Animorphs is my favorite book series of all time. I liked having my image of the Hork-Bajir turned on its head in this book. Previously in the series they just seemed like killing machines and then you find out they're vegetarians and pacifists. It was only the Yeerks that made them killers.

Here is my dramatic reading of the book.

What do you think of this book?

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I LOVE Animorphs and 13 is very good. The choice Tobias has to make is sad, but his growth is so admirable. I also really liked the reveal of how free Hork-Bajir naturally behave. The care taken to show the nuance in all of the beings involved throughout the series is so important to me.

Yeah, Tobias realizes that his reasons for wanting to be human again are all due to a past that never happened for him.

Do you think Tobias purposefully chose to be a hawk? The series never gives a canonical answer to that question.

Like the first time he gets stuck as a hawk or when he has to pick between staying that way to regain morphing vs becoming human again and losing morphing? I think the first was an accident and the second was something he picked himself.

I meant the first time. When he had the option of staying human or keeping his morphing abilities was a choice. Not an easy one.

I think someone that was abused would think being a hawk would be the better option in the moment. In the first book he was very keen to only have a hawk morph. Morphing Dude (his cat) was a way for him to make sure he actually had morphing abilities.

I think if Rachel had survived the war then he would've stayed human to be with her.

I see what you mean. I may have also thought being a hawk would be better than a bad environment as a kid. I agree about Rachel too.

I didn't have a happy childhood so I really connected with Tobias. He was my first fictional crush xD

Aww I can see why haha. He's very kind and genuine for someone who has been through so much. I very much favored Rachel myself. I really liked the concept of a fashionista who isn't afraid to throw down (still do actually).

Rachel was a really complicated character. You could really tell when there was a ghostwritten book from her POV.

She was just as dangerous during a sale as she was during a battle.

How do you feel about the Ellimist's backstory? I am kind of obsessed with the entire concept of Father.

I'm honestly conflicted. I loved the original concept for the Ellimist being a group of beings but also can't hate the direction they went with.

A gamer suddenly getting godlike abilities and protecting the galaxy against Crayak is neat. Plus a bunch of Animorphs fans were probably also gamers so it would really connect with them.

Though I really wish Crayak was given more nuance as him basically being a devil stand-in feels out of place in the series. I headcanon that he is being so cruel as he knows how dangerous the One is and doesn't want another galaxy to fall to the beast.