The Predator (Animorphs Book 5)

In the fifth Animorphs book, “The Predator,” Applegate introduces the theme of a missing parent or parents. Marco, the witty, sarcastic, comedic relief of the group, narrates for the first time, giving readers a glimpse into his difficult home life. He’s nearing the two-year anniversary of his mother’s mysterious death, putting an understandable damper on everything going on in his life, making it difficult to concentrate on helping Ax and the gang find parts needed to send an intergalactic decoy distress beacon to the Yeerks.

To make matters worse, Marco’s dad has been extremely affected by his wife and Marco’s mother’s death. This can be understandable up to a point, but Marco’s father has slipped into such a deep depression that he has quit his successful job as an engineer, taken odd jobs that provide little financial support for his son, and has become emotionally distant. In effect, it is as if both of Marco’s parents have died.

“The Predator” explores situations in which the child becomes the parent and caregiver in the family. This is clearly a strain on Marco and sheds light onto how Marco’s witty behavior is used as a defense to cover up the sadness he feels from his distraught home life. This is yet another Animorphs book that provides important lessons for young readers while also providing intergalactic entertainment at the same time.