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Animorphs #13
The Change
Tobias has gotten used to his new life. He's a red-tailed hawk with the mind of a kid. It was difficult when he first became trapped in his morph, but he's started to come to terms with things. After all, how many kids actually get the chance to fly?
But now Tobias is about to make a very difficult choice: a choice that the other Animorphs know nothing about. And it could mean the difference between living the rest of his life as a hawk...and being human.
But now Tobias is about to make a very difficult choice: a choice that the other Animorphs know nothing about. And it could mean the difference between living the rest of his life as a hawk...and being human.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
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1023 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Applegate
251 books487 followersalso published under the name Katherine Applegate
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May 4, 2021AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
All of my feelings, every feeling, a glowing surfeit of feelings. I love Tobias, I love his and Rachel's tentative feelings (shuttered off by impossibility; as Tobias points out, you think Romeo & Juliet had it bad, try caring for someone of another species) and everything else. I love that Rachel didn't fall for Tobias until after he became a hawk.
The Ellimist: still a jerk. I love how everyone is like :/ and Ax is outright >( about it. I enjoy someone writing the supreme non-interfering-except-not-really being and having everyone be exactly as exasperated by this as they should be.
The last scene. Oh my heart, yes. Yes forever. Can we loop around to the next Rachel book RIGHT NOW PLEASE?!
I actually literally cried on the bus to school while reading this, except this time I was going to teach, not be a student. I feel like I've completed some sort of weird formative cycle.
All of my feelings, every feeling, a glowing surfeit of feelings. I love Tobias, I love his and Rachel's tentative feelings (shuttered off by impossibility; as Tobias points out, you think Romeo & Juliet had it bad, try caring for someone of another species) and everything else. I love that Rachel didn't fall for Tobias until after he became a hawk.
The Ellimist: still a jerk. I love how everyone is like :/ and Ax is outright >( about it. I enjoy someone writing the supreme non-interfering-except-not-really being and having everyone be exactly as exasperated by this as they should be.
The last scene. Oh my heart, yes. Yes forever. Can we loop around to the next Rachel book RIGHT NOW PLEASE?!
I actually literally cried on the bus to school while reading this, except this time I was going to teach, not be a student. I feel like I've completed some sort of weird formative cycle.
August 4, 2015
The titles of Animorphs novels might seem mundane, but they are always appropriate. The Change begins as another supposedly simple Animorphs versus Yeerks plot. It turns out to be so much more. Still, an alternative and equally appropriate title might have been The Hope.
Following the revelations from The Andalite Chronicles, Applegate finally returns to the perspective of the most marginalized Animorph, Tobias. Trapped in hawk morph, a nothlit, Tobias can’t exactly contribute to missions in the same way that the others do. The rest of the Animorphs have been good sports about pretending he’s an integral member of the team—and there are moments when he does save their bacon. But Applegate has bigger plans for him, so much so that for the second time in two books, the Ellimist intervenes and makes things get all timey-wimey.
You might have noticed, if you’re still reading these, I’m not flagging them for spoilers. That’s precisely because if you’re still reading these, thirteen books in, then either you’ve read the series at some point in your life, or you really don’t care about things being spoiled.
So Applegate offers us that rarest of all tonics, hope, in two forms.
Tobias totally gets his morphing powers back!!!!
Also: free Hork-Bajir! “Free or die!”
The Change has something else in common with the previous very-special-book: like The Andalite Chronicles, it highlights and humanizes an alien species. The previous book showed us the Andalites (and even the Taxxons) in a way we hadn’t experienced. Now we learn more about the Hork-Bajir. Despite their fierce appearance, they are herbivores. They have tight-knit family structures. They are peaceful creatures, for the most part.
They have names.
Until now, the Hork-Bajir have just been interchangeable foot soldiers for the Yeerks—the Stormtroopers of the Animorphs universe, if you will. They exist for the Animorphs to dispatch—without thought, because they aren’t human—and as imposing, physical barriers to plot advancement. With Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak, Applegate makes the Hork-Bajir—or at least, these Hork-Bajir—into characters. Into people.
We can take a couple of things from this. Firstly, this is yet another example of what the Yeerks do to you. They have enslaved an entire species, transformed a peaceful species into a warrior species, simply to serve them. If you weren’t already frightened of what the Yeerks have done and could do, then you should be frightened now.
More broadly, though, this is another facet of the war motif Applegate examines in these books. Civilians and soldiers alike are encouraged to view the enemy soldiers as Others. Some of the best moments in war stories—and I’m talking about non-fiction as well as fiction here—are the moments that remind us how the people on the other side are humans. They have families and hopes and dreams as well. In this case, the Hork-Bajir obviously aren’t humans. Nevertheless, they have all those other qualities. They are not the machines that kill without question that we have seen so far.
So Applegate introduces another layer of moral complexity. The Animorphs don’t just have to worry about saving the Earth. Now they’re responsible for the only free Hork-Bajir in the galaxy.
No pressure.
Meanwhile, Tobias can morph again. I don’t think anyone, with the possible exception of the Animorphs, was surprised when the Ellimist gave him his morphing powers back instead of just making him human. Perhaps the coda where he acquires himself in the past was a surprise, though. (Having read this book when I was younger, I remembered this vividly—I thought it was a great twist.) I still think it’s a great twist. Ordinarily, timey-wimey deus ex machinae are annoying. Indeed, the flashes of information Tobias receives would, in another context, rob the story of tension. Instead, they heighten the urgency: Tobias is now aware that he’s acting as the agent of this higher power, so something big must be on the line.
Next time, Animorphs go full horse.
You never go full horse.
My reviews of Animorphs:
← The Andalite Chronicles | #14: The Unknown →
Following the revelations from The Andalite Chronicles, Applegate finally returns to the perspective of the most marginalized Animorph, Tobias. Trapped in hawk morph, a nothlit, Tobias can’t exactly contribute to missions in the same way that the others do. The rest of the Animorphs have been good sports about pretending he’s an integral member of the team—and there are moments when he does save their bacon. But Applegate has bigger plans for him, so much so that for the second time in two books, the Ellimist intervenes and makes things get all timey-wimey.
You might have noticed, if you’re still reading these, I’m not flagging them for spoilers. That’s precisely because if you’re still reading these, thirteen books in, then either you’ve read the series at some point in your life, or you really don’t care about things being spoiled.
So Applegate offers us that rarest of all tonics, hope, in two forms.
Tobias totally gets his morphing powers back!!!!
Also: free Hork-Bajir! “Free or die!”
The Change has something else in common with the previous very-special-book: like The Andalite Chronicles, it highlights and humanizes an alien species. The previous book showed us the Andalites (and even the Taxxons) in a way we hadn’t experienced. Now we learn more about the Hork-Bajir. Despite their fierce appearance, they are herbivores. They have tight-knit family structures. They are peaceful creatures, for the most part.
They have names.
Until now, the Hork-Bajir have just been interchangeable foot soldiers for the Yeerks—the Stormtroopers of the Animorphs universe, if you will. They exist for the Animorphs to dispatch—without thought, because they aren’t human—and as imposing, physical barriers to plot advancement. With Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak, Applegate makes the Hork-Bajir—or at least, these Hork-Bajir—into characters. Into people.
