Okay, I can definitely do this. Some of the other books are like ... ehh, I don't have much to say about them as individual books, but I can analyze #54 all day.
First of all, I love this book more and more as time goes on. Not so much because it was a great book (although it wasn't as terrible as some people think), but because it leaves SO much opportunity for great post-canon fanfic. So much to work with. I love it.
1. The first few chapters in this book contain a number of notable deaths, including Tom, Jara Hamee, and of course, Rachel. Any thoughts on how things turned out for Rachel this close to the end? What about Tom and Jara? What do you think of how some of these deaths effected the other characters in the series? How did they effect you?Ack, Rachel's death affected me most. As a 12-year-old girl with anger issues, I really related to her after the last book, and felt ... I can't really explain it. Some kind of bond with her as a character that I only became aware of after reading about her death.
Tom's death was disappointing. I wish they'd tried harder to rescue him.
Jake sending Rachel to kill Tom - okay. Jake must have gone over the deep end by this point, that's all there is too it. He thought he was being like Marco, seeing the bright clear line from A to B, but he wasn't, he was delusional, he missed too many important details. And that he didn't share all the details of his plan with the others (especially Marco the tactician) before it was too late was his downfall. He needed their input, he needed other people to point out the flaws, but he was too ... what? Too proud? Too paranoid that the others' emotions would get in the way of doing what had to be done? Yes, and perhaps other things. But he was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and he did not handle this the best way he could've ... although it WAS good enough for them to win the war. Which counts for something, I suppose.
2. "I wondered if-" What do you think was next? What questions do you think you'd have before leaving the world of the living?
Everything. I don't think she really had the chance to articulate the end of that question in her mind. Just wondering about everything, her own life, life in general, the universe, what does it all mean, is there a purpose, and yes, what is there after this, what is it like to die? All of that confusion and uncertainty wrapped up in a single unfinished statement. :'(
3. In the last occurrence of Erek or the Chee, they leave on less than friendly terms. What do you think of the way the Chee, especially Erek, have been utilized throughout the series? Where do they go from here?This book makes it obvious that the Animorphs don't really respect the Chee, or view them as people. And of course, they're not people, they're androids, but what really makes them different? Erek is portrayed as a sentient being capable of emotion, but he has been mechanically designed, not naturally evolved, and how does that make him different yet still relatable? It would have been interesting to go into more about the Chee's perspective but they are only ever treated as a Helpful Plot Device, and that's kind of how the Animorphs view them in-universe as well. Things to be used. Only at the end of #10 when we first meet Erek is he treated as anything more than a tool.
4. How well did the Animorphs handle the negotiations with the Andalites?I don't have the book in front of me but it seemed like it went over pretty well. Jake was pretty good at speaking passive-agressive diplomat-ese to them. One of the few ways in which he acted intelligently at this point in thge series.
5. One of the biggest factors in ending the war was allowing Yeerks and Taxxons to using morphing tech. What do you think of these creatures choosing to abandon their bodies? Where would the Yeerks fit amongst life on Earth?I have to say that I thought of this solution WAY before I read the last few books or even #29 when Aftran morphs a whale. It was sometime after reading HBC and #19 - if the Yeerks want bodies and eyes so bad, why not give them the power to morph???
Taxxons: I have heard it argued that this is basically genocide, and wiping out the Taxxon race, but I agree with the theory that Taxxons on the homeworld are somewhat more functional/able to control themselves when they are under the influence of the Living Hive. Away from the Hive, being a Taxxon is pure horror, so I don't object to all the Earth-based Taxxons becoming nothlits.
Yeerks: Yeerks could become nothlits, or they could morph back to Yeerk form every two hours and maintain their existence as a species while still having to depend on Kandrona. Would the humans and Andalites allow the latter? that's another story. And where would they fit amongst life on Earth? Depends on the Yeerk, depends on the particular human community, but at least with the morphing technology they presumably have options about who they want to be and how they want to live. There are so many different ways that this could go.
6. Esplin 9466 has survived, but is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a box in Kansas. What do you think of this fate for the Visser?Oh my God. My very favorite thing about this book has always been that he did NOT die! As a kid I was really worried KA would kill him in the end, and when she didn't it made me SO happy, I was like, she listened to me! haha.
Objectively, though, it's absolutely ridiculous how many times Esplin has come out unscathed from situations that by all rights SHOULD have killed them. There are multiple instances in HBC, in TAC, and throughout the series, he is freaking UNKILLABLE. As a supervillain I guess that's to be expected, but to have him not die when Ax was RIGHT there and was supposed to avenge his brother and he DIDN'T? this is RIDICULOUS. (ridiculously awesome in my opinion, of course.)
