The Stranger (Animorphs #7)

In The Stranger, Rachel and the Animorphs pursue a high-risk raid into a Yeerk pool disguised as cockroaches—only to be swallowed alive by a giant Taxxon. But time stops. They’re introduced to the all-powerful Ellimist, who offers them the chance to flee Earth before it’s overrun. When they reject the offer, they uncover critical clues that help them locate and destroy the Kandrona—the Yeerks’ central power source in the EGS Tower. Narrated by Rachel, this pivotal seventh installment blends existential choice, space-opera stakes, and teenage urgency. A standout in the series with emotional depth and big sci-fi concepts.

While the plots of many of the other volumes in this series run together for me, I still distinctly remembered the story in this one two decades later. Facing certain death, the team runs into the omnipotent being called the Ellimist for the first time and the series takes on an additional layer of space opera.

Today, this entry in the series reminds me of my dad watching Star Trek: TNG and watching the crew run into Q for the first time. Both groups realize that they are pawns in much bigger games that these extra-dimensional beings are playing, games that may be beyond their ability to fully comprehend.

I enjoyed this one a lot again this time around.

Spring 2020 (Feb / Animorphs Read 2020);

I WAS WAITING SO MUCH FOR THIS BOOK.

I may have actually screech like a she-demon when I finally got to read the words "What door? There is no door" finally in the actual print of the text, as those words and I have a long history and fondness that goes back and back and back. (And this star point is up one on this grade for a whole lot of nostalgia involved and invoked and not because the reading/writing changed a lot between six and 7).

I continue to love Rachel madly. The end.

That old alien was such an asshole.

A short comment for every book of the series until I get a chance to re-read them. All three of my sons and I loved this series and read every single book - I even bought every single book (most, but not all, used; some through school book sales). I'm excited to re-read them to see how the five main characters develop and to watch all the different transformations again.

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

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