We can take a couple of things from this. Firstly, this is yet another example of what the Yeerks do to you. They have enslaved an entire species, transformed a peaceful species into a warrior species, simply to serve them. If you weren’t already frightened of what the Yeerks have done and could do, then you should be frightened now.
More broadly, though, this is another facet of the war motif Applegate examines in these books. Civilians and soldiers alike are encouraged to view the enemy soldiers as Others. Some of the best moments in war stories—and I’m talking about non-fiction as well as fiction here—are the moments that remind us how the people on the other side are humans. They have families and hopes and dreams as well. In this case, the Hork-Bajir obviously aren’t humans. Nevertheless, they have all those other qualities. They are not the machines that kill without question that we have seen so far.
So Applegate introduces another layer of moral complexity. The Animorphs don’t just have to worry about saving the Earth. Now they’re responsible for the only free Hork-Bajir in the galaxy.
No pressure.
Meanwhile, Tobias can morph again. I don’t think anyone, with the possible exception of the Animorphs, was surprised when the Ellimist gave him his morphing powers back instead of just making him human. Perhaps the coda where he acquires himself in the past was a surprise, though. (Having read this book when I was younger, I remembered this vividly—I thought it was a great twist.) I still think it’s a great twist. Ordinarily, timey-wimey deus ex machinae are annoying. Indeed, the flashes of information Tobias receives would, in another context, rob the story of tension. Instead, they heighten the urgency: Tobias is now aware that he’s acting as the agent of this higher power, so something big must be on the line.
Next time, Animorphs go full horse.
You never go full horse.
My reviews of Animorphs:
← The Andalite Chronicles | #14: The Unknown →
July 21, 2022
The Ellimist gives Tobias his morphing powers back. This really is the kick in the behind Tobias needed as a character in my opinion. We also get to learn more about the Hork-Bajir.
April 8, 2017
I actually thought this was a different Tobias book when I started reading it this morning, but it's okay because I still really like this one. Just have to wait a bit longer for the one I thought this was. Which is apparently #23. Dammit, Ashley's brain! It doesn't actually change too much of what I wanted to say about it, though. And this book has confirmed something for me. As a kid, Marco was my favorite. I thought he was hilarious. But as an adult, it's sweet, lonely, conflicted Tobias who's the character that appeals to me the most.
The Change is NOT the one where Tobias finds out the Big Secret™ about But if you read The Andalite Chronicles in the correct order, then while reading this book, you no doubt had that secret hanging over your reading of this one as the world's most obvious form of dramatic irony. WE know that Tobias's parents were , but nobody else will find out about it for TEN BOOKS. URGGGGH WAITING. But The Change is an important book for Tobias nonetheless.
Rachel and Tobias are out flying when all of a sudden, they are someplace they didn't intend to be, watching as two Hork-Bajir warriors apparently flee the Yeerks. They are, of course, compelled to help the fugitive aliens, and figure they'll worry about what the hell is actually going later. The rest of the Animorphs get pulled in as well when it becomes clear that the two Hork-Bajir, Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak, are the first free Hork-Bajir in a very long time. And the Yeerks are doing everything they can to bring them back in or make sure they don't escape alive.
It's probably the most successfully action-packed one of these books yet. Sometimes with action-oriented stories, you run the risk of it becoming emotionally uninteresting, but here with the double-whammy of Tobias feeling incredibly conflicted about his identity as a hawk/human/Animorph, and the plight of the two Hork-Bajir (which once again broadens the scope of the world-building very nicely), it isn't a problem.
So it turns out that, surprise,
What fascinates me about Tobias, and that is perfectly on display in this book, is how the war with the Yeerks has specifically changed and isolated him, even from the other Animorphs, who are exactly the people who would be able to understand what he's going through. They are all in this fight, but none of them have suffered a loss like Tobias has. And that's just the emotional barriers between them. There are literal and logistical barriers scattered all throughout Tobias's life. He can't do anything a hawk can't do. He can't go to school. He has no family to go home to at the end of a mission. He catches and kills his own food. The loneliness of being a child soldier is extra concentrated in Tobias, the isolation and fear and awareness of differences. But he does find solace in Rachel and her warrior nature, and in Ax who is also alone and isolated as the only Andalite among human companions.
Tobias also feels kinship with the fugitive Hork-Bajir, and not just because it's them against the Yeerks. They (and all the Hork-Bajir) are innocent victims in the war between the Andalites and Yeerks. To really stick the knife in, we learn here that the Hork-Bajir are an incredibly peaceful race, that their "blades" evolved not as fighting or defense mechanisms, but as a way for them to strip bark from the trees for nourishment.
I remember the next book in the series being kind of blah. It's Cassie and horses, so who knows? Maybe the horses will carry it.
The Change is NOT the one where Tobias finds out the Big Secret™ about But if you read The Andalite Chronicles in the correct order, then while reading this book, you no doubt had that secret hanging over your reading of this one as the world's most obvious form of dramatic irony. WE know that Tobias's parents were , but nobody else will find out about it for TEN BOOKS. URGGGGH WAITING. But The Change is an important book for Tobias nonetheless.
Rachel and Tobias are out flying when all of a sudden, they are someplace they didn't intend to be, watching as two Hork-Bajir warriors apparently flee the Yeerks. They are, of course, compelled to help the fugitive aliens, and figure they'll worry about what the hell is actually going later. The rest of the Animorphs get pulled in as well when it becomes clear that the two Hork-Bajir, Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak, are the first free Hork-Bajir in a very long time. And the Yeerks are doing everything they can to bring them back in or make sure they don't escape alive.
It's probably the most successfully action-packed one of these books yet. Sometimes with action-oriented stories, you run the risk of it becoming emotionally uninteresting, but here with the double-whammy of Tobias feeling incredibly conflicted about his identity as a hawk/human/Animorph, and the plight of the two Hork-Bajir (which once again broadens the scope of the world-building very nicely), it isn't a problem.
So it turns out that, surprise,
What fascinates me about Tobias, and that is perfectly on display in this book, is how the war with the Yeerks has specifically changed and isolated him, even from the other Animorphs, who are exactly the people who would be able to understand what he's going through. They are all in this fight, but none of them have suffered a loss like Tobias has. And that's just the emotional barriers between them. There are literal and logistical barriers scattered all throughout Tobias's life. He can't do anything a hawk can't do. He can't go to school. He has no family to go home to at the end of a mission. He catches and kills his own food. The loneliness of being a child soldier is extra concentrated in Tobias, the isolation and fear and awareness of differences. But he does find solace in Rachel and her warrior nature, and in Ax who is also alone and isolated as the only Andalite among human companions.
Tobias also feels kinship with the fugitive Hork-Bajir, and not just because it's them against the Yeerks. They (and all the Hork-Bajir) are innocent victims in the war between the Andalites and Yeerks. To really stick the knife in, we learn here that the Hork-Bajir are an incredibly peaceful race, that their "blades" evolved not as fighting or defense mechanisms, but as a way for them to strip bark from the trees for nourishment.
I remember the next book in the series being kind of blah. It's Cassie and horses, so who knows? Maybe the horses will carry it.
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
April 25, 2020
FIRST REVIEW / MAR 16, 2015
I forged too far ahead and now I can't remember my exact impressions! This one's good, lots of Tobias feelings, I do still fly my Tobias/Rachel flag tall and strong. Wonderful gamechanger at the end of this one, too.
