Group Re-Read: #31 The Conspiracy

[Terenia]

Summary
Jake's grandfather has died. It blows the family away -- especially Jake's mom. So Jake's parents decide they should all travel to the grandfather's home to help with the arrangements. In another state. For three or four days. This is a very big problem for Jake's brother, Tom. He can't be away from the Yeerk pool for that long. So Tom refuses to go -- and his father insists. But Tom's Yeerk will do anything to survive. Including making his father less of a problem. Now Jake, the other Animorphs, and Ax have to find a way to protect his father without Tom discovering their secret. And without having to choose between his father's life...and Tom's.

Questions
1. Just one book ago, in #30, we saw Marco forced to deal with an issue that was very close to him: the possibility of having to kill his mother, Visser One. Now, in #31, Jake is faced with a similar issue involving Tom. What do you think about how each of them handled their personal situations? What was different?

2. Tom's immediate reaction to four days away is to infest Jake's dad. His secondary reaction is to kill Jake's dad. Do you think that Tom's Yeerk reacted appropriately (well, appropriately for a Yeerk) to the situation? Or do you think he was being short-sighted?

3. What do you think would have happened if the Ani's had not intervened in the mountain lake?

4. What do you think this book does in regards to the relationship between Jake and Tom?

5. What do you think about the Grandpa G bits in the story, with the WWII tales and all?

6. Anything else?

Next week: #32 The Separation

[morfowt]

2. well seeing as how he's already pleaded, groveled, begged, reasoned, etc. with his dad, I'd say he reacted fine. it's not like i could come up with anything better.

[Shark Akhrrana]

1. Just one book ago, in #30, we saw Marco forced to deal with an issue that was very close to him: the possibility of having to kill his mother, Visser One. Now, in #31, Jake is faced with a similar issue involving Tom. What do you think about how each of them handled their personal situations? What was different?

Well teh difference is that Marco was more in control than Jake. it basically took a lot more effort to stop Jake from giving up teh group to save a family member . Marco on the other hand

2. Tom's immediate reaction to four days away is to infest Jake's dad. His secondary reaction is to kill Jake's dad. Do you think that Tom's Yeerk reacted appropriately (well, appropriately for a Yeerk) to the situation? Or do you think he was being short-sighted?

He could have pretended to be sick. easy way out.

3. What do you think would have happened if the Ani's had not intervened in the mountain lake?

i think everything might have gone wrong . Tom would have used teh dagger on Jake's dad. Jake woudl have gone Tiger all the way. Jake's dad might not have died. but Jake's secret would be out.

4. What do you think this book does in regards to the relationship between Jake and Tom?

It shows how much Jake care about family and how much more he starts to see Tom as just a controller yet at the same time trying to protect him.

5. What do you think about the Grandpa G bits in the story, with the WWII tales and all?

I think it made teh story more real

6. Anything else?

idno is there anything else?

[morfowt]

He could have pretended to be sick. easy way out.

then his dad would just give him medicine and make him stay in bed to get better, wouldn't he?

[anijen21]

He could have pretended to be sick. easy way out.

then his dad would just give him medicine and make him stay in bed to get better, wouldn't he?

24-hour stomach flu works every time.

lol his dad was a doctor though, wasn't he? Well, regardless, yes, I think "CANNOT FEED MUST KILL PARENT" was a little bit of an overreaction. The Yeerks seriously haven't thought of any contingency plans for when hosts are forced away from the Yeerk Pool for more than three days? Are no controllers travelling business men, do none of them take vacations? WHAT DO THEY DO AT CHIRSTMAS?

First option, yes. Try to get out of it. Second option? ASK TO BORROW A PORTABLE KANDRONA FOR THE WEEKEND. I cannot believe the Yeerks don't have like a Blockbuster for portable kandronas. And Tom's Yeerk was pretty high-up at this point, right? No one in the Empire was willing to help him?

[Chad32]

First option, yes. Try to get out of it. Second option? ASK TO BORROW A PORTABLE KANDRONA FOR THE WEEKEND. I cannot believe the Yeerks don't have like a Blockbuster for portable kandronas. And Tom's Yeerk was pretty high-up at this point, right? No one in the Empire was willing to help him?

The whole time I was thinking "What? Is it so hard for him to borrow a portable Kandrona machine? Or ask for a few controller friends to follow them and help out from the background? Does he not have friends or connections like that? Where is the issue here?"

I also think this would have been an ideal time to rescue Tom. He could have gone into hiding. The Yeerks wouldn't be suspicious, since they'd think the Yeerk died, and Tom just ran off. If Jake let Tom stay in Erek's hiding place, the Yeerks never would have found him. I don't think that the Yeerk dying during a four day trip would lead the Yeerks to believe that andalites intervened, and that the Andalites may be Human.

