Richard's Animorphs Forum
Animorphs Section => Group Re-Reads => Animorphs Forum Classic => Past Re-Reads => Topic started by: Terenia on July 07, 2009, 04:18:42 PM
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Summary
Marco already knows he has a few problems: the constant battle with the Yeerks; finding out that his mother was infested . . . and is now Visser One. The leader of the Yeerk invasion of Earth. But things are about to get even weirder. Marco's father is thinking about getting married again. Meanwhile, the Animorphs and Ax have other things to worry about. It seems the Yeerks are trying harder than ever to get people into The Sharing. Now the kids have to find a way to slow down recruitment. But Marco's personal stress is causing him to morph into creatures that don't exist. Creatures the Yeerks are sure to notice . . . and attack. . .
Questions
1. The main premise of this book is Marco's morphing mishaps. What do you think about his mixed morphs? Is it a plausible excuse for stress? Why do you think that none of the other Animorphs have been 'afflicted' yet? They're all under quite a bit of stress, after all...
2. Do you think that the Animorphs approached discrediting William Roger Tennant in an effective way?
3. What do you think about the added dilemma of Marco's father getting remarried.
4. What do you think about Cassie's attempts at helping Marco cope? What about Jake's very different tactic?
5. This book ends with Visser One/Eva calling Marco. Was this a good place in the series to have this happen, or should it have taken place in a more critical book??
6. Anything else?
Next week: Visser
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The mixed morphing was wierd, and the fact that it's due to stress is a bit strange. I mean, how can his dad getting married cause him that much more stress than what everyone else goes through?
I don't remember how Cassie and Jake try to help him cope. Even though these threads are about rereads, I haven't actually been rereading anything.
Marco's dad getting remarried adds a bit of drama to Marco's life. I once thought Rachel's mom would get remarried because of some lines in Time of Dinosaurs. But I guess KA changed her mind and went with Marco instead. Not that I'm complaining.
Visser One's call came in as good a book as any, I suppose.
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I don't remember how Cassie and Jake try to help him cope. Even though these threads are about rereads, I haven't actually been rereading anything.
Cassie comes over and attempts to get Marco to talk about his problems. Jake is more along the lines of "Marco, cope. Now. That is an order."
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That sounds like how they would do it. Cassie would try talking about it, while Jake would just try to keep him from blowing everyone's cover.
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I had trouble with the mixed morphs too. It seemed a little off. As for why Eva turns up, it leads into Visser. It has to turn up to entice people to pick up that book. Which is definitely one of the best in the series, IMHO.
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Visser was a really nice book. My second favorite Chronicles book, after TAC.
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lol this was the first book I bought and didn't read! Yay!
I like Visser but it has its problems. I'll wait for that discussion, though.
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I had trouble with the mixed morphs too. It seemed a little off. As for why Eva turns up, it leads into Visser. It has to turn up to entice people to pick up that book. Which is definitely one of the best in the series, IMHO.
That's true, but they could have put that carrot in any book, really. What if Visser took place at a different point in the series? What if KA waited until #40?
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5. This book ends with Visser One/Eva calling Marco. Was this a good place in the series to have this happen, or should it have taken place in a more critical book??
I like that it was in this book. I guess it's called ironic. Like marco accepts that his mother won't come back and invites Nora to be part of the family. then he gets a call and finds out she's still alive, and has hope again that she'll come back. well that's what it seems like to me...
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Is it just me or does anyone else think Nora's a controller at this point too?
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I was never too worried about that. But since we don't actually see her struggling against captors in book 45, it could be possible. Do they ever put her on three day watch?
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I was never too worried about that. But since we don't actually see her struggling against captors in book 45, it could be possible. Do they ever put her on three day watch?
actually they have. I'm pretty sure it said in #35 they watched her for 3 days and confirmed she wasn't a controller.
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I think this book could have been done a lot better. I mean, the main plot was clearly Marco's struggle with his dad remarrying, but then they had the stupid plot of yet another celebrity endorsing the Sharing, and of messed up morphs. Hm, sounds a bit like book 12, only not done as well. It was like the plot was just thrown in, because they knew they needed more than "just" Marco's dad remarrying.
Although, the "poo-bear" joke was hilarious. XD
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There are always two things going on with each book. Maybe they could have made the two things fit together more than the ones they came up with.
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Yeah. I just think they could have come up with a better Yeerk-related side-plot.
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Is it just me or does anyone else think Nora's a controller at this point too?