Also, something that pleased me more than it should have: he was imprisoned in my home state. heck yes. represent.
Although really, imprisonment was probably the worst thing that could've happened to Esplin, he would've preferred death. The Yeerk who was obsessed with the sense of sight from the beginning, isolated as a hostless Yeerk in a tiny container with no ability to see? Hell on Earth, literally.
Of course, in my headcanon (and eventual fic) he eventually escapes. heh heh.
7. What did you think of the Animorphs after the war: Marco the celebrity, Cassie the government environmentalist, Jake as a recluse and then military teacher, Ax "The Aximili of Earth", and Tobias's isolation? How did these characters handle the end of the fighting, and their lives after?I think it's realistic enough for their characters. Although my opinion is that KA should have had #53 be the last book, with the first few chapters of #54 tacked on to it, just enough for us to see how the war ends and that the Blade ship escapes so there are still enemy Yeerks out there. If she's not going to give us closure anyway, she doesn't have to give us all that follow-up story, it's just pointless.
8. What did you think of post war Earth, with Andalite tourist and anti-alien terrorists? What about humans preparing for interstellar travel, and the use of morphing in professional settings?Meh. It's mildly interesting but I have no strong opinions.
9. Thoughts on the new quest the Animorphs set out on at the end. Was it right to leave Cassie out? Was the introduction of Kelbrid suitable? What about The One? Do you think it is completely new, or tied into something we've already seen?I think it was absolutely right to leave Cassie out, and I'm not even a Cassie-hater, she's my second favorite Animorph. But she was always the one who objected most to the fighting, who tried hardest to hold on to her humanity (and apparently succeeded), so it was right that she go on to do the work of maintaining peace. That's definitely more up her alley. Cassie simply isn't a warrior, and that's okay. She was the Animorphs' moral compass (whether she was an effective one is up for debate), but Jake has dealt with too many shades-of-gray issues to want a moral compass on the team. So I completely understand and agree with his decision to leave her out.
As for the rest of the question - It's okay. Gives us fic-writers something to work with.
10. "Ram the Bladeship." Thoughts on the ending? Facing down the Bladeship, what other options were there? What would you have done? What happens next?This is more Jake being crazy. They don't even know anything about The One or what he is capable of, and they do the all-out attack thing right off the bat instead of doing more information-gathering? Seriously, Jake is not being an effective leader at this point. Yes, he still commands respect, and that's the ONLY thing he's got going for him right now. He's not using all the strengths of his teammates like he has in the past. He's calling all the shots. Understandable, he probably feels like he has to prove something to himself. But seriously that's not the best plan.
Still, people have pointed out that Elfangor rammed a Blade ship and survived. And given The One's weird powers which nobody understands, who knows what could have happened next? I haven't even figured out what
I think happens next for my eventual fic.
11. What did you expect, or want, for the ending, when you first started the series, and as the end approached? From the standpoint of the characters, or from the writer, what would you have done differently in the world of Animorphs?I originally wanted more closure than I got, but when I didn't get it, I was grateful. I'm a fic writer. Tying up too many loose ends would give me nothing to do, since I like to make my fics canon-compliant.
What I would have done differently as a writer - see my above idea about combining 53 and 54 into one book.
12. Any response or commentary on KA's final note?I understand that she didn't want us to think that victory in war is all rainbows and ponies, or that everything gets settled neatly, but she could have ended it in a way that ... fit together better and made more logical sense with the rest of the series. I can go back after the fact and come up with psychological explanations for the way the characters acted, but seriously ... No closure is fine, no cliche happy ending is fine, it's just the WAY it was done could have been more satisfying while still being true to real life.
But like I said, I'm not going to complain too much, because #54 gave me plenty of good fic material. I wouldn't want to change it now because then that would screw with all of my ideas
13. Approximately when is the last time you read this book? What changes do you expect or would like to see in a re-release? I read it recently for - of course - fic-writing purposes.
I personally would like to see the Animorphs series re-written with more continuity for an older audience - adults and older teenagers - instead of middle readers, since the fanbase (especially the ones who truly deeply appreciate the series) is mainly older now. Like Harry Potter style - fewer books but retaining all the important plot elements, and weaving them together in a more sophisticated way.
14. Everything else?I have a love/hate relationship with #54. It simply isn't as fun to read as the other books. But it has plenty of redeeming qualities and like I said, I don't really want it changed at this point.
