Animorphs Re-Read

[cimplybe]

Animorphs #1 - The Invasion

SummarySometimes weird things happen to people. Ask Jake. He may tell you about the night he and his friends saw the strange light in the sky. He may even tell you about what happened when they realized the "light" was only a plane - from another planet. Here’s where Jake’s story gets a little weird. It’s where

Comments

[buffyangellvr23]

I didn't catch the line about Tobias's eyes myself. In retrospect,I did find it interesting that Tobias felt the connection with Elfangor despite not knowing the whole father thing until later on.

I think I understand most of the reasons...maybe a little fuzzy on Rachel though. I think many of them did have valid reasons, their personal ties ect. Marco had the thing with his mother, Jake had Tom, Tobias's reasons got a little clearer after The Pretender...I think Cassie was driven somewhat by wanting to make sure the yeerks didn't destroy everything ie the animals and stuff...Rachel of course was the odd one out, the accident...if the Ellimist wasn't lying of course.

[sunshapedgarden]

I thought it was interesting, actually, that they all felt a connection to Elfangor. I mean, Tobias did more than any of the others of course, but they all felt an unusual kind of concern for him. Like when Jake says "I don't know why I was so upset. I just knew that way down deep inside, it hurt me to think of him dying."

[buffyangellvr23]

*nod* very true.

[julygreen]

In retrospect,I did find it interesting that Tobias felt the connection with Elfangor despite not knowing the whole father thing until later on.

Yeah, that was good foreshadowing. Did KAA have that planned out from the start? I always assumed she did, anyway.

[mystickeeper]

One thing that stands out for me in Book 1 is the mix-up on thought-speak. When Jake and Tobias are testing it out while morphing for their first few times, I think that Jake as a human can speak through thought-speech to Tobias the cat. Obviously, this changed as the series progressed.

[nyonyo]

Does anyone else remember just being blown away at the end, reading this book for the first time? I remember picking up the first book at the Scholastic Book Fair as a kid since I thought the cover was cool-looking, and just being floored as a sixth-grader at Tobias being trapped in morph. You really got the sense that nobody was really safe, right off the bat. Probably the reason I gave up on the series halfway through is how I thought the books would be more like a miniseries, and I was disappointed at how the filler really took away from the incredible sense of danger in the first few books.

The way each character is introduced is also unbelievably clever (I really love Jake mentioning Marco's skill for video game strategy right off the bat), as well as how they deal with the problems in front of them. It sets the standard for the rest of the series really well

[sleepall_day]

Does anyone else remember just being blown away at the end, reading this book for the first time?
Oh God, absolutely. I liked animals as a kid (still do) and I remember thinking that Animorphs sounded a little stupid. But I wanted to try it out, and I remember finishing the first book in one sitting, and just going, "WOW." And I just HAD to go get the rest of the books.

[sunshapedgarden]

I totally agree. The characterization is fantastic, and I loved how well each of the characters was set up for the rest of series, right from the start, especially Marco. And that golf cart scene was perfect. I'd forgotten all about it, and there it was: Marco's first driving fiasco.

[fiiishy]

Nothing more to really add than "omg I love it too".

I honestly bought the book cause the cover was cool. It was the story that kept me hooked for like 5 years :)

[deslumbrar]

The biggest reminder book #1 gave me this time around is the relative innocence of these kids when the whole thing starts. They've experienced reality as they know it, and Marco and Tobias in particular have been through some dark places, but absolutely nothing prepares them for that first trip down to the Pool. The imagery of descent and the steadily clearer screams are chilling.

What especially got me was the brutality of the first battle. It wasn't some skirmish, it was hard, cold warfare right away. It's telling that they go in at first trying to rescue as many humans as they can; later in the series, they pretty much forget about that and concentrate on doing as much damage as possible to the Yeerks themselves. Quite a change.

To me, the Sharing was scary because of its deception. It's not only putting on a front of being a friendly group, but a group that will accept anyone, regardless of who they are. I can't help but think that would appeal to a lot of people, particularly middle school and high school kids (and at

[oneinnabun]

The thing I remember most about my first readthrough of this book was that Elfangor's death made me tear up. I think the ending did as well. Now when I read it, especially that time I started rereading the series right after reading the last few books, it makes me sad for a different reason. Yeah. Until then, we fight.

The Sharing scares me, because if they were real I almost definitely would've joined.

It's really weird how in the first book they just go down into the Yeerk Pool in their natural bodies. It makes sense in the story that they hadn't thought of keeping their identities totally secret yet, but it was still weird.