-- OH WAIT, RIGHT, THIS IS THE HORK-BAJIR BOOK!!! More great things, expanding the world and learning a bit more about the aliens that populate it. I love when the Animorphs concretely move the war effort along rather than just stalemate-ing; it warms my heart.
---------------------------------
SECOND REVIEW / APR 9, 2020
This poor book keeps getting short shrift in my reviews -- this time, quarantine conditions threw a wrench in my reading and my ability to write reviews, so I'm trying to backfill something now, since this book is really good and touching. It delivers such a huge change (har, har) to Tobias' circumstances, one that'll shake him up for the entire rest of the war, and leave him saddled with this permanent temptation: do you go back to your old life and body, even if it comes at the cost of giving up your ability to contribute to the fight? how selfish can you be?
Lots of sweet Rachel & Tobias moments here, and his increasing friendship with Ax, and his poor broken family circumstances -- even as you now understand something new about Tobias' family from the previous chronicles, and who he actually is.
Favourite quotes will be moved to Google Docs.
I forged too far ahead and now I can't remember my exact impressions! This one's good, lots of Tobias feelings, I do still fly my Tobias/Rachel flag tall and strong. Wonderful gamechanger at the end of this one, too.
-- OH WAIT, RIGHT, THIS IS THE HORK-BAJIR BOOK!!! More great things, expanding the world and learning a bit more about the aliens that populate it. I love when the Animorphs concretely move the war effort along rather than just stalemate-ing; it warms my heart.
---------------------------------
SECOND REVIEW / APR 9, 2020
This poor book keeps getting short shrift in my reviews -- this time, quarantine conditions threw a wrench in my reading and my ability to write reviews, so I'm trying to backfill something now, since this book is really good and touching. It delivers such a huge change (har, har) to Tobias' circumstances, one that'll shake him up for the entire rest of the war, and leave him saddled with this permanent temptation: do you go back to your old life and body, even if it comes at the cost of giving up your ability to contribute to the fight? how selfish can you be?
Lots of sweet Rachel & Tobias moments here, and his increasing friendship with Ax, and his poor broken family circumstances -- even as you now understand something new about Tobias' family from the previous chronicles, and who he actually is.
Favourite quotes will be moved to Google Docs.
March 9, 2015
Tobias has always been different from the other members of the Animorphs ever since he morphed into a red tailed hawk, stayed in that morph for more than 2 hours and got stuck. I really enjoyed Tobias' POV as he's a great strategist and has a more mature outlook than anyone else.
In this book Tobias and his friends help two Hork-Bajirs who have escaped the clutches of the Yeerks.
I loved the interaction between Tobias and Rachel. I think I like their relationship more than any other within the Animorphs because they practically started out as strangers when they first acquired the Andalite's ability and their friendship has grown throughout the series. That ending was so cute, I was squealing with joy!
In this book Tobias and his friends help two Hork-Bajirs who have escaped the clutches of the Yeerks.
I loved the interaction between Tobias and Rachel. I think I like their relationship more than any other within the Animorphs because they practically started out as strangers when they first acquired the Andalite's ability and their friendship has grown throughout the series. That ending was so cute, I was squealing with joy!
February 6, 2022
bird boy i love yOUUuUUu
July 26, 2025
Not great, not my favorite, but I still really liked this one. 4.1 stars
March 28, 2013
Brought to you by The Moonlight Library!
Tobias is ending up where doesn’t meant to be, at the exact right time and place to rescue a pair of escaped Hork-Bajir. Who is the puppet master, and can the Animorphs help the Hork-Bajir in time to escape the Yeerks?
This is one of those novels that is too early in the series for Applegate to have a strong grasp on what the rules of the Ellimist’s game is. It may be that he was allowed to free two Hork-Bajir because his opponent did something equally as evil – a balancing of the scales, you might say. But once again, like Book #7, The Stranger, it smacks of the Ellimist interfering because he’s a deus ex machine.
Not that this is a bad thing. No, this book is brilliant. This is our first real look at native Hork-Bajir, free aliens – and my god, are they adorable. Scary as fuck, yes, but also incredibly sweet and simple and afraid of offending their alien rescuers (the Animorphs, I mean). There is one scene where it is revealed the Hork-Bajir eat bark, and that’s why they have blades. They offer some to Tobias, out of courtesy, then accidentally infer that Earth bark is not as good as native Hork-Bajir world bark. Then they try to make it up to Tobias by saying that Earth bark is good as well.
There are dozens of other such interactions, sweet little scenes that made me fall in love with the Hork-Bajir all over again. The Hork-Bajir Chronicles is one of my favourite Animorphs books, and I love reading about them.
This is a novel not to miss out on because Tobias isn’t willing to be someone’s puppet without payment. He demands something monumentally huge from the Ellimist, and when it’s delivered, there is an eternal debate on what it is that Tobias actually wants. He is granted his morphing power back, and the Ellimist twists time to allow Tobias to acquire his own DNA. This begs the question of, did Tobias ever want to be human again, or did he just want to be able to fight? Is his crappy home life better than life as a bird?
This is also one of the earliest books where the Animorphs make a grand plan to outsmart Visser Three, where everyone is essential and has a role to play, and it actually works. It’s awesome when you see it come together, and they all lived happily ever after.
Really, don’t miss this book. It’s amazing.
February 23, 2024
!!! The absolute perfect story arc for Tobias. Reintegrate him into the stories more while not blatantly tossing aside his change as a hawk. Masterfully done 👏🏻👏🏻
December 26, 2025
Tobias just has such a time every book 🔥
November 19, 2019
Original Review on Jaunts & Haunts
5/5
I give this book five Hork-Bajir-saving stars!
Though I was the slightest bit disappointed in the previous installment of the Animorphs series, this one made up for it and then some!
This time around, we are in Tobias's POV, which so far has been relatively few and far between due to his nothlit self (being stuck in a hawk's body forever for staying in the form for more than two hours). I've always had a very strong appreciation for Tobias as a character.
Having to figure out how to live as a hawk has been tough for him, and he's had to mature greatly in such a short time. Read a couple chapters in his POV and tell me he isn't the most grown up of the Animorphs, I dare you!
Anywho, this time around Tobias wants to show Rachel that he's located more entrances to the Yeerk pool under their school by tracking known Controllers on their daily business. Naturally that means a joyride on wings.
However, while on this stakeout, Tobias and Rachel encounter a rather disturbing sight. Two Hork-Bajir are running away from Controllers, even though the entire race has been enslaved by the Yeerks. To make matters worse, Tobias seems to be pulled out of space to the right location to witness this event and others. Is Tobias under some strange force's control, or has he finally lost his mind?
I gotta tell ya, if I could give 100 stars to this book I would. It was so great. There was a perfect balance of mystery, suspense, and some more progression of Tobias as a character. The sci-fi concept this time was great too!
The balance wasn't just in the plot either. It felt that throughout this book the Animorphs really worked as a team, and though the story started out with just Rachel and Tobias, in the end it felt like everyone got a fair amount of limelight.
There's so much I remember about this series from my childhood, but one of the bigger things I thought I was delusional about was finally confirmed in this book, and I am living for it! Of course I'm not going to spoil it for you, but it's an amazing development that had me on cloud nine once I finished.
