Book #72 of 2019: Visser

[thistlechaser]

Visser by K. A. Applegate
Traditional or self-published: Traditional
Rating: Loved (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)



Even though I finished the Animorphs series months ago, there were a few "extras" books I never read. This is one of them.

First off: The cover is very misleading. The whole book was about Visser One, but that's Three on the cover. (And we won't even talk about the quality of that cover...)

I think I can better appreciate these extra books now that I've read so much fanfic, but it also underscores that good fanfic can make a much much better story of this material than the books themselves.

This story was an interesting look at the first stages of the Yeerk invasion of the Earth, told through the lens of a military trial being held against Visser One herself.

The whole Animorphs series always seems odd to be YA/MG. It's too mature, too dark. This book was especially so. Not just the horrible physical injuries (imagine being on trial for your life while in a body with multiple unhealed broken bones), not just the psychological torture (imagine having an alien control your body, get you pregnant, force you to have children), not just torture-torture (imagine being forced to shoot your own child)... but all of those in one book. A book meant for young readers.

More than all those things... when Visser One said she'd put a Yeerk into her daughter's head to make the child love her? Man.

This really was one of the best Animorph books. I just wish it had been longer.

Comments

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

The whole Animorphs series always seems odd to be YA/MG. It's too mature, too dark.

Perhaps that is why so many tweens/teens fell in love with the series, because it didn't pull any punches or feel "watered down" to be "appropriate" for their ages? Especially when you think about when these books came out - YA was not what it is today. It was populated by Sweet Valley Twins and Christopher Pike horror. Reading your reviews, this sounds like a solid sci-fi series. I'm kinda sad I never picked them up because the covered looked so cheesy. They sound so epic!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

It's not too late! They're such a fast read (about 30 minutes per book, for the 52 main books). There were some clunkers in the mix, but all in all, I would recommend the whole series.

And I think you're right. When an author respects the readers, it comes through.

You can download them all here for free. The author is 100% fine with it. http://animorphsforum.com/ebooks/

[jeane nevarez (from livejournal.com)]

I just finished this one. Yeah, wow. It's one of the best in the series, IMHO. Really puts a whole new perspective on what the Yeerks are up to, and seeing the Animorphs from the viewpoint of the enemy was interesting too.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! The cover bothers me a lot, but since that's the only thing that does, that's great. I still need to read two of the other Chronical books, too. One day...