The lives of five middle-school-age kids - Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie and Tobias - change forever when they meet a dying alien in an abandoned construction site.
Prince Elfangor is the last Andalite (a race resembling a blue centaur with extra stalk-eyes and a bladed tail) left in this sector after a space battle with the
parasitic Yeerks. The latter are slugs who wrap around a being's brain to become Controllers, taking complete control of their host's actions, thoughts and memories.
Anybody could be a Controller; young or old, perfect strangers or closest kin. No one is immune, and no one is safe... and more Yeerks are coming to Earth. In fact,
they've been here for years.
With the loss of Elfangor's fleet, it could too late by the time more Andalite ships arrive. The prince breaks his race's tradition by giving the kids a weapon to fight
the invaders: the Andalite technology which allows a person to morph into any animal they can touch. After Elfangor is killed by the evil Visser Three, leader of the
invasion and the only Andalite-Controller in the galaxy, these five kids are the only resistance to the Yeerk threat on Earth.
Review
This series came to my attention by passing my own personal screening process, a very technical and strict procedure which is too lengthy to get into here (translation:
there was a cat on the cover of the second book.) The first two felt somewhat generic, setting up the characters and world and establishing the marketing gimmick of
morphing, but there was something more beneath the surface, a hint of wit and intelligence, plus the fact that being able to become an animal is pretty cool as far as
gimmicks go. After the third book, I was hooked! Each book in the series rotates through a first-person point of view of the main characters, giving insight into each of
the Animorphs' lives and thoughts. Even Tobias (who sacrifices his humanity for the cause after staying in hawk form too long in the first book) and Aximili (a young
Andalite whom they pick up in later volumes) get turns in the rotation. Changing viewpoints help keep things from getting stale, and for the most part the series only
improves as it continues. The later books are a bit hit-and-miss, most likely due to inconsistent ghostwriters, resulting in a bit of a rush toward the finale, but
overall are still entertaining. Aside from the action, which there's never a shortage of, the characters develop into distinct individuals, capable of learning and
growing. With a new installment roughly every month, they gave me a quick fix of action and entertainment.
Bottom line: they're fast, they're fun, and they're addictive!
For reviews of the individual books, please see my auxillary Animorphs Review page. (Adding 60-odd reviews to this page just seemed like too
much...)
David, Christopher, April, and Jalil aren't exactly friends. David, the new kid in school, is a junior with a reputation for being tough. Christopher is on the
basketball team, known for his wit and, since sophomore year, for being the boyfriend of Senna Wales, a mysteriously reclusive student. Outgoing April is Senna's
half-sister, her exuberance more than making up for her sibling's quiet demeanor. Jalil is a teen driven by logic and self-preservation, with little room for mystery
or pity. What binds them is Senna, about whom nobody seems to know much. Aloof, quiet, inscrutable, sometimes impossibly cruel and cold and sometimes irresistibly
charming, she seems to belong to another world. She just might...
Drawn by forces they hardly understand, the four high school juniors come together to see Senna abducted from this world. Caught in the backwash of a powerful magick,
they are pulled into a world where the rules of logic and reality do not seem to apply. After a narrow escape from Loki, the Viking god of destruction, they find
themselves lost and alone in a strange land, where gods of ancient Earth mingle and clash with gods from alien worlds. If they are ever to return home, they must find
Senna before her enemies do - that is, if she doesn't turn out to be their greatest enemy herself.
Review
The Everworld series is aimed at an older audience than her sci-fi series Animorphs, and Applegate delivers. After a confused and slow start, it
evolves into a fascinating tale with a neat concept. It is much grittier and darker than her other works, with characters who would almost be happier ripping each
other's throats out than cooperating. In a neat plot trick, the teens find themselves spending time in both the fantastic Everworld and in the real world, where
"copies" of themselves somehow continue to exist. This looks to be the start of a promising series.
Trapped in a world of gods and monsters, the teens David, Christopher, April, and Jalil find themselves in the Americas (or Everworld's equivalent), fighting
an Aztec war god and his bloodthirsty people. They still don't know where the elusive Senna is, and they are beginning to suspect that she is not quite as innocent
as she tries to seem. If they live long enough to locate her, they will have many questions - not the least of which is how they return home.
Review
I can't say much here without spoiling it and the first book, as Everworld is a serial-format story. Suffice it to say that it certainly lives up to the
level of action and darkness set in the first installment. More about the unique nature and inhabitants of the world is slowly revealed, and character tension
continues to keep things interesting. I look forward to the next book.
April, David, Jalil, and Christopher continue their travels through Everworld, this time in the lands inhabited by the tattered remnants of King Arthur's court.
Galahad now leads the knights of the Round Table, fighting vainly to keep his former liege's ideals of a unified and peaceful Everworld alive. Though the teens
have at last found Senna, they are still in imminent danger, as much from her as from other residents of the fantastic land. The Viking god Loki still pursues
them, as does the wizard Merlin, each for their own unknown purposes.
