The Weakness

A different story then the usual. Very well done.Rachel was temporary leader while Jake is away. There is a lot of insight into what it truly means to be that leader. It isn’t all aggressive and full throttle mayhem, though Rachel initially thinks that may be enough to be a successful leader for the day. She does handle things well and the others support her, even after messing it up, including making her face those fears directly.This story did a lot of emotional character development for Rachel. It also showed even more the corrupt aspect of the Yeerk Council of Thirteen and their knife in the back political structure as a whole.We are also introduced to a new host body, a Gabatron, as a Yeerk Inspector due for promotion to the Council. Currently we only see the one, but it is expected that there are more. They have a similar look to the Andalites. It will be interesting to see how they are incorporated into the story in future books.The ending between Jake and Rachel was exceptionally touching. Rachel always knew the hard decisions Jake must make in regards to their group, but I think she now has a better appreciation for his actions and decisions made. Not everyone can lead, and that’s a good concept to understand. It takes all types to really make a group cohesive and work together. It also allows for the leader when he has the down time to rely on his friends and family to help recover what may feel like a loss of humanity during those rough moments.A very well written book and makes a person think.