![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Obsidianwolf X Re-Reads Animorphs 2020 Book Five The Predator
So now we come to the first Marco book and the turning point where his arc really begins. Before this Marco was just dragged along with the others after this well he's got a reason to be involved. The opening also does a nice job of showing his character. He barges in to save the guy and then when the guy is frightened and turns on him he grumbles about it. Which does a good job of summing up Marco’s character. He’s actually a lot more selfless than he wishes he was but he is going to complain non stop about it.
We also get his first glimpse of how he sees the others and it's mostly the same old same old though he's clearly in denial about Cassie being manipulative. He jumps to the she's not manipulative statement way to fast which means he's probably thought of it and dismissed it because she's genuine and nice. Which is a blind spot a lot of folks have even though someone being manipulative has very little bearing on if they appear nice or not. Hell people can manipulate folks they genuinely care about either consciously for their own good or unconsciously because they are just manipulative by nature. Cassie is selfish enough and convinced of her own righteousness so she can easily be read as the t ype to manipulate others for their own good or whatever Cassie says is their own good.
You also see his chemistry with Rachel which in another life might have led to the two having a relationship but again the war and what it did to them destroyed any chance of that. However, the most interesting thing is how he views Tobias because his reaction to Tobias flips the script to the others they see Marco as trying to make Tobias feel better with his still joking around but this makes it clear the joking is to avoid thinking about how it could happen to him.
Now let's move onto the main thrust of the book which is Ax's plan to steal a ship to get home. I have to admit it is refreshing to see the Advanced alien as the more naive one. Ax is clearly a kid and hasn't started to change like they have yet. His head is full of Andalite propaganda and he's convinced of his people's own righteousness. Now in later books Ax's fixation on taste and bouts of Andalite arrogance are irritating at times especially when he's not the main character. He can be irritating when he's narrating but as a side character it can be even worse because it'll be his only real role in the book. Once I finish my reread I'll decide which character tended to have the most irritating ax. I can remember clearly that he was the most likable in the Marco and Tobias books but as to the other three I can't fully recall which narrator had the most irritating version of Ax.
Anyway the mall scene ends badly and they have to become Lobsters this is one of those horrifying vignettes that's meant to set up later troubles namely the ant morph. Now the ant morph bits are truly horrific and one of the first big signs of the series tendency to include a lot of body horror at times. Sure the early books have featured some but the ants are where it really starts to shine. It also introduces the creepiness of the hive mind phenomenon which is an interesting take on things.
So they get the transmitter and nearly die. Which brings us to the big action peace of this their attempt to steal a bug fighter that blows up in their faces when none of them ever consider that their trap might go wrong. The fact they only escape cause Visser One wants to embarass Visser Three is something I am torn on. It works in it sets up the conflict between the Vissers and yerk politics but at the same time it's a bit of an ass pull that they got out it. Still it's not that bad so I can roll with it.
But now let's get to the best part of the book Marco's journey from ready to quit to full support brought on by him learning Visser One's hose body is his mother. The whole story is wrapped up in how he isn't as selfish as he wishes he was. His worry about Ax's family and relating it to his situation with his dad and mom is why he was even there to find out. In a lot of ways it shows how Marco is more selfless than a lot of the ones that some fans insist is the heart of the team. He also shows an awareness of what to come how the war is going to break them some day.
Anyway good book and the last of the first cycle of Narrators.
So now we come to the first Marco book and the turning point where his arc really begins. Before this Marco was just dragged along with the others after this well he's got a reason to be involved. The opening also does a nice job of showing his character. He barges in to save the guy and then when the guy is frightened and turns on him he grumbles about it. Which does a good job of summing up Marco’s character. He’s actually a lot more selfless than he wishes he was but he is going to complain non stop about it.
We also get his first glimpse of how he sees the others and it's mostly the same old same old though he's clearly in denial about Cassie being manipulative. He jumps to the she's not manipulative statement way to fast which means he's probably thought of it and dismissed it because she's genuine and nice. Which is a blind spot a lot of folks have even though someone being manipulative has very little bearing on if they appear nice or not. Hell people can manipulate folks they genuinely care about either consciously for their own good or unconsciously because they are just manipulative by nature. Cassie is selfish enough and convinced of her own righteousness so she can easily be read as the t ype to manipulate others for their own good or whatever Cassie says is their own good.
You also see his chemistry with Rachel which in another life might have led to the two having a relationship but again the war and what it did to them destroyed any chance of that. However, the most interesting thing is how he views Tobias because his reaction to Tobias flips the script to the others they see Marco as trying to make Tobias feel better with his still joking around but this makes it clear the joking is to avoid thinking about how it could happen to him.
Now let's move onto the main thrust of the book which is Ax's plan to steal a ship to get home. I have to admit it is refreshing to see the Advanced alien as the more naive one. Ax is clearly a kid and hasn't started to change like they have yet. His head is full of Andalite propaganda and he's convinced of his people's own righteousness. Now in later books Ax's fixation on taste and bouts of Andalite arrogance are irritating at times especially when he's not the main character. He can be irritating when he's narrating but as a side character it can be even worse because it'll be his only real role in the book. Once I finish my reread I'll decide which character tended to have the most irritating ax. I can remember clearly that he was the most likable in the Marco and Tobias books but as to the other three I can't fully recall which narrator had the most irritating version of Ax.
Anyway the mall scene ends badly and they have to become Lobsters this is one of those horrifying vignettes that's meant to set up later troubles namely the ant morph. Now the ant morph bits are truly horrific and one of the first big signs of the series tendency to include a lot of body horror at times. Sure the early books have featured some but the ants are where it really starts to shine. It also introduces the creepiness of the hive mind phenomenon which is an interesting take on things.
So they get the transmitter and nearly die. Which brings us to the big action peace of this their attempt to steal a bug fighter that blows up in their faces when none of them ever consider that their trap might go wrong. The fact they only escape cause Visser One wants to embarass Visser Three is something I am torn on. It works in it sets up the conflict between the Vissers and yerk politics but at the same time it's a bit of an ass pull that they got out it. Still it's not that bad so I can roll with it.
But now let's get to the best part of the book Marco's journey from ready to quit to full support brought on by him learning Visser One's hose body is his mother. The whole story is wrapped up in how he isn't as selfish as he wishes he was. His worry about Ax's family and relating it to his situation with his dad and mom is why he was even there to find out. In a lot of ways it shows how Marco is more selfless than a lot of the ones that some fans insist is the heart of the team. He also shows an awareness of what to come how the war is going to break them some day.
Anyway good book and the last of the first cycle of Narrators.