Review
Still a great series, with the plot continuing to thicken and the characters continuing to grow. Applegate's take on a disillusioned and tattered Round Table
makes for an interesting update on the mythos. Highly recommended. (These reviews may seem to be growing skimpy, but I hate spoiler-ridden reviews, and it gets
harder to comment in any meaningful way without inadvertently spoiling some plot point.)
Jalil, Christopher, April, and David have been wandering for weeks through the surreal landscape of Everworld. They've lost Senna, they're low on food, and they
are completely and thoroughly lost. Their wanderings take them at last to a strange city near a black river. Despite their own bad feelings about the place, they
nevertheless investigate, only to find themselves captives in a city owned by Hel, a Norse goddess of the Underworld, whose greatest pleasure is torturing mortals.
No one has ever escaped her clutches... at least, not while they are alive.
Review
Another excellent installment in the Everworld series. This tale was better than the previous three, if such is possible. The world continues to grow in
complexity, and Applegate delivers compelling yet disturbing updates on ancient mythos. Each challenge tests the often-shaky bond between the reluctant companions
in interesting ways.
David, Christopher, Jalil, April, and Senna, whom they have temporarily relocated, escape the nightmarish world of Hel only to stumble upon the lair of
Nidhoggir, the great dragon of the Underworld. In exchange for their lives, the teens agree to reclaim four treasures stolen from his hoard by leprechauns.
Though the teens may snicker, Senna points out that there must be a reason such small, seemingly helpless creatures have not only survived in Everworld, but
have kept the immense beast Nidhoggir at bay. Nevetheless, with their hearts in Nidhoggir's clutches - literally - they have no choice but to confront the
thieves.
Finding Fairy Land is easy. Finding the stolen treasure may kill them.
Review
Another splendid installment in the saga. Characters continue to grow, the plot continues to thicken, and the story continues to be captivating
and unpredictable. Applegate serves up many nice twists on classical lore, honoring the often-dark roots of many beasts and beings from global myths; her
take on Nidhoggir is quite good.
Christopher and the others narrowly escaped the arrows of the fairies and the flames of Nidhoggir. They have lost the ever-elusive Senna, but at least they're
still alive. Now, they may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, for they have just run straight into the section of Everworld controlled by the
evil alien god Ka Anor, whose diet is other gods and whose presence threatens the entirety of Everworld itself.
Review
Another wonderful book in a marvelous series, which again I can't explore in detail here due to the spoiler potential. Applegate continues to craft a rich and
unpredictable mythic world, and starts weaving in real-world complications. Great!
The Chicago teens have been through fire, flood, and Hell - literally - in their journeys through Everworld. Now, at last, they have come to a sanctuary
of sorts: Mount Olympus, home of the mighty Zeus and the pantheon of Greek gods. April and the others know the respite won't last long, and it doesn't.
Scarcely a day after their arrival, they are told that Olympus is being sieged by the insectlike alien Hetwan, determined to feed the residents to their
immortal-eating god Ka Anor. When the teens are thrust onto the front lines, the fate of the gods is in their hands.
Review
Another wonderful installment in the Everworld series. Applegate's characters are definitely growing from their experiences, which is a nice change
of pace from some series I've read and/or watched. The stories continue to be action-packed, interesting, and unpredictable in a good way.
Jalil and his companions leave Olympus on a mission that will take them to a witch far more dangerous and powerful than the manipulative Senna. To find her,
they must cross a portion of Everworld controlled by ancient African deities, gods who dislike strangers who do not bear gifts.
Review
Again, a surreal and fast-paced story, as unpredictable as ever, weaving in more strange elements from global folklore and Applegate's own imagination. Here,
she visits some more obscure myths than the usual Greek or Norse or even Aztec staples, adding diversity and texture to Everworld. Another great installment in
a great series.
The teens - Jalil, April, David, Christopher, and the witch Senna - have come through their ordeals with the African gods. At last, they arrive at Everworld's
version of the Nile. They are seeking Senna's mother, an even more powerful magician than she, in order to fulfill a bargain with the alien Coo-Hatch. This will
hardly be a happy reunion, even if there weren't angered gods and looting Amazons to deal with. Senna has never forgotten how her mystical mother dumped her on the
doorstep of her normal father, abandoning her in a world full of mundane, magic-blind people, gifted with powers she barely understood. If there's one thing Senna
excels at besides manipulating others, it's holding a grudge... that, and exacting revenge.
