I somehow missed the Animorphs trend when I was a kid, so I decided to finally check it out. The writing style is definitely intended for a "middle grade" or young teen audience, but the story itself is still pretty interesting. And there's an obvious in-universe reason why a bunch of kids need to be in charge of saving the world, which is nice. The themes and ending are darker than I would have expected for a kids' book. The characters are a little under-defined, but it's a quick read -- I finished it in an evening -- and I'll probably read a few more of them (but not all 54!) ( )

My favorite series as a kid holds up surprisingly well. ( )

I was a little too old for these when they first came out, so although they drew my eye because of the animal element, I never got around to them. Finally, a few decades later, I decided to give them a try...and I'm so glad I did. More than standing up to time, this first book in the series is a fun, action-packed, animal-centric adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm sure I would have loved these as an elementary-schooler, but as an adult who's picky about children's reads, I'm still diving in and loving them. When my nieces get old enough, I can't wait to gift these reads to them, but meanwhile, I'm going to keep going with the series and enjoy every moment.

Absolutely recommended. ( )

It's been decades since I last read an Animorphs book and it was thoroughly enjoyable. And also quick and easy in a way I can handle in these pandemic times. ( )

Five teenagers walking home from the mall see an alien spaceship. Yet instead of a message of universal peace or at least the promise of first contact, the dying alien only has one message: The Yeerks are here. What are the Yeerks? They are alien brain-controlling slugs, they are invaders, and they are winning. Now our only hope is five teenagers with the power to turn into animals.
I read this for pure nostalgia. When I was in grade school “Animorphs” was my favorite set of books. Decades later “Animorphs” is undergoing a bit of a renaissance, with graphic novels and maybe a movie coming out soon. I thought I’d jump on the nostalgia train and re-read the series.
The ebook I read is apparently an updated version that was released several years ago. This version corrects a few mistakes in the original text, patches up some continuity issues, and takes out some of the ’90s references. While part of me wanted to be a purist, I have to admit I appreciated the fixes. Even as a child, I was annoyed by the mistake that goes against how it works later in the series.
Honestly, I was surprised how well it holds up. It’s a quick read, I finished in less than an hour, so it feels almost like an episode of a show. The characters are fun and actually have some depth. Even from the very beginning of the series, there is a sense of seriousness about it. The stakes are high, and these kids are unprepared. They’re not going to magically solve everything, but instead are going to have to fight a guerilla war.
I totally suggest any '90s kid give it a look. I am definitely going to do a series re-read. It’s a fun quick read, but there is substance to it. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.
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