Book Number: 2
Written by: Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant
Pages: 175
Narrator: Rachel
Synopsis
The Animorphs are out fucking around with their new powers, taking on bird morphs and having themselves a good ol' fly because bird boy Tobias can't stop recommending it. Jake takes the form of a falcon, Rachel a bald eagle, and Cassie and Marco a pair of ospreys and take to the skies, doing flips, riding the thermals, and pooing on the heads of people for kicks (this last one is just a presumption on my part, because that's what I would do). They also harass a pair of prick teens making them believe they're in an Alfred Hitchcock movie (which is also what I would do) because they were drinking beer and shooting at them for fun (I wouldn't need a reason to harass them, I'd just do it).
Soon after landing and morphing back, the Animorphs need a new lead on the Yeerks since the opening in the school to the Yeerk Pool has been shut off. Rachel is reluctantly talked into using her friendship with Melissa Chapman as a doorway into spying on her father, Assistant Principal Chapman, who they have confirmed to be a Yeerk Controller of some rank. She then goes to gymnastic practice to talk to Melissa, who is very distant and not interested in talking to Rachel. She's probably trying to figure out why all those screams are coming from beneath the school ("Boy, I sure wouldn't like detention." is a likely thought to come across any student who hears those). Put off by Melissa's behavior, Rachel walks home alone by herself, where she is #MeToo'ed by some dude who loves jail bait, follows her, and insists that she take a ride with him. Rachel makes a break for it and around a tight corner she half turns into an elephant to scare the living crap out of him (taking the risk that humanoid elephants are his other kink). The guy runs screaming, and she morphs back, as another car pulls up next to her and asks her if she needs a ride (Rachel just can't win today). This time it's by Chapman and Melissa, however, who saw the man who tried to harass her and luckily didn't see her turn into Dumbo.
After being scolded by the others for morphing in front of someone else and almost being caught by Chapman, the Animorphs concoct a plan to sneak into the Chapman house by having Rachel morph into their cat, Fluffer McKitty (I LOVE IT). Rachel then comes up with an elaborate plan that does a hell of a lot to pad up 175 pages of a monthly book series by morphing into a shrew and luring Fluffer McKitty (I'M GOING TO TYPE THIS NAME OUT IN FULL EVERY TIME) out into the open to acquire his DNA. After Fluffer McKitty puts up one hell of a fight and almost single handedly defeats the four teenagers and their hawk, they decide to wait a few days before sneaking into Chapman's house. During this time, Rachel tries and fails to get closer to a testy Melissa and also has nightmares about being a shrew. The animal, not herself. ::rimshot::
A few nights later, the Animorphs return to the Chapman homestead and Rachel morphs into Fluffer McKitty and infiltrates the house, no doubt with the Mission: Impossible theme humming in her head (in meows, like the Meow Mix commercial). She follows Chapman down to a secret passage in the basement and observes as he receives a hologram message from Visser Three. Vissor is very pissed that Chapman (and Chapman specifically) hasn't found the "Andalite Bandits" and orders them to find them sooner. Visser also notices Rachel McKitty in the basement and orders Chapman to kill her, fearing she may be an Andalite. Rachel then gives off some kitty adoribles and gives Vissor a case of the "awwwwws," so he gives her permission to live. Having ended the communication with Visser, Chapman and his wife, also a Controller, start debating what to do next when Melissa calls down to request help with her homework. They refuse, and Melissa returns to her room weeping. Rachel McKitty then runs up the stairs and crawls in her lap, purring, to comfort her, now knowing Melissa is distant because of how strangely they've been treating her since becoming Controllers.
In the next few days, the Animorphs discuss their intel. With no new information on a location of a Yeerk Pool or the Kadrona beam that rejuvenates the Yeerks, Rachel argues that they should keep pressing their only lead, Chapman. The other Animorphs suspect her of just wanting to be in that sweet pussycat morph and spending time with her friend, but she insists. They return to the Chapman house and she morphs into Rachel McKitty once more, only this time Jake morphs into a flea and hitches a ride, unknown to her until it's too late. "Quit sucking my blood, ya' jerk!"
Rachel McKitty and Jake McBloodbag follow Chapman into the basement once again where he communicates to Visser Three again, and Visser is still pissed that the Andalites haven't been found. I can just picture him calling every hour and going "Have you found them yet?" No, Visser. Chill the fuck out. Visser spots Rachel McKitty again and is now certain she's an Andalite since she has appeared twice now. Visser insists Chapman bring Rachel to him and Melissa while he's at it, having initially left her Yeerk-less through a deal with her parents. Chapman begins to comply, but the real Chapman begins to resist the Yeerk and fight to control his body. The Yeerk regains control and puts Rachel (and Jake) in a kitty carrier (this is the most undignified capture ever), but due to Chapman's "objection" decides to leave Melissa behind.
Chapman drives out to the construction site where the Animorphs met Elfangor, where Visser Three waits with Hork-Bajir and Taxxon bodyguards. Visser gloats at Rachel McKitty, but grows agitated when he finds Chapman left Melissa behind. Chapman's Yeerk relinquishes control of his body briefly and Chapman the human addresses Visser directly to remind him of the details of his arrangement, which he willingly became a Controller on the condition that his daughter be spared, and then proceeds to threaten Visser Three with...his principal-ness, because he can cause trouble at the school or something (though arranging a replacement assistant principal seems like an astonishingly easy task for this alien invasion). Visser agrees to leave Melissa alone, and Chapman returns home, leaving Rachel and Jake with the Yeerks.
