Animorphs Re-Read: #1 The Invasion (Chapters 17-20)

Chapter 17

And of course the lizard tail comes off with no problem. It's really common knowledge that a lizard regrows its tail. This is done because the tail will act like it's alive which allows the lizard to escape while the predator is distracted.

Jake thinks that the person had tried to kill him but realizes it had been an accident. The person ends up being Chapman and so our fearless leader decides to follow him. This he decides to do since the Controller might reveal information that would allow Jake to help Tom.

Jake thinks about what would happen if things went wrong. Cassie had mentioned that it could take days of spying on the Assistant Principal. This would cause problems since there's the two hour limit as well as the fact Jake would be skipping classes.

Jake finds it humorous to think that if he got caught for skipping classes he would get sent to Chapman.

Chapman stops at a door and Jake wonders if it's the Assistant Principal's office. It becomes quickly apparent that it is the janitor's closet. The Animorph watches as Chapman opens a secret door.

And Jake has found where the Yeerk pool is.

The only thing I disagree with is when he says 'mindless slave of the Yeerks' as becoming a Controller doesn't make you brainless/unable to think. It just means you can't control your own body.


Chapter 18

Jake tells them about the screams from the Yeerk pool. Turns out that he's so grossed out from eating that spider (and I didn't mention every time he thought about eating it in the previous chapter) that he's eating nachos. Well...he makes mention of the fact that after eating the spider he has a big desire to eat a ton of junk food.

Marco, being the voice of denial in this book, says that it's possible Jake was only imagining the screaming. This because Jake wasn't able to really comprehend what his lizard ears were hearing. Cassie and Rachel both think that they need to do something about the Yeerk pool.

Rachel and Marco get into an argument because they have two very different opinions on whether to fight the Yeerks or not. Rachel wants to fight while Marco doesn't. Rachel says that Marco is being selfish while Cassie brings up the point that he's worried what his dad will do if he dies. Rachel counters Cassie's point by saying that they all have family to worry about.

Tobias points out that no one cares about him. Rachel says she does and I'm getting a bunch of Tobias/Rachel feels right now.

Jake says he's going to the Yeerk pool for Tom. Tobias says he'll go for his father...er...the Andalite aka Elfangor. Rachel says she's scared but will still join Jake in his mission. Marco says he doesn't want to and Jake says he doesn't have to. Marco calls Jake a jerk and says that no matter what, Jake is his friend and so he has to. He'll go to rescue Tom but then he's out.

Cassie points out that the Andalite morphing technology is like people like Native Americans calling on the spirits of animals for strength. It's a nice sentimental moment that Marco, of course, ruins.

Rachel points out that they'll need more powerful morphs of animals that won't be so easy to acquire. They end up deciding to go to The Gardens to get some battle morphs. Marco says that they all can get in for free for being Animorphs.

He said the title!

Jake says the name is just 'okay'.


Chapter 19

They decide to catch a bus from the mall to The Gardens. Tobias doesn't want to have any other morph than his red-tailed hawk morph. Rachel points out that they should acquire as many useful morphs as possible as their ability to morph is their greatest strength.

Jake wonders what morph would be useful against the morph Visser Three used when he ate Elfangor. Marco jokes that they could morph into fleas and itch him to death. Marco then brings up the point that he's never morphed before and is therefore still normal. Cassie says that she still feels normal.

Marco points out that turning into a horse is something that normal people can't do. He then adds that Jake turning into a lizard doesn't make him different, since our fearless leader has always been a reptile.

 Jake is happy to have Marco with them even if Marco is being too happy.

Jake says that The Gardens is one of his favorite places to go on a normal day. His description of the park/zoo reminds me of Busch Gardens. I would bring up SeaWorld, however it's not as big on rides as Busch Gardens is.

Cassie says for them not to look suspicious as she's taking her fellow Animorphs behind the scenes where they aren't supposed to go. She makes a comment that she can't help save the world if she's grounded. Jake trusts Cassie to know her way around as he doesn't know where to go.

Cassie asks if anyone wants to acquire a gorilla for their battle morph. She words it so that the question is implied and not outright stated. It takes Jake a moment to realize what Cassie asked.

Rachel asks Marco if he wants to acquire the gorilla and insults him while doing so. Marco doesn't jump at the idea so Jake insults Marco for being a coward. This works and Marco agrees to acquire the gorilla for his battle morph.

Marco asks if the gorilla (Big Jim) is gentle and Cassie says yes. She then quietly adds that they get violent when mad. The plan is to lure the gorilla to Marco by having the Animorph hold out an apple and hope Big Jim is hungry.

