Review: The Hidden (Animorphs #39)

12:51 Cilla 0 Comments

Title: The Hidden
Author: K.A. Applegate
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Synopsis:
The pint-sized Helmacrons left some morph-tracking technology behind, and the Yeerks have found it. As if avoiding a full-scale Animorphs hunt isn't enough, Cassie and the others must keep the morphing cube moving--so it doesn't land in the wrong hands.

Review: ⋆⋆

This is another lower-quality Animorphs installment, unfortunately. Although I like the continuation with the Helmacrons' technology and the morphing, as it makes this book feels more like a part of the bigger story arch, I hated the resolution. It feels too much like a cop-out. Plus I didn't buy the mechanics of how the animals could acquire both the morphing technology and people's DNA. 

Generally a Cassie book tends to be reflective and thoughtful, given that is the kind of person she is, but this one is really lacking in that department. There is a decent, very Animorphs-like philosophical question behind the plot - if an animal has human DNA, does that make it human? - but the execution was weak for me. I was so distracted by the freakiness of what was going on to feel any emotion apart from repulsion to be honest. I mean, this series has had some pretty bizarre, freaky creatures (Taxxons, anyone) and quite disturbing scenes, but the two creatures this book comes up with absolutely take the cake. If I had read this in primary school, I probably would have had nightmares. 

Animorphs has always been really weird, as any science fiction can be, but it usually managed to have enough realism to be believable. I questioned too much of the science behind this particular installment to enjoy it.