First time I have ever seen this, but I am glad that K.A. addressed the reader criticism. I always felt like the series ended brilliantly. As a series aimed at young adults, it is pretty rare for a series in this age group to transcend age old customs of ending happily, with everything worked out in the end. I am glad that K.A. "went there" and I couldn't be more happy with what happened in the end. The series, and the way that it is structured always reminded me of great shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, because those shows, originally targeting a teen audience deal with dark themes, plots, complex characters, and don't always end happily. Especially Angel which saw 3 major characters die in the final season. Animorphs dealt with some serious themes, despite being a series geared for young people, which is why I love it so much. It still holds up, after all these years, when I am far from the target audience that the books first drew in.