Sci-fi, thrills, and great character development make this book in the Animorphs series one of the best yet. Definitely worth a binge watch!
5/5
I give this book five Hork-Bajir-saving stars!
Though I was the slightest bit disappointed in the previous installment of the Animorphs series, this one made up for it and then some!
This time around, we are in Tobias's POV, which so far has been relatively few and far between due to his nothlit self (being stuck in a hawk's body forever for staying in the form for more than two hours). I've always had a very strong appreciation for Tobias as a character.
Having to figure out how to live as a hawk has been tough for him, and he's had to mature greatly in such a short time. Read a couple chapters in his POV and tell me he isn't the most grown up of the Animorphs, I dare you!
Anywho, this time around Tobias wants to show Rachel that he's located more entrances to the Yeerk pool under their school by tracking known Controllers on their daily business. Naturally that means a joyride on wings.
However, while on this stakeout, Tobias and Rachel encounter a rather disturbing sight. Two Hork-Bajir are running away from Controllers, even though the entire race has been enslaved by the Yeerks. To make matters worse, Tobias seems to be pulled out of space to the right location to witness this event and others. Is Tobias under some strange force's control, or has he finally lost his mind?
I gotta tell ya, if I could give 100 stars to this book I would. It was so great. There was a perfect balance of mystery, suspense, and some more progression of Tobias as a character. The sci-fi concept this time was great too!
The balance wasn't just in the plot either. It felt that throughout this book the Animorphs really worked as a team, and though the story started out with just Rachel and Tobias, in the end it felt like everyone got a fair amount of limelight.
There's so much I remember about this series from my childhood, but one of the bigger things I thought I was delusional about was finally confirmed in this book, and I am living for it! Of course I'm not going to spoil it for you, but it's an amazing development that had me on cloud nine once I finished.
Sci-fi, thrills, and great character development make this book in the Animorphs series one of the best yet. Definitely worth a binge watch!
September 28, 2020
Một tập truyện xúc động, cuối cùng thì Tobias cũng có được thứ mình muốn
May 23, 2022
Each Tobias book gets even more and more beautiful? Full of despair? Real? This one, in which the Ellimist finally regrants him the ability to be human, but only as a morph, just ugh. Punches you in the stomach.
Tobias’s books tend to be the most emotional, the most real. That’s why I love them. They’re teenager stories told through the wisdom of an adults eyes. Which is unusual for a kids book. Usually you’re talked down to, even from the perspective of a kid. That’s why I love and relate to this character so much. I can empathize with that isolation. I’m sure many of us can.
Tobias’s books tend to be the most emotional, the most real. That’s why I love them. They’re teenager stories told through the wisdom of an adults eyes. Which is unusual for a kids book. Usually you’re talked down to, even from the perspective of a kid. That’s why I love and relate to this character so much. I can empathize with that isolation. I’m sure many of us can.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2016
Oh Tobias, my precious little marshmallow! I love the Ellimist and how things never turn out how you think they will when they are involved. Also, the ending of this one is the beeeeeeesssst. My little heart melts!
July 11, 2021
July 11, 2021 audiobook review here.
October 14, 2020 reread:
Tobias has pretty well accepted that he is Bird-boy, though he is still frustrated with how many missions he can’t participate in. He tries to make up for it by finding new Yeerk pool entrances, but one day as he’s flying with Rachel, he keeps finding himself ending up at a particular patch of woods, not at all where they were heading. Just in time, too – a pair of Hork-Bajir emerge from the ground, pursued by numerous Controllers. Tobias decides to help them with their escape, and soon learns that there is an old friend pulling some strings. The thing is, Tobias doesn’t like being a puppet. If he’s going to do someone else’s work, he’s going to get something from it. But does he know what he actually wants…?
And slowly I became myself again.
I’ve always been really attracted to Tobias’ arc in this series. When I first read it in the late 90s, he was my favorite character, and inspired quite a few daydreams about flying on the thermals. When I re-read it in 2015, his storylines hit my heart the hardest. In 2020, his story is still hitting me hard, moving me in some way I don’t quite understand. The difference is that this time around, I am going to try to figure out why. After all, when better to do some soul-searching than during a pandemic while the noise of the world is muffled?
Beyond how Tobias’ story is just so beautifully nuanced, incredibly complex, and so very accessible, it is also very understandable, and somehow, relatable. He’s been broken – a neglectful family. He’s been “exiled” – trapped as a red-tailed hawk. And yet he’s also not only come to learn and accept what he is, but embrace it. Despite his hardships, he did not stay broken. Tobias is strong – stronger than he was, and stronger than he probably ever thought he could be, whether or not he realizes it. And when I read this book, I was so drawn in as to savor every moment, even the most mundane things about Tobias’ life, I didn’t want it to end even as I wanted to see (again) how it all plays out. I could easily go back and re-read it right away, and not be tired of it.
A couple quotes from this re-read: (After all, no need to repeat too much of what I’ve already pulled from my 2015 read of the series!)
A predator is never angry, just hungry. Anger only gets in the way. - page 131
< I'm a freak of nature, Rachel. Any day I stay alive is a good day for me. > - page 134
A question
Is that “Valderee, valdera” song? on page 111 from the Lord of the Rings? I’ve heard (and noticed) quite a few shout-outs to LotR now that I’ve actually read the trilogy. Maybe I’ll look it up myself before I return that trilogy to my friend Amy who I borrowed it from…
Typos:
You all have bird of raptor morphs... - page 82 – “bird of prey” or “raptor” not both :)
Original Review: July 2, 2015
I am definitely biased for Tobias’s narration. So, can I just give this book 10 stars already? I loved it, from beginning to end. I love Tobias’s internal struggle, yet also his acceptance of himself. I love how he wishes for human things, but at the same time, he does not want to give up what he has gained in being a hawk. I get so emotional when reading Tobias’s narration more so than with any of the other Animorphs, what with him grappling with who he is and who he wants to be, and what it means to be human, or to be a hawk, or to be both and yet not quite either.
“…You are a beginning. You are a point on which an entire timeline may turn.”
Since I can’t very well quote 90% of the book, I’ll have to settle for all the quotes I marked using all the sticky notes I had handy. All of this review worked out to just over 3 single-spaced pages in a Word document, haha....
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. The only Andalite alive on Earth. My friend. Or as much of a friend as you can be, when one of you is a Bird-boy and the other is an alien. – page 6
< I don’t feel sorry for you, > Rachel lied.
< Good. Because, you know, how you think about me is sort of important. >
I winced. I’d sounded way too sincere.
I mean, what was I thinking? Rachel’s a human. A real human. I’m a hawk. You think Romeo and Juliet were doomed, just from being from families that didn’t like each other? Well, you can’t get any more doomed than caring for someone who isn’t even the same species. – page 16 – And we see a bit more about how much Tobias, too, cares for Rachel, as she cares for him. She is also the main person he goes to visit – she is always leaving her bedroom window open for him, just in case.
< Let’s do it, > Rachel said.
I would have smiled if I’d had a mouth. Rachel is so brave she is just short of being reckless.
I like that about her. – page 26
Jake threw up his hands in exasperation. “Is there any chance we could stick to business?”
“I remember when Jake used to be fun,” Marco said in a loud whisper. “Now he’s such a grown-up.”
