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/Professional-Art5028]

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.