Series re-read #43 The Test

[buffyangellvr23.livejournal.com]

Tobias is contacted by Taylor, the girl who tortured him in The Illusion. She catches him, gives him a message, then lets him go. She says she's working with the YPM, and wants to help, but everyone is naturally suspicious of her. The group decides to go along with her, but to take precautions against possible traps. Good thing they did, because it was a trap. She was working with Visser Three.

I recall a few things from the last time around...there were comments about Tobias's morphing of Taylor, I remember that.

It was interesting to see another alien morph this time, since they don't often do creatures that aren't Earth-based. I'm not sure I'd want to morph it though LOL

I think there may be some talk about Cassie's getting distressed again over the violence thing.

I think this is where we discover why Taylor became a controller, isn't it? The whole accident and rejection and body repair thing.

This is the first book with the new Tobias cover morph, or the first regular...MM 4 had him too.

Comments

[acts_of_tekla]

I really disliked this one. Taylor was a far more interesting character in 33, and it had a godawful Idiot Plot.

Also, remember how Cassie insisted that the little girl get a chance to say her piece in 19? WHY NOT INSIST ON THE SAME FOR TAYLOR WHEN IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE STRATEGICALLY INTELLIGENT? Guh. The only good thing is that it established that the other Animorphs were capable of doing the double-morph at one time thingie.

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the way Tobias talked about being in Taylor morph and made little to no mention of the (presumable) weirdness of being the other gender was...offputting, to say the least. I know it's YA and there's only so much you could get away with, but STILL. He could've at least tossed out something about how girl clothes were way more complicated to get into, or how he'd awkwardly avoided mirrors. The whole thing just felt WAY too nonchalant. I guess one could argue that since he spends most of his time as a hawk it's not like he's been dealing with the crazy surge of rushing hormones like most guys that age (ie it would've been a much bigger deal for girl-crazed Marco, or even Jake), but DANG.

And it's been discussed, sorta, at other points. I don't remember which book it is but there was one where Tobias was talking about how appropriate the eagle morph was for Rachel's spirit, but he went out of his way to clarify that the morph was male so it wasn't a physical attraction. So it's not like the topic is entirely taboo.

[anijen21.livejournal.com]

I feel like about #41-#44, if you just removed from the collective unconscious of the world, would have very little impact on anything, including continuity of the series.

Like really, what is there to say? We did Taxxon morphs better in the Andalite Chronicles. We did Taylor better in #33. We did Cassie saving the day better in...every other book ever?

I'm kind of disappointed that, at this point in the series, the Animorphs still fall for the most obvious Yeerk ploy ever. Like I get Tobias has stuff *personally invested* into Taylor, but didn't his trust of her boil down to "But you guuuuuuuuuuuys she really meant it!"

yeah I'm reading through my notes I can't take any of this seriously.

"But how? Is there some new, improved Andalite morphing technology that allows you to acquire while in morph?" 46

"Is this what Rachel experienced? Was this part of what made her so brave?" 48

I did like the torf thing kind of, but at the same time it was so...not important? Like the author said "this book is boring let's add something random about Andalites." Which I guess is what I'm always hoping for so I shouldn't really complain.

"The tail blade could slash me in two, but I didn't care. I might get a bite in first!" 88
So Taxxon metabolism is so high that it overcomes their survival instinct. Yeah, this sounds like a species that makes it past the first couple millenia of its evolution.

"Andalite incompetent," Taylor suddenly raged 108
GHOSTWRITER INCOMPETENT lol my notes are RAZOR SHARP sometimes u guise srsly

oh so like at the end there is natural gas that is poisoning everyone...is that right? I thought natural gas just smelled bad so you wouldn't like, light a match in your house if you smelled it. Is it poisonous? I could be wrong.

Oh, by the way, Yeerk Peace Movement:

"She contacted Tidwell because Jake said she could warn him. While we were digging the tunnel, Cassie talked to the Yeerk peace faction. Guess what Tidwell told her?...Tidwell and all the Peacenik Yeerks try to feed at the same time. They try to show up at the Yeerk pool together so they can exchange information and make plans." 133

Dumbest strategy ever. Yeah, have your treasonous group meetings in the fucking stronghold of your enemy. That's like terrorists taking a tour of the White House and making plans to assassinate Obama.

lol srsly I am hilarious here is my summary for this book:

1) Timmy's stuck in a well!
2) I save the day, get trapped + lauded, etc.
3) Taylor Stockholm Syndrome
4) TAXXONS SICK/COOL/FUCKED UP/LOVELY
5) Taylor the traitor (duh)
6) CASSIE IS THE FORCED HERO + IS ALWAYS RIGHT, YPM is really dumb, as is Tobias unfortunately

This book was awful

[isteillia.livejournal.com]

"The tail blade could slash me in two, but I didn't care. I might get a bite in first!" 88
So Taxxon metabolism is so high that it overcomes their survival instinct. Yeah, this sounds like a species that makes it past the first couple millenia of its evolution.

ughhhh this.

"But Taxxons are not fools. My Taxxon brain saw and understood the Andalite tails It knew they were weapons. It knew it could not fight them." - Andalite Chronicles, page 85.

I know Taylor mentioned she had a "mean one" for them to acquire, but I doubt being mean makes your instinct goes completely out the window.

[anijen21.livejournal.com]

oh fuck not torf, whatever the andalite word for haircut is lol whatever it doesn't even matter this book sucks!!!!!!!!

[anijen21.livejournal.com]

unschweet. that's what it was.

[cxrdevil.livejournal.com]

Wow it's great how they just ignore all of Marco's attempts to bring humor into this book, too, I mean seriously.

I do think it's funny that Tobias likes having dangerous amounts of sex appeal.