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Animorphe. Le Complot (1997)

by Katherine Applegate(Favorite Author)

4.33 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

2070545393 (ISBN13: 9782070545391)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Gallimard Jeunesse

review 1: despite how long this series ran and how many books fit into its canon, there's not many people i know who picked these up as kids like i did, and most scoff at the premise now. it's easy to, what with the silly covers and the plot revolving around teenagers who can turn into animals to fight off an alien invasion. what is overlooked, however, are the mature and at times very dark themes that run throughout the series - PTSD, depression, torture, dehumanization, moral ambiguity, death, loss of innocence and the gruesome violence of war to name a few. KA applegate doesn't shy away from addressing any of these, even at times touching upon racism, ableism, and homosexuality. the lines between good and bad start out clear but start to venture more into the greys as the protago... morenists interact more with the other side and begin to have to question their own choices -- and then follow through with some very tough ones -- and the series never lets you stop and think for a second that either side is completely correct in their actions.what i appreciate about this series, even as an adult having done a re-read, is that even though the target demographic is children, KA's writing never talks down to the reader. sure there are cheesy and very simplistic moments, considering the audience and this *is* set in the 90s, but there are just as many poignant moments both from the main protagonists -- including their closest alien companion ax who makes some very interesting and astute observations about humanity as an outsider -- as well as secondary characters and villains. with each book being from a different perspective, we get to know each character individually along with their specific struggles. because of this format, all the characters are fleshed out wonderfully with very distinct voices and personalities, and we get to see so many different sides to them. for me personally, i deeply appreciate how diverse the group is, with two intricately characterized females, as well as two people of color (including one of the girls). the prominent female voices, along with other factors in the series, makes this a very feminist series (demonstrated most explicitly by my favorite, rachel who will never shy away from telling you how feminist she is).but besides all of that, and though many of the ghost written books were unnecessary and as with any series this one has its own set of flaws, a series as long as this one allows for an extremely rich world to be painted. what with several companion books revolving around alien characters who make brief appearances throughout the main installments and their backstories, along with the main series, as well as an actual main character who is not human, we get to explore beings, races, sometimes entire worlds that are completely alien and most of the time not humanoid in the slightest. it's so vibrant and lush, with tons of detail to sink into. it's also absolutely worth a mention that along with the darkness and details, there's equal amounts of humor (PLENTY of it) and touching moments, along with some of my favorite literary relationships ever. animorphs may not be your thing now (maybe because of the length of the series or the premise or the writing or maybe you're just too old etc) but it's certainly something i am eternally grateful for noticing that one day on my scholastic book fair order form in fourth grade and i look forward to revisiting and giving it another spin someday.
review 2: I started reading the Animorphs when my manager at Coles put me in charge of the Kid's book section. I wanted a better understanding of some of the materials in there, and given that was 18 years old it had been a long time since I'd looked at a "kid's book." I picked up the first three books and that was the end of that. 54 books later, multiple spin-offs, a tv show and I was hooked.While I didn't enjoy the viewpoints of certain characters (I never felt Applegate was able to really create a great book from Tobias' point of view or Ax for that metter) I almost always enjoyed the plotline to each book and how slowly the author took us along the overarch.I'm 36 now and every time I look at my collection sitting on the shelf I think, just a few more years and my 6 year old will be old enough to perhaps have an interest in this series. less

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