But because I really was not interested in Ax that way. -- page 18
"The Yeerk pool," Cassie said grimly, and looked away.
I didn't say anything. I don't like talking about nightmares. But I'd had them, too. They were pretty bad.
< I am not very good at understanding human emotions, > Ax said. < But you all seem afraid. And your fear is beginning to scare me. >
"Good," I said. "I don't know if you Andalites believe in places like heaven and hell. But let me just tell you -- the Yeerk pool is definitely not heaven." -- page 25
We were going back to the Yeerk pool, and they were counting on me to be brave and strong. That's what they thought I was.
But if I was so brave and so strong, why was I suddenly imagining a very different life, a long, long way from the war with the Yeerks? [...] If I was so brave and so tough, why was I imagining a normal life? -- page 38
-- It's good that Rachel, and the others, are continually questioning their decision to fight the Yeerks. It makes them real and relatable.
I could imagine [my dad] packing up to go.
I could remember the screams in the Yeerk pool.
I could remember Tobias trying to joke about college.
Too much. Things that were small and personal, and things that were huge, all swirled together in my head. Nothing made sense. It was too much stuff. Too much fear and guilt and loneliness. Too many decisions. Too much.
You know, there are days when I just don't feel brave and fearless. There are days when I just want to go to a ball game with my dad and eat popcorn and tune out everything else that's going on. Be a normal kid.
But that wasn't the life I had. Not anymore. -- page 47
The involuntaries would struggle. They would fight. Curse. Some would dare the Hork-Bajir to kill them. [...]
That memory was in all of our minds [as we headed down to the Yeerk pool]. All except Ax, who had not been there.
< I wish I could see more clearly, > Ax said. < I wish I could see all that is going on. >
< No. You don't, > I told him. -- page 59
Then, I saw something moving. One single thing in all that eerie stillness.
A boy. He was tall, a little gangly. He had hair that looked as if it had never been combed.
"Oh..." I whispered. "Oh...look! It's Tobias!"
The others all turned to see.
Tobias shrugged his human shoulders. He held up his hands to stare at his own fingers. "It is me," he said, sounding like he doubted it. "My old body. Here."
I ran to him. I don't really know why, I just did. I wanted to touch him. To know he was real.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" he yelled. He jumped back and suddenly threw his arms up and down.
He was flapping, trying to get away. Trying to fly. I had scared him by rushing at him.
"Sorry," he whispered, terribly embarrassed. "Sorry."
I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly. -- page 67
"The Yeerk race is also sentient," the Ellimist said. "And they are technologically more advanced than you. They will continue to infest the human race. The Andalites will try to stop them, but they will fail. The Yeerks will win. And soon, the only humans left will be what you call human-Controllers."
I had stopped breathing. The way he said it... it was like you couldn't argue. Like you couldn't say anything. He spoke every word with utter and complete certainty.
He wasn't guessing. He knew.
He knew that we would lose. -- page 75
-- One of the big 'reality check's' for the Animorphs, and the first foreshadowing is what to come. Good thing Jake already let us know/realized that humans will always fight, even when we're backed into a corner and the fight seems hopeless. Because the thing is, we always hold on to hope. Always.
Ax was trying to morph into his human body, but he was having trouble. Morphing is exhausting. Morphing rapidly from one form to the next more than once makes you feel like you want to just crawl in a corner and die. -- page 91
-- This is the big "tell, not show" about how draining morphing can be.
Spoiler: quotes from the end of the book under the cut
April 11, 2020
Original April 29, 2015 review here.
Just when you thought every Animorph was settled in their reason to stay and fight the Yeerks, a wrench gets thrown in the operation: Rachel’s dad offers to let her come live with him in his cross-country move. But doing so would mean leaving the fight against the Yeerks behind her, abandoning her friends and her mom and sisters. As she’s grappling with this choice, the Animorphs decide to make another visit to the Yeerk pool. Marco and Tobias have been teaming up on the sly to discover a new entrance to the Yeerk pool, and they’ve found one in The Gap. (Coincidence? I’ll let you decide.) Naturally things do not go as planned. When do they ever? And once the Yeerk pool is involved, the source of so many of their nightmares, things are sure to go wrong. This time, though, they Animorphs are not alone: a being called The Ellimist sweeps in to give them yet another choice, to continue their fight and risk death or worse, or escape it all with their families and a few select people to a safe place far from the Yeerk invasion.
I just wanted to run away but I didn’t think I could, so I was brave because that’s the way I’m supposed to be.
