The Secret (Animorphs #9)
by K.A. Applegate

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Book Reviews of The Secret (Animorphs #9)

Book Review: Reader Over 25
Summary: 5 Stars

There are already several good reviews up with a synapsis of this book which will tell you exactly what the story/plot is. As always, I suggest people refer to these first, and I'm reviewing the Animorphs series from another angle (let's face it, I'm over double the target age of the series.) However, if there's any other adults out there who have kids who want to read these, or someone is curious what they're like from an older standpoint, these reviews are specifically for you.

This particular book was very heavy on making the reader think about several aspects over high intensive action. There were some great pulse pounding scenes, such as near capture, and when termite bodies took full control, making the characters little more than automatons. There was also a great deal of humor in it, particularly in the end when the Andalite Controller we all love to hate "gets his." Up to this point, the author has balanced the story a bit more with other elements instead of going quite so heavy on the side of heavy hitting questions about life, death, and what is right or wrong. I get the feeling from the other reviews that Cassie often isn't one of the favorites because she's the deep thinker. That's what actually makes her critical to the team, because she's much faster to pick up the real motives behind what people do on an emotional level. Marco is also sharp, but tends to be more of the long term thinker instead of seeing through people (or aliens in Ax's case). The very stuff which makes Cassie up becomes very apparent in this book, and although I liked it, I can see how it could become tedious to the 9-12 year old group. Cassie poses a lot of serious questions in this one, and becomes a mother skunk to save a litter of kits. Her love of life, all life, is very deep and the skunk was wounded because of an Animorph's battle when a stray Dracon beam hit her. She's angry at Tobias at eating one or more of the litter, yet she knows he has every right to live, too, as a hawk. Where is the right and wrong of it? When they infiltrate the termite hive and end up destroying the Queen to save themselves, Cassie is torn on the knowledge that they invaded a "world" which wasn't their own, and literally destroyed it. Was she, then, no different than the Yeerks? What measures become necessary in their war, and when do they know when to quit? Most of the questions don't have answers, but they are also the kinds of questions humanity has asked in the past, and will continue to ponder (hence should/will continue to be asked.) If there's a moral to that thread, it's much the same as The Stranger. It comes down to simply you do what you have to and the best you can. It could make an interesting book for discussion in a paper for school or something along those lines, but overall somewhat intense.

Summary of The Secret (Animorphs #9)

Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic Books

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