A look far deeper than anyone wanted into what it’s like to be a Yeerk/controller.

And some actual plans to take over some more high powered individuals than High School kids and Assistant Principals. 😄

It’s an intense book, only slightly weakened by a few ‘unlikely at best’ moments that are needed to drive the plot forward.

It’s a good one.

Random Thoughts

(minor spoilers)

“Okay. Look, I’ve learned something. For one thing, Tom is getting more important to the Yeerks. I think now he’s just below Chapman as a Controller.”

But why… / that’s convenient.

<I am Temrash one-one-four,> the Yeerk said proudly. <Formerly Temrash two-five-two, of the Sulp Niar pool. I have been promoted. No doubt you are happy for me.>

And then on top of that… out of a hundred or so Yeerks, that’s the one that ended up in Jake? I guess a particularly ambitious one?

<Arrogant? Why wouldn’t we be? We are the most powerful race in the galaxy. Overlords of the Taxxons. Conquerors of the Hork-Bajir and the Ssstram and the Mak. Soon to be conquerors of the humans.>

…

<We Yeerks evolved as parasites, not predators. Unlike you humans, we did not kill to eat. We were peaceful. We took many different species as our hosts. And as they evolved, so did we. Over time, the Gedds evolved. They were a sort of . . . like a monkey, I suppose. We were in the Gedds till the Andalites first came. Some of our people still have nothing better than Gedds for hosts.>

Actually some names of other species!

Also (bigger spoilers):

The Yeerk shuddered. I could feel it. A physical spasm. My vision changed. I felt . . . it’s hard to describe. I felt as if I were seeing through things. Into things. Like I could see the front and back and top and bottom and inside of every thing all at once.

And then I saw it.

A creature. Or a machine. Some combination of both. It had no arms. It sat still, as if unable to move, on a throne that was miles high.

Its head was a single eye. The eye turned slowly . . . left . . . right . . .

I trembled. I prayed it would not look my way.

And then it saw me.

The eye, the bloodred eye, looked straight at me.

It saw me.

It SAW me!

That’s so weird to appear just at the end of the book with nothing else (for now).

Dated References

Marco refers to Rachel as Xena, Warrior Princess.

1995-2001. So fairly new at the time of this book. Long gone as of now.

“How long do you think this will take?” Rachel asked. She checked her watch. “I set the VCR for two of my favorite shows, but I forgot to tape the movie of the week.”

“I’m taping it in case you miss it,” Cassie said.

VCR/taping again. Feels like low hanging fruits. (There are a couple VCR references in this one).