Review
This is the first - and last - story told from Senna's viewpoint. She is, as expected, quite manipulative, evincing very little in the way of ethics or conscience,
but there is - as I've come to expect from Applegate - much more to her story. I thought it meandered a trifle more than the previous Everworld books, possibly
because the narrator kept herself separate from so much of the action and the other characters, but all in all it was equally imaginative and unpredictable. I do
wonder if Applegate has a conclusion in mind for this series, and how many books she'll take to get there. Not that I'm complaining yet, but her Animorphs
series could've benefited from fewer "filler"/ghostwritten books between mytharc advancement stories, and I don't think the far-more-serial Everworld stories
would hold up as well with such treatment.
The teens escaped Everworld's version of ancient Egypt, and now must cross the Mediterranean Sea to return to Mt. Olympus. The journey takes a turn for the
worse when the sea god Neptune wrecks the vessel, drawing them down into the depths of his underwater city. Here, the mad god intends to keep them for his own
amusement... at least, until he kills them.
Review
Though mostly as good as the other books in the series, the formula starts to show a touch of wear here. Enough new information is introduced in the overall
story arc to keep things interesting, however, and it still moves at a fair clip.
Shortly after this book came out, Scholastic announced that, because sales weren't what they were hoping, the Everworld series would be "suspended" (read: axed)
after Book 12. I suppose they wanted an Animorph-level mega-hit... something which a series like this simply cannot deliver.
Christopher and his companions (and Senna, whom nobody knows whether to call an ally or enemy) have escaped the wrath of the Greek and Roman sea gods, washing up
on the shore of Everworld's version of Ireland. Almost immediately, they find themselves in danger, but not from the horrid giant who initially attempts to devour
the trespassers. Shortly after the teens' arrival, the giant is slain by a weapon no Everworld god or mortal has ever known, or could ever have developed: a machine
gun. It looks like Senna is about to step up her campaign to rule the land of gods and magic, but can four Chicago teens with little more than the clothes on their
backs stop her?
Review
All I can say about this is: wow! Amazing! Incredible! And so sad, that Scholastic terminated the series after the next book! Every time I'm sure Applegate has
kicked it into the highest gear she possibly can, she manages to ratchet the story up to a new level of tension, excitement, and interest. I wish sales had picked up
enough for the publishers to relent and let Everworld finish its proper course.
The gateway between the real world and Everworld has been closed, but not before a new evil has been introduced to the land. The "Sennites," fringe-militant
types packing real-world armaments, are cutting a swath of destruction through Everworld's version of Ireland. Stranded in a land of gods and magic, they
nevertheless have decided to continue their former leader's dreams of bloody conquest, and even the bows of the fairy archers are no match for machine guns and
mortars. April and her companions, with the assistance of Merlin, the elfin queen Geowynne, and her half-human daughter Etain, must now deal with this threat before
Ka Anor gets wind of the Sennites and recruits them for his own destructive purposes. With the gate closed, the teens are no longer traveling at ease between the
real and normal worlds. Soon, one of them (the real-world self or the Everworld self) will fade. The time has come at last for friend and foe alike to choose which
side - and which world - to be on.
Review
Due to Scholastic's premature cancellation of this series, Book 12 is the last we will see of Everworld. I want more, but I'm happy with what I have, too. Just
enough is resolved that one can walk away feeling somewhat satisfied, but enough potential exists for more works if Scholastic ever gets its head on straight (or
Applegate finds a new publisher.) I know I'd still love to read more Everworld adventures, if they're up to this caliber, though it looks like the author is
moving in different directions with more recent works. In any event, it was a great ride while it lasted.
It has been coming since the earliest days of human history. Now that it's almost here, nothing can stop it. The asteroid is sixty-seven miles across, dwarfing
the rock that took out the dinosaurs. Our most powerful weapons wouldn't put a dent in it. When it hits, it's going to be over, for humanity and quite possibly the
planet itself.
While Earth may be doomed, there is one last, desperate light of hope for the human race: the Mayflower Project, a hastily thrown-together collection of experimental
equipment on a retrofitted space shuttle. The target is a star that NASA thinks may have a habitable planet orbiting it. Nobody knows for sure - but then, nobody knows
if the hibernation beds will work, or if the calculations are remotely accurate, or even if the experimental solar sails that are supposed to get them there will deploy.
Only eighty berths are available on this flight, which is most likely just as doomed as Earth is. Naturally, nobody who knows about the Mayflower wants to be
left behind.
The clock is ticking...
Review
Just when I was going into action withdrawal from the end of Animorphs... just when I was getting depressed over the termination of Everworld...
Applegate comes to the rescue with a new series, and it shows every sign of living up to her previous high standards. There are several characters of varying ages,
none of whom are dull or deadweight, and there's plenty of action in this fast-paced story. I'm looking forward to the Mayflower's planetfall in Book 2.
It has been five hundred years since Earth was destroyed by a meteor. Five hundred years since the desperate, untested Mayflower Project launched on an aging
shuttle, carrying the last eighty humans in the galaxy in a state of hibernation. Now, the shuttle has landed... but where?
