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A review by lesserjoke
The Message by K.A. Applegate
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!
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
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!
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter