The Illusion

Disclaimer: If you've heard of Animorphs and you're thinking "Aww, how cute," maybe you should read my introduction to the first book to see how wrong you are.

THE ILLUSION

Animorphs #33
by K.A. Applegate

Summarized Plot:

Tobias is yet again confused about his nature, caught between bird and human (with a bit of Andalite on the side). After some confusion with Rachel suggesting she wants Tobias to be human, the team has to go after the Anti-Morphing Ray and Tobias volunteers himself as the one to be captured, because if they use the ray on him he won't turn into a human and they'll think the ray doesn't work. Their plan to infiltrate The Sharing's community center and fall deliberately into the Yeerks' trap goes well, but then Tobias is in the position where he has to endure torture to make the Yeerks think they're wrong about their technology working to reveal morphs. He meets Taylor, a human-Controller with an insane past, and while he's tortured with memories both painful and pleasurable, he also has visions of his Andalite father. He doesn't know how much he can stand, but he won't give up his friends. Especially since they won't give up on him.

About this book:

Narrator: Tobias

New known controllers:

• Security people at The Sharing community center opening
• A human named Tasset from the sporting goods store
• Taylor, Sub-Visser Fifty-one
• Two doctors, Sinegert and Singh

New morphs acquired:

• Jake: None
• Cassie: None
• Marco: None
• Rachel: None
• Ax: None
• Tobias: Andalite (Ax)

Notable:

• This book is ghostwritten by Ellen Geroux.

• In this book Jake admits to having begun to study famous leaders, but jokes that no one should let on because he wants his brilliance to seem unstudied.

• Cassie makes an excuse about not being able to go to The Sharing meeting because she says her parents will notice her missing and would worry. Nevertheless, she is part of the mission, with no commentary. By this point it's common for them to get the Chee to pose as them when they need to be at a mission, but this setup was never discussed.

• Tobias is the first of the Animorphs to morph an Andalite, and he points out through his experience that Andalites have an instinct for optimism.

• Visser Three's thought-speak voice is said to strike Tobias's ear. Seems like a poor description since thought-speak doesn't use ears.

• Taylor hits Tobias with her fake arm at one point, and he notes that it's her right arm. But later in the book Taylor is spilling out her experiences about how she lost her limbs and got burned, and she refers to having "lost her left arm." She's only supposed to have one false arm so it's unclear which one is "really" artificial.

• There are several thought-speaking glitches when Visser Three and Tobias are both talking in thought-speak; two of Taylor's spoken lines are framed in thought-speak as well, but this is a mistake.

• While Tobias is experiencing Elfangor's memories, several phrases are used to describe his experiences which sound like things humans would say, such as "making a retching noise" (Andalites don't have mouths, so they can't "retch"), "expelling" breakfast (they can't vomit) and experiencing "nausea" (which seems like an odd way to describe it if they can't vomit).

Best lines:

Tobias: It's funny. We've been on so many missions together. Battled Hork-Bajir-Controllers side by side. Saved each other's lives time and again. And still, after all that, it's something as simple as dancing that makes my heart pound.

Ax: "This looks promising."
Tobias: "This looks like trouble."
Ax: "As you pointed out: We are here in search of trouble."

Taylor: "Your childish loyalty is amusing. But you'll learn, Andalite. You'll learn that it's foolish to protect your friends. Friends always betray you."
Tobias: "Mine wouldn't."
Taylor: "Oh, wouldn't they? I pity your innocence."
Tobias: "What would you know about disloyalty?"

Tobias: "You've failed him. Visser Three won't tolerate failure. You know that. But I guess that's life in the happy little Yeerk Empire. I won't give in. Do you know why?"
Taylor: "No."
Tobias: "Because if I surrender, you'll live. And if I resist, you'll die. And I want you to die."

Next book: The Prophecy, Animorphs #34