Author Topic: Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return  (Read 2216 times)

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Offline RYTX

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Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return
« on: December 22, 2012, 09:51:21 PM »
Synopsis
The sixth Animorph is back. And he's not happy....
David is back. The Animorph turned traitor, now trapped in the body of a rat, has returned, and he's out to get revenge. And this time he's getting help-Crayak is involved as well. Now Rachel has the opportunity to change the war on Earth, to eliminate the Animorph's greatest threats. But now more than ever, Rachel's not sure what she should do.....

Questions
   1. Rachel undergoes a series of nightmares in this book, in which she has less than happy thoughts, particularly about Jake. What do you think of the use of dreams in this book? How well do you think they corresponded to Rachel's waking world?

   2. Thoughts on David returning to the series? What about his plans for revenge, global conquest, and him being utilized by Crayak?

   3. Ultimately, what do you think Rachel did, or didn't do, with David? What would you done this time around?

   4. What do you think of Crayak's efforts to entice Rachel? He fleetingly gives her god-like powers, what do you think that experience would be like? Would you have agreed to the type of terms Crayak presents in exchange for the rewards offered?

   5. And we never see Crayak, or the Drode, again. Thoughts?

   6. This is the final book narrated entirely by Rachel. How has her character changed from where the story began? What now is her role with the Animorphs? How does she see herself, and how does this compare to the way the others see her? What in general do you like or dislike about how she has come through the series up till now?

   7. Approximately when is the last time you read this book? What changes do you expect or would like to see in a re-release?

   8. Anything else?

Answer, ignore and submit your own questions and comments as you please; but remember to vote!

Next week: #49 The Diversion
Something, something, oh crap I pissed everyone off again....

redtailedsaffa

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2012, 01:32:10 AM »
Just saying... :)

1. Nightmare within nightmare was bloody confusing, but at the same time, it kinda gives you a look into Rachel's head. After all, our dreams are supposed to tell more about us, or something like that. I dunno. check the tabloids. :P

2. Well, his plans totally suited him, and they were actually quite believable until Rachel went and blew 'em up!

3. I think she killed him out of pity, maybe, coz he was leading one sorry life as a rat, that being their fault.

4. Crayak knew just how to get Rachel with that deal, coz it was working for a bit...
And no, I don't think I would. Making deals with Crayak is never wise.

5. Weird-ass. (Sorry, but there was no other way to put it!) They just... disappear. Poof.

6. At first she was more of a general tough-girl character, but she toughens up once she realises the extremities of war. Probably a bit too extreme. She gets scarier as the series draws to a close, honestly speaking.

7. Read it a coupla weeks ago. And if the re-release even manages to get this far I don't think I'd change anything.

8. One of the darker books in the series, definitely.

Offline XtheoniongirlX

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2012, 09:03:03 PM »
This was the book where I kinda just read through it quickly the first time to get back into the main action with the Yeerk threat. David is my favourite villain in this series and it was compelling and horrifying to see how well he held his own against the entire group of Animorphs... so even before I actually read the book I was a little disappointed to read that he made a return. I thought the nothlit ending was a perfect and satisfyingly disturbing end to his arc and hoped Applegate would be able to resist the urge to turn him into a recurring enemy.

I've been going through a re-read recently though and pushed myself to actually read each book at a normal pace, low-tier fillers and all, and since my opinions had become a little more refined and shifted quite a bit for a few books on re-reads, I hoped it might be the case for this one too. Plot-wise I think it's still quite bad and it still reads itself like a fanfic with the whole rat uprising and Crayak out of freaking nowhere (although it was great to see the Drode again, there's a cheeky little recurring enemy that I wish was used more). I mean I get that Crayak's intervention is really the only way David could've realistically been brought back to wreak havoc, but the whole premise was still a little too ridiculous, especially those two cronies that Ratatouille employed.

HAVING SAID THAT, the plot is really the only thing that didn't sit well with me. As a character study I thought the book was quite amazing, Rachel seriously needed a visual means of self-reflection like what Crayak provided with the battles. And I don't know why I didn't absolutely love the ending on my first read (did I somehow skip it?), I actually teared up reading it this time. Instead of just disappearing him away when Crayak was done with him, Rachel's left to deal with him. Her breakdown really resonated with me, and I truly wish the other Animorphs could've seen her like this, especially the ones who were resigned to believing she had become an irreversible violence junkie. Of course she had her unsettling moments, becoming more frequent as we neared the end of the series but it's not like she couldn't acknowledge that, and it's not like it didn't frighten her as much as it did the others.

But yeah, totally worth re-reading the cringe-worthy general plot just for the ending scene. So gut-wrenching and knowing her ultimate fate makes it hurt even more...

I'm sorry I didn't actually answer your questions, lmao. Let me respond to a few.


>>1. Rachel undergoes a series of nightmares in this book, in which she has less than happy thoughts, particularly about Jake.

Strangely enough it kinda warms my heart to be reminded of the resentment and hurt she was feeling towards Jake in this book, because it brings to mind that scene where she last speaks to Jake directly. I think I might've already mentioned it in a post long ago but she basically says, "Doing good, huh Jake?" as she finally gets separated from the group to keep an eye on Tom. Her tone isn't specified at all and I think Applegate left it up to us to decide. I like to think it wasn't a sarcastic/sardonic tone but an attempt at light banter. As if in not so many words she had forgiven him. She knew he didn't make his decision lightly and started feeling sympathy and slowly dropped the resentment she felt at being used. It's all implications and assumptions though.

>>3. Ultimately, what do you think Rachel did, or didn't do, with David? What would you done this time around?

