Series Re-Read #21: The Threat

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

Before we get started, I wanted to apologize for getting behind on these re-reads. I read this book weeks ago, and then I unexpectedly got a kitten, and I kept forgetting to do the re-read post because kittens are a lot more demanding than I remembered. I will try to have the next re-read post up more quickly. So, again, sorry! I will try to be a better, timelier mod that this community deserves.

≺If the Yeerks don't get you, we will, ≻ I said.

≺Yeah, I know, ≻ David acknowledged. ≺But already there used to be six of
you and now there are just five. Pretty soon, Jake, it'll be four.≻

I've always thought of this as kind of the Empire Strikes Back of the Animorphs books, mainly because it's the middle of an epic trilogy. Right down to the whole "IT'S A TRAP!" when the Animorphs confront Visser Three. Which sort of makes Tobias like Han Solo, only not frozen in carbonite, and David's not exactly Lando. Definitely not as smooth. My analogy is falling apart.

Anyway. Looking back now, it seems obvious that things with David go the way they do, but I remember when I read this the first time, I was completely surprised by the idea that he'd actually betray them. Probably because I wanted to be an Animorph so much, it was hard to understand how anyone could try to kill them.

I would've liked to have seen this happen further in the series/with more build-up. I think if they had ever reached a point of actually trusting him (or more of them trusting him than not) and *then* had David turn on them because of building resentment for all the things that made him turn on the Animorphs in this trilogy, it would've been more interesting. Say, a six or seven book arc instead of just three. If only because it seems a little too quick for them to expect him to actually participate in their missions--a more sensible option would've been to have Erek the Chee pretend to be one of them and keep an eye on him while they were off focusing on this big mission, or anything that wouldn't have plunged him right into everything. Even so, I still have trouble getting how he could, even in the heat of the moment, consider turning to the guy that enslaved his parents for protection; I can't see myself doing that, especially not if I were in any form that might let me go after the dude instead.

Any other thoughts? Agree with me? Think I'm crazy? If you were in David's shoes, and you'd lost your parents/home/everything and were suddenly expected to fight in a crazy war against aliens, would you even be able to cope with that, let alone fight in the war against the Yeerks?

_{Next time: #22 The Solution--Trapped like a rat!}

Comments

[falconwarrior.livejournal.com]

pictures of the kitten, please

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

LOL, you want kitty pics? I can definitely oblige. Here is she is, Dahlia Kahleesi in all her kittenly glory:










We almost named her Cassie, but my husband has a friend with that name, and it would've been a little weird. The other cat in the second photo is Sherlock, and the one in the third is Veronica.

ETA: Hah! I just realized that you can see my copy of #21 in the second pic.

[falconwarrior.livejournal.com]

aaaah she's so adorable! so are your other cats :3

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

Thanks!! We have one more cat, but he hasn't warmed up to her yet.

[chordatesrock.livejournal.com]

David was kind of a scrappy to me, but maybe I'd like him if I reread that one.

[acts_of_tekla]

"IT'S A TRAP!" was in Return of the Jedi, not Empire Strikes Back. *Nerd look of disappoint* But more importantly, KITTEHZ!!

Back on topic, I agree that David's arc really should have been stretched for a few more books. It doesn't not work precisely, but it feels rushed. In particular, I feel like there was a lot of toting of the Idiot Ball in the first half of #20 in order to get the characters positioned where the plot needed them to be. There's definitely some good stuff in these books, and they appeared at a really pivotal point in the series (IMO 18-23 are really where the books transitioned from being about kids who didn't know what they were doing to being about an elite team of guerrilla warriors who happened to be teenagers.), but I definitely don't think that the David Trilogy reached the full potential of its concept.

Regarding #21 in particular, I think it's one of Jake's top 3 books. It's the one where we first see that Jake is willing to use his team members in ways that they may not like -- i.e. calling for Rachel instead of anyone else when he thinks David will have to be killed, because he can trust her to actually do it.

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

I knew someone would try to call me on that, but if you remember in Bespin, when they're dragging Leia away, she yells repeatedly "It's a trap!! Luke, it's a trap!" Much like Han shot first, Leia said it first. But Ackbar gets all the credit...


You're right on about it being a top Jake book--he really comes into his own as a leader in this book. He realizes just how well he knows the others and how to lead them and use them effectively, and he starts doing exactly that.

[acts_of_tekla]

I knew someone would try to call me on that, but if you remember in Bespin, when they're dragging Leia away, she yells repeatedly "It's a trap!! Luke, it's a trap!" Much like Han shot first, Leia said it first. But Ackbar gets all the credit...

*laughs* You're right! I guess I just associate the all caps with the meme so much that I totally forgot about Leia. (Even though I laugh every time at how absurd she looks popping back out from around that corner.)

[starz4598.livejournal.com]

A David book would have been awesome. It also would have been nice to get a POV perspective of him from more than just Marco, Jake, and Rachel.

The whole thing would have been a more shocking betrayal if he had been a member of the team for longer. He does seems to transform into pure evil very quickly.

Something that always bugged me was how the Marco/David conflict was very quickly dropped and replaced with a Rachel/David conflict. Not only was it a bit of a plot loose end, but I was disappointed at the lost potential for some Dark Marco moments. This was another consequence of the trilogy set up, and I think there could have been some really amazing stuff if KAA had stretched David out over a longer time period.