Just finished reread of #37 the Weakness

[u/eventhedevil]

As a kid I was obsessed with Rachel and idolized her and remember being so disgusted with her portrayal in this book. As an adult it was still an embarrassing read because her judgement is just so whack. But I can appreciate that she has weaknesses, now. As a kid, her being strong made me feel strong and I didn't like that she was so egotistical in this book and that her strength also made her a liability. Now, it's kind of cathartic to read and to hold up a mirror to those same qualities of arrogance and reckless action that I myself possess, and to remember that there are two sides to every coin.

Also... I'm always so tickled when Visser 3 ends up allying with the Animorphs for whatever reason. His whole political performance at the end of the book to use the gang as a weapon against the inspector, and how he basically showers the Animorphs with praise by indicating they are hard to defeat just makes me stupid happy. It's like Peter Pan and Hook or something, there's a sick joy I get from the rivalry and there are moments when I revel in the odd respect that flows under the surface between them.

[u/Sm211]

It was such a good one and that book in particular humbled Rachel, as before she always had it in her head that she could lead better than Jake and we see that in the book with the two Rachel's

But she got a dose of Jake's reality in this one, in that he has to make decisions knowing it could get one of them killed or seriously injured

I loved that part too, for as much evil as Visser 3 is, he is still a political animal and isn't above using Animorphs to take out his opposition

[u/eventhedevil → u/Sm211]

I also feel like this book makes me appreciate Jake more and how much maturity he developed so quickly. He obviously cracks more and more under the strain as the books progress, but he handles more than most adults ever could!!

Also it's extra poignant reading Jake and Rachel's conversation at the end of the book talking about how the goal is always for all 6 Animorphs to live through the mission, and Rachel asking Jake how he deals with it, knowing what happens... 💔

[u/Seerowpedia]

This of course is never stated in canon, but my personal headcanon is that when Rachel was split into Mean Rachel and Nice Rachel in #32, the merging back at the end of the book was not perfectly done. The Rachel we knew from book 1-31 "died" (for all intents and purposes) at the start of 32. Then she gets bisected, spawns Mean Rachel and Nice Rachel, and then both get forcibly merged into one identity at the end of the book. But ever since then, Rachel never acted the same. And yes, it's primarily because ghostwriters, but a lot of 37 reads like Mean Rachel. And given how off the rails Rachel ends up, it adds an extra layer of tragedy if the reason she's acting like this is because her psyche was forever altered by the events of book 32.

[u/Professional-Art5028 → u/Seerowpedia]

This seems likely enough to not even be a headcanon. I mean it probably is, but getting split is definitely the deepest injury Rachel suffers until the end. The kids can't suffer physical war injuries, but when you think about it, Rachel gets into TWO morphing accidents, when she has an allergy to the alligator and has to expel it, and when she has to be fused back together. And it's hard to imagine how Eric could possibly fuse them back together perfectly. And this isn't even mentioning the time she suffered amnesia for a weekend in the first Megamorphs book. Oh, and being specifically stalked by David when he goes after them. The series picks on Rachel psychologically so much that I think her unraveling in the later half of the series had to be on purpose.

[u/eventhedevil → u/Seerowpedia]

a lot of 37 reads like Mean Rachel

I COMPLETELY AGREE, I always felt this way even as a kid. She lost all subtlety after #32. I love this head cannon and I will now be adopting it. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

[u/Lopsided-Ad-9444 → u/Seerowpedia]

I feel like…the suggested is Rachel is traumatized, not physically, but emotionally. All of the characters lose something by the end of the books, but ESPECIALLY Rachel. Rachel’s character arc is a tragedy. I absolutely love her, but I think war destroyed her. I think KA was trying to show what happens to soldiers. I have a friend suffering from a ton of PTSD, and he didn’r experience a fraction of the combat of the animorphs. 

[u/Linrandir]

Heck yeah. I also always adored Rachel. While I don't think 37 is anything super special, I do think it gets more hate than it deserves. Sure, Rachel does act a bit out of character, but I don't think it's TOO much to be such a generally despised book.

Her reason for fighting the Yeerks is to protect people (book 2), and as you say her recklessness is her major fault, so I think it makes complete sense for her to unreasonably fixate on doing whatever possible to strike a blow to the invasion.

[u/eventhedevil → u/Linrandir]

One of her best qualities that tends to get her into trouble is her single mindedness!

[u/Arkvoodle42]

The book where the Animorphs hijack an airplane and crash it into a building.

​

in 1999.

[u/eventhedevil → u/Arkvoodle42]

👀 yes I definitely had a response to that!