The Predator (Animorphs #5)

The team goes to space for the first time, and only returns due to deus ex machina. While it was nice to learn more about interstellar villain politics, the bad guy choices here are a bit hard to believe. The plot of this volume hinges on several huge coincidences that didn't really work for me, but having part of the team turn into lobsters and almost get boiled for dinner was fun, at least. Also, the best scenes in a lot of these books usually revolved around Ax the alien eating human food, and we get to see that for the first time here.

The newest member of the Animorphs- the alien Ax- just wants to go back to his home world. So without much forethought they decide to lure an enemy ship onto Earth, kick its crew off, and send Ax home in it. Most of the book is them just trying to put the first part of this plan into action. The first few chapters have some awkward -and funny- moments when Ax goes with the boys to the mall- in human form- but he acts strangely and attracts the wrong kind of attention. I don't know how this didn't have any repercussions for the team. They ran out of there chased by police while Ax was morphing back into alien form, and tons of people saw it. They hide by morphing into lobsters, but almost get boiled alive.... Later, they all morph into show more ants to sneak into Chapman's house again, to steal something. That was really interesting, the ant part. And terrifying. As ants, they momentarily loose their sense of self, feel controlled by the need of the colony, and nearly get torn apart - literally- by rival ants. It causes nightmares. They're all really unnerved by the experience, Marco (the narrator this time) so much that he wants to back out entirely.... Just to be a normal kid again. To be there for his father, who is still struggling with depression and grief (his mother had died two years ago). But when they finally get the enemy ship- plan goes wrong and they're all taken captive- Marco suddenly finds a very compelling reason to stay in the fight. And at the very last moment, when all seems lost, a faction between two enemy Vissers gives them a way out.

This one was better told than the last, for sure.... I didn't really like Marco's character in the first four books, but reading this one from his perspective changed that somewhat. And the Andalite Ax continues to be intriguing.... I've seen mention that one or more of the books further on in the series are from Ax's point of view- that should be interesting.

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Spring 2020 (Feb);

I feel like this is the book where I started noticing we either have inconsistencies with how Ax is portrayed per book, or that it's how the certain character pick up what he's saying/doing. My mad props love continues to exist, of course for Rachel forever in this novel. Is anyone at all surprised.

I was glad to see us come full circle with getting to the last Animorph Pov first set, with Marco. He was probably my least enthused one, though. I find Marco to be too much the child version of the class clown/bad boy who makes me want to roll my eyes and ignore him a lot. I'm not too good at putting up with people like him, their humor (that they think is funny and keep spouting even when no one around them laughs at show more all), and his constant flipflop hot-cold of emotions.

I was right in the prediction the moment they said Marco's mom wasn't alive, but there was no body, that she'd turn up as a host of some significant import. I do find it sigh-worthy that Marco and Jake decided to keep it a secret. I'm sure that won't actually be a problem later at all. (Also? This was a way too convenient way to make the least-wanting-to-be-an-Animorph character have-to-be. Especially when Jake, and Rachel are both already tied to it that same way, too.

I know this is going to be a continuing trend because body snatchers is the name of the alien game in these tiny child heroes vs. the evil alien's books, but I'm definitely flip-floppy about it.)

I loved the ants encounter, and I think this is about when I realized one of the things I love best about the books so far is how much education about zoology is being quietly, carefully given to the reader unendingly in a no-fear fashion where unless you're actually noticing it, you're not noticing it, because it's just kids talking about the facets of animal physiology & culture. show less

This one follows my least favorite of the Animorphs - Marco. The one person on earth who refuses to enjoy his powers; who has no respect for the fact that the fate of the world trumps his own little crappy life; who whines about everything.

Fun fluff with moments of seriousness.

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

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.