the year in books [II]

Since last year I've been rereading K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series. Though it's largely for nostalgic purposes (I ate this shit up when I was in elementary school and Junior High), I'm surprised at how much I enjoy it. Each book is a quick read at an average of 176 pages, and each is told first-person from the point-of-view of one of the so-called 'Animorphs' (kids who were given the alien power to acquire animal DNA and turn into that animal for two hours at a time). The premise of the series is that an alien species called the Yeerks have invaded the planet and are fighting to enslave humankind. This is a subvert enslavement, though, as the Yeerks are no more than parasitic slugs who crawl into their host's brain and take over. Think zombies with an intellectual capacity from the stars. The Yeerks' main enemy are the Andalites, another alien race that has 'morphing' technology. The Animorph kids team up with an Andalite kid named Aximili who is stranded from his home, and together they fight the Yeerks. Though the books are decent (though nowhere near the decency of adult books), by the sixth one I'm really starting to tire of Applegate's style. That's only fair, given that she's writing for ten-year-olds and I'm 32.