“I was never fun,” Jake said with a tolerant smile. – page 40
SHWOOP! Blades grew at her knees!
Rachel had become a walking razor. Seven feet of muscled deadly speed.
< So, > Rachel said. < So this is a Hork-Bajir. > -- page 57
[Marco said,] “Tomorrow we can worry about taking Adam and Eve Hork-Bajir off to Tobias’ Garden of Eden.” – page 74
Heading toward the mountains with a pair of Hork-Bajir, while someone or something used me like a sock puppet.
Well, that was going to change. I was the predator. I was the hunter. No one was going to use me. – page 82 – You said it, Tobias!!
The bird flew to me, then stopped and floated in midair.
YES, TOBIAS. ELLIMIST. OR AT LEAST AN ELLIMIST.
It laughed and the whole turquoise universe laughed along.
“So you’re the puppet master,” I said. “I should have known. But this isn’t how you looked last time we saw you.”
The bird shape smiled. Don’t ask me how it smiled with a beak. It just did. I CHOSE A SHAPE YOU WOULD IDENTIFY WITH.
“Baloney. You know better than that. You know I’m human.”
ARE YOU? YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE A HUMAN TO ME.
I felt a queasiness in my stomach. I looked at the body I had. A body that was equal parts boy and bird. – page 88 – Contrary to the first time the Ellimist showed up, when Tobias had a fully human image, but some hawk instincts. This is a good visual of just how far Tobias has come in accepting who he was, who he became, and who he is now.
“Tobias, you are a beginning. You are a point on which an entire time line may turn” [the Ellimist said] – page 89 -- Heavy words. Let’s see how things turn out, shall we? It is probably (okay, almost definitely) just referring to helping the free Hork-Bajir. But I like to think that there is a bigger reason for it, a bigger event that the Ellimist is referring to when he tells Tobias this.
“You want me to lead these Hork-Bajir to this place you’ve put in my head? Fine. But I want to get paid for my services.”
“And what do you want, Tobias?”
“You know what I want,” I said, almost choking on the words. “You know.”
“Yes. But do you know what you want, Tobias?” the Elllimist asked. “And if you get it, will you still know?”
And suddenly, without any sensation of movement, I was back in the dark of the forest.– page 90 – This resonates not only for Tobias’ dilemma, but also for any kid reading this book. When they ask for what they want, do they really know what they want? Or do they just think they know?
[After flapping his wings and stretching his cramped muscles]
I would miss this when I became human again. Would the Ellimist give me back my human body and let me keep the morphing power? I hoped so. I’d hate to think I would never fly again. – page 98 – This is what the Ellimist means – Tobias, do you know what you really want?
Did the Ellimist have some clever plan? Probably not. The Ellimist seemed to think he had to do the absolute minimum. He didn’t mind sticking his little finger into the time stream, but he didn’t exactly jump in all the way. I had the feeling we were on our own. – page 112 – And here, ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls, is the grand summary of what we know thus far of the Ellimist and his/her/its motivations.
October 14, 2020 reread:
Tobias has pretty well accepted that he is Bird-boy, though he is still frustrated with how many missions he can’t participate in. He tries to make up for it by finding new Yeerk pool entrances, but one day as he’s flying with Rachel, he keeps finding himself ending up at a particular patch of woods, not at all where they were heading. Just in time, too – a pair of Hork-Bajir emerge from the ground, pursued by numerous Controllers. Tobias decides to help them with their escape, and soon learns that there is an old friend pulling some strings. The thing is, Tobias doesn’t like being a puppet. If he’s going to do someone else’s work, he’s going to get something from it. But does he know what he actually wants…?
And slowly I became myself again.
I’ve always been really attracted to Tobias’ arc in this series. When I first read it in the late 90s, he was my favorite character, and inspired quite a few daydreams about flying on the thermals. When I re-read it in 2015, his storylines hit my heart the hardest. In 2020, his story is still hitting me hard, moving me in some way I don’t quite understand. The difference is that this time around, I am going to try to figure out why. After all, when better to do some soul-searching than during a pandemic while the noise of the world is muffled?
Beyond how Tobias’ story is just so beautifully nuanced, incredibly complex, and so very accessible, it is also very understandable, and somehow, relatable. He’s been broken – a neglectful family. He’s been “exiled” – trapped as a red-tailed hawk. And yet he’s also not only come to learn and accept what he is, but embrace it. Despite his hardships, he did not stay broken. Tobias is strong – stronger than he was, and stronger than he probably ever thought he could be, whether or not he realizes it. And when I read this book, I was so drawn in as to savor every moment, even the most mundane things about Tobias’ life, I didn’t want it to end even as I wanted to see (again) how it all plays out. I could easily go back and re-read it right away, and not be tired of it.
A couple quotes from this re-read: (After all, no need to repeat too much of what I’ve already pulled from my 2015 read of the series!)
A predator is never angry, just hungry. Anger only gets in the way. - page 131
< I'm a freak of nature, Rachel. Any day I stay alive is a good day for me. > - page 134
A question
Is that “Valderee, valdera” song? on page 111 from the Lord of the Rings? I’ve heard (and noticed) quite a few shout-outs to LotR now that I’ve actually read the trilogy. Maybe I’ll look it up myself before I return that trilogy to my friend Amy who I borrowed it from…
Typos:
You all have bird of raptor morphs... - page 82 – “bird of prey” or “raptor” not both :)
Original Review: July 2, 2015
I am definitely biased for Tobias’s narration. So, can I just give this book 10 stars already? I loved it, from beginning to end. I love Tobias’s internal struggle, yet also his acceptance of himself. I love how he wishes for human things, but at the same time, he does not want to give up what he has gained in being a hawk. I get so emotional when reading Tobias’s narration more so than with any of the other Animorphs, what with him grappling with who he is and who he wants to be, and what it means to be human, or to be a hawk, or to be both and yet not quite either.
“…You are a beginning. You are a point on which an entire timeline may turn.”
Since I can’t very well quote 90% of the book, I’ll have to settle for all the quotes I marked using all the sticky notes I had handy. All of this review worked out to just over 3 single-spaced pages in a Word document, haha....
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. The only Andalite alive on Earth. My friend. Or as much of a friend as you can be, when one of you is a Bird-boy and the other is an alien. – page 6
< I don’t feel sorry for you, > Rachel lied.
< Good. Because, you know, how you think about me is sort of important. >
I winced. I’d sounded way too sincere.
I mean, what was I thinking? Rachel’s a human. A real human. I’m a hawk. You think Romeo and Juliet were doomed, just from being from families that didn’t like each other? Well, you can’t get any more doomed than caring for someone who isn’t even the same species. – page 16 – And we see a bit more about how much Tobias, too, cares for Rachel, as she cares for him. She is also the main person he goes to visit – she is always leaving her bedroom window open for him, just in case.
< Let’s do it, > Rachel said.
I would have smiled if I’d had a mouth. Rachel is so brave she is just short of being reckless.
I like that about her. – page 26
Jake threw up his hands in exasperation. “Is there any chance we could stick to business?”
“I remember when Jake used to be fun,” Marco said in a loud whisper. “Now he’s such a grown-up.”
“I was never fun,” Jake said with a tolerant smile. – page 40
SHWOOP! Blades grew at her knees!
