Animorphs.

[Ryoutarou]

If anyone dident like the way it ended here is a letter from k.a. about why she ended it the way she did. I think i'd be cool if it could lead into another new series.The Letter
Dear Animorphs Readers:

Quite a number of people seem to be annoyed by the final chapter in the Animorphs story. There are a lot of complaints that I let Rachel die. That I let Visser Three/One live. That Cassie and Jake broke up. That Tobias seems to have been reduced to unexpressed grief. That there was no grand, final fight-to-end-all-fights. That there was no happy celebration. And everyone is mad about the cliffhanger ending.

So I thought I'd respond.

Animorphs was always a war story. Wars don't end happily. Not ever. Often relationships that were central during war, dissolve during peace. Some people who were brave and fearless in war are unable to handle peace, feel disconnected and confused. Other times people in war make the move to peace very easily. Always people die in wars. And always people are left shattered by the loss of loved ones.

That's what happens, so that's what I wrote. Jake and Cassie were in love during the war, and end up going their seperate ways afterward. Jake, who was so brave and capable during the war is adrift during the peace. Marco and Ax, on the other hand, move easily past the war and even manage to use their experience to good effect. Rachel dies, and Tobias will never get over it. That doesn't by any means cover everything that happens in a war, but it's a start.

Here's what doesn't happen in war: there are no wondrous, climactic battles that leave the good guys standing tall and the bad guys lying in the dirt. Life isn't a World Wrestling Federation Smackdown. Even the people who win a war, who survive and come out the other side with the conviction that they have done something brave and necessary, don't do a lot of celebrating. There's very little chanting of 'we're number one' among people who've personally experienced war.

I'm just a writer, and my main goal was always to entertain. But I've never let Animorphs turn into just another painless video game version of war, and I wasn't going to do it at the end. I've spent 60 books telling a strange, fanciful war story, sometimes very seriously, sometimes more tongue-in-cheek. I've written a lot of action and a lot of humor and a lot of sheer nonsense. But I have also, again and again, challenged readers to think about what they were reading. To think about the right and wrong, not just the who-beat-who. And to tell you the truth I'm a little shocked that so many readers seemed to believe I'd wrap it all up with a lot of high-fiving and backslapping. Wars very often end, sad to say, just as ours did: with a nearly seamless transition to another war.

So, you don't like the way our little fictional war came out? You don't like Rachel dead and Tobias shattered and Jake guilt-ridden? You don't like that one war simply led to another? Fine. Pretty soon you'll all be of voting age, and of draft age. So when someone proposes a war, remember that even the most necessary wars, even the rare wars where the lines of good and evil are clear and clean, end with a lot of people dead, a lot of people crippled, and a lot of orphans, widows and grieving parents.

If you're mad at me because that's what you have to take away from Animorphs, too bad. I couldn't have written it any other way and remained true to the respect I have always felt for Animorphs readers.

K.A. Applegate

 

[Eidan]

I used to be a HUGE Animorphs fan, and I thought the last book ended the series very appropriately. I still think its the best children/teen books series ever.

 

[Discloner]

Wow, so the final chapter was nothing but one big political statement?

I'm all for it, but the book, if I remember correctly, was targeted at a 5th or 6th grade reading level...I'm not so sure they'd pick up on such a statement. Though she does make some valid points in that statement. Guess I never really figured a book targeted to such young kids would, or even could be policitically correct.

 

[Roger Smith]

I though Animorph t.v series was made by green peace i was like

 

[Tobias]

I had no real problems with the last book for the first few chapters, but it's HOW it ended that ticked me off. Rachel dying, Tobias and Jake becoming bitter and filled with grief, I can handle.

But the series shouldn't have ended with a cliffhanger. That's why I felt gypped.

 

[Evil Dr. Reef]

Animorphs was my favorite book series as a kid. I stopped reading around book 30(?) though, and I can't remember why. I've still got all my books around here somewhere, though. I really should find them.

