Scan barcode
brittburkard's review
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
rat_girl_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amy_bda's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
bookseller's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
lesserjoke's review against another edition
5.0
The first Animorphs book narrated by Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill is a roaring success. (Strictly speaking, his viewpoint was introduced in the previous volume, Megamorphs #1, but it feels richer here where it doesn't have to share space with any others.) We get new terminology for items in Andalite culture from nothlit -- someone stuck as an animal -- to estreen -- someone with fine-tuned, graceful control over the morphing process -- and a major focus on Seerow's Kindness, the Prime Directive-like principle barring Ax's people from sharing technology with alien species.
It turns out Prince Elfangor violated that sacred custom when he gave the kids their powers back in the series debut, a reveal that immediately deepens his character and shows the benefit of revisiting those early scenes now that the canon is more established. (It might also explain why the villainous Visser Three, with access to his host body's memories, has difficulty believing that his foes could be human.) The ultimate origins of the non-interference doctrine likewise add nuance to the noble characterization of the Andalite race, complicating our understanding of their conflict with the Yeerks. Heck, even those parasitic slugs get additional shading in this novel, thanks to a disillusioned operative who has lost the being that he loves -- an indication that the enemy forces can experience that sort of emotion and might not be just uniformly evil.
Plotwise, the group is seeing the ramifications of their recent attack against the kandrona, which means grappling with the toll of their resistance efforts on the civilian population of earth. Elsewhere, the protagonist embarks on a solo mission to assassinate the visser, culminating in a request from the creature's host to mercy-kill him while the Yeerk is out. No one is using the word "terrorist" yet, but the morality of the cause is growing steadily murkier as these difficult decisions must be faced.
Mostly, though, this is the story of Ax coming to fully side with his new friends, choosing honest loyalty to them over the far-off leaders of his homeworld who have ordered him to guard their secrets at all costs. These books don't always make room for distinct personal arcs amid the episodic action, but the hooved hero is given a great one here in his gradual break from his government and subsequent embracing of his role as an ally to the team.
I do have to say, the humor of the young extraterrestrial getting overwhelmed by his human morph's sense of taste is still a bit slapstick for my particular preference, so I've cringed anew on this reread to see him crawling across the sticky movie theater floor after those delicious brown globules that we call raisinets. But everything else in this title works wonderfully for me overall, and speaks to the ever-increasing strength of the franchise continuity.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
It turns out Prince Elfangor violated that sacred custom when he gave the kids their powers back in the series debut, a reveal that immediately deepens his character and shows the benefit of revisiting those early scenes now that the canon is more established. (It might also explain why the villainous Visser Three, with access to his host body's memories, has difficulty believing that his foes could be human.) The ultimate origins of the non-interference doctrine likewise add nuance to the noble characterization of the Andalite race, complicating our understanding of their conflict with the Yeerks. Heck, even those parasitic slugs get additional shading in this novel, thanks to a disillusioned operative who has lost the being that he loves -- an indication that the enemy forces can experience that sort of emotion and might not be just uniformly evil.
Plotwise, the group is seeing the ramifications of their recent attack against the kandrona, which means grappling with the toll of their resistance efforts on the civilian population of earth. Elsewhere, the protagonist embarks on a solo mission to assassinate the visser, culminating in a request from the creature's host to mercy-kill him while the Yeerk is out. No one is using the word "terrorist" yet, but the morality of the cause is growing steadily murkier as these difficult decisions must be faced.
Mostly, though, this is the story of Ax coming to fully side with his new friends, choosing honest loyalty to them over the far-off leaders of his homeworld who have ordered him to guard their secrets at all costs. These books don't always make room for distinct personal arcs amid the episodic action, but the hooved hero is given a great one here in his gradual break from his government and subsequent embracing of his role as an ally to the team.
I do have to say, the humor of the young extraterrestrial getting overwhelmed by his human morph's sense of taste is still a bit slapstick for my particular preference, so I've cringed anew on this reread to see him crawling across the sticky movie theater floor after those delicious brown globules that we call raisinets. But everything else in this title works wonderfully for me overall, and speaks to the ever-increasing strength of the franchise continuity.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
tamick's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.5
giannidamaia's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A fun new POV with a lot of interesting lore expansion makes The Alien one of the more compelling entries in the series thus far. Sure, the point of view isn’t always consistent (the prologue shows us a very different Ax, and Tobias is more akin to Marco this time around), but ultimately the unraveling of Ax’s consequential secrets demonstrate some of the highs for character and plot development in the series to date. The finale features a truly egregious contrivance of plot armor and the overarching slice-of-life approach to Ax’s daily circumstances can be a bit meandering, but for anyone invested in Ax as a character, this is a wonderful reward.
hzmt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
The first book from Ax's POV was so fun and delightful. I love him so much 🥰
hatetowin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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