Rachel had become a walking razor. Seven feet of muscled deadly speed.
< So, > Rachel said. < So this is a Hork-Bajir. > -- page 57
[Marco said,] “Tomorrow we can worry about taking Adam and Eve Hork-Bajir off to Tobias’ Garden of Eden.” – page 74
Heading toward the mountains with a pair of Hork-Bajir, while someone or something used me like a sock puppet.
Well, that was going to change. I was the predator. I was the hunter. No one was going to use me. – page 82 – You said it, Tobias!!
The bird flew to me, then stopped and floated in midair.
YES, TOBIAS. ELLIMIST. OR AT LEAST AN ELLIMIST.
It laughed and the whole turquoise universe laughed along.
“So you’re the puppet master,” I said. “I should have known. But this isn’t how you looked last time we saw you.”
The bird shape smiled. Don’t ask me how it smiled with a beak. It just did. I CHOSE A SHAPE YOU WOULD IDENTIFY WITH.
“Baloney. You know better than that. You know I’m human.”
ARE YOU? YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE A HUMAN TO ME.
I felt a queasiness in my stomach. I looked at the body I had. A body that was equal parts boy and bird. – page 88 – Contrary to the first time the Ellimist showed up, when Tobias had a fully human image, but some hawk instincts. This is a good visual of just how far Tobias has come in accepting who he was, who he became, and who he is now.
“Tobias, you are a beginning. You are a point on which an entire time line may turn” [the Ellimist said] – page 89 -- Heavy words. Let’s see how things turn out, shall we? It is probably (okay, almost definitely) just referring to helping the free Hork-Bajir. But I like to think that there is a bigger reason for it, a bigger event that the Ellimist is referring to when he tells Tobias this.
“You want me to lead these Hork-Bajir to this place you’ve put in my head? Fine. But I want to get paid for my services.”
“And what do you want, Tobias?”
“You know what I want,” I said, almost choking on the words. “You know.”
“Yes. But do you know what you want, Tobias?” the Elllimist asked. “And if you get it, will you still know?”
And suddenly, without any sensation of movement, I was back in the dark of the forest.– page 90 – This resonates not only for Tobias’ dilemma, but also for any kid reading this book. When they ask for what they want, do they really know what they want? Or do they just think they know?
[After flapping his wings and stretching his cramped muscles]
I would miss this when I became human again. Would the Ellimist give me back my human body and let me keep the morphing power? I hoped so. I’d hate to think I would never fly again. – page 98 – This is what the Ellimist means – Tobias, do you know what you really want?
Did the Ellimist have some clever plan? Probably not. The Ellimist seemed to think he had to do the absolute minimum. He didn’t mind sticking his little finger into the time stream, but he didn’t exactly jump in all the way. I had the feeling we were on our own. – page 112 – And here, ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls, is the grand summary of what we know thus far of the Ellimist and his/her/its motivations.
December 16, 2021
Poor, sweet Tobias. It's tough to be an Animorph, but while the rest of them are dealing with school this guy's gotta FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE from the scariest raccoon I've ever read.
One of the best in the series, and refreshing after my recent disappointment in revisiting The Andalite Chronicles. Here's the introduction of the free Hork-Bajir: Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak, who Tobias is charged with leading to safety by the Ellimist... in exchange for his power to morph returned to him.
I love Jara and Ket so much. I love the Romeo/Juliet undertones of Rachel and Tobias morphing the couple to save them. In hindsight, I appreciate that they gender-swapped their morphs - especially with Tobias as a character resonating so strongly with trans people at the time.
And that ending. Oh! My hearts.
One of the best in the series, and refreshing after my recent disappointment in revisiting The Andalite Chronicles. Here's the introduction of the free Hork-Bajir: Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak, who Tobias is charged with leading to safety by the Ellimist... in exchange for his power to morph returned to him.
I love Jara and Ket so much. I love the Romeo/Juliet undertones of Rachel and Tobias morphing the couple to save them. In hindsight, I appreciate that they gender-swapped their morphs - especially with Tobias as a character resonating so strongly with trans people at the time.
And that ending. Oh! My hearts.
April 10, 2019
You think Romeo and Juliet were doomed, just from being from families that didn't like each other? Well, you can't get any more doomed than caring for someone who isn't even the same species.
Tobias, I think your parents would beg to differ on that point.
(Definitely had a good laugh when Marco made a sexist comment about girls being weird about bugs and snakes, and Cassie's first reaction was to pick up a snake and throw it at him just to watch him scream like a five-year-old, and even Marco had to admit that it was pretty funny.)
At any rate, this is one of my favorite books so far, and not just because (though, speaking of that, yay, !). No, one of the best parts of this book was that it finally moves the Hork-Bajir from their previous role as nameless, faceless minions to be mowed down guiltlessly to our heroes starting to see them as thinking, feeling beings who are just as much victims of the Yeerks as the Human-Controllers they're trying to rescue. This comes out fairly early on, when Marco is shocked to find out that female Hork-Bajir exist—what did he expect, that Hork-Bajir just spring up out of the ground as fully-grown warriors? And while it's funny on the surface, there is a much darker underside to this, which is that it reveals the Animorphs' dehumanization (for lack of a better word) of other sentient species that don't look like them. It was that, despite everything Elfangor told them about the Hork-Bajir being a fundamentally decent people who'd been unwillingly enslaved, the Animorphs had still been viewing them as dangerous monsters who didn't deserve the sympathy or consideration that they gave to enslaved humans.
Now, they get to see firsthand that Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak are terrified, alone, and running for their lives. They get to see firsthand that the Hork-Bajir have a language and a culture. They get to see that Jara and Ket are not just mates but married, and that they care about each other deeply. Tobias gets to see firsthand that those scary-looking blades are for stripping tree bark, and that it's to the misfortune of the Hork-Bajir as well as everyone else that they also happen to make good weapons. Tobias gets to see Ket worry that that she's hurt his feelings by saying that the bark of Earth trees doesn't taste as good as the tree bark on their native planet. They all get to be right there when Jara and Ket vehemently declare that they would rather die than go back into slavery.
And, when Tobias acts somewhat condescending in the beginning, even though Jara is (to put it delicately) no rocket scientist, even though he's alone and scared and doesn't have the first clue where he's going, and even though he's pretty much entirely dependent on the charity of this group of alien strangers who just saved his ass, he's still not afraid to demand respect. Rather than bowing and scraping and proclaiming his gratitude to his benevolent alien saviors, his first reaction to Ax is a hostile one, because Andalites kill Hork-Bajir, and whether he was referring to the genocide of Alloran's time or to the Animorphs' nasty habit of trying to spare as many human Controllers as possible while mowing their alien counterparts down like weeds, getting a bit of help from one Andalite in the immediate moment is not going to magically make up for all of the harm the Andalites' people have done to his. The first quiet moment they have, he informs Tobias that he is not to be addressed as "Hork-Bajir", that he has a name and he expects it to be used. Furthermore, the narrative itself does not treat any of his demands as unreasonable. Being at a significantly lower intelligence level than the people around you should not exempt anyone from being treated with dignity. Getting a bit of unasked-for help, or even a lot of unasked-for help, should not exempt anyone from being treated with dignity.
December 29, 2020
Interesting for sure!
