1. Roaches on their own aren't all that bad. When you open a door and a giant one is looking you in the eye, than yeah, I take a deep breath. Seems like they make noise when they move, even when they don't. Interesting in their own right, and while a good morph clearly throughout the series, I'll never believe they are as indestructible as pop culture would have you believe. I've caught roaches, I've seen them die, not that tough. Recently I've also come to doubt the ability to use insects like flies and roaches for hearing. Considering all the specializations to detect sound waves, the inability of other mechanosensory systems to do what the auditory system does: it doesn't seem like they should be able to hear. In a series about animal morphing, alien fighting teenagers, it seems unrealistic.
2. Jake-we're past half way. Jake's hesitated, doubted, regretted, but never just stopped, never lost his calm before the battle even begins. This really is the only time I can think of when he panics. The guy you look to in a fire to be calm and get you out is suddenly panicking. Maybe this was an effort to display some more human side, a weakness, the power of family, something-but the way it's done seems so out of character here and now that it takes away from the book. I found him at fault, his plans-well he didn't have any. He was out of the loop and I did not care for it.
3. The others however did good. They were quick, discreet, organized. Amazing how half the time when Jake is out of it but present, they can run smoothly, but when he's physically absent, they can't get it together.
4. This friendship isn't as confusing to me as Rachel and Cassie, but all things considered I'm surprised they aren't closer to others. Time, I think is a heavy factor-I consider some folks from my childhood that I haven't seen in years closer friends than the ones I went through school with. Since we never really saw them pre-war, can't say how it's changed, but I imagine that it's very similar: I figure Marco was always the one pointing out flaws in plans, and Jake was always him getting to do something. I thought the drama between them, Jake's envy of knowing what Marco would do, was very well played up, and that they endured through this very gripping. Marco did good, and that Jake took so long to accept that, well it throws some problems into relief.
5. I've more of a problem with why they did than what they did. It is a little discomforting to think of teenagers lording threats of torture, but again, they are on the losing side of a war. But that they put him through hell, for best case scenario get Tom away and then take the family into hiding. It worked, but something about it doesn't seem right to me.
6. Very tough. I don't think I would allow a killing. Not even enslaving, for the mentioned security risks. I have to hope I'd think of the injury thing in advance. Maybe just start a fight, like a physical fight, so that everyone would have to stay. At the extreme, a killing to prevent a killing, I think would be very, very difficult. Not ruling it out, but bottom of the list.
7.
8. This is actually a beautifully written and well done book, as a stand alone. I have 2 problems with it though, one is it's timing and two is Jake (see above). The personal, family based crisis: Marco JUST went through this. Considering Tom is a constant presence this should have happened somewhere else, and that it occurred right here was very damaging to it's relevance.
