Books like The Predator

The Predator is strangely named. I've been sitting here for twenty minutes trying to figure out who exactly the predator is in this book, and I still don't have a definite answer.This book is nominally about the Animorphs trying to carry out Ax's plan of luring a Yeerk ship to the ground, stealing it, and then hightailing it back to Andalite space (where, theoretically, he can send reinforcements back to the Animorphs), but really, it's about Marco finally committing to the mission. Until now, he's been the most reluctant of the group, only going along at times due to wanting to help Jake, being shamed by Rachel or Cassie, because something drastic happened that he could help with in the moment, or simply because he saw a mission as low risk or fun. But now on the two year anniversary of his mom's death with his father still devastated emotionally, he realizes that he can't keep going and risk that his dad will have two family members to mourn instead of one.I was looking forward to our first Marco book particularly, because he was my favorite character when I was a kid. I found his inane jokes and inability to be serious quite charming and hilarious. (I seem to remember there will be an incident with a Baby Ruth thrown into a pool in our near future?) I knew theoretically that Marco's humor was a coping mechanism, but it's only now reading through the eyes of an adult that that idea actually holds resonance for me. In fact, part of the reason I'm only rating this one 3.5 stars is because I don't think Applegate hit that nail hard enough. The beginning of the book especially is curiously light on Marco introspection, and even after the big reveal at the end, he never really comes out and says what he's feeling. Maybe Marco is just more cagey than the others, but I really thought the first four books did a much better job of tying the POV characters' emotional arc to what was happening in the plot.And things did pick up in that respect by the end. The first half of the book is them having wacky adventures with Ax, basically. They take Ax to the mall (to visit Radio Shack! RIP) so he can get the parts to build the fake Yeerk distress beacon that will hopefully call down a Yeerk ship from the sky, but he can't control his human morph yet. He keeps running off to buy food (he discovers the sense of taste for the first time and FREAKS OUT--also, this book was published before Starbucks was mainstream, and Applegate actually clarifies that it's a coffee place, which I find adorable). Ax also won't shut up making mouth sounds because he's never had a mouth before. I found his behavior unbelievably hilarious as a young person, but reading it now I was just like AX BE COOL PEOPLE ARE LOOKING. And then, they have to somehow find a z-space transponder, which does not come standard packaging at Radio Shack, so they decide to break in to Chapman's secret basement and steal one of his, using brand new ant morphs. IT IS AN EXCELLENT PLAN.The ant incident is yet another example of ways this series takes it to a level you don't expect in a children's book series. The kids are horrified by the experience of being ants, not least because Applegate portrays being in an ant's mind as being existentially terrifying. They have no sense of self, because they are hive insects. And on top of that, as they are escaping Chapman's house, they are attacked by thousands of ants from an enemy colony and almost die. Like, limbs ripped off, eyes gouged out, almost bitten in half died for real. I know it is a children's book series so I should probably cut it some slack for not going more in depth on this incident, but as much as I like the idea of it, I wasn't totally sold on the execution. It happened too fast for me to really feel that terror that so badly traumatizes the kids, and they are traumatized. All of them have nightmares, Rachel has a full on PTSD breakdown in the cafeteria the next day, and Marco solidifies his decision to quit the group after this last mission.Until, that is, their plan (view spoiler)[goes to shit, because it turns out the Yeerks aren't as incompetent as the kids hoped, and spot the trickery immediately, turning the Animorphs' trap into a trap of their own. They are taken captive and brought onto the Yeerk mother ship up in space (which leads to a neat moment where all of them except Ax realize they are in space for the first time, and look down upon Earth). Visser Three plans to parade them in front of Visser One to gain points, because apparently they are rivals and hate each other a ton. I actually really like that they are caught. They are still new at this, and even Ax is just a kid. It would be completely unbelievable if all of their plans worked and they thwarted the Yeerks all the time. They are inexperienced, and it shows. (Their capture also makes clear that having Ax around is handy for showing the Yeerks that they are in fact Andalites, and potentially staving off any questioning that they might be other than Andalite, if they play it right.)Anyway, so Visser One turns out to be Marco's mom. This revelation BLEW MY MIND when I first read this book. I would complain about it being a convenient way to get Marco's head in the game, but it was clearly planned from the beginning, and also, it doesn't just work as shock value. It gives Marco hope to keep fighting, and it sets the stage for some interesting future developments. I mean, it's even potentially more interesting of a revelation that Visser One and Visser Three are enemies than it is that Marco's mom is Visser One. None of the other Animorphs except Jake recognize Marco's mom, and he wants to keep it that way. But all of them understand the significance of that rivalry, especially when Visser One releases them from custody (making it look like an escape) just to hurt Visser Three's cred. I mean, either she's very stupid, or very confident. Although, I guess the "Andalite Bandits" are a pretty low threat at the moment, but it won't stay that way for long. It also tells us something about the Yeerk mindset, that their petty rivalry could actually get in the way of making smart tactical decisions for the good of the group. (hide spoiler)]