Review: Animorphs #40 - The Other

10:09 Cilla 0 Comments

Title: Animorphs #40 - The Other
Author: K.A. Applegate
Source: eBook
Synopsis: Ax and the Animorphs are not the only survivors, and they and the other Andalites are on Earth trying to defeat Visser Three and trying to stay alive until help comes.

Review: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

When an Andalite is caught on tape, the Animorphs go to investigate. By now, it is no surprise that these Andalites are not the warriors our heroes are waiting for. Instead, it is a vecol - a disabled Andalite with only half a tail - and his friend/guardian. The Animorphs must now decide if these strangers can be trusted.

It's also no surprise that Andalites apparently aren't kind to those with disabilities, though it's rather disconcerting to read how Ax dismiss the vecol. I mean, in general Ax is pretty loveable, and then you remember that he still has some of Andalite's trademark arrogance. Overall the plot brought out an interesting discussion about ableism, and I feel that it was even better because it told through Marco's point view. He's critical and has a sharp tongue to match, so it was great to have his observations.

I absolutely love the title of this book. I think The Other refers to Mertil - the Andalite with the half tail in the most literal sense - in that he is the other Andalite, but it makes me think of how Ax views him as an Other because of his disability.

I'd be interested to see if we'll ever see these new Andalites again, but what I'm taking away from this book is summed up best by Tobias here:

"Okay, I'm getting a complex over here. I'm a nothlit. A freak. Whatever. My best friend is an alien with blue fur. My girlfriend is human--when she isn't in morph. How about we don't talk about 'normal' anymore. Or 'average' or 'natural.' Please."