The Encounter

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Book #3 is Tobias’ time to shine. I don’t know why he was selected as the third character in our merry-go-round of narrators, but it’s a good spot in the story. He’s been a hawk for about a month, and he’s struggling with the instincts that, to him, mean he is losing his humanity: namely hunting and the desire to find a mate. The animal instincts don’t seem to be as well written as the previous two books because this one is more plot-driven than its predecessors, but we still see a lot of Tobias struggling with what he’s become.

OK it’s not gross or anything. It’s still children’s fiction. But he’s inexplicitly drawn to a female hawk, with the feeling that he belongs with her. It’s strange for a thirteen year old child in the body of a hawk to realise, but that’s the mating instinct. It’s weird to think that the child is trapped in an adult hawk body, and a sexually mature one at that.

In this book, Tobias’s whole trapped-in-morph thing is the instigator of the plot and also the resolver of the conflict. Because he’s a bird, he sees something he wouldn’t have seen as a human: namely a Yeerk supply ship taking resources from the mountains nearby. Also, at the end of the book, Tobias is the only Animorph unable to morph and consequently as an outsider to the mission, he’s the only one who can take the ship down.

The best thing about this book is Tobias’ deepening relationship with Rachel. She’s the one he turns to when he needs comfort, and she’s always there to give it. She’ll even lie to him, but probably understands that he can tell she’s lying. And Rachel shows intense affection for the strange, lost boy in the body of a hawk. Rachel’s also showing more of her trademark recklessness, and the others are beginning to realise that maybe she likes the fighting and the violence and the danger. Did I mention Rachel is my favourite character? I find her fascinating.

Tobias shines in the climax of this book, as he’s the one who takes action and saves the day. It’s disappointing that the other Animorphs aren’t/can’t be involved, but hey, every book has to end at some point and it has to kept relatively short. Tobias is a hero, and the others need him even though he feels useless just as much as he needs them to keep feeling human. Overall it’s a great introduction to Tobias as a character, plot driven by his unique position within the Animorphs, and resolves several issues revolving around his character.

Also, did I mention the cover art is about a billionty times better than the previous two? ( )

The third book of the Animorphs series is narrated by Tobias. I liked him a lot: it was interesting to have a character who was a casualty, in some ways, but kept on fighting. I think now that it was slightly odd -- but effective -- to have a main character falling to the drawback of the powers so early in the series. This book mostly involves Tobias coming to terms with that, as the character-focus, and the plot focus is an attempt by the Animorphs to expose the Yeerks. Unsurprisingly, given the length of the series, they don't succeed, and once again, are lucky to escape with their lives.

This book is definitely more interesting when it's talking about Tobias' conflicts and the difficulties of being trapped in the body of a hawk. The plot itself... well, Jake's a bad leader for still wanting to go ahead with the mission with the odds so catastrophically stacked against him. It's not unrealistic, though -- just unrealistic that they actually survive.

The relationship between Tobias and Rachel is the highlight of this book for me, probably. The way she tries to be strong and tries to comfort Tobias, despite the way the situation is miles and miles away from any experience she might have. I prefer seeing Rachel's character from outside her, like this, to seeing it from the inside in the second book -- it's more believable, coming from someone else. This is probably why I liked Rachel so much.

I keep saying it's trashy fun, but that's from the perspective of an adult (shudder). I guess when I was a kid I sneered at them a bit for being so popular -- but hey, I can see why. ( )

Animorphs was a good series that kept me reading. Enjoyed these as a kid. ( )

This is the first book in the series from the perspective of Tobias, the boy trapped in the body of a hawk. In this book, you really start to understand what this is like for him and see how much he is struggling with his identity. And in addition to this internal conflict, there's an external one in the form of a mission involving a gigantic Yeerk spaceship. ( )

Cause & Effect, Story Elements