I continually find myself surprised just how heavy these early books are. It’s so clear that these kids are dealing with things no kid should have to deal with, and they’re doing the best they can to manage. But they’re just kids, alone, fighting a force greater than they could ever hope to defeat. And they lose – a lot. The number of solid “victories” they can log are far outnumbered by their losses. They’re getting worn down already, their nightmares are ever more vivid and present and they see the world around them with glazed, exhausted eyes. And yet. Yet they still have meaningful conversations as they try to figure out what to do, conversations which are deep, and nuanced, and show just how much they have grown in these few short months fighting the Yeerks. The maturity, the thoughtfulness, the heart that goes into these conversations simply blew me away. These are kids who are so ready to break, so close to the edge, yet they keep going. They’re still scared, terrified, but the strength these kids have to face their fears, to go on the next mission, and especially to consider so seriously and maturely the repercussions of their decision – to stay or to go – is awe-inspiring. In the face of the losses they’ve already suffered, and the injuries they continue to suffer , these kids, these Animorphs – Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie, Tobias, and Ax – exemplify a bravery that few can ever hope to have, and fewer still ever want to have to summon forth.
Favorite quotes:
If I was so brave and tough, why was I imagining a normal life? – page 38
You know, there are days when I just don’t feel brave and fearless. There are days when I just want to […be] a normal kid. But that wasn’t the life I had. Not anymore. – page 48
Changes between the reissue and the original under the cut.
Format: reissue – page number reissue/original if applicable – original
Just when you thought every Animorph was settled in their reason to stay and fight the Yeerks, a wrench gets thrown in the operation: Rachel’s dad offers to let her come live with him in his cross-country move. But doing so would mean leaving the fight against the Yeerks behind her, abandoning her friends and her mom and sisters. As she’s grappling with this choice, the Animorphs decide to make another visit to the Yeerk pool. Marco and Tobias have been teaming up on the sly to discover a new entrance to the Yeerk pool, and they’ve found one in The Gap. (Coincidence? I’ll let you decide.) Naturally things do not go as planned. When do they ever? And once the Yeerk pool is involved, the source of so many of their nightmares, things are sure to go wrong. This time, though, they Animorphs are not alone: a being called The Ellimist sweeps in to give them yet another choice, to continue their fight and risk death or worse, or escape it all with their families and a few select people to a safe place far from the Yeerk invasion.
I just wanted to run away but I didn’t think I could, so I was brave because that’s the way I’m supposed to be.
I continually find myself surprised just how heavy these early books are. It’s so clear that these kids are dealing with things no kid should have to deal with, and they’re doing the best they can to manage. But they’re just kids, alone, fighting a force greater than they could ever hope to defeat. And they lose – a lot. The number of solid “victories” they can log are far outnumbered by their losses. They’re getting worn down already, their nightmares are ever more vivid and present and they see the world around them with glazed, exhausted eyes. And yet. Yet they still have meaningful conversations as they try to figure out what to do, conversations which are deep, and nuanced, and show just how much they have grown in these few short months fighting the Yeerks. The maturity, the thoughtfulness, the heart that goes into these conversations simply blew me away. These are kids who are so ready to break, so close to the edge, yet they keep going. They’re still scared, terrified, but the strength these kids have to face their fears, to go on the next mission, and especially to consider so seriously and maturely the repercussions of their decision – to stay or to go – is awe-inspiring. In the face of the losses they’ve already suffered, and the injuries they continue to suffer , these kids, these Animorphs – Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie, Tobias, and Ax – exemplify a bravery that few can ever hope to have, and fewer still ever want to have to summon forth.
Favorite quotes:
If I was so brave and tough, why was I imagining a normal life? – page 38
You know, there are days when I just don’t feel brave and fearless. There are days when I just want to […be] a normal kid. But that wasn’t the life I had. Not anymore. – page 48
Changes between the reissue and the original under the cut.
Format: reissue – page number reissue/original if applicable – original
February 10, 2024
Seeing a god show up was not in my 2024 Animorphs bingo card
June 24, 2009
What a great book.
This is what Animorphs is all about. It's the psychological journey combined with the physical struggle; the coming-of-age story via both ordinary and fantastical means. A lot of the ghostwritten books abandoned, skimped on, or failed at the introspection, but Applegate gets it right in this one. Rachel has real depth of character here -- she's not a bloodthirsty killing machine, nor is she just an ordinary young girl. She struggles with the contrast between daily, regular life and her "superhero" status, as Marco might refer to it.
It's not perfect. Some of the humour could be better, and at times I simply couldn't imagine the kids saying certain things; but these are minor problems that crop up in the series every now and then. Unfortunately the plot is based around time-travel, which almost never works out convincingly, and I can't say this book is an exception in that regard. I have never been a fan of the Ellimist, as he reduces the Animorphs to products of destiny, instead of humans with free will and determination.
However, it still works because it has heart. These are characters, and exciting, dangerous things happen to them, and they persevere anyway. They fight, they change -- physically and mentally -- and we get to know them. What more could you ask for?
