The Exposed

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 EXPOSED

Animorphs #27
by K.A. Applegate

Summarized Plot:

The Chee are in trouble: their holograms and functions become disabled due to a problem with the Pemalite ship, which turns out to be miles underwater. The Animorphs have to figure out how to get down to the ship and restore its function before the members of the Chee race who are vulnerable end up being discovered by the Yeerks. Throughout their planning stages for the mission, Rachel notices strange coincidences that make things possbile, up to and including a sperm whale washing up on the beach just when they needed to acquire that exact animal. They suspect involvement by some powerful third party, and possibly a trap, but they see no choice but to use the whale morph, which they in turn use to get giant squid morphs and use them to get down to the Pemalite ship. There, they manage to restore the Chee function but also somehow set off a destruction sequence for them, at which a pawn of Crayak, called the Drode, reveals itself. It mocks the Animorphs and points out that Rachel is its favorite because of her violent nature.

The Yeerks are also down in the depths responding to a distress signal the Pemalite ship has sent, and they are trying to get the ship for its technology, so the Animorphs are limited in what they can do about morphing in front of the Yeerks. They have to figure out a way to escape the sticky situation, and when Erek the Chee shows up to fix the computer and take control of the situation, Rachel is left with an offer from Crayak: he wants her to know that if she kills Jake for him, she can join their side, where she belongs. And despite the fact that they all escape with their lives and return the Chee to normal as well as expunging the Yeerks from the immediate area, Rachel feels uneasy at the idea that the bad guys are trying to recruit her.

About this book:

Narrator: Rachel

New known controllers:

• Strake, the criminal
• A human on the SWAT team

New morphs acquired:

• Jake: Giant squid
• Cassie: Giant squid
• Marco: Giant squid
• Rachel: Whale (sperm), giant squid
• Ax: Giant squid
• Tobias: Whale (sperm), giant squid

Notable:

• This book was ghostwritten by Laura Battyanyi-Weiss.

• It's a bit odd that there only appear to be two Chee who are in danger when the holograms failed and both of them are close enough to where the Animorphs live to be able to help them immediately. Aren't Chee all over the world, not just in their city?

• The Chee android Lourdes speaks in thought-speak in this book, and it's unclear whether this was an editorial error or whether Chee actually can use thought-speak.

• Seems silly for Cassie to not get the sperm whale morph while she's there and so close to the whale.

• Rachel refers to going through her human form as "human morph" once in this book. Seems inconsistent.

• While they're in the Pemalite ship as giant squid, Rachel describes reaching "a hand" through a bubble, and she doesn't have hands at that point. Inconsistency?

• The Drode, a creature who works for Crayak, is introduced in this book.

• Erek says the Pemalite ship will now be hidden where only an android can get to it because of its depth. This somehow does not stop it from being revisited in a later book.

Best lines:

Rachel: There are few emotional problems that can't be made better by shopping Old Navy and Express.

Marco: "Erek seems to have missed his scheduled maintenance. He's frozen up. I think it's the transmission."

Jake: "Mr. King gave us an access code that'll get us into the main computer. Everybody memorize it: Six."
Rachel: "Six?"
Jake: "Six."
Rachel: "You know, I'm sure the Pemalites were wonderful people and all, but using a single-digit security code? I mean, good grief. What a bunch of idiots."
Cassie: "They trusted."
Rachel: "They're dead."

Rachel: It's not that the ocean is an enemy. It simply doesn't care. It feeds you, it makes the oxygen you breathe, it gave birth to your species, and, if you get careless, it kills you. All without the slightest personal interest.

Marco: "Talk about a face only a mother could love!"
Rachel: "It probably ate its mother."

Next book: The Experiment, Animorphs #28