Book #229 of 2021: The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs Chronicles #1) I’m still too early in my Animorphs reread to definitively call this prequel my single favorite entry, but it is certainly a strong contender for that eventual claim. In its first half in particular, it’s a sweeping space opera that takes …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate”
Book #223 of 2021: The Change by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #13) True to its title, this is one of the most consequential early Animorphs novels, coming just late enough in the franchise (around a quarter through) that the disruption to the prior status quo is completely unexpected and thrillingly carried off. That element is …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Change by K. A. Applegate”
Book #217 of 2021: The Reaction by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #12) Another goofy one-off premise, this time involving Rachel’s allergic reaction to the DNA of a crocodile she acquires. (At least the Sario Rip of the previous novel’s time-travel eventually comes up again; the idea of a morphing allergy and the ensuing ‘hereth illint’ …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Reaction by K. A. Applegate”
Book #211 of 2021: The Forgotten by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #11) In the first half of this story, the Animorphs are investigating a spaceship crash site, eventually embarking on a plan to steal the vessel and fly it to the White House. It’s one of those tossed-off elements that the series never really thinks …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Forgotten by K. A. Applegate”
Book #205 of 2021: The Android by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #10) I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a series-best Animorphs volume, but it’s one of the stronger entries for sure. It’s also the rare case of an item in this franchise with an unambiguous, straightforward title: this is in fact a …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Android by K. A. Applegate”
Book #199 of 2021: The Secret by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #9) This is perhaps the classic example of a disposable Animorphs volume, one which doesn’t really move the plot forward or tell us anything new about the characters or their universe. The crisis du jour is so quintessentially 90s too: the Yeerks are illegally …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Secret by K. A. Applegate”
Book #193 of 2021: The Alien by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #8) The first Animorphs book narrated by Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill is a roaring success. (Strictly speaking, his viewpoint was introduced in the previous volume, Megamorphs #1, but it feels richer here where it doesn’t have to share space with any others.) We get new terminology for …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Alien by K. A. Applegate”
Book #187 of 2021: The Andalite’s Gift by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs Megamorphs #1) The first Animorphs release outside of the main series is this ‘Megamorphs’ title, which is supersized both in literal page count and in including all six potential narrators, rather than just one. (Even Ax the resident alien gets a voice, right …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Andalite’s Gift by K. A. Applegate”
Book #175 of 2021: The Capture by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #6) The big hook to this sixth Animorphs volume — the premise alluded to on the front cover and plainly stated on the back — doesn’t actually occur until about two-thirds of the way through the text. Spoiler alert: it’s that Jake himself is …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Capture by K. A. Applegate”
Book #56 of 2021: Trunk Music by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #5) Like the other titles in its series, this is a reasonably solid procedural crime thriller — albeit a little heavy on coincidences, such as the protagonist encountering an old flame / new potential suspect while pursuing a lead in a different city or …
Continue reading “Book Review: Trunk Music by Michael Connelly”
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more