This is what Animorphs is all about. It's the psychological journey combined with the physical struggle; the coming-of-age story via both ordinary and fantastical means. A lot of the ghostwritten books abandoned, skimped on, or failed at the introspection, but Applegate gets it right in this one. Rachel has real depth of character here -- she's not a bloodthirsty killing machine, nor is she just an ordinary young girl. She struggles with the contrast between daily, regular life and her "superhero" status, as Marco might refer to it.
It's not perfect. Some of the humour could be better, and at times I simply couldn't imagine the kids saying certain things; but these are minor problems that crop up in the series every now and then. Unfortunately the plot is based around time-travel, which almost never works out convincingly, and I can't say this book is an exception in that regard. I have never been a fan of the Ellimist, as he reduces the Animorphs to products of destiny, instead of humans with free will and determination.
However, it still works because it has heart. These are characters, and exciting, dangerous things happen to them, and they persevere anyway. They fight, they change -- physically and mentally -- and we get to know them. What more could you ask for?
April 21, 2019
I've tried to explain to friends over the years how dark this series was, from beginning to end, but it's hard to make people get it who have never read the books, and only think of them as those goofy books with the kids turning into animals.
The Stranger is a fantastic example of the physical and psychological stress that comes from fighting a war. These kids have already gone through hell. And it's only the beginning. They have years worth of nightmares, PTSD, stress, and injuries that leave them dismembered, holding their guts in, or worse. Tobias has been a hawk for months, and here we see an all-powerful being playing with him, toying with their feelings by giving him the briefest taste of humanity again. The authors didn't hold back on the horrors they inflicted on these kids. Even in the beginning.
I liked this book because of that, because it rings true in a way kids and YA books rarely did in the 90s. And I like it because we get to dive deeper into this universe, with the Ellimist and the choices that will define our heroes and the war that may be impossible to win.
Plus. Rachel finally gets her grizzly. :D
The Stranger is a fantastic example of the physical and psychological stress that comes from fighting a war. These kids have already gone through hell. And it's only the beginning. They have years worth of nightmares, PTSD, stress, and injuries that leave them dismembered, holding their guts in, or worse. Tobias has been a hawk for months, and here we see an all-powerful being playing with him, toying with their feelings by giving him the briefest taste of humanity again. The authors didn't hold back on the horrors they inflicted on these kids. Even in the beginning.
I liked this book because of that, because it rings true in a way kids and YA books rarely did in the 90s. And I like it because we get to dive deeper into this universe, with the Ellimist and the choices that will define our heroes and the war that may be impossible to win.
Plus. Rachel finally gets her grizzly. :D
January 3, 2018
I love how these books aren't afraid to explore deep, dark, ideas, even though these are primarily for a younger audience. The struggle that Rachel goes through not only to help her friends, but to make big decisions in her own life is relatable. It really makes me feel for the characters and want them to win. One of the many things I love about these books.
December 25, 2018
I live for time fuckery.
April 26, 2017
(Originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com.)
Narrator: Rachel
Plot: So much happens in this book! We have major family drama in Rachel’s personal life, with her father moving to a new city/state and asking Rachel to come live with him. We have a the re-discovery of a Yeerk pool entrance and a rather disastrous trip down. We meet an all-powerful alien creature called an Ellimist who offers to whisk the Animorphs, their families, and a few select humans away to a new planet to re-start the human race, claiming the war on Earth is lost. We have time travel. We have new morphs. We have major wins and major loses. And again, this is a tiny, tiny book!
As highlighted above, the main drama for this book comes with the arrival of the Ellimist and his offer to save the Animorphs. After deciding against his offer the first go around, the Animorphs all sink into a very dark place, but Rachel especially, questioning their motivation to continue fighting a war that they are being told is unwinnable. In an attempt to convince them for a second time, the Ellimist jumps them all forward in time to a version of their city that is now completely overrun by Yeerks. The school is laid to waste with skeletons of teachers left at their desks. The mall is a hive for Taxxons. And Rachel meetings a chilling older version of herself who now a Controller herself and palling it around with Visser Three.
After being returned to their own time, however, the group begins to question what they have seen. Future Visser Three’s strange reaction to Ax (being surprised that he was there), and the seemingly endless power of the Ellimist himself, leads the group to wonder at the elaborate methods being used to convince them and the inevitability of this so-called future. They come to the conclusion that the Ellimist is playing his own game within the structure of the rules imposed on him by his kind. He has said that he’s not allowed to interfere, only to save the group. But through his interactions with the Animorphs he has saved them once (freezing time the first time he meets them when they are about to become Taxxon chow and allowing them an opportunity to spot an exit) and then showing them key intel by transporting them to the “future” (they spot one skyscraper from the old city skyline that has been left untouched). They are able to deduce that this skyscraper is where the Yeerks are storing the Kandrona, the food source that is transmitted to the Yeerk pool and sustains the Yeerks when they swim in it every three days. Back in their own time, the Animorphs are then able to use this knowledge to infiltrate and destroy it, marking a major win for the group.