The survivors awaken to a world so bizarre that they wonder if they might still be in their deathlike sleep. The landscape is split between a riot of
Impressionistic color and a stark, black and white wasteland. The shuttle itself landed in an impossible way: on its, tail, in takeoff position, rather than on its
belly. Jobs, 2Face, Mo'Steel and the others can't make sense of any of it, but they have no choice but to try. This is their home now, for as long as they can manage
to survive.
Review
In a word, bizarre. Applegate comes through with some very peculiar, even creepy concepts and interestingly human characters, in a plot that is, once again,
unpredictable in a good way. This is a very wild ride she's set us on. I hope we actually get to see it through to the end.
The survivors of the Mayflower group are now divided, both teams heading toward a great structure taken from an artist's interpretation of the Tower of
Babel: its existence in this bizarre landscape is all the proof they need that something very, very strange is going on. All know that they are not on some planet,
but a spacecraft of impossible proportions. Furthermore, there is a new alien species to contend with - the "Blue Meanies" - in addition to the malicious "Riders"
who already killed one Remnant.
The majority of the survivors, in the group with the power-hungry Yago, the military woman Tamara and her unnatural baby, and the girl 2Face - who is struggling to
avoid being labeled a freak (and therefore expendable) - see the tower as a defensible structure, the logical place to establish a base of operations. The rest,
including the computer geek Jobs, the wild Mo'Steel and his mother, the refined Violet Blake and the nearly comatose (yet disturbingly powerful) boy Billy Weir,
believe there is a greater significance to the Tower than just a high point in the landscape. Indeed, there may be an ulterior motive for the entire recreated
environment they are in, ripped off from a seemingly random assortment of old Earth artists. The Riders may not be the only things trying to kill the humans off
before they can uncover the secrets of the Tower.
Review
The story is moving ahead at a very brisk pace, with a major climax at the end of this book that leads to significant changes in the world and the power structure
of the Remnants. It looks like this story won't fall into the "holding pattern" that dominated a fair portion of the run of her other sci-fi series, Animorphs.
More like a serial, it has a definite direction and isn't so much an episodic formula as a story broken into several books. Much is revealed, but more mysteries are
presented. I'm still looking forward to Book 4.
The few surviving humans have discovered some interesting things about the strange place where their shuttle landed. It is actually a ship of alien build and colossal
proportions, and they are not the only residents. Now, with the destruction of the warped environment the ship's possibly-insane computer created for them, they are
truly on alien ground, stuck in the habitat of the hostile creatures nicknamed the Riders. To survive here, they must stand together. Still, forces threaten to divide
the Remnants against each other, forces being encouraged by at least one outside source.
Review
Still good. Still bizarre. Still a very interesting, wild ride, even if I can't get much more descriptive without risking spoilers.
The Remnants have been beset by troubles since they first emerged from the Mayflower shuttle. They have since learned that the different environments
of the great ship are all controlled by the onboard computer, known as Mother, and that "she" may not be quite as benign and helpful as she was originally designed
to be. If they could find a way to communicate with her, perhaps they have a chance to live, but just reaching the "bridge" may kill them. Besides, who among them
can speak to a mad machine... or, more honestly, whose agenda will Mother hear first? For the Remnants still face deep internal schisms which might prove more
deadly than anything Mother can throw at them.
Review
What more is there to say? Applegate continues to astound, amaze and impress. The exceptionally powerful, exceptionally insane shipboard AI is a major threat,
but very human problems also plague the Remnants.
Young Billy Weir and Mother, the malfunctioning supercomputer whose artificial environments have been as deadly as they have been surreal, have met at last in a
battle of wills. The humans simply want a chance to live without being hunted by Riders or the mad ship. Mother wants new ideas, and to be rid of the recently-returned
Blue Meanies, descendents of the former maintenance crew that used to keep her sane. Power-hungry Yago makes Mother an offer she can't refuse. In exchange for power,
Yago will help her wage war on the Meanies... but not all of the Remnants want to buy their freedom with death.
Review
Almost too much happens here, but it's still a thrilling ride. I wonder how much longer she can keep up this pace; frankly, I could use a little breather now and
again, with so much piling up.
It's all-out war aboard the great ship run by Mother, the insane supercomputer. The Blue Meanies are fighting the Riders and the Squids, all of whom are against
the humans after Mother forced them into war under Yago's leadership. Now, the Remnants split again, one half following Tamara and the unnatural Baby, and the other
following 2Face. Both are heading for the same place: the bridge, the heart of the ship, where ultimate control of Mother will be decided.
Review
I think the biggest problem with the Remnants series is that it isn't really a series. It's one story broken into many books, much moreso than most serials.
Things would read more smoothly if more books were packaged between the same covers. Otherwise, the action just keeps getting more intense.
