First Impressions of Animorphs!
I'm listening to the Animorphs series through Animorphs Aloud - a fan made reading of the series. Here are my first impressions/random thoughts about them! Spoilers below if you haven't read them.
Book 15: The Underground
A yeerk could not infest a koala because they have smooth brains. Nowhere to cling onto.
Jake is so wet in regard to 'not using our powers for selfish/fun reasons' like you guys have been involuntarily enlisted in an intergalactic war and regularly experience body horrors that are beyond human comprehension. The least you deserve is being able to shift into something just for fun! Also he's a massive hypocrite so Jake stop being a loser let people have fun.
Being reminded of the bit in incredibles where a guy jumps from a skyscraper. I question the physics of birds being able to help them though.
Rachel has ZERO chill, ragging on this guy for being suicidal she does NOT care.
This book series is slowly infiltrating my mind and making me crave cinnamon buns.
Oh yeah Rachel what a good 'goof'. Saving someone from suicide - epic prank brah. Don't accuse Rachel of caring if someone lives or dies! She denies it!
I appreciate the narrative consistency in animorphs, I like how events in previous books show up again like Rachel's house being destroyed.
Did people ever actually say duh this much in the 90s
I get the sense this book isn't going to be up to modern standards of sensitivity regarding mental illness.
Random banana education?
Aaaaa cmon this is a little *too* contrived. Just happens to be a tarantula in this exact banana box the moment they start talking about it.
Rachel discovers empathy!
This poor guy. Still controlled, but by a Yeerk who's gone insane, getting tiny glimpses of freedom when he can control himself but treated like a madman and confined.
Oddly specific oatmeal.
The gang discusses whether to commit war crimes! This is a really interesting bit I loved the moral discussion but got annoyed that Marco kept bringing up how the drug they intend to use to drive Yeerks mad is oatmeal - it doesn't matter how silly the substance sounds when you're debating the actual effects. Shut up and sit down Marco if you ain't going to make a worthwhile point, quit throwing tantrums.
Jake's example of the american civil war to support this drug warfare plan is kind of odd:
Because Jake seems to be using it as an example of 'sacrifices must be made for the greater good'. But this drug plan they're enacting is in complete opposition to his example; they're attempting to end the war faster by allowing more people be permanently enslaved.
I do love the acknowledgement that what they're doing is really fucked up though, and that they're being hypocritical in allowing strangers to be affected but not their own loved ones (Tom). Heading down a very dark path indeed. Juicy.
Rachel really is ruthless - she gets legitimately angry at people in distress because she views it as weakness. Really interesting aspect of her character, I like seeing her POV.
Probably should have guessed they were going to dig into the Yeerk Pool considering the title, but my first thought was - why not just acquire the DNA of a human controller? The bio-filter would allow them through.
Hmmm yeah this is some good claustrophobia. Not being able to demorph because you're in too small of a space and surrounded by stone is terrifying. If Rachel fell into a slight crevice she wouldn't be able to demorph, or escape, and would slowly starve to death.
Wonder what a Yeerk tastes like
Hm never considered that as a bug you could experience walking on water. Would be neat!
Oh god Rachel has got a gun. And her first instinct is to shoot someone. And her second to go on a mass shooting.
See Yeerks this is why you burn the opium oatmeal, and don't just leave it sitting in huge hoards for anyone to mess with.
Rachel math: Yeerk pool + 200lbs oatmeal - friends + Visser Three = ????
Visser says 'nobody move, if you see movement - destroy it!'. Someone move slightly, someone goes to destroy em - thus moving, domino effect leaves entire cavern dead. Alternate ending: Yeerks destroyed by own stupidity speedrun.
GORILLA WITH A GUN. Almost as cool as Hawk with a gun.
Love Visser Three being a shitty boss working against him. None of his cronies want to risk their neck for him.
I mean, why not shoot the barrel as you're leaving anyways? Betraying a promise is small potatoes compared to the oatmeal plan.
Rocks fall everyone dies LIVES
Love the ending message being give homeless people money.
