Series Re-Read #50 The Ultimate

[buffyangellvr23]

Jake is still struggling with the aftermath of the events of the last book, and the fate of his parents. He isn't sure of himself anymore. He reluctantly remains leader, and the group decides that they can't do it alone anymore. They decide to recruit more morphers, and to use disabled kids-the Yeerks won't want them, so they're unlikely to be

Comments

[redsilverchains]

So what does everyone think about the portrayal of disabled kids here? I find their recruitment one of the most difficult things the Animorphs had to do. This is such a sucker punch book.

Do you all feel that the troubling Inspirationally Disadvantaged trope was averted by the Auxiliaries? I do think that the narrative avoided patronizing them. And it *had* to be acknowledged that they were extra-brave for choosing to fight: because of their disabilities, some of them knew they couldn’t run for cover during the demorph-remorph transition.
Makes their later deaths all the more brutal, though. :/

James is a really great character. So is Collette- the quasi-flirtation between her and Marco was cute.

I can’t justify Cassie’s conviction that she ‘did the right thing’ with the morphing cube. She was fooling herself.

[almighty_patsy]

Yeahhh, I mean they were played as actual characters, and they stuck up for themselves and told the Animorphs when to shove it :) but I did actually find the way it was written a little bit troubling, the first time I read it (which, because I stopped at around 30? when I was a kid, wasn't too long ago).

[redsilverchains]

Yeahhh, I mean they were played as actual characters, and they stuck up for themselves and told the Animorphs when to shove it
I really love the scene where James knocks down Jake and then tells him that Kelly would have beat him up :)

There's this quote by Collette that bothered me- when she says that she and the other kids in the home were regarded as "kittens who become cats, played with when they're younger but become a burden when they're older" (not the exact quote but close). Also when James says that other people see them as 'useless'. And it's sad when it's revealed that he's had to step up before and make sure his friends weren't being mistreated in the rehab center.

[rena_librarian]

I feel like it's one of those things that's bothersome because it's true.

[rena_librarian]

Deleted scene?

I like the idea of Aux Animorphs, though I wish we'd seen more of them.

Did they ever follow up with the one kid that was permanently stuck in a bed? James agreed on the condition that that kid (Pablo? Paulo? I forget) be given the chance to fly. Did he get it?

Also, there was somewhere (might be next book, apologies if so) where the blind girl is given morphing power, and morphs Rachel to escape the Yeerks. I just flat didn't get that. Wouldn't Rachel be MORE of a target at this point?