This was a weird book, in my opinion, with a couple of major plot holes. Why did Tom's Yeerk have to resort to extreme measures to stay alive? Why was Tom not rescued?

[morfowt]

WHAT DO THEY DO AT CHIRSTMAS?

I know it's not that important, but what does christmas have to do with anything?

[Chad32]

A lot of people travel for major Holidays, to be with families on other counties or even states. Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hannukka/Kwanza, birthdays, and maybe other things. A lot of important people travel, so you'd think Yeerks would have basic plans for such things. It shouldn't have been such a big deal.

[dolphin4077]

1.  This book reminded me that KAA set Jake and Marco up to be opposites.  I thought it was really interesting that Jake falls apart when its personal, while Marco shines during a similar situation. #30 and 31 definitely provided character foreshadowing.

2.  I gotta agree with everyone who mentioned that killing seemed like way too big a leap.

3.  Jake would have killed Tom, but it would have destroyed him, which lead to the Jake we saw during the last portion of the series showing up from #32 onwards.  Although if that had happened the Animorphs would have been finished around the time Visser 1 was on trial.

4.  It just occured me that it had been awhile since Tom and Jake dynamic had been a real focus in the series.  Anyways, I think this book showed that Jake might not be able to save Tom. 

5.  I liked it because it added to the story and managed not to distract us from the story like the way #47 did.
     

[Terenia]

I think that this is the book that led Jake to realize that saving Tom might mean killing Tom, and that he was willing to do that if necessary.

[Chad32]

I don't believe it had to be that way. But KA set things up to work the way she wanted them to work, even if they don't make a lot of sense.

[RYTX]

This really was not a book I liked.
The plot while obviously different still seemed a bit to much like what Marco just went through
More over I don't like how Jake handled the situation, deseperation, however validated, doesn't suit him in my eyes, and the tactic of kidnapping and terrorism, it didn't work for me here. I put it up there as another one of those turning point things, but I just didn't how it was done.
However, I can look back at this book and say this is were you know Jake can do what he's always dreaded.
He always knew he might have to but were it not for the others, he actually would have done it. Heartbreaking and replusive all at once, and  a sign of things to come.

[SkyMorpher]

I still think it would have been interesting if somewhere along the line, Tom had escaped and joined as an Animorph. Melissa could have too...we'd just have 8 instead of the six originals. And less chance of a David problem hopefully.

Anyway, yeah the Grandpa G parts probably did flow with the rest of the story better than the flashbacks in 47. I also agree the yeerk could have tried some less extreme stuff before going all out, and that the yeerks should've had more portable kendronas for stuff like that.

I love the FAQ and puzzle at the end of the book btw.

[Terenia]

(Just a side note on the re-reads)

I'll be traveling from Houston, TX to Michigan this week. For those of you not familiar with US geography, that's about a 25 hour drive that I'm splitting over three days. I'll try to post the re-read while at a hotel, but if I don't get a chance to, expect it Thursday or so.

[Mira]

1. Just one book ago, in #30, we saw Marco forced to deal with an issue that was very close to him: the possibility of having to kill his mother, Visser One. Now, in #31, Jake is faced with a similar issue involving Tom. What do you think about how each of them handled their personal situations? What was different?

I haven't read #30 yet :'(... Anyway I have a feeling that Marco had more control over everything.

2. Tom's immediate reaction to four days away is to infest Jake's dad. His secondary reaction is to kill Jake's dad. Do you think that Tom's Yeerk reacted appropriately (well, appropriately for a Yeerk) to the situation? Or do you think he was being short-sighted?

He was short-sighted. He could have been ill or maybe even kidnapped, then it had been quite difficult for Tom to go anywhere and I'm sure some other controller could have asked for a ransom for him. Or maybe he could have tried to kidnap Jake. Then Tom could have pretend to be the hero, rescued his little brother and then his father would have give him everything he asked for... But I don't think the last thing would have worked.

3. What do you think would have happened if the Ani's had not intervened in the mountain lake?

I don't think their dad had been hurt. Jake had killed Tom before he got time to do that, but he had also made sure that Tom knew it was him.

4. What do you think this book does in regards to the relationship between Jake and Tom?

Nothing new... or I don't know.

5. What do you think about the Grandpa G bits in the story, with the WWII tales and all?

In one way it was boring, in another way it made the story more real, more interesting...

6. Anything else?

Well... When I read this book for the first time I had a weird dream one night. Instead of taking his fathers place in the garden, Jake climbed up on the roof and pretended to fall down (jumped down) on the other side. Then Jake's father heard him cry and ran over to help him, Jake had got a concussion from that and had to stay in bed for some days and then the three of them did this trip the same day as the funeral and the family was home after two days...

I don't know if it was very clever but after all it worked