Reviews

Pako by K.A. Applegate

melann's review against another edition

adventurous emotional

4.5

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Slavery, Violence, Genocide, Grief, War, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

rat_girl_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

lesserjoke's review against another edition

3.0

This is one of the more straightforward Animorphs missions -- they basically just sneak onto an enemy base, sabotage it, and then do as the title says and escape -- but it does offer minor developments for the larger series and some creative wrinkles throughout. There's the return of the pacifist Chee androids, for instance, first tipping off our protagonists with the insider information they've gained by pretending to be Controllers, plus the introduction of a new species called the Leerans that the Yeerks are targeting, a race whose psychic powers make them a grave threat to discover and reveal the humans' secret identities. And on a character level, our narrator Marco reencounters his mother and finally tells his friends the truth that he learned about her back in The Predator.

The underwater facility raises a few nice logistical problems too, from the army of guard sharks to the difficulties of Tobias participating fully to the implant devices the team receive which temporarily stop them from morphing into smaller animals. Still, it's not terribly complicated, and it never quite feels as though the heroes are being properly challenged, particularly once Visser Three coincidentally shows up to start squabbling with his boss, creating a scene of confusion that the Animorphs are able to use to their advantage. I will still take a book like this over the cartoonish vibe of certain other volumes, but it's pretty solidly forgettable overall.

[Content warning for body horror and bullying.]

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voidstar's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

missjuliamazing's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

webmulher's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ffictionist's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

tashagrimaudo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

idkallegra_iguess's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0