Reviews

Az ​üzenet by K.A. Applegate

sharnibee's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.75

Cassie & Tobias realise they have been having the same dream, a cry for help coming from the depths of the ocean. Soon, a plan is hatched - and new animal forms acquired - seagulls, dolphins - in order to hopefully pull off a rescue mission. The stakes are raised when they realise that Visser Three is also searching. Cassie really struggles with the ethics of morphing into more sentient creatures (dolphins) and feeling responsible for putting the others in dangerous situations. The sound effects in the audiobook really add to the experience. 

goatpush's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? No

cellardoor10's review against another edition

4.0

New morphs, new character, and a little more movement in the galaxy-wide plot. Higher stakes in the water, and higher stakes with more info about the Yeerks.

atomicookie's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

beccaw12's review against another edition

5.0

I am a Cassie defender until the day I die

eleanorjmca's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

Probably my favourite of the series yet. Cassie was always my favourite as a child, and her POV reads really refreshingly differently than the others we’ve seen - she is noticeably more empathetic, able to read the rest of the team and understand their emotions and motivations in a way the other narrators dwell on much less often, and her central conflicts are touching and relatable. She’s worried about the morals of morphing an intelligent creature, wondering explicitly if it’s that different to what the Yeerks do, and in a really compelling character-based plot line, she’s afraid to take responsibility for any decisions that might put her friends in danger. All of this makes her POV a joy to read. Plus the plot of this story is really great, the pacing is excellent, there are loads of different and really fun morphs, and

we get to meet Ax for the first time

! The underwater fighting is also a great novelty, if even more violent than is usual for this series.

It’s funny that these kids’ books from nearly 30 years ago contain scenes more mature than lots of “adult” literature; in this case the scene that really struck me was

the disappointment the team feel when they realise the Andalite they’ve saved is just a child, like them, and not someone who can relieve them of their responsibilities or tell them what to do

. In some ways the whole book revolves around this scene, amid broader themes of responsibility and duty. 

The only thing I disliked about this book was

the vaguely mystic communication with the whale

. One of the things I love about this series is its very loving but realistic portrayal of animals, and repeated statements that animals don’t think like humans - for example, the story of the hawk from the previous book. So I thought this was a little bit over that line into something less realistic. I almost took a quarter of a star off for that, but honestly, it’s only a very minor gripe and the rest of the book was pretty much flawlessly done, including the final scene

where Cassie realises she feels guilt over something the dolphins neither understand nor care about

, so I decided it could keep all its stars. A fantastic book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Body horror

Minor: Death of parent

peregrine's review against another edition

3.0

Time for Ax! The "Ax doesn't understand humans" genre of Animorphs humor is always delightful

rat_girl_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

lesserjoke's review against another edition

5.0

Cassie's first Animorphs novel is an absolute delight. Plotwise, it pushes the narrative further than any volume since the premiere, adding in one final teammate to join the group of morphing teens. (I'll avoid spoilers beyond that here, but this new ally will be a very fun and different presence for the squad going forward.) We learn a few cool worldbuilding details about various alien species, and see that dolphins and whales in this setting are self-aware and communicative to some extent as well.

The book highlights its narrator as a protagonist quite nicely, showing her love of animals and focus on ethical action. Her personal arc in this title involves struggling to endorse a mission that could get her friends killed, but she also pauses to wonder if their powers are as abusive to the natural order of the environment as those of their Yeerk enemies -- which they emphatically aren't, but she's the only one who even thinks to explore that question.

The heroine's unique perspective manifests in subtler ways, too. There's still an element of body horror to these adventures, with a certain description of an underwater Taxxon death being particularly and memorably gruesome, but the shapeshifting itself is presented more glowingly. We've repeatedly been told that Cassie is the most graceful morpher, and seeing the process unfolding through her eyes as a tender dance between forms helps cement that fact. Her emotional intelligence likewise keys her into the interpersonal dynamics around her, with her ability to see past Marco's gruff and joking exterior giving him his best showcase yet. And of course, Jake's romantic interest in the girl is now confirmed to be mutual, deepening reader investment in them both.

Race is never exactly at the forefront of this series to my recollection, but it's really great that the writing regularly mentions Cassie is black and the covers depict her with an accurate model -- neither of which seems like a guarantee in the whitewashing world of 90s publishing. Her budding romance with a white guy / de-facto team leader is also important and quietly radical for young adult literature of its time.

Overall, I have no complaints!

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bookseller's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0