August 1, 2022
This might be my favorite book yet. Tobias is such an intriguing character to analyze and being in his head for this story is really something else. I was crying at the end of this one, well played Katherine, well played.
October 5, 2024
Might be my favorite of the series so far! Lots of “what the!” Excited for what’s to come since a lot changed in this one!
April 7, 2015
Having kept Tobias as the one constant amidst the ever-changing (literally) Animorphs, Applegate uses the Ellimist to bring him back in. I really appreciated how sly it was, that the moment Tobias's choice is made makes it both no real choice at all and also slams home the concept that what's done can't be undone, not really. One of the things I truly appreciate about this series is that it rarely glosses the impact of choices and changes.
I also really appreciated the introduction of the Hork-Bajir and their being able to be a race of themselves. Who they actually are versus who they are as Controllers reminds the Animorphs of the intensity of this kind of war and the reader of all kinds of war--it's almost always the innocent bystander who gets shafted. I was a little less than impressed with the fact that Applegate made them pretty slow, mentally. I was also fairly displeased by how incredibly sexist and immature Marco was, but then, he is a teenage boy. Written to character, I guess.
I love Tobias's narratives, and this struggle within himself to find out who he really is--even as he's going through the very teenaged human aspects of things like liking a girl--is both intense and interesting. A very strong addition to the series.
I also really appreciated the introduction of the Hork-Bajir and their being able to be a race of themselves. Who they actually are versus who they are as Controllers reminds the Animorphs of the intensity of this kind of war and the reader of all kinds of war--it's almost always the innocent bystander who gets shafted. I was a little less than impressed with the fact that Applegate made them pretty slow, mentally. I was also fairly displeased by how incredibly sexist and immature Marco was, but then, he is a teenage boy. Written to character, I guess.
I love Tobias's narratives, and this struggle within himself to find out who he really is--even as he's going through the very teenaged human aspects of things like liking a girl--is both intense and interesting. A very strong addition to the series.
January 25, 2019
Tobias books are great--he has an accessible but unique angst which I continue to find engaging. There's tension in everything about him: tension between the secretly-desirable escapism of being trapped in morph and mourning for a homelife he never had; his understated but tropey specialness conflicting with both his (hitherto!) limited ability and the problematic nature of those who have marked him as special; even the star-crossed romance with Rachel. It's significantly more complicated and interesting than Hork-Bajir, who turn out not to be hugely interesting--a missed opportunity which is common in the series's worldbuilding.
September 16, 2020
I’m going to SCREAM THAT ENDING
August 9, 2021
True to its title, this is one of the most consequential early Animorphs novels, coming just late enough in the franchise (around a quarter through) that the disruption to the prior status quo is completely unexpected and thrillingly carried off. That element is unfortunately difficult to discuss without the degree of spoilers that I generally try to avoid in my reviews -- but luckily, there are plenty of other great aspects of this book to cover too.
To begin with, the main plot involves the team helping a pair of Hork-Bajir, whom they discover breaking out of the heavily-guarded Yeerk pool during the slim window when the evil parasites relinquish control of their host bodies to feed. This is the first look we've gotten at this extraterrestrial species as anything but enemy shock troops, let alone as individuals with personalities and names. Finally meeting Jara Hamee, his pregnant wife Ket Halpak, and the culture they represent adds welcome depth to the worldbuilding of the setting, in addition to establishing new allies who, like the Chee androids of a few volumes ago, are now situated to generate story ideas or introduce future complications. We learn that these beings, though fiercely built, are incredibly docile -- their bladed limbs evolved to facilitate a diet of tree bark, not the combat they've been enslaved into -- and while perhaps of somewhat lower intelligence, they clearly understand and yearn for freedom.
This isn't all dumped upon us as exposition, either. Instead, the information comes out gradually over the course of the text, which is more immediately concerned with the Animorphs rescuing the escapees from the increasingly daunting containment and retrieval efforts of their adversaries. It's an action-packed race through the woods, made additionally exciting by a fun reversal of usual roles at the end, with our narrator Tobias right in the thick of things and Jake providing air support in his sharp-eyed falcon morph up above. The narrative also carves out room for an emotional running thread about how being stuck in a hawk body is keeping the protagonist from participating in regular kid stuff like an awards ceremony to honor Rachel -- and from getting together with her romantically, although their mutual feelings for one another are mainly relegated to subtext rather than handled overtly.
The nothlit's perspective is always refreshingly different from those of his fully-human friends, as is the alien Aximili's, so it's neat to see the outsiders continue bonding so closely here. In fact they've got even more in common than they realize, as revealed in The Andalite Chronicles, a companion volume / prequel to the series released the same month as this in 1997. But on this reread, I've made the largely arbitrary decision to tackle this one before the other, so I only have my memory to guide me. As far as I can recall the two books aren't directly linked beyond the reappearance of the all-powerful Ellimist, whom we haven't seen since his original introduction in #7.
That meddler is the single item that doesn't quite work for me, I think. He's the reason Tobias is on the scene to spot the Hork-Bajir in the first place, and he later makes a bargain with the teen to enlist his further aid. But at this point, we still don't really know any details regarding constraints on his seeming omnipotence, so when he bends time and space to his will yet refuses to answer a straight question or otherwise perform some concrete task requested of him, it reads less like a mysterious benefactor doing everything he can for the shared cause and more like Q on Star Trek impishly pranking Picard out of boredom and spite. It works to keep events moving, but it's not entirely satisfying on a character level.
Nevertheless, the presence of that entity breaks all the normal rules, enabling the game-changing development(s) which again, I won't spoil here but will prove fruitful going forward. Overall it's a terrific and propulsive ride, and arguably the conclusion of the preliminary arc of the wider storyline. The stakes and the heroes alike are well-established by this juncture, and despite a few hiccups along the way, the YA sci-fi saga is off to a fantastic start.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
To begin with, the main plot involves the team helping a pair of Hork-Bajir, whom they discover breaking out of the heavily-guarded Yeerk pool during the slim window when the evil parasites relinquish control of their host bodies to feed. This is the first look we've gotten at this extraterrestrial species as anything but enemy shock troops, let alone as individuals with personalities and names. Finally meeting Jara Hamee, his pregnant wife Ket Halpak, and the culture they represent adds welcome depth to the worldbuilding of the setting, in addition to establishing new allies who, like the Chee androids of a few volumes ago, are now situated to generate story ideas or introduce future complications. We learn that these beings, though fiercely built, are incredibly docile -- their bladed limbs evolved to facilitate a diet of tree bark, not the combat they've been enslaved into -- and while perhaps of somewhat lower intelligence, they clearly understand and yearn for freedom.
This isn't all dumped upon us as exposition, either. Instead, the information comes out gradually over the course of the text, which is more immediately concerned with the Animorphs rescuing the escapees from the increasingly daunting containment and retrieval efforts of their adversaries. It's an action-packed race through the woods, made additionally exciting by a fun reversal of usual roles at the end, with our narrator Tobias right in the thick of things and Jake providing air support in his sharp-eyed falcon morph up above. The narrative also carves out room for an emotional running thread about how being stuck in a hawk body is keeping the protagonist from participating in regular kid stuff like an awards ceremony to honor Rachel -- and from getting together with her romantically, although their mutual feelings for one another are mainly relegated to subtext rather than handled overtly.