Xena, Warriar Princess: Applegate sure doesn’t cut Rachel any breaks in this book. In a nice (terrible, for Rachel, at least!) little parallel story, Rachel’s dad asks her to decide whether she wants to move to another city and live with him. With this decisions comes many pros: a renewed dedication to gymnastics, a sport her father wants to help her pursue, a closer relationship with her father, and, of course, the chance to live a “normal” life far away from the constant fear of war and the stress she feels from the role she has taken on in the group as the de facto “courageous” one. I really liked how much thought and page time was given to this story line. In a tiny book that is jam packed with tons of action and high stakes, it is impressive that we get a very fleshed out take on the hardships of this decision as well and the stress it puts on Rachel. She loves her dad. But she also loves her mom and sisters who she would be leaving behind. She feels obligated to stay in the war against the Yeerks and has begun to resent being taken for granted by the group to make the tough calls. But she also loves her friends and can’t abandon them. It’s no wonder that she has several different break downs in this book.
Here we see even more how boxed in Rachel feels by the others’ impression of her. They take her courage and willingness to fight for granted, never considering the emotional toll it is taking on her. When the Ellimist first asks them to vote, they don’t even ask her, they just assume she’ll say “no.” And then she realizes that she would, but not just because that what she feels is right, but because they all respect her and look up to her and she doesn’t want to let them down. This constant tension between being strong for the others while repressing her true feelings (she can be hurt and scared as much as the rest of them, and her fear for her family and the temptation of the Ellimist’s offer is just as strong as well) leads to spiral in the middle of the book. Not only does she snap in front of her friends, yelling at them that she’s not invincible and fearless, but she’s the first to begin using morphing as a coping tactic, hiding in the simple-mindedness of her eagle form to escape. She also seeks out a stronger battle morph, a grizzly, on her own. Several bad decisions here. First, the Animorphs have to touch an animal to acquire its DNA, so going it alone to get face to face with a grizzly with no back up is really dumb. And then, she never practices the morph, which we have all learned in mistake numero uno and thus has some control issues when she first uses it in the midst of battle. Her bear morph is really the only thing that gets them all through, its brute strength being the tipping point in their favor against tons of Hork-Bajir, so none of them can get too mad at her, but there are still “stern talks” from Jake about these poor decisions.
Our Fearless Leader: Dear Jake is a hold out both times against the Ellimist’s offer to save themselves and his family. It’s another testament to his role as the rock of the group, not one to be easily swayed against the mission or abandon the war they are fighting. He’s also the most upfront against Cassie who sides
A Hawk’s Life: Tobias yet again proves that he is the most dedicated to the fight against the Yeerks. He not only never considers the Ellimist’s offer to give up the fight, but is savvy enough to realize that he is being used against his friends. (The Ellimist returns him to his human form during these interactions and promises to allow him to remain that way if they accept his offer). He calls the Ellimist out on attempting to leverage their love of him to manipulate them into accepting so as to spare him a return to life as a hawk. Have I mentioned that I love Tobias?? It’s also fun seeing him pair up with Marco in the beginning of the book to discover an entrance to the Yeerk pool. It makes sense that he would do something like this having tons of time on his…er…wings, and Marco/Tobias is a team up that we don’t often see, so it was a fun twist.
Peace, Love, and Animals: Man, I really do try with Cassie, and there are times (like in the last book specifically) where I really love her character. But she immediately signs on to what the Ellimist is offering, and while I can see this being a true reaction for her character (approaching it as a human would view saving a few animals of an endangered species), I still have trouble respecting much of her thinking in many of the books, and this one in particular. Her lens often feels so narrowly focused that she isn’t as sympathetic as the others to me. Yeah, yeah, she loves animals and peace…but this is a really cowardly decision (not necessarily the choice as a whole, since we see the shades of grey as the rest of the Animorphs continue to struggle with the idea, but the fact that she rationalizes it so quickly). The fact that she so easily goes for it, even with characters like Ax who, presumably, knows more about this new creature than she does, is strongly warning against it, just sticks in my craw and continues to highlight what drives me nuts about her as a character. I mean, she’s the ONLY ONE who signs up immediately…that says something, I think.
The Comic Relief: As I’ve said so many times, Marco is the brains of the operation, proving it yet again by setting up the plan to track down an entrance to the Yeerk pool, along with Tobias. Other than that, Marco is the one to change his mind on the second go-around. And, again highlighting the pressure that is put on Rachel by them all, the first reason he gives for it is Rachel’s ongoing breakdwon. If the strong one is spiraling, what are the rest of them to do? It goes a long way to highlighting how highly Marco views and relies on Rachel’s courage in this battle. It’s not just “Xena” jokes, he truly does gauge their effectiveness based on her mindset, and seeing her lose it, shakes his own dedication to the fight.
