1) The entire debacle gets started because Marco hears about a downed submarine and alerts the group in a non-war related rescue mission. This is basically one of the only times we see the Ani's do something like this actively. Do you think they should have used their powers to help people (in ways unrelated to the war) more often?
Yes and No... Elfangor had given the Anis the Morphing power to help save Earth. But this was to fight the Yeerks. Not exactly to go save people that are being mugged or drowing in the middle of the sea (incidents that were human led). BUT doing these things on the side DOES SAY A LOT about our heroes; going in a tangent when they can to rescue fellow humans. They had the power to help and they USED IT! Simply as that.
2) This is one of the few books (the only book?) that has absolutely NO Yeerks in it. Did you find the book completely irrelevant, a nice break from the war, or something else?
I never realized this fact. I can't remember the circumstances of the submarine incident right now.
But it WAS a nice change of pace for the series. An Animorphs adventure CAN BE done without the Yeerks.
3) In general, what'd you think about the idea of the Ani's in the dino time? Did you think KA's portrayal was well-done?
I enjoyed her portrayal of the dinosaurs, Velociraptors, T-Rex and Triceratops. I don't think there was anything 'new' there, but it was well-done. Particularly liked the scenes where Tobias and Rachel face off the Velociraptors.
4) What do you think of the portrayal of the Nesk and the Mercora and the idea that Earth was being fought over millions of years before humans popped into existence?
Nice concept, not hard to grasp, really. Important to also note, that it was at this time that Earth was ALMOST molested by The Cryak in the Animorphs Universe.
I didn't like the idea that one of the races (can't remember which one) had the whole colony-for-one creature... It was too similar to the Veleek concept, I think. And both those races being technologically superior and all.
What was up with the 'thought-speech-detector-alarm' thing?????!!!! Not even the Andalites or Yeerks have shown that!!!
5) Based on this book, the Animorphs are basically the cause of not only the extinction of the dinosaurs, but also the evolution of humans. What do you think the world would be like if the comet had never struck Earth? Pure speculation, of course, but how do you think the Earth may have evolved in 65 million years if nothing had wiped out the dino's?
This is really pushing the whole concept of time-travel and rarara. I remember thinking that Cassie's description of how the time fast forward and they returned to the present was really hard to grasp.
6) Rachel briefly brings up the idea of Tobias staying in morph permanently. Then, when the dino morph takes over Tobias' mind temporarily she revives him not by saying he's human, but by saying he is a hawk. What do you think about these scenes? What does it say about their characters and their development?
I actually can't remember this scene. But it is so contracdictory, isn't it!?
7) Cassie, the moral one, gets caught up in the T-Rex morph and kills a triceratops. She is extremely distraught by the fact that she's killed an animal. Do you think she over-reacted? Considering what happens in the next book, do you think this was one of the things that led to the breaking point?
This was d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y the experience that culminates her feelings to what will happen to her in
The Departure!
What I don't understand is that Cassie has morphed a predator before, ( I am thinking the wolf and the shark) and SHOULD have known what to expect of the dinosaur's mind. But the T-Rex overpowered her. How could the others handle it better than her, the 'animal-lover' of the group?!
...7. I think with everything being so heightened: the situation, the morph, the mission; the emotions are amped up too. However, it is kind of weird considering how okay she was with Ax killing the T-rex and using it as a food source. Does that prove Cassie is ok with violence as long as others do the dirty work? I do think does cause a breaking point because in #19 she does have a dream about being the T-rex. Funny how that is about the only time MM2 is mentioned afterwards. Do you think the series should have made more allusions to it later on?
UHHHHHHH! You do bring up a very good point about Cassie here. Cassie comes of as a bit hypocrite at times. And this is what makes her person very confused and numb in #19.
Anything else?
I thought Tobias not being able to fix his broken wing... the whole thing with the 'unhealing-demorphing' because of the time difference was a load of bs on KA's part...
And Jake surviving inside the T-Rex's mouth was something many writers have done to the point of cliche, too. Nevertheless, the acquiring through holding on to the tongue was brilliant!
I liked Tobias endnote, too. It was refreshing to see the realism in the character's fond in Dinosaurs. Really connected with the Dino-phase.
Question: Cassie spoke at the end as if she had total memory recall of the Sario Rip episode in #11: The Forgotten. Sounds like a KASU to me...
Question: The Nesk seemed to be possessive ruthless evil beings. They showed that in those days, already there was evil manifestations happening on our planet. Who thinks The Nesk may well still be alive and active 65 million years in the Animorphs Universe?!?!?!?
Question: The nuke explosion didn't seem to be THAT far out from the coast. Can an underwater nuclear explosion, of the Sario Rip magnitude, TRULY not have caused any human casualties?! Especially with the whole rescue crew being very much near its epicenter?!
Next week: #19, The Departure
OH MY GEE!!!
The Departure is POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE ANIMORPHS READ!!!!