The nothlit's perspective is always refreshingly different from those of his fully-human friends, as is the alien Aximili's, so it's neat to see the outsiders continue bonding so closely here. In fact they've got even more in common than they realize, as revealed in The Andalite Chronicles, a companion volume / prequel to the series released the same month as this in 1997. But on this reread, I've made the largely arbitrary decision to tackle this one before the other, so I only have my memory to guide me. As far as I can recall the two books aren't directly linked beyond the reappearance of the all-powerful Ellimist, whom we haven't seen since his original introduction in #7.
That meddler is the single item that doesn't quite work for me, I think. He's the reason Tobias is on the scene to spot the Hork-Bajir in the first place, and he later makes a bargain with the teen to enlist his further aid. But at this point, we still don't really know any details regarding constraints on his seeming omnipotence, so when he bends time and space to his will yet refuses to answer a straight question or otherwise perform some concrete task requested of him, it reads less like a mysterious benefactor doing everything he can for the shared cause and more like Q on Star Trek impishly pranking Picard out of boredom and spite. It works to keep events moving, but it's not entirely satisfying on a character level.
Nevertheless, the presence of that entity breaks all the normal rules, enabling the game-changing development(s) which again, I won't spoil here but will prove fruitful going forward. Overall it's a terrific and propulsive ride, and arguably the conclusion of the preliminary arc of the wider storyline. The stakes and the heroes alike are well-established by this juncture, and despite a few hiccups along the way, the YA sci-fi saga is off to a fantastic start.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
January 16, 2023
This one is from Tobias' point of view, which we haven't had for a while.
This one again was really profound. Tobias struggles a lot with being a hawk and with his human life having been really bad and not knowing what exactly he wants. He thinks he wants to be human again, but the Ellimist thinks he doesn't. In the end he realizes, that he's not the same person he was when still human, and that he doesn't want to go back to that. It's also a little sad and tragic. Just the inevitability of it all. I read somewhere the theory that this is an analogy for the experience transgender people have. Maybe there's something to it, but I rather think it's backwards. He gets thrust into a body that doesn't resemble his identity. But being inside it changes who he is, so that in the end his identity neither resembles a human nor a hawk. Going back to human will not make him happy, so he stays a hawk, that is at the same time able to morph. That's who he ist now and what fits his identity.
Favorite exchange, though a little out of context:
"Have I kept my promise?" I said. "And are you happy, Tobias?"
- Well, we don't get an answer. I think none of them will ever be happy again.
This one again was really profound. Tobias struggles a lot with being a hawk and with his human life having been really bad and not knowing what exactly he wants. He thinks he wants to be human again, but the Ellimist thinks he doesn't. In the end he realizes, that he's not the same person he was when still human, and that he doesn't want to go back to that. It's also a little sad and tragic. Just the inevitability of it all. I read somewhere the theory that this is an analogy for the experience transgender people have. Maybe there's something to it, but I rather think it's backwards. He gets thrust into a body that doesn't resemble his identity. But being inside it changes who he is, so that in the end his identity neither resembles a human nor a hawk. Going back to human will not make him happy, so he stays a hawk, that is at the same time able to morph. That's who he ist now and what fits his identity.
Favorite exchange, though a little out of context:
"Have I kept my promise?" I said. "And are you happy, Tobias?"
- Well, we don't get an answer. I think none of them will ever be happy again.
December 18, 2019
This is one of the more important books in the series. I did a bit of digging last night, and it looks like this is my final agenda:
Book 1 (I watched the first few episodes of the show so I’m skipping this one)
Book 13 (Tobias’ character arc, introduction of key characters, important dynamics reinforced)
Book 19 (Cassie’s character arc, and just a nice premise adding dimension to enemies)
Book 22 (Rachel’s character arc)
Book 30 (Marco’s character arc)
Books 52-54 (You get an alien perspective in 52, the character Ax. Then you get the end of the series)
And who gives a shit about Jake. He doesn’t really have a quirk or arc that I feel needs to be resolved.
I read 2 just because I didn’t know what I was doing, but I’m on track now.
Anyway, this book was alright. Tobias’ initial struggle from book one is resolved with a twist, and we finally understand a bit about why Tobias ran into the others in book one (watch the first episode and you’ll get everything you need for this book to make sense). The ending was really nice in this one and wrapped some questions I had up nicely.
We also get to learn more about the alien races in this one, in particular the tree-eating fuckers. I’m not going back to look the spelling of their name up, and I’m not going to butcher it here.
Other than that not much happens. No upping of the ante for the overarching plot or anything like that. The big baddie shows up at the end but his appearance is inconsequential.
So it looks like I have 5 left. If I get bored I may just skip to the last two.
Book 1 (I watched the first few episodes of the show so I’m skipping this one)
Book 13 (Tobias’ character arc, introduction of key characters, important dynamics reinforced)
Book 19 (Cassie’s character arc, and just a nice premise adding dimension to enemies)
Book 22 (Rachel’s character arc)
Book 30 (Marco’s character arc)
Books 52-54 (You get an alien perspective in 52, the character Ax. Then you get the end of the series)
And who gives a shit about Jake. He doesn’t really have a quirk or arc that I feel needs to be resolved.
I read 2 just because I didn’t know what I was doing, but I’m on track now.
Anyway, this book was alright. Tobias’ initial struggle from book one is resolved with a twist, and we finally understand a bit about why Tobias ran into the others in book one (watch the first episode and you’ll get everything you need for this book to make sense). The ending was really nice in this one and wrapped some questions I had up nicely.
We also get to learn more about the alien races in this one, in particular the tree-eating fuckers. I’m not going back to look the spelling of their name up, and I’m not going to butcher it here.
Other than that not much happens. No upping of the ante for the overarching plot or anything like that. The big baddie shows up at the end but his appearance is inconsequential.
So it looks like I have 5 left. If I get bored I may just skip to the last two.
September 4, 2022
Tobias May very well be the Best Character in Fiction
I think on paper his arc so far sounds Problematic when viewed from a trans angle
Like how Transphobes scream about De-Transitioning or whatever.
But in execution it is not that. It is someone learning to be who they are. even if they cant go back
He has to give some things up, but he is more comfortable in his own skin now
He is stuck out in the woods for so long that when he gets the ability to morph back into human
It isn't happiness, but it is relief.
So much nuance. So much character. From a man who was a bird for more than 2 hours.
I think on paper his arc so far sounds Problematic when viewed from a trans angle
Like how Transphobes scream about De-Transitioning or whatever.
But in execution it is not that. It is someone learning to be who they are. even if they cant go back
He has to give some things up, but he is more comfortable in his own skin now
He is stuck out in the woods for so long that when he gets the ability to morph back into human
It isn't happiness, but it is relief.
So much nuance. So much character. From a man who was a bird for more than 2 hours.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2022
This seems like a good place to write a mid series review, after a great backstory book and then such a big status quo change in this book. Still super impressed with the quality of the series. There have been some filler books, which I'll probably skip from now on, but overall great books, and love that I can read them in one or two sessions. I hope the quality stays up as we get more ghost written books. Never read a kids series that deals with morality and war in such an uncondescending way.(Also never seen one have so much cannibalism and horror) Hoping to see the characters have to bend their morals more as the series goes on. Bring on the darkness!
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