The Riders, the Blue Meanies, and the humans have called an uneasy truce. The Remants now live in an environment crafted specially to their own desires by Mother
and Billy. Given the sudden power to do anything and live anywhere that they desire, however, they have drifted into stagnant dreamworlds of their own design... most
of them, at least. Yago, still affected by his contact with Mother, secretly meets with rogue Meanies as a new messiah. 2Face still plots to lead the humans against
the other races, believing only one will ultimately survive. Jobs still uses Mother's great instrument arrays to search the galaxy for a new Earth to call home. He
may have found one... the old one, actually. Getting there will require a course change for the great ship, which violates the terms of the compromise between the
species. From this distance, he can't even tell if anything is left on the meteor-devastated planet. Is a return to Earth worth dying for?
Review
Still going strong, Applegate is all over the map here, moving the story forward while kicking up the intensity several notches. I hope she doesn't draw things out
too much longer; eventually, it's going to burn itself out.
The Remnants' course change of the great ship shattered the fragile peace between the three species on board. Now, a new enemy makes itself known: the last
missing survivors of the Mayflower, taken from the other humans in the early hours of their revival by unknown forces and kept hidden until now. They
seem to have their own agenda... one which may not include the rest of the Remnants.
The question is no longer whether the shattered remains of Earth are worth reaching. It's whether any humans be left alive when the ship gets there.
Review
Applegate seems to be gearing up for a finale in the next two or three books. So far, the quality is remaining fairly consistent, though I still say she
should have more books between a single set of covers; it's one story, somewhat forced into a serial format.
The last survivors of the Mayflower have at last, despite violent opposition from the two other alien races aboard Mother and even a trio of mutated humans
who have not rejoined with the group for their own unknown reasons, returned to the asteroid-shattered remains of Earth. Any hope of humanity's survival is quickly
dashed, as the planet is a half-frozen, half-sunbaked rock with thin air, reduced gravity, and no rotation.
Jobs wants to try to retake Earth, but the others are in shock, their last hopes destroyed. There are those aboard the ship who don't care what condition the planet is
in. They just want the Remnants off Mother - for good.
Review
Just when life aboard Mother was threatening to get stale, Applegate throws in more twists and developments. As usual, a wild ride that has me waiting eagerly for
the next installment.
Jobs, Mo'Steel, Violet and most of the Remnants were on the ruined surface of Earth when Yago - aided by the Troika, the three humans who have kept separate from
the rest of the survivors - marooned them by overpowering Mother. They have little water, almost no food, and no hope of survival beyond a few days. After all, nobody
survived the Rock five hundred years ago... or did they?
Review
Just when things couldn't get any worse for the Remnants... I wonder if we'll be seeing Mother again next book. Even if the ship doesn't come back, there is plenty
to keep the characters occupied on the ruins of Earth. The weather alone may drive them insane even as it kills them.
After being abandoned on the remains of Earth and escaping a psychotropic storm, the Remnants find themselves among the last vestiges of humanity. The Alphas,
descendants of scientists who hid in buried biospheres when the Rock hit, grow food in underground caverns. The Marauders, consisting of defective Alphas and a
few descendents of survivors of the Rock, live on the surface and procure water. Trade between them is tense, but necessary for their mutual survival.
Mo'Steel has become the leader of the Marauders through an act of self-defense, and is now charged with leading the tattered band to the Dark Zone and the territories
of the rumored Beasts. Unknown monsters aren't the only enemy waiting for a sign of weakness in the Remnants. Marauders and Alphas alike distrust these newcomers, and
on this Earth, there is no room for the unwanted.
Review
I clipped this a point because it felt stretched for some reason. I did enjoy it, but it seemed that less happened in this book. I do hope the author has an
ending in mind, as I detect the faint whiff of a series being stretched overlong. As I said before, Applegate (or Scholastic) should really put more of these books
between the same covers, as things feel even more choppy as the story moves toward a presumed climax.
After Jobs, Mo'Steel and the rest were abandoned on Earth, Tate was left aboard Mother in the company of Yago and the Troika, the mysterious trio of Amelia, Duncan
and Charlie. The Troika's plans to "evolve" involves using their lackey Yago to devour the rest of Mother's inhabitants. Tate included...
Review
It looks like Applegate's definitely headed into the home stretch, here, which is a good thing. Another interesting and unpredictable story, here, filled with
action on various levels. The length is telling at this point, however; the energy's definitely feeling more strained.
Mo'Steel, Jobs, and the other Remnants are still alive, a part of the wandering Marauder band. The Marauder seer, Sanchez, insists they have been called to gather
at the sacred Source, and so they have traveled there through great hardship... only to find that the Source is, impossibly, the alien ship Mother. Here is a chance
to bring life back to the blasted Earth - or destroy what little life still clings to it.