Luckily Big Jim is hungry. I must add that I have finished reading Under the Dome by Stephen King (the written review is upcoming) and the bad guy in that book is called Big Jim. Sort of unnerving like the character called Ezra in Ray Donovan when I'm used to the Ezra in Pretty Little Liars.

Jake tells Marco that the gorilla will go into a trance like state. Marco then grabs Big Jim's wrist and starts to concentrate on acquiring him. I swear Tobias is meaning to be an ass when he talks about how easily the gorilla could kill Marco. Marco is not amused and tells bird-boy to shut up.

Someone comes and Cassie says to just act natural. She says it'll only be a problem if it's a security guy. Luckily there isn't a problem and then the question is what morph to acquire next. Rachel starts going towards the dolphin exhibit because she loves dolphins.

I would say this is stupid but having the ability to acquire any animal is like being in a candy store. I know the first morph I'd want to acquire would be a raven, but I don't live in an area with ravens so that'd be difficult for me to do.

Marco reminds Rachel that they're looking for useful morphs which means they need animals with firepower. Jake tells his fellow Animorphs to stick together. Then a voice asks what they're doing behind the scenes. Cassie says that she doesn't want to be caught and then brought to her mom.

The security guard decides to chase after Jake and Marco since they look very suspicious. Marco and Jake decide to escape on a golf cart. I am excited!

And, yep, Marco starts of by driving straight into a wall. He quickly is able to actually drive (still isn't good, though), but the problem is that neither of the boys knows where anything is. Jake falls out of the golf cart because of Marco's lack of driving skills and jokes about what would happen if he had actually been injured.

Marco says that they can barely beat zoo security so what makes Jake think that they can beat the Yeerks. Jake points out that they haven't beaten zoo security yet. They ditch the cart and pick a random door to go into. They get out of the room when they see it hold a rhinoceros.

They go into another room and see that they are in an exhibit. A jungle one and they don't know what animal is in it. Marco asks how they get out of the exhibit.

Marco then asks what Jake is thinking: why haven't the guards come after them yet?

Jake says he's trying not to think about that answer as he's trying not to panic. Jake's butt touches something warm and Marco is pale white. This is a feat as he's usually dark and tanned.

I never noticed the importance of having a PoC as a main character in this series when I first read it. I didn't realize that PoC having representation in media was a problem and that Applegate was awesome for doing this. I'm not saying color blindness is a good thing, but there are certain things I didn't notice so much as a child.

Oh, and Jake's butt is up against a tiger.


Chapter 20

And Jake says another 'too be exact'. This time clarifying that the tiger is a Siberian tiger. Jake points out that surviving an attack with a tiger is impossible for a human.

Marco wants to run while Jake thinks that acquiring the tiger is the best option for survival. This is because when you acquire a morph the animal goes into a trance like state. Marco's reply of how stupid that idea is makes me smile.

Jake tries to control his breathing so that he can calm down enough to acquire the tiger. He mentions that the technique isn't working for him. Jake and Marco talk to the tiger in a vain attempt to have the animal not kill them.

When Jake acquires the tiger he is concentrating very hard on it. Basically he focuses very hard on the reasons why the tiger could kill him very easily. Before Jake breaks contact, and him and his best friend attempt to run away, he realizes that all the power that could kill him has now become a part of him. And that makes him respect the tiger and think it is beautiful.

Marco replies that Jake is right but they should run away quickly. It's interesting to note that the tiger versus lion question is answered in the Animorphs books known as 'The David Trilogy'.

As the duo starts to run away another tiger is seen. The people looking into the exhibit can now see them and start screaming. As they exit the exhibit the guards point at them and yell for them to stop. Marco asks Jake if they should morph. Jake says no and they just hide in the crowd. They reach the entrance to the park safely.

I feel like Marco asking Jake if they should morph was done out of fear as the idea is downright stupid. If anyone noticed the two morphing they would be caught by the Yeerks. If infested the pair would endanger the other three.

The other three, it turns out, weren't chased at all due to losing the guards easily. I am extremely pissed off that the other three don't believe Marco and Jake. Yes, trust your leader to follow him to life threatening situations but don't believe him when he talks about nearly being killed when you weren't there.

What the bloody fuck?

Rachel says that they shouldn't think about nearly being killed because they'll nearly be killed later that night anyways. How the fuck does that make sense? Oh, yeah, because it didn't happen to her.
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