E.T./Ax Phone Home: Ax’s increased knowledge of the greater galaxy as a hole is again highlighted as a unique asset to the the Animorphs. Yet, I appreciate the fact that the Andalites, through Ax, are presented as a real and flawed society. They have their own biases and false histories, as evidenced with Ax’s interactions with the Ellimist. While he is correct to warn the Animorphs that there is more to the Ellimist than he presents, his clear fear and anger towards him is a bit extreme, as we see later in the book. Further, we haven’t had an Ax book yet, and there continues to be hints here and there that Ax still doesn’t view himself as really being part of this team. He takes himself out of the vote for whether to accept the Ellimist’s offer, for example, claiming it is not up to him to decide (though Rachel rightly mentally lists him as a “no” based, again, on his unsubtly expressed opinions of the Ellimist).
Best (?) Body Horror Moment: Well, first off, the fact that they were all almost eaten by Taxxons while in roach morph. But secondly, the violence! So much gross violence. Rachel gets a hand taken off in the final battle and the description it…detailed. Again, this is crazy that it was written for a middle grade audience!
Couples Watch!: While she struggles with the decision presented to her by her father, Rachel’s reaction to is fly off into the night to be with Tobias. While she doesn’t tell him everything right away, it is sweet that she clearly relies on him for emotional support. Also, when the Ellimist first appears
If Only Visser Three had Mustache to Twirl: Visser Three only shows up in the flash forward bit of the story, but he’s as campy as ever when he does, parading around with future!Rachel.
Adult Ugly Crying at a Middle Grade Book: Rachel’s breakdown to the group was really sad and hard to read. Even as a reader, we come to expect certain things from her and it is easy to forget that she’s not oblivious to the pressure that these impressions of her assert. So it’s a shock to hear her yell at her friends with a healthy dose of brutal honesty thrown in about how she’s always scared, too. Always.
What a Terrible Plan, Guys!: They actually have some fairly good plans in this one, even going so far as to think out the bizarreness of their clothes being found left on the floor of the mall’s changing rooms (the entrance to the Yeerk pool and where they all morph to roaches). Sure, they are vastly outnumbered in their attack on the Kandrona tower, but there is really nothing to be done about that and all’s well that ends well, I guess, even with lost hands/paws in the mix.
Favorite Quote:
Ax is having trouble adjusting to the small things of life on Earth…like “human minutes”…
“You know, Ax, they’re your minutes now, too. I mean, we are all here together on good old Earth where we only have one type of minute.” – Marco
Scorecard: Yeerks 1, Animorphs 4
A major win for the Animorphs in this one, taking out the Kandrona and likely dooming hundreds of Yeerks to starvation.
Narrator: Rachel
Plot: So much happens in this book! We have major family drama in Rachel’s personal life, with her father moving to a new city/state and asking Rachel to come live with him. We have a the re-discovery of a Yeerk pool entrance and a rather disastrous trip down. We meet an all-powerful alien creature called an Ellimist who offers to whisk the Animorphs, their families, and a few select humans away to a new planet to re-start the human race, claiming the war on Earth is lost. We have time travel. We have new morphs. We have major wins and major loses. And again, this is a tiny, tiny book!
As highlighted above, the main drama for this book comes with the arrival of the Ellimist and his offer to save the Animorphs. After deciding against his offer the first go around, the Animorphs all sink into a very dark place, but Rachel especially, questioning their motivation to continue fighting a war that they are being told is unwinnable. In an attempt to convince them for a second time, the Ellimist jumps them all forward in time to a version of their city that is now completely overrun by Yeerks. The school is laid to waste with skeletons of teachers left at their desks. The mall is a hive for Taxxons. And Rachel meetings a chilling older version of herself who now a Controller herself and palling it around with Visser Three.
After being returned to their own time, however, the group begins to question what they have seen. Future Visser Three’s strange reaction to Ax (being surprised that he was there), and the seemingly endless power of the Ellimist himself, leads the group to wonder at the elaborate methods being used to convince them and the inevitability of this so-called future. They come to the conclusion that the Ellimist is playing his own game within the structure of the rules imposed on him by his kind. He has said that he’s not allowed to interfere, only to save the group. But through his interactions with the Animorphs he has saved them once (freezing time the first time he meets them when they are about to become Taxxon chow and allowing them an opportunity to spot an exit) and then showing them key intel by transporting them to the “future” (they spot one skyscraper from the old city skyline that has been left untouched). They are able to deduce that this skyscraper is where the Yeerks are storing the Kandrona, the food source that is transmitted to the Yeerk pool and sustains the Yeerks when they swim in it every three days. Back in their own time, the Animorphs are then able to use this knowledge to infiltrate and destroy it, marking a major win for the group.