Jake, whose presence is still unknown to Visser Three, then flea jumps out of the kitty carrier and morphs into a tiger to raise hell while Rachel escapes the kitty case. Visser turns into a rock monster (William Shatner would be proud, obscure reference alert) and tries to crush the two Animorphs. Tobias then flies in and snatches Rachel to safety, while Jake escapes with the help of Cassie and Marco in osprey morphs.
The next day, Rachel writes an anonymous note to Melissa, assuring her her father loves her more than she'll ever know even if he can't show it. Cue Full House "touching moment" music.
A few nights later, the Animorphs return to the Chapman homestead and Rachel morphs into Fluffer McKitty and infiltrates the house, no doubt with the Mission: Impossible theme humming in her head (in meows, like the Meow Mix commercial). She follows Chapman down to a secret passage in the basement and observes as he receives a hologram message from Visser Three. Vissor is very pissed that Chapman (and Chapman specifically) hasn't found the "Andalite Bandits" and orders them to find them sooner. Visser also notices Rachel McKitty in the basement and orders Chapman to kill her, fearing she may be an Andalite. Rachel then gives off some kitty adoribles and gives Vissor a case of the "awwwwws," so he gives her permission to live. Having ended the communication with Visser, Chapman and his wife, also a Controller, start debating what to do next when Melissa calls down to request help with her homework. They refuse, and Melissa returns to her room weeping. Rachel McKitty then runs up the stairs and crawls in her lap, purring, to comfort her, now knowing Melissa is distant because of how strangely they've been treating her since becoming Controllers.
In the next few days, the Animorphs discuss their intel. With no new information on a location of a Yeerk Pool or the Kadrona beam that rejuvenates the Yeerks, Rachel argues that they should keep pressing their only lead, Chapman. The other Animorphs suspect her of just wanting to be in that sweet pussycat morph and spending time with her friend, but she insists. They return to the Chapman house and she morphs into Rachel McKitty once more, only this time Jake morphs into a flea and hitches a ride, unknown to her until it's too late. "Quit sucking my blood, ya' jerk!"
Rachel McKitty and Jake McBloodbag follow Chapman into the basement once again where he communicates to Visser Three again, and Visser is still pissed that the Andalites haven't been found. I can just picture him calling every hour and going "Have you found them yet?" No, Visser. Chill the fuck out. Visser spots Rachel McKitty again and is now certain she's an Andalite since she has appeared twice now. Visser insists Chapman bring Rachel to him and Melissa while he's at it, having initially left her Yeerk-less through a deal with her parents. Chapman begins to comply, but the real Chapman begins to resist the Yeerk and fight to control his body. The Yeerk regains control and puts Rachel (and Jake) in a kitty carrier (this is the most undignified capture ever), but due to Chapman's "objection" decides to leave Melissa behind.
Chapman drives out to the construction site where the Animorphs met Elfangor, where Visser Three waits with Hork-Bajir and Taxxon bodyguards. Visser gloats at Rachel McKitty, but grows agitated when he finds Chapman left Melissa behind. Chapman's Yeerk relinquishes control of his body briefly and Chapman the human addresses Visser directly to remind him of the details of his arrangement, which he willingly became a Controller on the condition that his daughter be spared, and then proceeds to threaten Visser Three with...his principal-ness, because he can cause trouble at the school or something (though arranging a replacement assistant principal seems like an astonishingly easy task for this alien invasion). Visser agrees to leave Melissa alone, and Chapman returns home, leaving Rachel and Jake with the Yeerks.
Jake, whose presence is still unknown to Visser Three, then flea jumps out of the kitty carrier and morphs into a tiger to raise hell while Rachel escapes the kitty case. Visser turns into a rock monster (William Shatner would be proud, obscure reference alert) and tries to crush the two Animorphs. Tobias then flies in and snatches Rachel to safety, while Jake escapes with the help of Cassie and Marco in osprey morphs.
The next day, Rachel writes an anonymous note to Melissa, assuring her her father loves her more than she'll ever know even if he can't show it. Cue Full House "touching moment" music.
Observations
I'll say fairly certainly that I enjoyed this book more than the first. It's a bit leaner and plot focused, and not juggling exposition the way the previous one was. Also, I didn't have this one when I was a kid, so this book was entirely new to me, though I did vaguely remember the TV adaptation.
There is a hint of more purpose to this story, as The Invasion was just a story of things happening and Animorphs reacting to things happening. This one actually makes strides to justify giving one of the Animorphs an emotional reason to fight, as we get inside Rachel's head and she sees the Yeerks tearing a family apart, and having no desire to let it happen. It also helps that Rachel is something of a more interesting character than Jake, who is something of a blank leader character. Rachel has stronger opinions, more feelings, and, most of all, she reacts. I usually looked forward to her POV books when I was a kid.
They also played her relationship with Tobias better in this book. This one had less blunt as a sledehammer hinting and displayed it more as hinted undertones. Rachel and Tobias usually confide in each other, and there are slight moments where she admires him. Aside from that, it's left up to interpretation how they feel, which is more than I can say about how Jake talked about Cassie in the previous book.
The book gets heavy on exposition in it's tail end from the Chapmans, as they tend to explain a lot conveniently in front of our heroes. But it's a kid's book, so whatever. At least it's an interesting and personal story too. And it's a children's book that has this line:
"That bird has your gun, Chester! And this other one stole my beer!"
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