AND The Beginning: No. 53 & 54 (Animorphs) Paperback – 15 Feb. 2002

It feels like it's been a long trip and it's odd to think that this is the last instalment of the Animorphs series. I've really had to think hard about how I would rate this book because I think it's likely to really divide readers. Really, this boils down to the individual reader and what they're really expecting. If you're looking for a happy ending - and complete closure - this isn't the book for you.The series has always striven to show the consequences of war - how it changes people, how it destroys lives and how it causes good people to make horrible choices. With this in mind, you can probably imagine how this story goes. Major characters die. Major characters have to make snap decisions that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. The defeat of the Yeerks does not lead to peace. It leads to new conflicts and new enemies in a cliff-hanger ending that will now never be resolved. When I first read this novel, I was disappointed. But, the more I think about it, the more I realise that anything else would have been unsatisfying.Over half of the book is dedicated to showing what happens in the two years following the defeat of the Yeerks. While this is slow and exposition heavy, it does do a nice job of showing how the war effected the Animorphs in different ways. While some of them strive, such as Marco who uses his powers and fame to become a celebrity, others fall into depression and are unable to reconcile what happens. While most of these felt perfectly natural, the only one that I didn't think worked was Tobias. He had only just reconnected with his mother. It seemed off for him to isolate himself to live out his life as a hawk.The ending is also likely to divide people, as it ends with a cliffhanger as the Animorphs head into battle against a new and unknown foe. While I can appreciate what Applegate intends with this, it did make the series seem incomplete. It's taken sixty-two books to reach this point, yet the series breaks off on such uncertainty. It really is a shame that there will never be any more stories, as there is such scope for future adventures.Anyhow, if I said any more I'd run the risk of spoiling it. All in all, this series has been incredibly varied. It's had great instalments and terrible ones, but I'm glad that I read it. The series takes its readers very seriously and addresses some very important issues - from animal conservation to the impact of war. If you can get hold of the books, I would certainly recommend giving them a try.

Book 53 and this one Book 54 in the Animorphs series are just thin enough to tempt you to go for a "non-stop" reading marathon. "The Beginning" like "The Answer" is a consistently good read and both are of the "I can't put it down" quality. There are two solutions to reading this last book - move on to the other books by Katherine Applegate or start again from Book 1.

This is one of the best animorphs book i ever read. i really enjoy the way Applegate wrote her books. emotions and feelings make her books standing out from other novels. if you ask me which one is better compared to Harry Potter? you might had just asked one of the most difficult question i ever came across in my life. i can't compare them, the way they wrote their books are totally different. The Beggining is different from the other animorphs books. most of the part are talking emotions and feelings. unlike others, it did not contain fighting parts and other bits which they usually happens in other animorphs books. i think Applegate did really well on the last published animorphs book. one last words, i really miss animorphs.

The Last 2 books in the series. The last battle is here.. will the Earth manage to last it's final battle against the infestation kept secret to the majority of humanity? Will our heroes save the world? Will the Animorphs be able to live normal lives if they ever survive? Will non-infested humans find out about the secret battle? Will Cassie & Jake and Racheal & Tobias ever really get together?! Will Marco ever find a girlfriend?! All the answers to these questions are here. With an end to the books that fans may or may not enjoy (read the explanation though - it helps you to understand) it is the end to a great series, the last battle unseen and an unexpected end, read for yourselves and live the final twist in these books.