Xena, Warriar Princess: Applegate sure doesn’t cut Rachel any breaks in this book. In a nice (terrible, for Rachel, at least!) little parallel story, Rachel’s dad asks her to decide whether she wants to move to another city and live with him. With this decisions comes many pros: a renewed dedication to gymnastics, a sport her father wants to help her pursue, a closer relationship with her father, and, of course, the chance to live a “normal” life far away from the constant fear of war and the stress she feels from the role she has taken on in the group as the de facto “courageous” one. I really liked how much thought and page time was given to this story line. In a tiny book that is jam packed with tons of action and high stakes, it is impressive that we get a very fleshed out take on the hardships of this decision as well and the stress it puts on Rachel. She loves her dad. But she also loves her mom and sisters who she would be leaving behind. She feels obligated to stay in the war against the Yeerks and has begun to resent being taken for granted by the group to make the tough calls. But she also loves her friends and can’t abandon them. It’s no wonder that she has several different break downs in this book.
Here we see even more how boxed in Rachel feels by the others’ impression of her. They take her courage and willingness to fight for granted, never considering the emotional toll it is taking on her. When the Ellimist first asks them to vote, they don’t even ask her, they just assume she’ll say “no.” And then she realizes that she would, but not just because that what she feels is right, but because they all respect her and look up to her and she doesn’t want to let them down. This constant tension between being strong for the others while repressing her true feelings (she can be hurt and scared as much as the rest of them, and her fear for her family and the temptation of the Ellimist’s offer is just as strong as well) leads to spiral in the middle of the book. Not only does she snap in front of her friends, yelling at them that she’s not invincible and fearless, but she’s the first to begin using morphing as a coping tactic, hiding in the simple-mindedness of her eagle form to escape. She also seeks out a stronger battle morph, a grizzly, on her own. Several bad decisions here. First, the Animorphs have to touch an animal to acquire its DNA, so going it alone to get face to face with a grizzly with no back up is really dumb. And then, she never practices the morph, which we have all learned in mistake numero uno and thus has some control issues when she first uses it in the midst of battle. Her bear morph is really the only thing that gets them all through, its brute strength being the tipping point in their favor against tons of Hork-Bajir, so none of them can get too mad at her, but there are still “stern talks” from Jake about these poor decisions.
Our Fearless Leader: Dear Jake is a hold out both times against the Ellimist’s offer to save themselves and his family. It’s another testament to his role as the rock of the group, not one to be easily swayed against the mission or abandon the war they are fighting. He’s also the most upfront against Cassie who sides
A Hawk’s Life: Tobias yet again proves that he is the most dedicated to the fight against the Yeerks. He not only never considers the Ellimist’s offer to give up the fight, but is savvy enough to realize that he is being used against his friends. (The Ellimist returns him to his human form during these interactions and promises to allow him to remain that way if they accept his offer). He calls the Ellimist out on attempting to leverage their love of him to manipulate them into accepting so as to spare him a return to life as a hawk. Have I mentioned that I love Tobias?? It’s also fun seeing him pair up with Marco in the beginning of the book to discover an entrance to the Yeerk pool. It makes sense that he would do something like this having tons of time on his…er…wings, and Marco/Tobias is a team up that we don’t often see, so it was a fun twist.
Peace, Love, and Animals: Man, I really do try with Cassie, and there are times (like in the last book specifically) where I really love her character. But she immediately signs on to what the Ellimist is offering, and while I can see this being a true reaction for her character (approaching it as a human would view saving a few animals of an endangered species), I still have trouble respecting much of her thinking in many of the books, and this one in particular. Her lens often feels so narrowly focused that she isn’t as sympathetic as the others to me. Yeah, yeah, she loves animals and peace…but this is a really cowardly decision (not necessarily the choice as a whole, since we see the shades of grey as the rest of the Animorphs continue to struggle with the idea, but the fact that she rationalizes it so quickly). The fact that she so easily goes for it, even with characters like Ax who, presumably, knows more about this new creature than she does, is strongly warning against it, just sticks in my craw and continues to highlight what drives me nuts about her as a character. I mean, she’s the ONLY ONE who signs up immediately…that says something, I think.
The Comic Relief: As I’ve said so many times, Marco is the brains of the operation, proving it yet again by setting up the plan to track down an entrance to the Yeerk pool, along with Tobias. Other than that, Marco is the one to change his mind on the second go-around. And, again highlighting the pressure that is put on Rachel by them all, the first reason he gives for it is Rachel’s ongoing breakdwon. If the strong one is spiraling, what are the rest of them to do? It goes a long way to highlighting how highly Marco views and relies on Rachel’s courage in this battle. It’s not just “Xena” jokes, he truly does gauge their effectiveness based on her mindset, and seeing her lose it, shakes his own dedication to the fight.
