Book 20: The Discovery
Publishing Date: August 1998
Narrator: Marco
My rating:
A new kid at school has found the blue box, the box that gave the Animorphs their morphing power. Now the Animorphs have to decide whether they are going to turn him over to the Yeerks, or make him the newest Animorph…
It’s pretty obvious from the get go that David is not going to fit in. Not only does he not find Marco funny, but every reaction is a disappointment to the other Animorphs. He freaks out when he morphs (it is weird, I’ll grant you that), he kills a random crow for absolutely no reason then lies and tries to pass it off as eagle instincts, and he constantly tells the others that no one tells him what to do. He doesn’t follow rules and his bad attitude in general leaves a sour taste in my mouth. We’re not meant to like him, and it’s a good thing that Marco doesn’t like him either. Cassie even plays Marco and David’s rivalry against each other to get David to morph in a life or death situation (this is why I love Cassie, because she’s manipulative).
There is absolutely nothing redeeming to say about David, and I’m not just saying that because this is a re-read and I know how this trilogy ends. He has a huge ego, a bad attitude, and a tendency towards violence that outshines Rachel’s. Rachel may love battle in her morphs, but David owns a BB gun and isn’t afraid to use it. He has absolutely no remorse for killing animals. He’s pushy and although I can see his point, that he wants powerful morphs (like choosing the golden eagle over the merlin – I would too) he’s doing it for the wrong reason. I do feel sorry for him because he’s lost absolutely everything, but that’s no excuse to be a dick. He doesn’t have to be grateful to the Animorphs but he can respect them. But no, he was a dick before his life changed and he’ll be a dick long after. He also thinks he’s the smartest of the group by far, but we’re going to see how his overinflated ego and sense of self-importance is actually his downfall…
This book is essential reading in the Animorphs series. It answers the question ‘why don’t the Animorphs just create more Animorphs?’ It’s also a part of a trilogy, continuing in Jake and Rachel’s next books. Not only that, but it’s beautifully written and highly enjoyable, even if David is a dick.
Join me for a review of #21: The Threat soon!
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About Nemo
A lover of kittens and all things sparkly, Nemo has a degree in English Literature and specialises in reviewing contemporary, paranormal, mystery/thriller, historical, sci-fi and fantasy Young Adult fiction. She is especially drawn to novels about princesses, strong female friendships, magical powers, and assassins.
the scarecrow
It’s a pity about David the Dickhead, because as we learn later, there’s a perfectly awesome way to make more animorphs. So it’s a pity that this experience with David completely soured the experience of having someone new join the group.
Also, David is a dick. That is all.
Nemo
Yep, but it is a really good excuse to not make more Animorphs after the whole David experience. And he is a dick. He’s just a nasty person.