K.A's response to the final book criticsm.

[TheFearlessLeader]

"Don't yell "Screw you" That's going to launch an awkward debate that consists of you revealing things about your life 7 years ago...weird. "

Lol...all my own doing. I understood what I was getting into. But yeah, if I yell it again, I'll make sure to keep my stories to myself.

It didn't help that it was like 2:30 am when I wrote that.

[morfowt]

Thank you, for clarifying and for seeing it my way. That is good of you.
I sorrow that people go to such lengths to get away from reality, first because they feel the need to flee in the first place, and second because that escape-instead-of-act reflex has been the cause of much pain for many people, on a very large scale. World hunger, war, poverty and disease, global climate change, all these things could be so swiftly and well resolved, if only more people would stop avoiding the truth and just DO SOMETHING, for pity's sake. The first step in action is realising the problem and admitting that it exists.

Leaving reality for a time and taking a break can be a healthy way of dealing with it. Reality can leave one stressed, especially people like kids who have little or no control over their realities. So calling them cowards for wanting to delve into worlds of fantasy and enchantment periodically does not make them cowards. You may be the kind of person who likes to take action at any possible time, but some people feel differently. Not everyone wants to spend their life trying to avert worldwide problems. Some people just want to live peaceful and quiet lives.

that kind of kid actually fits my description perfectly. strange enough, I still really like how the ending went (except for how cassie didn't go with them). I guess in my mind, animorphs is just so great, that I don't care how it ends.

oh, fearless leader, tip:
when quoting, use [*quote*]in front of the quote and [/*quote*] after the quote (minus the *).

[esplin]

Here is my response to her response...

SCREW YOU!

You gave me 6 amazing years of books that inspired, delighted, entrapped, and flat out owned me. Then you take the last few pages of the final book after 6 years, and you ram REALITY down my throat??? WTF?

The series is BUILT on the fact that IT IS NOT REAL. If any of the crazy ideas in your books were real, we would be in trouble big time. But they aren't. And I spent 6 years hoping for it to be real so that I could get taken away into this other reality and forget my own life.

And now you want to tell me that your books were supposed to have a REAL meaning??? Hell no. I won't accept that. There SHOULD have been a fairy tale ending, as the books were based on FANTASY. I can't believe you find it OK to destroy the hearts of young children all over the world who read your books and FED YOUR FAMILY for 6 years waiting for the best conclusion in the world and a happy ending to your series!!! That is selfish and shameless and just all around terrible.

I don't care what kind of message you are trying to portray! I would have been just FINE knowing that they won and the bad guys lost and everyone lived happily ever after. Of course, I'm fine the way it ended, but it still left a void in my world. It felt like a Girlfriend who you truly love just dumped you for the guy down the street. And it wasn't a pretty breakup.

Bah. Bah. Bah. I am a bitter person about this situation. I have not let it bother me save for about a week of feeling like crap after finishing the series, but it is still the principal of the matter. So go ahead and feel Smug about teaching kids about real life and wars, you taught me NOTHING! All you taught me is not to get wrapped up in any more fantasy series.


Sorry to offend anyone, but I had to get that out. It has been brewing for years in the back of my mind and heart.

I want to be entertained, which is the PURPOSE OF BUYING A BOOK and spending MONEY on a series of 60+ books! Why else? To learn? To experience an artists expertise?

NO! To be ENTERTAINED!

And I don't expect a HAPPY ending to EVERYTHING I read, but from a children's series based on fantasy and relationships between characters that had been built from book 1, I would expect SOME kind of happiness when I close the last book! I would NOT expect to be sad about the ending, confused, and pissed off.

But I am wrong for having an opinion and having a desire for what I want in the end? WHY?

I spent the MONEY and TIME to buy and read all of the books. Why should it be that I cannot complain about the ending? That is wrong.

She can do whatever she pleases, even if it hurts others, just because she is an artist???

OK FINE, with that logic, anybody can be innocent for going around shooting people in the streets, as long as when they line up the bodies, it makes a form of art, right?

WRONG. Artists need to be VERY aware of the wants and needs of their audience, just like anyone else trying to SELL something.

Which brings up the question, if you are selling it to others, is it truly art? Or is it only art when you do it for your own satisfaction and do NOT profit off the work. If there is an audience for 6 years worth of artwork, and a loyal dedicated fan base, then those people SHOULD be considered when creating the finishing touches. After all, without them, the series is NOTHING. Without US, she is looking for a new job and no longer writing the books. Right?


OK I'm done. I will limit my posts from now on to better flavored discussions.

Lol, speaking your mind is allowed.

So I say right on brother.  Not to mention skrew you isnt the worst Ive seen people post, /facepalm venom

[Estelore]

I can empathise with your story, just not with the way it has ended.