E.T./Ax Phone Home: Ax’s increased knowledge of the greater galaxy as a hole is again highlighted as a unique asset to the the Animorphs. Yet, I appreciate the fact that the Andalites, through Ax, are presented as a real and flawed society. They have their own biases and false histories, as evidenced with Ax’s interactions with the Ellimist. While he is correct to warn the Animorphs that there is more to the Ellimist than he presents, his clear fear and anger towards him is a bit extreme, as we see later in the book. Further, we haven’t had an Ax book yet, and there continues to be hints here and there that Ax still doesn’t view himself as really being part of this team. He takes himself out of the vote for whether to accept the Ellimist’s offer, for example, claiming it is not up to him to decide (though Rachel rightly mentally lists him as a “no” based, again, on his unsubtly expressed opinions of the Ellimist).
Best (?) Body Horror Moment: Well, first off, the fact that they were all almost eaten by Taxxons while in roach morph. But secondly, the violence! So much gross violence. Rachel gets a hand taken off in the final battle and the description it…detailed. Again, this is crazy that it was written for a middle grade audience!
Couples Watch!: While she struggles with the decision presented to her by her father, Rachel’s reaction to is fly off into the night to be with Tobias. While she doesn’t tell him everything right away, it is sweet that she clearly relies on him for emotional support. Also, when the Ellimist first appears
If Only Visser Three had Mustache to Twirl: Visser Three only shows up in the flash forward bit of the story, but he’s as campy as ever when he does, parading around with future!Rachel.
Adult Ugly Crying at a Middle Grade Book: Rachel’s breakdown to the group was really sad and hard to read. Even as a reader, we come to expect certain things from her and it is easy to forget that she’s not oblivious to the pressure that these impressions of her assert. So it’s a shock to hear her yell at her friends with a healthy dose of brutal honesty thrown in about how she’s always scared, too. Always.
What a Terrible Plan, Guys!: They actually have some fairly good plans in this one, even going so far as to think out the bizarreness of their clothes being found left on the floor of the mall’s changing rooms (the entrance to the Yeerk pool and where they all morph to roaches). Sure, they are vastly outnumbered in their attack on the Kandrona tower, but there is really nothing to be done about that and all’s well that ends well, I guess, even with lost hands/paws in the mix.
Favorite Quote:
Ax is having trouble adjusting to the small things of life on Earth…like “human minutes”…
“You know, Ax, they’re your minutes now, too. I mean, we are all here together on good old Earth where we only have one type of minute.” – Marco
Scorecard: Yeerks 1, Animorphs 4
A major win for the Animorphs in this one, taking out the Kandrona and likely dooming hundreds of Yeerks to starvation.
May 22, 2019
4.5/5
Four and a half Grizzly-morphing stars for this one!
In this installment of Animorphs, we get our second book in Rachel's POV. Rachel and the other Animorphs find a new entrance to the Yeerk pool, this time via the mall. They sneak in as cockroaches, however, right in the middle of their mission, time suddenly stops and they are approached by a strange being called an Ellimist.
He says that they have a choice to make, continue fighting the Yeerks on Earth or go to a far away planet and live safely with their families. What will the Animorphs choose? Should they keep fighting the Yeerks, or is this just a losing battle?
Personally, I really enjoy Rachel's POV, maybe the most out of them all. She's strong-willed and resilient, traits I see most prominently in myself. This time around, I felt that I really got to see more depth out of Rachel. She wasn't gung-ho the entire time. I mean, everyone has a limit. There is a big change going on within her family, and I think seeing her react and respond to it just really proved how great her character is.
I will say that I think the sudden introduction of the Ellimist as well as the knowledge that Ax had and was holding back could have been done more smoothly, but I absolutely loved the dark edge of this book in the later half. I guess I didn't realize just how dark some of these ideas were back when I first read the series in the 90's.
Needless to say, this series just keeps getting better, and I can't wait to read the next one! Happy Reading!
Four and a half Grizzly-morphing stars for this one!
In this installment of Animorphs, we get our second book in Rachel's POV. Rachel and the other Animorphs find a new entrance to the Yeerk pool, this time via the mall. They sneak in as cockroaches, however, right in the middle of their mission, time suddenly stops and they are approached by a strange being called an Ellimist.
He says that they have a choice to make, continue fighting the Yeerks on Earth or go to a far away planet and live safely with their families. What will the Animorphs choose? Should they keep fighting the Yeerks, or is this just a losing battle?
Personally, I really enjoy Rachel's POV, maybe the most out of them all. She's strong-willed and resilient, traits I see most prominently in myself. This time around, I felt that I really got to see more depth out of Rachel. She wasn't gung-ho the entire time. I mean, everyone has a limit. There is a big change going on within her family, and I think seeing her react and respond to it just really proved how great her character is.