Review
This is the final book in Applegate's Remnants series, which she once stated was going to be her last-ever series. One particular line may refer to her thoughts
on series writing in general, or hint at lingering dismay over the cancellation of Everworld. In any event, I felt cheated. Nothing was explained, and Applegate
jumps right over what should have been a great and interesting moment in her rush to get the series over with once and for all. I also felt that several characters ended
up as deadweight, so the time spent developing them was wasted. For that matter, several plot elements - all of which started out with great promise for extra twists and
turns - ultimately came to nothing. I wonder if Applegate did that intentionally, or if she simply got caught up in other story arcs and forgot about them.
On the whole, Remnants could've been a little shorter and the ending a little punchier. I hope to see more sci-fi/fantasy books by Applegate sometime in the future,
though, as I enjoy her writing style. I would especially like to see how she handles a nice, single-volume sci-fi or fantasy story.
As a fifth-grader, Jackson should be too old for imaginary friends. He prefers facts to imagination, anyway; facts are solid and stable, unlike his home life, with
a pest of a kid sister and two musician parents struggling to make ends meet. Though Mom and Dad won't admit it, they may end up losing their apartment and living out
of a minivan again. That was the first time Jackson met the talking cat Crenshaw... but that was three years ago. He was just a little kid then. But now that he's
returned, the giant talking cat refuses to leave. Little as he wants to admit it, Jackson could use a good friend right now - even one whose existence defies every fact
in the book.
Review
Like Applegate's award-winning The One and Only Ivan (reviewed just below), this outwardly-simple story hides some complicated realities and thorny emotional
moments. Jackson clings to facts so hard that he can't allow for magic and wonderment, though his best efforts fail to prevent lies and uncertainties from perpetually
creeping into his life. Crenshaw defies his ideal, ordered world - and he finds it very hard to dismiss the cat as a mere hallucination, not when the family dog Aretha
reacts to his presence and Crenshaw seems to know more than the boy who ostensibly created him. The cat is a fun character, both a whimsical friend for a child in need
and his own entity, a guardian angel in tuxedo-cat fur. There's more to the whole imaginary-friend business than a logical boy like Jackson can fathom, and there's more
to life than the facts he clings to so hard. Themes of homelessness and pride and flawed families run through the background as boy and cat struggle with burdens no
child should face in an ideal world... but, then, the world isn't an ideal place, and learning to cope with that is the first big step towards growing up. It may not
end with the happily-ever-after some children's books would insist upon, but the conclusion nevertheless satisfies.
The runt of her family, Byx always thought of herself as the least of her dwindling pack: too small, too clumsy, too full of questions.
She never thought she'd be the last. Not just the last of her family or pack, but the last of her whole species, the doglike dairnes.
As the sole survivor of a brutal slaughter by the all-powerful Murdano's human soldiers, Byx finds herself alone in a world that's too big and frightening.
Her only companions are a little wobbyx named Tobble and an untrustworthy human girl named Khara - scant help when the Murdano is determined to finish
exterminating her kind. Only the most feeble sliver of hope, a half-forgotten legend of an island sanctuary far in the north, keeps Byx from giving up and
joining her kin in the afterlife.
Her mother told her it was never wrong to hope... unless the truth says otherwise.
Review
Endling marks noted author Katherine Applegate's first solid foray into high fantasy, a debut that lives up to the high standards set by her other
works. Byx makes a reluctant yet determined heroine, weighed down constantly by the tragedy of being an endling: last living example of an extinct race. She
struggles with feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and rage, sometimes even unintentionally hurting allies as she tries to process the overwhelming
reality of her predicament. Her companions have their own struggles, as well, making for complicated and occasionally strained relationships. The world they
inhabit is by turns beautiful and horrible, heroic and tragic, hopeful and embittered, full of original species and races. Humanity's willingness to
sacrifice others for our own power and perceived glory is front and center in this story, which tackles a number of thorny topics ranging from extinction to
politically-corrupted science. The other governing species are far from perfect, themselves, each with their own cultural and personal hang-ups (not to
mention a tendency to pretend that what happens to others is no concern of theirs - until it is, and by then it may be too late.) With lively yet solid
characters and a quick-moving plot that doesn't shy away from torture or death (a warning for those considering sharing this book with sensitive readers;
nothing exceptionally graphic, of course, but Applegate doesn't blunt edges), Endling makes a great read for fantasy lovers of any age.
Once the runt of her pack, Byx has become the endling - the last known living member - of her species, the doglike dairnes. The humans of Nedarra, under
the warlike leader the Murdano, hunted them to extinction for their ability to tell truth from lies. Worse, not one of the other sentient species of the world
acted to defend the peaceful dairnes. Old legends spoke of a floating island where some of her kind might survive... and now, at long last, she is almost
there. But the land is still on the brink of war, and the Murdano isn't the only despot seeking power through wanton slaughter. Whether she wishes it or not,
Byx is now caught up in greater problems - and, if she finds any more survivors of her species, they may be in greater danger than ever if revealed.