Nora is clean at this point. It mentions that hey watched her for three days. However, in a future book she is infested, if I remember correctly.
And I think that he best part of this book by far was the poobear joke.
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Yeah, she gets infested in book 45. Marco rescues his dad, but not Nora. Though if the Yeerks were going to take Nora in the middle of the night, I'm not sure why they felt like separating peter. They may have not thought about taking Nora until after they botched taking peter.
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Yeah, she gets infested in book 45. Marco rescues his dad, but not Nora. Though if the Yeerks were going to take Nora in the middle of the night, I'm not sure why they felt like separating peter. They may have not thought about taking Nora until after they botched taking peter.
Oops, forgot that little detail.
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6. Anything else?
I'm sure this seems like a stupid question, in fact I know it is but I have to ask.
KAA's use of pop cultures in the books was interesting, no doubt, but this was all before Arnold was a politician, Demi and Bruce were still together and Blue's Clues positively owned Nicked Jr.
But this book came out in I think 2000. So my question is; did anyone still give a flying *** about Hanson in 2000?
I remember them being talked about in 3rd grade, 98 or so, but honestly weren't they just another washed up pop thing by the time this book was out.
It just bothers me that they're in this book, it seems like the most random call out to real life in the series to me.
Yes, I know, stupid and too long, but still. Hanson???
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wait... hanson is/was real? i thought it was a name KA made up...
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Yeah, they were a real band. Three brothers with long hair that all the girls went crazy for. Hanson was their family name.
I don't think they were still popular by then... 'Cause I (sadly) used to listen to them, and they were pretty much forgotten by the time this book came out. And considering that I'm the type to continue to listen to a band/singer for quite some time after they're no longer popular (case in point, I still like the Spice Girls... shut up), the fact that even I didn't like them anymore by then says something.
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I think what the reference was to was that Marco told his dad in 45 that Nora was a Controller all along but says it was just to make him feel better, that he really doesn't think so. We know she was made one, we were just wondering when.
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I mentioned this in another thread on here, but since its relevant I'll mention it here as well.
There's a timing issue in this book. Theoretically several years have passed....at least one, if not two...since the beginning of the series. Here are the issues that arise:
1. Marco's dad still refers to Eva as being dead 2 years, meaning only a few months would have passed.
2. If the maximum amount of time had passed...lets say two years...and events started in 1996 that would make it roughly 1998, MAYBE early 1999.
3. Marco is said to be playing Playstation, which was not released until 2000.
4. The book itself was published in November of 1999.
So for anyone who is keeping track of the timeline of the series, there's a bit of a conundrum here....
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3. Marco is said to be playing Playstation, which was not released until 2000.
Actually, according to Wikipedia:
The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or PSX due to its internal code name PlayStation eXperimental) is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December 1994.
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I believe Terenia is thinking of the Playstation 2. That's what came out around 2000.
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3. Marco is said to be playing Playstation, which was not released until 2000.
Actually, according to Wikipedia:
The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or PSX due to its internal code name PlayStation eXperimental) is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December 1994.
Huh. Nevermind then. The Wikipedia article I looked at said the PS1 was released in 2000, which I thought sounded odd, but who am I to judge the accuracy of the almighty wikipedia? We must have looked at different articles. I would bet the accuracy on yours, though.
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Wikipedia is an excellent source of information. Though it's not always accurate.
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1. The main premise of this book is Marco's morphing mishaps. What do you think about his mixed morphs? Is it a plausible excuse for stress? Why do you think that none of the other Animorphs have been 'afflicted' yet? They're all under quite a bit of stress, after all...
Well, if we think about it, stress can hinder any thought process.
Much like with Rachel in #The Reaction, this story addresses the affects of emotion in the morphing process.
I'd like to ponder, whether Cassie, perhaps because she's so empathic, and always deals with the deep sentiments, whether this is the factor that makes her an estreen?!
And isn't it interesting how this story also has a plot involving discrediting a celebrity who is endorsing The Sharing (and it also ends in a the filming set), just like in The Reaction, as AniDragon also pointed out.
2. Do you think that the Animorphs approached discrediting William Roger Tennant in an effective way?
I think there was an attempt to make it as simple as possible on the Animorphs' part. A demorilization tactic was sound, to passively fight the enemy. But, all the attempts failed, until the third one, eventually.
3. What do you think about the added dilemma of Marco's father getting remarried.
I say it was about the right time for Marco's dad to move on. Pity, it had to be a Controller.
