I checked another book off my NetGalley/Edelweiss/etc. list in one sitting with this excellent graphic novel adaptation of the first in a children’s series from my own childhood. While I only remember reading one or two Animorphs books in my youth, I really liked this fast-paced graphic novel, and it was everything I remembered and expected.

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The summary, from Amazon:

The wildly popular, bestselling sci-fi series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant returns in a new full-color graphic novel series, adapted by Chris Grine.

Sometimes weird things happen to people. Ask Jake. He could tell you about the night he and his friends saw a strange light in the sky that seemed to be heading right for them. That was the night five normal kids learned that humanity is under a silent attack — and were given the power to fight back.

Now Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco can transform into some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth. And they must use that power to outsmart an evil greater than anything the world has ever seen. . . .

Buy The Invasion here.

Wow! What a fast-paced, interesting, fun story! I was immediately pulled into the plot, which unfolds in the first few pages as the kids encounter a spaceship and the dying alien on board. They are up for a lot more than they could expect and are tasked with saving the world and given morphing powers.

I loved how each of the kids responded. I remember Travis being a favorite of mine when I was younger. He is kind and empathetic and wants to save the world, like the alien hoped they would. The girls, Cassie and Rachel, are both smart, tough, and empathetic and take to morphing the easiest. Jake might not see himself as a leader, but the rest of the group does, and turns to him to make decisions when they are on the fence. Finally there is Marco, who does not want to morph or save the world, as his father is still grieving the loss of his mother, and he doesn’t want to die and leave his father struggling with even more death.

The comic book style is so suited for this story. All of the major plot points were covered seamlessly. As a kid and even now, I didn’t like reading action sequences. I prefer them in a film or graphic novel format, which is why this book worked so well for me.

I really liked this first installment and am excited for the rest of the series. I can see the children I work with enjoying this one as well. I think every kid thinks about what it would be like to be an animal and to save the world, and this series shows both! I appreciated that the ending settled the plot of this novel, but there was still a cliffhanger to leave things open for book two. Overall, this was an excellent 5 star read for me, and I think the authors, publisher, and Edelweiss for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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The Invasion by K.A. Applegate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun, fast-paced adaptation of the original Animorphs! I really enjoyed it and found myself ready to dive into Book 2. This was a quick read for me – it took me about an hour. My thanks to the authors, publishers, and Edelweiss for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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