I could write a thesis on the importance and relevance of the Animorphs series for tweens, but it’s been done better many times by others.
I read this series in primary school and continued throughout high school, until it was pointed out to me rather harshly that I was ‘too old’ to still be reading the series… So here I am, mid-thirties, thumbing my nose to that judgment and gleefully re-reading the beloved series, this time in graphic novel form. Part of me was curious about how the story would translate to a graphic novel, and part of me just wanted a comforting dose of nostalgia straight into my eyeballs.
I was not disappointed.
It tells the story of a group of five kids who come across a dying alien in a construction site. The alien informs them of a plot to take over humanity by the parasitic race of space slugs called the Yeerks, who are aided and abetted by other alien species that they have either conquered or who have willingly joined their forces. The kids are told to trust no-one, as the Yeerk invasion is already well underway.
The kids are then gifted a unique alien ability – the ability to acquire the DNA of any living creature and ‘morph’ into that animal for two hours (at most).
This first novel does an excellent job of establishing the threat of the Yeerks, the personalities of the group, and risks/benefits the morphing ability.
This was a welcome return to an old favourite given new life in the graphic novel age. 4 thermal updrafts out of 5.