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What the?:
You know the worst thing about Animorphs being ghostwritten? The fact that K.A. has basically abandoned the series to work on Everworld, which is quite possibly the worst YA fiction I've ever read. The tone, the outdated premise, the fact that all of the characters basically parallel the Animorphs...It's like Joss Whedon deserting 'Buffy' in the fourth season to devote more time to 'Angel', a dog if ever I saw one. (Relevance comes back from the shops and glares at me from the doorway). Annnnyway...#31 is very similar superficially to #30, which is one of those "never should have been written" ones. There's the hoary "my family's involved but I'm trying to stay rational" plotline, which works fine under other circumstances (see "The Proposal" or "The Revelation"), but is just boring here. There's the utter lack of results at the end; perhaps a more realistic option, reflecting the powerlessness of adolescents today. But hasn't the whole series been dedicated to proving that kids CAN make a difference? That merely handing over a problem to adults isn't necessarily the best solution? Backpedalling aside, #31 attempts to explore issues such as loyalty, war and truth (earning my two stars). However the overall impact of these themes is rendered almost negligable by the negative, weak conclusion of the book. So, like #30, this book is largely filler in the series, and makes no significant contribution to either plot or thematic exposition. Very frustrating. Save your money for some of the better ones.
You can learn a lot from this book.:
Although "The Conspiracy" was an excellent addition to the series, the plot does drag slightly. I enjoyed it infinitely more when I reread it. I suggest reading the book carefully and paying close attention to Applegate's ethical explorations. You can learn a great deal from this book. It discusses topics such as war, good and evil, and making tough decisions. It's well-written and contains creative plot twists that add excitement and intrigue to the story. This is definitely a stand-out, one of my favorites!
The Conspiracy:
Jake's dad and brother Tom have left for a meeting of the Sharing, where Tom may force their dad into involuntary Yeerk infestation. Jake must save his father, but for the first time, his quick thinking tactical mind freezes up...with everything at stake.
Jake has family problems:
In this book, Jake's grandfather died. Jake's whole family must go to their grandfather's house for the fueneral, and for four days! Tom's Yeerk can't let that happen, so he invites his dad to come to the Sharing. Jake morphs falcon and Marco morphs gorilla and Marco sets of Jakes dad's car alarm. Jake's dad comes running out so his car won't be stolen, and so he isn't infested. With much grumbling about their being a very important Sharing meeting on Saturday, Tom says yes. When they get there, Tom and Jake discover a box that belonged to their grandfather and in it are papers and a knife. Jake knows that Tom will try to murder his dad. Read the book to find out what happens next!
(Emo)tional:
I liked this one because it had a great emotional level. I like it when this series remembers that it is still dealing with vulnerable human teens.
| Author: | Katherine Applegate | | Binding: | Library Binding | | EAN: | 9780836827545 | | Format: | Large Print | | ISBN: | 0836827546 | | Number Of Pages: | 138 | | Publication Date: | 2000-08 | | Reading Level: | Ages 9-12 |
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