Review
An excellent, fast-paced sequel, Endling #2: The First suffers mostly from being the middle book in a probable trilogy, beginning and ending partway
through a greater arc. Things pick up almost exactly where they left off, with Byx and her companions - the would-be warrior queen Khara, the boy thief Renzo,
the brave little wobbyx Tobble, and the great hunting felivet Gambler (and, of course, the dog named Dog) - journeying north to the realm of Dreyland in the
hopes of finding the floating island they seek... but Dreyland proves at least as dangerous as the kingdom they just left, and the island does not prove to be
the sanctuary Byx had dreamed of. Once more, the world in general and war in particular are shown in all their complicated shades of gray; even those acting for
the best reasons find themselves unable to avoid the thorny realities of conflict. War means death, whatever one's intentions, though sometimes one has no choice
but to fight back. (Of course, I expect no less from Katherine "Animorphs" Applegate; she has yet to write down to her audience in any of her works that I've
read, even if some grown-ups would prefer blunted corners. The journey is not a bloodless one.) More wonders and dangers are revealed in Applegate's marvelously
inventive fantasy world, and the friendship of the core cast only grows stronger through adversity. Byx in particular has come a very long way indeed from the
insecure daydreaming pup she was at the start, though she still has a long ways to go if she means to save not only her species, but the world: one of the overall
lessons of her journey and the story itself is how all lives and people are connected, and the loss of one will inevitably affect all, even if they deny it. I'm
looking forward to the next installment. (There has to be another one, right? Applegate wouldn't just leave threads dangling like that...)
For over two decades, Ivan the gorilla has lived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. It's a peaceful life, if sometimes a dull one, but he has his tire
swing, his TV, and his art, plus the steady stream of "slimy chimps" who visit daily. He also has his friends: Stella the elephant, veteran of a circus until an
injury sidelined her, and Bob the stray dog who sneaks into his cage each night, not to mention the human girl Julia, the only one to see the images in his
"scribbles." Then Mack, owner and ringmaster of the Big Top, brings in the baby elephant Ruby. For the first time, Ivan sees his domain for the cage it is... but
what can one gorilla hope to do about it?
Review
I remember the tale of the real Ivan, a gorilla kept in a local circus-themed shopping mall for decades until shifting public attitudes and outcry got him the
"retirement" he desperately needed. Applegate necessarily fictionalizes some elements here, not simply by giving Ivan a "voice," creating a deceptively simple tale
of good intentions gone awry and humanity's blindness to the needs of our fellow creatures. But, then, humans aren't the only ones blinded by willful ignorance over
what seemingly can't be changed. It's only by witnessing tragedy in others that Ivan realizes his own sadness, and determines to change at least one thing about his
life. The characters all have hidden facets, even Mack, making what could've been a flat story into something much more poignant and nuanced. It reads fast, but
invites rereading. Touching, often sad and occasionally frustrating, it nevertheless shows what can happen when just one person - human or animal - stops giving in
to despair and apathy and dares to hope for something better.
Katherine Applegate Feiwel & Friends Fiction, MG Fantasy Themes: Girl Power, Small Animals ****+
Description
Screechers are ugly. Screechers are loud. Worst of all, screechers are so stinky they'd make a skunk smell sweet as a rose. That's why the people of Perchance
treat them like pests, even as they welcome other creatures like the beautiful little hummingbears, whose glowing bubble nests fill the blue willow trees by the
river every autumn (and whose annual migration draws tourist money to boost the small town's economy). As the numbers of screechers dwindle, thanks to the town
council putting a five-copper bounty on their hides, only one person seems to care: eleven-year-old Willodeen. Like screechers, she feels unwanted and
misunderstood, especially since she lost her family in a wildfire many years ago. She rarely talks to anyone but the old women who took her in, spending her days
roaming the woods and hills with her notebook instead of going to school. So she is the only one to notice that, as the screecher population drops, so do the
number of returning hummingbears - threatening Perchance's lifeline. When the last old screecher in the woods is shot by hunters before her eyes, it may spell the
end of the hummingbears and Perchance... unless one shy girl can find her voice in time.
Review
Willodeen is clearly a message about threatened biodiversity and the need for everyone to pay attention to something other than their own self interest,
as well as species that may not be deemed "cute" or profitable but which are essential threads in the life web, but it's more than that. It's also the story of a
traumatized girl who finds her purpose and her place, and a town that learns to listen. Willodeen struggles with shyness, not neurotypical by implication if not
explicit statement, and suffers both with post-traumatic stress and being mocked as the "screecher girl" by children and adults alike. It takes making a friend,
and having something to say that needs to be heard, to coax her out of her shell and out of the woods where she prefers to spend her time. There aren't any real
villains here, just people who aren't listening and don't see the bigger picture beyond their own concerns, nor are there easy answers; Willodeen's search for the
connection between the screechers and the hummingbears is not straightforward, and even knowing something of what's gone wrong in the ecosystem only raises more
questions. Applegate is not an author who offers clean and easy answers in her writing, and doesn't start here, but she does offer solid characters and a decent
arc, tackling issues in a way that doesn't talk down to the reader. There's a bit of a worldbuilding disconnect, where this fantasy world (which has just a touch
of magic in it, as well as impending industrialization with steam engine railways and gas lighting in the bigger cities) also has Shakespeare, but the target
audience likely won't scrutinize that closely. The story as a whole is enjoyable, offering hope that is sadly lacking in our own world.