 

[Bubblegum Girl]

I got rid all of my Animorphs books expect for the 2 specials(Ya know the ones where everyone takes a turn narrating), the Andalite Book, and the Hork-Bajir book.

 

[purplehairedwonder]

I had no real problems with the last book for the first few chapters, but it's HOW it ended that ticked me off. Rachel dying, Tobias and Jake becoming bitter and filled with grief, I can handle.

But the series shouldn't have ended with a cliffhanger. That's why I felt gypped.

That's exactly how I feel. I was sad that Rachel died, but it was a powerful death and I liked that she found out it meant something before she *passed on* Tobias and Jake becoming bitter and guilt-ridden is totally understandable. I probably would have been the same way at the end of a war like that.

But ending such a great story with a cliffhanger that won't be answered (discounting fan-fics) wasn't cool.

Otherwise I loved the books, and she does make some valid points in her letter.

 

[Nightflower]

I had no real problems with the last book for the first few chapters, but it's HOW it ended that ticked me off. Rachel dying, Tobias and Jake becoming bitter and filled with grief, I can handle.

But the series shouldn't have ended with a cliffhanger. That's why I felt gypped.

I completely know what you mean. I think it's really great that she took the time to respond to her fans, but one thing I've noticed about a lot of creators is that they often refute the easier but completely wrong issue, which is more exasperating and irritating than if they hadn't replied at all. Especially since she sounds somewhat snippy and self-righteous towards the end about things that most people probably already agree with her on.

The aftermath was the one aspect of the book that I liked. I liked that she dealt with what happened afterwards. I liked that the Earth took the existence of aliens in stride. I liked that Marcus became famous and easy-going. I thought it was sad that Cassie and Jake couldn't stay together after the war, but it was effective story-telling.

I think a better idea would have been to rearrange her story somehow so that more of the end of the war was in the story (Which would probably involve some re-structuring of both the last book and the second-last book), and the aftermath occurred as an epilogue, or near one, rather than near the beginning of the last book. This way, she could have skipped the "All of a sudden, another bad guy appeared, most of the gang assembled, and-" ending altogether.

I'm almost certain that The Lord of The Rings would not be as heralded as the masterpiece that it is if they had the coronation, the marriage, the return to the Shire (and subsequent scour), Frodo leaving for the undying lands, etc.... and then right afterwards, Tolkien begins describing a big quest for a... magic mirror, and most of the old gang is assembled and - the end.

But one thing I did like about the series is how different all the aliens were, especially compared to series like Star Trek. Like how Andalites have no mouths since they're a telepathic race, and as such, have no sense of taste.

Speaking of which, I love Ax. He was hilarious.

 

[Slagar]

The Animorphs series was great. I still have the Hork-Bajir Chronicles on my bookshelf next to my computer. I stopped reading after the book where the Animorphs have to defeat the Howlers, though - sort of a stroke of luck, I guess, as from what I heard they went ridiculously downhill later on. (Even the Howlers one was kind of starting to stretch it with me.)

While I thought the Animorphs themselves were a fairly dynamic group, the real draw of the books for me were the alien races. Each type of alien had their own background and identity, and quite realistically they varied greatly from our concepts of intellegent life (and, with some races, life in general... especially that splitting monster with wheels that Visser 3 had at some point in the Andalite Chronicles). I also liked how the author wasn't afraid to introduce serious themes into books aimed largely at children. Sometimes it could be outright creepy... I can remember a book in which Cassie went partially insane, brushed her teeth until they bled, and later attempted to remove herself from her life by trapping herself in butterfly form.

What I hated about the series was the way it was marketed ("hey, lets put puns about morphing on the cover of every single book, whether it relates to the plot or not! Some things never change, but some things do! Like the Animorphs, because they're all about MORPHING. There's no other reason anyone would read them except for because of MORPHING. So join the MORPH fan club today, kids. It's MORPHtastic. MORPH"). And also the way every morph was described in painstaking detail (each morph, by the way, seemed to be "the strangest morph yet").

In any case, Animorphs still has a special place in my heart... only now it plays second fiddle to the Redwall series in terms of my favorite children's books. So, it's still in my heart, it just moved into another chamber... or valve... or something...

