The Discovery (Animorphs #20)

I dont like this story arc and also this book contains truly terrible snake husbandry. You cannot under any circumstances let your snake free roam in a house with a cat. I got very hung up on this, and also on the fact that a child has a pet cobra in the first place. Absolutely not. Nightmare scenario all around.

This one was a quick read, kind of uneven but okay. Basic plot: the Animorphs realize a new kid at school has come across an alien object that holds the morphing technology. They spend a lot of time trying to get it away from him- first attempting to pay for it, then outright stealing when plans go awry. Of course the enemy very much wants this object also, and they find out where it is, so there's a sudden battle between most of the animorphs and the Visser in the new kid's bedroom. Where Marco morphs a snake. After that, things lead to the Animorphs letting this kid in on their secret and turning him into one of them. A bit reluctantly- they don't really know him- and perhaps unwisely- he seems to have a penchant for cruelty- but they show more don't see any other way to deal with it. They have to save the president of the US from falling into alien clutches- so there's a very confusing and ridiculous fight involving a cloaked alien space ship and a helicopter, where the Animorphs turn into cockroaches to avoid detection- but barely escape with their lives, not succeeding with the rescue mission at all. Well, maybe they failed- that's where the book suddenly ends- I am not sure why it didn't just continue, could have easily been 200 pages and finished the storyline but yeah stopping in the middle of the action makes it a cliffhanger. The part I was really interested in was seeing the conflict and dilemma they had with the new kid- they want to get to know him, figure out can they trust him, ease him into the idea of morphing into animals- but they don't have time because of the pressure to go save the president. So it all moves very quickly and the kid is in shock for a lot of it, and they really jump on the decision to include him. I'm curious to see what that all leads to.

from the Dogear Diary show less

Fun fluff series that gets less and less fluff over time.

3.5
"Part One of a Trilogy" does not give the license to end with "to be continued..."
I really enjoyed the first two-thirds, but was aggravated that the story was incomplete. I will read the next two parts and then write my review.

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

I felt this was really lacking what the previous volumes had.

I felt this was really lacking what the previous volumes had.