And surely enough, through Marco's book, the character gets a sense of emotional progress throughout the series. Don't forget, he's about to scrap the surface of breakthrough Z-Space tech.
4. What do you think about Cassie's attempts at helping Marco cope? What about Jake's very different tactic?
Marco was getting too bogged down. He's full of psychological defensive barriers, and Cassie was kind of unintentionally feeding this. Jake, however, was blended the fact that he was a leader and at the same time the one who knew Marco best, and was best suited to drag Marco out of it.
5. This book ends with Visser One/Eva calling Marco. Was this a good place in the series to have this happen, or should it have taken place in a more critical book??
See, this is where it gets somewhat ambiguious to me. It feels like this scene should have been added at the very end of #The Reunion. I kind of treat this book and #The Reunion as one. Almost as if the writer split the plot into two, to make fillers for Marco's narrations.
Nevertheless, the choice to end like this was a brilliant way to slip in the events of Visser. We can actually deduce what went through Marco and the other Anis right after he hangs up. Still... To have that call come in right after a wedding... KA really likes to push it, huh?! ;D
6. Anything else?
Why the heck was this book subtitled The Proposal?! I can't make the link...
Out of all the Anis, why is that that Marco seemed to have it worst in terms of Controllers in this relations?! A mother who is a host to none other than the mighty V1; he almost dated a controller his age; and now he gets a 'step-mum' who is also the enemy-- Jeez! ^-^
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Proposing is what a man does when he asks a woman to marry him.
Nora didn't start out as a controller, and the Bethovan girl wasn't a controller either. If that's who you were thinking about.
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I'm surprised PS1 was around in '94. I know it was out before 2000 but I didn't think it was that many years.
I smile at Jake mentioning Sega in the earlier books...although I wonder if he just never moved onto the newer console or what. Genesis was out and then there was Sega CD and 32x that attached to the Genesis console. And Dreamcast but maybe that's more recent.
3. Marco is said to be playing Playstation, which was not released until 2000.
Actually, according to Wikipedia:
The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or PSX due to its internal code name PlayStation eXperimental) is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December 1994.
Huh. Nevermind then. The Wikipedia article I looked at said the PS1 was released in 2000, which I thought sounded odd, but who am I to judge the accuracy of the almighty wikipedia? We must have looked at different articles. I would bet the accuracy on yours, though.
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Proposing is what a man does when he asks a woman to marry him...
Man, you gotta admit some of the subtitles for the books were kinda hard to see the link. Like #39:The Hidden, #40:The Other...
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#40 isn't so hard. the other could refer to the other (two) andalites that landed on earth...
#39 I suppose could mean hiding the blue box...
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I will admit she sometimes gets creative with the titles. She could have just put The Wedding. That wouldn't have spoiled too much.
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I vaguely remember the anibase saying the publisher or someone choosing the title. Bascially, KA doesn't choose the title, I'm pretty sure of that.
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1. The main premise of this book is Marco's morphing mishaps. What do you think about his mixed morphs? Is it a plausible excuse for stress? Why do you think that none of the other Animorphs have been 'afflicted' yet? They're all under quite a bit of stress, after all...
For some people, parents splitting up and moving on is a complete rewrite of their outlook on the universe. When my parents split up 3 years ago, My 24 year old sister flipped out emotionally. Even now, 3 years later, my father's engaged to another woman, and my mother is in a diff relationship. My sister, now 27, is still an emotional wreck when this topic brought up. So I understand how it can affect his morphing more than the others.
3. What do you think about the added dilemma of Marco's father getting remarried.
I don't believe it was added, I'm sure it was the focal point of the entire book, "The Proposal"?
4. What do you think about Cassie's attempts at helping Marco cope? What about Jake's very different tactic?
I thought Cassie was the def wrong person to try and help Marco with the prob. Jake knew his friend, and how to handle him. Cassie thinks that everyone is a small child that wants to cry in mommy's arms in order to feel better.
5. This book ends with Visser One/Eva calling Marco. Was this a good place in the series to have this happen, or should it have taken place in a more critical book??
I thought it was the perfectly ironic timing. It was perfect as far as I'm concerned.
6. Anything else?
I totally thought Nora was controller. Even though they disproved it with the surveillance, I still had my doubts.
But, then she was officially infested, and I thought, <Oh, guess she wasn't a controller then. Welp, she is now! Haha.>
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Speaking of the title, I always thought it meant Visser One's proposal to Marco in the last few lines.
Double meaning, I guess.