For over two hundred rings, Red has watched over its neighborhood as the resident wishtree: every May 1, people come to tie wishes to its branches, on paper
or ribbons or even socks and undergarments. Not that Red has any real power as an oak tree. Normally, trees don't even speak, at least not to humans. But it
has its friends, the animals who live in its branches and hollows, and people... well, while Red is an incurable optimist, even it has to admit that people can
be tricky and hard to understand. When a new family one from a far-off land moves into the blue house, the people become very hard to understand indeed. These
aren't the first immigrants to move into Red's neighborhood, but this is the first time anyone defaced its trunk with a message: LEAVE. Red can't figure out
why; the girl Samar seems like any other girl, if perhaps more quiet, and her wish is simply for a friend in this new place. With the neighborhood growing more
hostile and the landlady grumbling about the tree having outgrown its place, this may be Red's last chance to ever make a wish come true - if a tree can make
any difference in the world.
Review
Like Applegate's other recent books, this is a deceptively simple fable, tackling a tricky subject with heart and nuance without talking down to kids or
lecturing. Here, with the unusual narrator Red, she offers a tree's-eye-view of prejudice, fear, and history. This is not the first time Red's neighborhood has had
trouble accepting newcomers, though the ugly overtones of modern hate unsettle even the tree. Indeed, even amongst the animals, neighborhoods are often fraught with
squabbles and misunderstandings and petty feuds. That doesn't mean happy endings are impossible, just that they're more complicated than most storybooks like to tell
us. Red's efforts to make one wish come true, with help from its animal friends, are vaguely reminiscent of the gorilla Ivan's struggles in Applegate's The One
and Only Ivan; both face challenges because of who (or what) they are, and must find unique ways to communicate with a species that, for all its tendency to talk
incessantly, has a very difficult time actually listening. By turns silly, serious, and even sad, wishtree is an excellent tale for our troubled times, a
reminder that we've been here before - but that history is no guarantee of a happy ending in the here and now if nobody will stand up for what is right.
Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant Square Fish Fiction, YA Sci-Fi Themes: Clones, Girl Power, Medicine ****+
Description
The day Evening "E.V." Spiker was struck by a car was the day her life changed forever. It's not just the trauma of a crushed arm and severed leg
(among other injuries) - it's what happened when her mother, Terra "Terror" Spiker, got her moved to a private room at the family pharmaceutical
laboratory just outside of San Francisco. Everyone knows about the company's groundbreaking, life-saving work on diseases and vaccines, but few know
what goes on deep within the gleaming complex. For one thing, Evening's leg heals remarkably - impossibly - fast. For another, there's a teen orderly,
Solo, who's definitely hiding something behind his surfer-dude hair and inscrutable blue eyes. But the strangest secret may be hiding in the "game"
her mother wants her to play to keep her occupied during her convalescence, a program to build the perfect human, from the DNA up. But it's all just
virtual, not real cloning or genetic manipulation... isn't it?
Review
The moral dilemmas of Frankenstein meet modern America in this fast-paced medical sci-fi tale. Evening struggles between the demands of her
hard-nosed businesswoman mother and memories of her equally-stubborn artist father, cursed by a perfectionist streak in an inherently imperfect world.
She lives vicariously through Aislin, her rough-edged BFF (currently dating a loser thug who gets her into one jam after another), who acts as a
emotional compass when Evening finds herself lost in the unfamiliar terrain of her own heart. Solo, an angry young man whose life has also been
permanently altered by his late parents' association with Spiker Pharmaceuticals, has spent years plotting revenge as he gathers evidence of the dirt
hidden beneath the company's spotless facade... only to find his resolve tested when he realizes how many people, including Evening, could be hurt. The
imperfect characters, each saddled with their own flaws, struggle to navigate in an increasingly complicated situation. Is it ever justified to play God?
Are some prices simply too high to pay? Can the perfection never found in real life be achieved in a laboratory? Why is love, so unpredictable and
irresistible - and how can it compel one to do and endure such horrible things? Evening and her companions face all of these questions, and more too,
while dodging shady doctors and other threats. I clipped it a half-star because the ending felt a little weak and the villain a trifle flat, plus I felt
more could've been done with the all-too-real creation Adam, but overall I enjoyed this one.
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