By the sound of it, Fearless Leader, you grew up without siblings.
Well, so did I. Furthermore, even though my two closest friends, the people with whom I more-or-less grew up, lived within a mile, but my mother never allowed people over to our house, and I never got to visit them outside the school's playground during recess. Every imaginable pressure that can be put upon a young girl was forced on ME, because of my 'superior intellect and musical gifts'. I never had anything to do but read and practice my music. There was no point in trying to play sports by myself, because our yard was tiny, and Mum would fuss that I 'might break a finger or something, and not be able to play piano anymore'. If I even suggested going outdoors, she would dream up some or other pointless chore for me to do, on top of everything else that she expected of me. I was the perfect, flawlessly polite, utterly obedient daughter to her, and she never hesitated to tell me that I was not good enough. To make matters worse, she was the only sentient being with whom I had direct contact, outside school, so I could never escape her ridiculous condescension. However, I was always far too intelligent to ruin my own future by seeking vengeance against her unintended cruelties, so I let her think that I did what I did to please her, rather than just to further myself in life.
In school activities, I have always been assigned the leadership position, so automatically that I frequently was excluded from the actual decision-making. My work partners just trusted me to already have an A+ plan schemed up.
*Sigh*

Just know that I can empathise. If you ever need to talk about something, or rant about life, and you don't want to worry about being snapped at by other RAFians who don't know the isolation of it all...well, I'm here.

*laugh* Well, now you aren't the only one who has choked up their early life-story. Misery loves company, I guess.

 

[TheFearlessLeader]

Right on.

[ANItiger13]

I'd tell a story about my childhood but, considering I'm twelve...It'd just come right back here....

[ThermalRider]

Hm. Several things I think I'd like to comment on.

First off, I don't care what it is that you read, science fiction, fantasy, horror, whatever, EVERYthing is somehow based on reality. There is always something that ties it back in with what we know to be real in our world.

Second, Animorphs was always intended to make you think that it was plausible. That things could be happening where you live. The things that they did, the locations, the mentions of Cinnebons and The Gap, were all there to drag you into the mindset that maybe one group of kids sitting around the food court at your mall were the Animorphs. It was all there so that you could picture it being like your home.

Third, what K.A. does with her characters is her business. She can write what she wants. Most of the good or great writers don't write for their fans, they write because they have something to say. And if you like then hey that's great! But if you don't then sorry, try again next time. It's a sort of "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" kind of thing.

Fourth, and probably last (for now  ), I can empathise with both your stories, Estelores probably more so. However, I think it best to leave it for another time. Or at least maybe the Life Board.

One other thing I'd like to say though, for those of you who complain about the ending, or who say that they didn't take anything away from the books, if you read them awhile ago, for instance when you were younger, try going back and reading them again. I think you'll find a new appreciation for them. I read the books when they first came out and I took away several things from it. I've read the series several times since then and each time I've found something new. You really do get a new sense of what's going on, that there are some dark things that go on during the course of the series. I suggest doing this with other books that you liked before too. I'm currently doing a re-read of the Ender series which I loved as a kid but I'm finding so much more to it now that I'm older. It's something to consider. Perception changes with wisdom and experience.

Anyways, I'm sure there are more things that I'd like to comment on, but I'd have to go back and read the past couple of pages again to remember what they were. So I'm sure I'll be back here with more opinions.

[Estelore]

Thank you, Thermal Rider.

I realise, of course, that our life stories SHOULD remain in the life board. That was more of an I-understand-you-so-please-don't-feel-the-need-to-bite-off-my-head type of post. Still, you make an excellent point.

Let us strive to remain on-topic, please.


Once again, I believe that it was Ms. Applegate's exclusive right to do as she pleased with her creations, as I've already stated. If she had made them all nothlits and fed them to a lerdethak, I'd have been okay with it (albeit after a moment of fuming rage). It's her prerogative.

[ANItiger13]

Let us strive to remain on-topic, please.


Once again, I believe that it was Ms. Applegate's exclusive right to do as she pleased with her creations, as I've already stated. If she had made them all nothlits and fed them to a lerdethak, I'd have been okay with it (albeit after a moment of fuming rage). It's her prerogative.

Haha...That would've sucked...And taken pretty much one book.

[CounterInstinct]

actually, the letherdak thing almost happened in book 11... ALMOST... :p

[Slushie Man]

Does anyone know if there's any talk of a Sequel Series being made by her, that'll deal with The One as the main enemy? Of course the series would be completely different in tone and style from the first series, due to all the main characters pretty much being depressed in some way, and that's if they even return. Now that the Government has the ability to morph, it could follow a special task force made by them to battle The One.

[ANItiger13]

She said she'd like to write a 55-60, but it's up to scholastic. I don't know what it would be about, but it'd be cool if it happened.

[Slushie Man]

Was that recently? Cause if it was a long time ago, then I can't see much point in hoping for it now.

[Essam 293]

She said she'd like to write a 55-60, but it's up to scholastic. I don't know what it would be about, but it'd be cool if it happened.

I'd like to know where she said this, because I'm fairly sure she ended the series in the first place because she felt that Animorphs had had its run and it was time for it to end. I believe Scholastic would've allowed her to continue on by renewing her contract, but they stopped it because it was her decision to do so. (I got this from Morphz, who were covering that news story at that time) In fact, Animorphs still had 1 book left in its contract after #54, which was meant to be Megamorphs #5 (or a series bible for the fans), but K.A decided not to do it, and it was instead moved into the Remnants contract so that series could have an extra book.

[morfowt]

yep that was a long time ago. over 5 years ago I believe. maybe even 7 years ago