Book #16 of 2019: The Suspicion (Animorphs #24)

[thistlechaser]

The Suspicion (Animorphs #24) by K. A. Applegate
Traditional or self-published: Traditional
Rating: Disliked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)



This is the last book in the series that K. A. Applegate wrote.
This is also one of the worst books in the series.

I wonder if that ever bugs her? The rest of the series is ghostwritten from here (by her students and occasionally by an editor). I kind of suspect it doesn't; so many of her and her husband's (Michael Grant) books are ghost written. One of Applegate's entire series is ghostwritten -- she didn't write a single book in it, even though her name is on every cover.

Anyway, this was a "filler ep" book, and oh my god, such a stupid one. In it yet another alien race shows up on Earth, but they're a fraction of an inch tall. So no threat, right? Nope, they shrink the Animorphs down as well, so the whole book is wacky hijinks about them being tiny. A complete waste of a book.

Only reason I rated it disliked instead of hated was that in the beginning it did amuse me. It was silly, but then it became outright stupid and I skimmed much of it.

So many of the Applegate-written books were bad, I had had more hope for the ghostwritten ones, but once I learned they were written by her students ("writing protégés") I'm wondering if they'll actually get worse from here.

Comments

[jeane nevarez (from livejournal.com)]

Yeah, this one was pretty ridiculous. Where did you find out that the ghostwritten books were authored by students? I knew there were other writers, I assumed they were experienced ones though (some of them sound to be of better quality!)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Here's the list of names I use, and the details of who they are. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animorphs#Ghostwriters

I take "writing protégés" to mean student, but perhaps that's not the case.