The Invasion (Animorphs, #1)

by Katherine Applegate

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Going back to a series you loved as a kid is difficult. For one, nostalgia adds a sweet filter to our memories that may not truly be deserved. For another, our reading tastes change. And we get older – we expect different writing styles.

Returning to The Invasion, the very first Animorphs book, was a journey for me. These books influenced me so much when I was younger. I wanted to believe in these kids and their abilities so bad. As an adult, I was pretty sure these would be ridiculous and I would hate them and why was I so intent on ruining a good memory, exactly?

I am ridiculous.

Even though The Invasion is clearly written in the voice of a 14-year-old, this book is still wonderful. The concept of the series is strange and exciting and refreshingly unique as a whole. You’ve got shape shifters and you’ve got aliens. You have five very different kids as our protagonists. The Invasion starts the story with Jake, who ultimately becomes the leader of the crew… but Cassie, Rachel, Marco, Tobias? They’re all good. Rachel and Tobias were my favorites as kids, but as an adult, I think I can appreciate them all.

And let’s be real, here. This series is very much intended for middle grade readers – it does not have the same descriptions and flowery prose as most YA. It’s dialogue-heavy. It’s direct. There’s a lot of awkward conversations that feel a bit stilted but it all feels right in this context. The writing style and the voice work well for the series and for the intended audience. If this was a YA romance I’d probably drop some shade, but this is a MG urban sci-fi in first person. It works.

I know my blogging audience and I don’t think I’ll be able to convince many or any of you to run out and pick up The Invasion… but if you know any middle grade readers who are imaginative and love to read and love animals, this is a great book to pick up. And if you, like me, read these when you were younger and feel like a nostalgia read, I fully support that. It’s a quick book at under 200 pages and I enjoyed falling back into the world.

And you know what? I think I’m going to keep adding the rest of the series to my TBR.