Well, I'm pretty new to this forum, only started visiting the actual forum what? A day ago? Any way, I stumbled upon this thread and I thought I'd just put out my thoughts of the last book right here and try to get... um, closure? lol, idk, just wanted to type this. I don't care if any one debates my post or if it goes ignored, but I just wanted to post it so I could get my thoughts of the series in order. So, here goes *takes in deep breath*
Honestly, when it comes to the books, I started reading them long after the series ended, so I didn't have to wait long for each book to come in. But that didn't change the fact that I fell in love with the series and each of their characters, no, I really did. I loved each and every one of them and I especially loved that KA took the time to expand not only on the story itself, but the characters. She allowed the characters to change for themselves throughout their personal narratives. So Jake wasn't just your every day leader, he was a leader who at most times didn't even want the title. Rachel wasn't a blond airhead, she was a war queen and she scared herself sometimes. Marco had problems with his mom, the one he thought was dead, being Visser One. Tobias was a boy who was stuck in a bird's body and most of the time, he didn't know whether to consider himself a bird, a boy, or both. Ax was far from home and often questioned his place among the humans. And Cassie, well, Cassie was the one with the conscience who was forced to kill. I liked that about the series, about how not every book ended "happily ever after", how some books it felt like things were going downhill, how tempers flared and relationships didn't work the way they were supposed to in the end. Honestly, I did. I liked that they weren't always winning because then everything would have been far too easy for them.
But still, even though I loved that, even though I loved that she did that to each of the characters, I still think she ruined it with the last book. Why? Well, because even though at times the relationships between the group weakened, it always strengthened in the next few books. But with the last book, she broke those ties with no intention of fixing them. I think the fact that she made the relationships of every one severed or not as tight as it once was was the wrong thing to do. After going through that war together, I would honestly think that their relationships would only grow. Like, after all that had happened, they'd be able to be together and reflect together instead of Jake being depressed, Marco being shallow, Tobias alone, Rachel dead, Cassie content. The ending left a bitter feeling inside me and I remember just being depressed for like a week after because all those relationships, all those characters, every thing that they went through out a good fifty books (minus the megamorphs) just felt like a complete waste in the last book. I mean, don't get me wrong, I knew some one had to die, I just wish that instead of KA showing Jake, Marco, and whoever else was with them going in to battle in the end of the last book and that permanent wall being between Jake and Cassie (who had, imo, the most obvious relationship of the series), she showed them being together somehow. Like, in stead of that, the characters would randomly somehow meet up at the same mall they were at in the beginning and then Jake would say something like: "Why don't we go through the construction site, you guys?" And okay, lol, that sounds like the worst piece of crap ever, but whatever, you get my point. The readers would read that and feel content knowing that the characters would be alright, that their relationship would be fine. That maybe Rachel had died, and maybe Cassie and Jake would never be together together like they were before, but they were all still friends, and they all still got together sometimes or something, you know? Blah, maybe I'm not making sense here lol.
I don't think KA's defending argument for the way the series ended really makes for good argument, why? Well, it seems to me that her argument was that she was aiming for a more realistic look at war. And well, honestly? If she wanted the series to be realistic she never would have made the whole series about aliens and stuff. Yeerks, morphing technology, and Andalites don't exists. If she wanted these books to be realistic than the series wouldn't have been about kids turning in to random animals to defeat slugs who go in to your ear.
Another reason why I don't think her arguments are good? Well, as far as I can tell, this book series was for children. Children. Children who knew nothing of war and mostly followed the books for the cool book designs and children who loved the idea of becoming any animal they wanted to be. If she wanted to be realistic, than she has to realize who it is these books are being sent to. If she wanted to make it more realistic, then she would have made the book for teenagers or something.
Anyway, that's all I guess. I just wanted to put that out there. I read a few of the arguments you guys had in this thread from the first few pages and I guess that re-reading the last book now, I do understand why she did what she did, but that doesn't make the ending any less bitter. I still feel depressed for them and I still think the ending was a dumb thing to do since it imo, it killed the series in literally one book.
Like I said before, I don't care so much if any one argues with my post, same with I don't care if no one does argue. I just wanted to get my thoughts out. I loved the series to death and I still do. I just wish it ended differently.