 

[Tobias]

The t.v. show would have worked better in animation, (but still have the same people voicing the characters) and on a channel that wasn't Nickelodeon. Maybe on Kid's WB or something.

Plus the series never explained why they could morph in their clothes, which is just one of the many nitpicks I had with the show. Another was how the show was paced EXCRUCIATINGLY slowly. I realize they have to build tension, but not to the point where it takes them ten minutes to do one scene that could easily be done in three.

 

[Nightflower]

The t.v. show would have worked better in animation, (but still have the same people voicing the characters) and on a channel that wasn't Nickelodeon. Maybe on Kid's WB or something.

Plus the series never explained why they could morph in their clothes, which is just one of the many nitpicks I had with the show. Another was how the show was paced EXCRUCIATINGLY slowly. I realize they have to build tension, but not to the point where it takes them ten minutes to do one scene that could easily be done in three.

I didn't mind that too much, because it's understandable given that it was a TV show, and a bunch of kids in ill-fitting biker shorts and spandex would look turn potential viewers off. Just like how it's more practical for Visser Three and Ax to perpetually be in human form on the show - I may prefer them to be in their crazy centaur form, but I can understand why they had to do that.

 

[Tobias]

I didn't mind that too much, because it's understandable given that it was a TV show, and a bunch of kids in ill-fitting biker shorts and spandex would look turn potential viewers off. Just like how it's more practical for Visser Three and Ax to perpetually be in human form on the show - I may prefer them to be in their crazy centaur form, but I can understand why they had to do that.

Rachel and Cassie in Spandex/ill fitting biker shorts? That would definately bring viewers in. The guy viewers at least. Tobias and Jake would have brought in the ladies. And before anyone says anything, everyone in the cast was (I think Marco's portrayer was the exception ) was over 18.

But then again, that's if it wasn't on Nickelodeon.

 

[Solitude1]

Damn...this brings back memories...

I started reading the Animorphs series, back in middle school. I grew addicted to it, and bought one every month. I have almost all of them, plus 3 Megamorphs, 1 Alternamorphs, and the Andalite and Hork-Bajr Chronicles. I lost interest in it around the time of High School though...

When I heard that the series was coming to an end, I mangaged to get one of my friends to tell me the finale. I was sorta shocked that it ended in a cliffhanger..but out of all the Animorphs I wasn't too surprised that Rachel died. She is as Marco would put it, "Insane".

Now, I've actually decided to reread the whole series again and while doing so, I'll buy the books I don't have yet. So yay for Animorphs. Definately one of the best teen Sci-Fi book series ever.

 

[purplehairedwonder]

Now, I've actually decided to reread the whole series again and while doing so, I'll buy the books I don't have yet. So yay for Animorphs. Definately one of the best teen Sci-Fi book series ever.

I should do that. I'm not actually sure if I've read all the books (I think I have, but I may have missed one or two). They really were great books. I might have a better appreciation for them now that I'm a little older.

I also liked how the author wasn't afraid to introduce serious themes into books aimed largely at children. Sometimes it could be outright creepy... I can remember a book in which Cassie went partially insane, brushed her teeth until they bled, and later attempted to remove herself from her life by trapping herself in butterfly form.

I remember that. That was a really creepy book. That's a really mature theme for the age it was aimed at. Kudos to the author.

 

[EightOh]

Wow, this is a blast from the past. When it first came out (or close to that time... I think I initially discovered the series back when #4 came out; I then scooped up the first three shortly thereafter), I was instantly hooked. I devoured every new book the day it came out, and then began reading about it and participating on Animorphs message boards. I even had a humble little fansite at one point. I pounced on the specials, like the Andalite/Hork Bajir Chronicles, and was just generally obsessed with Animorphs for a long time.

One boring morning at 2 AM, probably a year ago, I pulled one of the Megamorphs books (the one with them traveling through time) out of my closet, dusted it off (I've still got all of them back there, on a shelf... they're jumbled together and mixed up, but I've got them all), and read it again. I still enjoyed it considerably. This thread might be enough to get me reading some of the books again.