I will say that I think the sudden introduction of the Ellimist as well as the knowledge that Ax had and was holding back could have been done more smoothly, but I absolutely loved the dark edge of this book in the later half. I guess I didn't realize just how dark some of these ideas were back when I first read the series in the 90's.
Needless to say, this series just keeps getting better, and I can't wait to read the next one! Happy Reading!
January 12, 2019
I love that this begins as another haphazard spy mission and swiftly goes off the rails and wildly out of proportion--it's phenomenal escalation which raises thorny questions; the series feels like it's gaining purpose and momentum. And the end is so violent (a kid-as-gorilla holding his stomach closed is another of those images that has stuck with me across the years). The personal conflict set against larger plot is growing repetitive, but the multifaceted, pervasive horror, contrasted against MG power fantasy, is so effective that I can't particularly fault it.
May 30, 2019
Wow, so far out of all of the Animorphs books I’ve reread recently, this one is incredible. I loved meeting the Ellimist and exploring the ethical dilemmas Rachel and the gang are presented with. Honestly, this whole reread I’m doing started as kind of a joke, but I’m surprised at how well these are holding up. This book took it to another level altogether.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2020
I definitely think the highlight of this book was how down the Animorphs were to throw hands with humans.
March 17, 2025
This one got weird, and that’s saying something for this series
May 10, 2020
The Animorphs reread continues! Ugh, I hate the Ellimists. They're annoying. Sometimes helpful, but still annoying.
August 16, 2020
Bro did we just meet God.
March 26, 2019
2019: The Year of The Animorphs
Ah, here we go. Slowing down on these Animorphs, finally.
This is Rachel's second book, and the introduction of the Ellimist, who is probably the weakest part of the series. He's not quite as bad as the Q from TNG, but he's almost as bad as the Q. Let's be real here, nothing is as bad as Q. Q is awful.
Anyway, our classic Animorphs body horror moment comes in the form of a truly awful morph from cockroach, exploding out of the belly of a Taxxon, which is not something I ever needed out of these books, but which Ms. Applegate was kind enough to give me. Ugh. We also get a great vision of the future where the yeerks have won, which is juicy, and which I like to get everyone onto Rachel's fight-all-the-time-forever wavelength.
As a note, I'm not sure how they managed to avoid having their cover blown in this one, because they morph back into their human state in full view of a bunch of Controllers, and one of the primary rules of morphing is that you can't go from one morph straight into another, but whatever, this one has the Ellimist, we can't expect too much from it.
Another note, I'm getting annoyed by the fact that Ax only seems to fight in his Andelite form. I get that he's powerful as an Andelite, but if he gets wounded as an Andelite, morphing will not save him. He can die, especially since on Earth, there are no Andelite doctors. The rest of the gang (except poor Tobias) fight in morph at least in part because if they get hut in morph, they can just demorph and their injuries go away. Ax is making a deliberate decision to forgo that power for reasons I don't understand at all.
I am enjoying Rachel's lust for fighting, however. She's great.
Ah, here we go. Slowing down on these Animorphs, finally.
This is Rachel's second book, and the introduction of the Ellimist, who is probably the weakest part of the series. He's not quite as bad as the Q from TNG, but he's almost as bad as the Q. Let's be real here, nothing is as bad as Q. Q is awful.
Anyway, our classic Animorphs body horror moment comes in the form of a truly awful morph from cockroach, exploding out of the belly of a Taxxon, which is not something I ever needed out of these books, but which Ms. Applegate was kind enough to give me. Ugh. We also get a great vision of the future where the yeerks have won, which is juicy, and which I like to get everyone onto Rachel's fight-all-the-time-forever wavelength.
As a note, I'm not sure how they managed to avoid having their cover blown in this one, because they morph back into their human state in full view of a bunch of Controllers, and one of the primary rules of morphing is that you can't go from one morph straight into another, but whatever, this one has the Ellimist, we can't expect too much from it.
Another note, I'm getting annoyed by the fact that Ax only seems to fight in his Andelite form. I get that he's powerful as an Andelite, but if he gets wounded as an Andelite, morphing will not save him. He can die, especially since on Earth, there are no Andelite doctors. The rest of the gang (except poor Tobias) fight in morph at least in part because if they get hut in morph, they can just demorph and their injuries go away. Ax is making a deliberate decision to forgo that power for reasons I don't understand at all.
I am enjoying Rachel's lust for fighting, however. She's great.
May 17, 2020
We get a very good look at Rachel's character and see she's more than just some brave, reckless hero. It's nice to see that. We also get to see that this Animorphs thing is really going to become a problem for the kids' regular lives. That's nice to see, too. Already, the series is becoming its great self, dealing with how much these kids' lives are going to change because of the war.
December 2, 2024
The first appearance of the Ellimist, a heartfelt story of divorce, family, PTSD, and aliens. What’s not to love?
March 20, 2017
MY BABIES
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