I very, very strongly believe she finally killed him. Although really, 'kill' is too judgmental a word. If she spared him he would've most likely committed suicide but at least this way, with some twisted logic, he doesn't have to die alone. People are entitled to their opinions, but I have trouble believing how anyone would think she didn't go through with it. It fits in perfectly with her breakdown, and I don't blame her at all for her choice. I'd like to say in her place I'd have done the same thing, but most likely I'd have ran off. Not because of some belief in life preservation, but simply because I lack the nerve.

>>5. And we never see Crayak, or the Drode, again. Thoughts?

Very disappointed we never got a The Drode Chronicles entry, even if it was played as a parody like The Vegemorphs. He's come fairly close to breaking the fourth wall with his summaries of each Animorph's profile and comments. It would've been so great to see him speak to us directly... I'd imagine it would be like Bartimaeus's commentary with a little more snark (and hopefully many footnotes about Crayak's past shenanigans).

On an unrelated note, it's kind of a shame we never had a Tobias-Rachel scene after this book of them reflecting together. For a couple that's been shown to be as tight as them, I wish they had at least one more scene together and Tobias offering words of comfort or even just offering his view on what he thinks about Rachel's slow transformation to what she has become. I think the last time they properly talked was The Separation?
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Offline Ember Nickel

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2012, 03:04:23 PM »
-I heard someone's theory that this was just a dream, which would fit except for the fact that Cassie remembers it too. Upon consideration, I think that's a more convincing argument. Maybe Rachel goes to angst about herself to Cassie (like she seemed to want to do in Dream #2)? And Cassie learns about it that way?

-Crayak wants Jake dead, and has for a while--here, we see him try and manipulate Rachel to get what he wants. Why doesn't he ever bother Ax (who defies Jake two books ago) or Marco (under the guise that it's the most logical way) at any point?

-Crayak offers Rachel the chance to end the Yeerk war in exchange for Jake's life; she eventually distrusts him. Are we supposed to think better of Jake for sending Rachel to her death (and massacring tens of thousands of Yeerks) to end the war?

Offline Chad32

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2012, 10:47:29 PM »
I really like the fact that Rachel figured out it was a bad deal on her own. The authros had portrayed her as having gone too far to be able to cope after the war, but I think she was probably the strongest of them all. This book is a good example of that. She was tempted, and I think anyone would be tempted in her position, but she said no. She didn't need anyone to convince her that it was wrong.

It's really sad that she died.


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Offline RYTX

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Re: Group Re-Read 2.0 #48 The Return
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2013, 01:08:10 PM »
Quote
-I heard someone's theory that this was just a dream, which would fit except for the fact that Cassie remembers it too. Upon consideration, I think that's a more convincing argument. Maybe Rachel goes to angst about herself to Cassie (like she seemed to want to do in Dream #2)? And Cassie learns about it that way?

-Crayak wants Jake dead, and has for a while--here, we see him try and manipulate Rachel to get what he wants. Why doesn't he ever bother Ax (who defies Jake two books ago) or Marco (under the guise that it's the most logical way) at any point?

On the first point, the way Cassie talks in 50 makes me feel that Cassie was very much there too.
On the second, Ax didn't defy Jake to stop Yeerks, not entirely, he did it to avert a war amongst the humans. He felt terrible about it for a good while after it too. As for Marco, the way MM3 started, I still don't think he'd be willing to let Crayak have Jake. He never wanted his friend to suffer, probably a big contributor to why he went the end of 54

Don't totally agree, but that was a beautiful response to #1 XtheoniongirlX
And I thought Tobias and Rachel had a bit of a heart to heart at the end of 43 too.


   1. This was kinda jarring. Because there were so many back to back it was hard to know when the plot was really beginning. I believe Crayak baited the dreams, for even though she doesn't idolize Jake, I thought she's come to terms with him as a leader by now. What I mean is that I don't think they were her subconscious desires: they were legitimate enough to shake her, but I don't think she ever intended or wanted to overthrow Jake and go full throttle in this manner.

   2. I don't know that rats are immune to the plague, so I'm not sure how he planned to do that. More importantly, David coming back after Rachel is a good concept though the timing seems off-shouldn't be in the final arc. Even with a working plan, I don't see one rat boy conquering the world. What was interesting was that Crayak used him. I found it an interesting bit of psychological warfare to make Rachel face something she so hates, and probably fears. I can't forgive David for what he tried to do, but this time around, I pity him.

   3. I don't think she killed him. I think she let him go, because she hesitated. If Rachel was going to kill him she'd have done it right out. But she stopped, and heard him out, and for her, the right thing was to let him go. I think I wouldn't have. I think I'd add this as another terrible sin, or at least take him back to the island, but in any event it wouldn't be in concern to his suffering. My security, the Earth's security, that's would be bought with David's life.

   4. So I gushed a bit about the Ellimist powers recently, and I could do the same here. Much more comprehensible, much more intimate, but less elegant. A different type of control that would be harder to use perfectly. Would leave me wanting still more. But in my mind this is very good temptation, masterfully done, but I think I'd turn down the offer. Crayak give, Crayak can take away. If your power is dependent on another's grace than it was never yours. Wrong reason to pass, but it would work well enough.

   5. Yeah, what the ***? That really sucks that they just left. I hate that, they had soooo much potential, and then we never really know what happens to them. That they have not further impact on that we see. So sad.

   6. Rachel's the hardest to gauge because she jumps around a lot. Above all, I think this book tries to rein her in, bring her back to a less than over the top level. She's still the bruiser, but I like how she describes herself in this book. The one who does the bad things for the good guys. Nothing as crude as doing "dirty work", but the necessary evil it takes to protect, that's what she does, in her own way she keeps the others safe. Rachel deserves more than she was given, and though she's never been one of my favorites, I like Rachel. And that's all I have to say about that.
Something, something, oh crap I pissed everyone off again....