01. The Invasion
WARNING: Reviews contain spoilers!
Rating Scheme:
| S | Exceptional | This book changed my life. Not only is this book well-written and free of anything more than the most minor issues, it does something to go above and beyond and provide a transcendant experience. Perhaps the characters are utterly fascinating and written with layers upon layers of depth. Perhaps the plot contains one or more moments that left me utterly stunned in all the right ways. Perhaps the atmosphere or the writing or the dialogue stuck with me long after I had finished reading the book. Overall, I will insist you read this book. |
| A+ | Perfect | The book is well-written, enjoyable, and provides good entertainment, intellectual stimulation, emotional exploration or catharsis, and/or a widening worldview. Characters feel real and interesting or effective. The plot is free of major plotholes or sticking points and is well paced. Overall, this is a book I would consider essential reading. |
| A | Essential | |
| A- | Superb | |
| B+ | Great | This is a good book - enjoyable and interesting to read and worth the time invested in it - but does have some flaws that mar the overall experience: for example, the plot may be briefly contrived, characters may be somewhat dull or occasionally out of keeping with past books, the pacing may be slightly off-kilter. Overall, I would highly recommend reading this book. |
| B | Really Good | |
| B- | Good | |
| C+ | Pretty Good | This book has some flaws, but they don't render the book unreadable. The plot may be interesting but badly paced, or some characters may be interesting while others are Flanderised. There may be minor issues in many areas, or a larger failing in one specific area. Overall, this is a book I would softly reccommend. |
| C | Okay | |
| C- | Okayish | |
| D+ | Not Great | This book isn't unsalvageable, but it's more flawed than positive. Characters or plot elements may be out of keeping with the series, or may be uninteresting, unbelievable, or unconvincing. The book may be badly paced, have badly written dialogue, or have a disjointed or vague atmosphere. One element may be egregiously bad, or many aspects may have failings. Overall, this is a book I would consider skipping. |
| D | Bad | |
| D- | Really Bad | |
| F | Terrible | This book actively hurt to read. It is a slog to get through the frustrating, boring, or contrived plot, which may have major plot holes; the characters are uninteresting, unlikeable, and may in fact be different characters with the same name; the dialogue may be forced, events may undermine past books, or the vibes may simply be off. There are few to no redeeming aspects to this book. Overall, this is a book I would avoid. |
| F- | The Worst | |
(Borrowed and modified from the BMBS (Brutalmoose Broadcast System)) | ||
Main Series
02. The Visitor
Rating: A Essential
16. The Warning
Rating: C Okay
Jake finds a website dedicated to the Yeerks, the gang investigate and quickly get in over their heads.
A book that has definitely got far more entertaining with age - tech never ages well - but also has some issues with balancing humour and intensity.
19. The Departure
Rating: B+ Great
Cassie considers the ramifications of leaving the Animorphs and of sacrifice.
More of a character study than an exciting plot, but an effective way of exploring the morality of the series so far. A number of plot and character elements felt contrived, however, that left the ending in particular feeling quite hollow.
Other Books
The Hork Bajir Chronicles
Rating: S Exceptional
The Hork-Bajir are drawn into the war between the Andalites and the Yeerks,