Review: The Arrival (Animorphs #38)

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Title: The Arrival
Author: K.A. Applegate
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Synopsis: Ax's people have arrived on Earth, and they want Ax back on board with them. Ax is torn. Should he join his fellow Andalites? Can he desert the Animorphs?

Review: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

'Rachel: "Let's rock and roll."
Ax: Rock and roll is a type of human music. Its relevance to the battle before us was a mystery to me.'

I was both excited and wary when I saw that this was an Ax installment. Excited because I love seeing things from Ax's point of view since his insights to and experiences with human cultures and creations are hilarious and sometimes on-point. Wary because, given the quality of the last couple of books, there was a chance I would be disappointed.

Thankfully, this is a better book than its predecessor. Ax once again has to decide where his loyalty lies - to the Animorphs or to Andalites? The discussion about morality was wrought with real emotions that were true to each character. Their frustration and hopelessness shone through, and I was reminded again that they were only teenagers. It's funny - I used to read Animorphs when I was about the same age as the characters, and I didn't think it impossible for a bunch of teenagers to save the world. Now that I'm older, I don't know how they have held it together and survived for this long. You get the feeling from this book that The Animorphs are beginning to think the same thing.

We meet more Andalites in this book, and once again they're not quite living up to their reputation of integrity and nobility. I like the romance; it gave Ax some character development, I could understand why it developed so quickly, and I like how it unfolded. The best thing about this book, however, is that the main plot is moving forward. Incrementally, at the moment, but it is moving forward. I really hope that this trend will continue, because all the tangents are growing rather annoying.

'It is a moral compromise. We have all learned to make them.'