The Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide!

[Underseen]

Really liked the review!

[Phoenix004]

Loved the review, especially the beginning when you played along with the alternate timeline, very funny.

I was around 12 when I first read this book so some of it went over my head, but I liked it and still do partly because I love anything with time travel. Being British I didn't know enough American history to know about the crossing of the Delaware at that age, but I pretty much knew the rest of the events. I can understand not knowing about Agincourt, but I was very surprised that the Animorphs weren't familiar with Trafalgar (which you pronounced wrong by the way). I have since been told that most Americans aren't too familiar with English history, but not knowing about how we beat Napoleon just seems odd to me. I suppose it's just a case of it being something that we grow up knowing about and you guys don't. You guys have heard of Napoleon right?

Watching this has also reminded me that I would love to read a (or write my own) time traveller's guide...

[poparena]

Yes, yes, we've heard of Napoleon, but you're not wrong, history education in public schools in the states is about 80% American history and 20% everything else, so things like specific battles tended to get skimmed over. The vast majority of my world history education came during the college years.

My inability to pronounce words correctly is my biggest handicap in these endeavours. I have enough trouble with normal words like "escape" and "chasm."

[Phoenix004]

Fair enough, I just thought you'd misread the word. I still mispronounce some Animorphs related words.

To be fair, we aren't taught a lot of specifics of American history. The stuff we covered at my school was mostly major long term things like Vietnam War, Wall Street crash and your involvement in World War One and Two, rather than specific battles or events. We have so much more history as a country so we don't have time to fit in learning much about your civil war for example, or most of your presidents. We do pick up bits and pieces from TV, books, films, etc.

[NateSean]

I have to say that this review was truly spot on, as was all of your analysis of the previous installments. Way back when I was just a kid and I saw the first Animorphs books lining the shelves I thought, someone at the Censor Board must have been sleeping on the job. My first clue was that a woman was credited as the author and I think we can pretty much agree that the only thing a woman should be writing is a grocery list.

But I kept on reading so I could build my case. I did earn my POE at the incredibly young age of fourteen by being the first person to launch a complaint against the highly subversive work of Joss Whedon entitled Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And as it was my life long ambition to be director of the local Censor Board, I felt bringing these war criminals to justice would be my ticket. Alas, someone else got to the punch before I did.

However I have long since made my way into the highly influential position of Censor Board Director and after routing out a few sabateurs in our midst it has come to my attention that a few positions have opened up in the Mail Inspection Wing. Shoudl you ever need a job, consider this my recommend- FLASH -

Uh... that was wierd. So, as I was saying, great review as always.

[poparena]

My review of #30 The Reunion:

Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide - #30 The Reunion (1/2)

Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide - #30 The Reunion (2/2)

[esplin]

I've got that Hives album. <3

[NateSean]

First, epic burn on Jake's choice to hold Marco back as well as on Cassie's BS. I always likened Cassie holding back Jake to Jake's dream of chasing down Tom in Book 6: The Capture, but it's been so long since I've read The Reunion that I forgot about Jake holding Marco back.

Whenever it comes to things like how Visser One got video footage of a free Hork-Bajir colony and somehow didn't know what it was, it's hard to accept that it was in fact a glaring error in an otherwise well written story. Just like fans try to come up with an explanation as to why there are five different James Bonds and why he always seems to be in his late thirties, early forties, I quickly search for the explanation that makes the error fit. As soon as I tried to come up with a plausible theory I got sidetracked by something else. If Visser One had control a ship with a loyal crew and constant contact with it, why is she slumming it on Earth with portable Kandronas and Harry Potter's magic tent?

Alas I have to admit that it was a glaring error and that trying to cover it up is only going to expose even bigger ones. Like covering a major headwound with a bandage and overlooking the tire iron that's buried inside. I'm a hopeless fanboy who tries to make the mistakes make sense using what's available at the time, but I'm not so hopeless that I won't call a spade a spade.

[poparena]

My review of #31 The Conspiracy:

Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide - #31 The Conspiracy (1/2)

Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide - #31 The Conspiracy (2/2)

[Stephquiem]

I always kind of assumed that there was one big pool and then lots of smaller ones. But Grandpa G's is out in the middle of nowhere, so unless he was a controller (I'm guessing not), there wouldn't really be a need for access to a Yeerk pool out there. Few people, decent amount of space between everyone... yeah.

That was my only real thought here. XD Good review as always.

[poparena]

My review of #32 The Separation:

Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide - #32 The Separation (1/2)

Opinionated Animorphs Book Guide - #32 The Separation (2/2)

[Phoenix004]

Nice work narrating the Nice and Mean Rachel voices. I almost forgot how annoying and ditzy Nice Rachel was until I heard your impression of her. I'd rather have Mean Rachel tear my head off than have a conversation with Nice Rachel! And yes I agree that the nice side of her was completely out of character. The only time the word airhead has been mentioned in the series is when the other Animorphs point out that Rachel isn't one, contrary to her looks.

Keeping both Rachels with the Chee and sending her usual Chee replacement home would have made sense, but it's not like the Chee could have stopped Mean Rachel from leaving anyway. At the very least they could have had the Chee (or one of the other Animorphs) secretly keeping tabs on them both.

I like your suggestion for how Nice Rachel should have been done, it would have been a much better (and far less irritating) reflection of her character, and it's backed up by events in previous books. Less ditzy and more over achiever would have made a lot more sense. I also would have liked for one Rachel to show affection for Tobias and another for Marco. Megamorphs #4 proves that part of her likes him that way and this would have been an ideal way of showing it in the main series without compromising her relationship with Tobias. I know there's the part where she admits Marco is cute and funny, but then it's never brought up again. They could have expanded on that.

I also enjoyed your theory regarding Rachel's personality post #32. I always put her increased aggression down to stress from the war, but yours is an intruging thought.

As for Erek electrocuting them, that's a rather unfortunate KASU.

[SuperBlue]

As for Erek electrocuting them, that's a rather unfortunate KASU.

Especially if it didn't work and just killed both Rachels. I could see Erek trying to perform some kind of Chee suicide for going against his programming like that XD

[Phoenix004]

That's an interesting thought. I wonder if the Chee are capable of suicide? Or harming other Chee for that matter. I don't believe it's ever specifically said that violence against other Chee is possible or not.

[esplin]

I thought the Chee were not capable of violence of any kind.  I don't know if they were ever specific about that or not.

I never though of Erik shocking both Rachels as a violent act.  I can see how one would think of it as violent but I think he was trying to help not hurt.  Maybe this gets around the programming?