Even though I was only 12 or 13 when I first began reading the books, I really appreciated how Applegate didn't feel the need write in a pedantic fashion, instead just letting the readers follow along without feeling like what they were reading was being dumbed down for them. There was also a certain "spark," of sorts, that seemed to pervade and define every aspect of the series.

I could feel that "spark" sort of fade around the early-30s, or so, but I think I kept reading until about #40 (this was also around the same time as when the TV show started, I think... it was okay, but I just didn't "feel" it that much; that probably had as much to do with not being able to shake my well-established conceptions and mental images about the characters than anything, though). I think there was a fervor on some of the websites about Applegate using ghost writers somewhere near that time, so I've always sort of wondered if the dropoff was due to other people having more input or if she was just getting tired of it. I've sort of regretted not finishing it, though...

That where the book ends. Literally. I felt horribly ripped off after that.

This seems to make my decision (not really a conscious decision, but I just didn't extend the effort to keep buying the books) much easier to accept. By the way, was this Tom guy Jake's brother, or have I forgotten another character entirely (or maybe he was introduced after I stopped)?

Wow, long post. No real point. But I loved the series, so it only felt appropriate to ramble a bit.

 

[purplehairedwonder]

By the way, was this Tom guy Jake's brother, or have I forgotten another character entirely (or maybe he was introduced after I stopped)?

Yes, Tom was Jake's old brother who was being controlled by a Yeerk. Jake always wanted to rescue him, but obviously never did. That always left me really sad.

 

[The Man in Black]

So I'm probably going to re-read (and actually finish) the Animorphs books again. Do you guys think I should try to read it in chronological order ? Or should I read it in like the order the books came out or something. I'm mostly wondering if I should try to read the various Chronicles and Megamorphs books where they apparently fall in the series timeline.

 

[King9]

So I'm probably going to re-read (and actually finish) the Animorphs books again. Do you guys think I should try to read it in chronological order ? Or should I read it in like the order the books came out or something. I'm mostly wondering if I should try to read the various Chronicles and Megamorphs books where they apparently fall in the series timeline.

It's recommended that you read them in the order they were published. Reading them according to the series' timeline would give away MAJOR spoilers.

I was a fan of the Animorphs as a kid but never finished the series.So last year I acquired all of the Animorphs books and from February to June read. Them. All. The series as a whole is a brilliant deconstruction of pretty much every popular sci-fi and 'young hero' story out there. I loved it, yet I found that over time the books were extremely formulaic but that's not to say there are stand out books or cool arcs. For me the basic premise of turning into animals is worth the read.
Here's what I'd recommend to people who are interested in the series. It is great. Many deep and multifaceted characters, clever deconstructions of popular tropes, and it's a grand story. However you need patience (to tear through the more tedious/repetitive books) and you should have a taste for some darkness. There's a lot of gore and body horror in these stories and the characters are often realistically depressed and scarred.
So if you enjoy a dark, deep, and occasionally hilarious sci-fi romp this is the series for you.

I didn't have a problem with the ending because I expected it to be just that realistic. The whole series was extremely realistic about the effects of war and how it changes the main characters as well as their surroundings. I knew the ending wouldn't be smiles and rainbows. I have to say the thing I was bummed about most was Tobias' fate. He was always a woobie but after that ending, geez.

My favorite book has always been The Hork Bajir Chronicles because I love the Hork-Bajir and the romance was so sweeeeeet. I couldn't name the numbers but a few books were really great for me also.

 

[Mandi-chan]

I used to love these books so much when I was a kid/pre-teen, I still have the Andalite Chronicles. I don't know why I stopped reading them though, but I think it was due to the books becoming harder for me to find at the school library (I owned the first 3 or 4 books, they are long gone now because I think they began to fall apart on me, everything else I read was through the library.

The last one I remember reading was the David trilogy (early 20s of the series).

I wouldn't mind reading them again someday.