Tobias is trapped as a hawk. He can never go back. 
 And like Tobias, I cannot stop reading Animorphs. It is the Applegate's Gift. It is the Applegate's Curse. 
 This episode was surprisingly dark. I mean, it's pretty emo. But from an adult's perspective, the story grapples with loss, loneliness, thoughts of suicide and depression, and the nature of what it means to be human. It's the kind of YA fiction that doesn't talk down to its audience, which is why I really appreciated it. 
 In terms of action, also this book doesn't pull any punches, or grant them any easy wins. The Animorphs continue to have terrible, stupid plans that pretty much ought to get them killed. The low point is especially dark-- (view spoiler)[ the team is trapped inside a water tank with no way out, and they are considering committing suicide rather than allowing themselves to be discovered. (hide spoiler)] --That's hard core! 
 This was the first Animorphs book I ever read (my friends each bought different ones when the Scholastic fair came to our school) so it occupies a special place in my heart. Glad to say it held up.