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brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
If [b:Endangered|13591678|Endangered|Eliot Schrefer|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339453693s/13591678.jpg|19179750] had not been a National Book Award Finalist a couple years ago, I may have never discovered Eliot Schrefer and that would have been sad, because I love his writing. I just don't tend to gravitate toward books like Endangered and his latest, Threatened. As I said in my last review, I don't do survival stories, especially if they have anything to do with animals, so the fact that Schrefer is able to keep and hold my interest and, more importantly, make me care and feel every bit of these tense situations is a testament to the fine writing in these books.
In Endangered Schrefer took us out of our comfort zone and into war torn Congo. That book has a protagonist who grew up in the US giving readers at least some connection to the life she had. Seeing Africa through the eyes of someone with a similar paradigm made the story seem more comfortable, at least starting out. In Threatened Schrefer takes this last bit of comfortable connection to US readers away, and it works beautifully. Luc is an AIDs orphan working to pay off his dead mother's hospital debt to a moneylender. The story is told in first person from by him and a couple sentences was all it took for me to fall completely into the spell of his voice and story. I have no concept of Luc's reality. I've never seen most of the things he describes and I can not come close to imagining the life he lives, which is why I appreciate this book. It is a window into a world I will probably never in my comfortable life even glimpse. Luc is someone I felt like I knew even after a few brief pages though. His voice pulled me into his world and I felt as though I was right there with him. Schrefer has a real talent for making you feel a character's emotions and experiences. It isn't just Luc's world in Gabon that the reader is pulled into though, it is also the world of the chimpanzees in the jungle, or as Luc calls it "the Inside". And here is where the writing really impressed me because I never thought I could come to love a group of chimpanzees and see their individual personalities like I did the ones in this book. When I say I am not an animal person, I honestly mean I don't think about them unless they're right in front of me for some reason and then my attention is brief, so that I found my self growing attached to fictional apes is a testament to the skill of the author telling their story. From adorable baby Mango to her fierce older brother Drummer to the patron of the clan, I found myself by turns fascinated by, concerned for, and troubled with their lives. The man who brings Luc into the jungle goes by the name of Prof and he is also an intriguing character. The small details of his life that are revealed make him into a nuanced and deep character. His intentions are good, his methods are not always. Of course all of the information on the other characters is coming from Luc and his voice has so much power that he made me feel the doubts, hesitations, loyalties, and tenderness he was feeling towards all of them.
The jungle setting of the book is eerily beautiful. Schrefer's vivid imagery brings the place to lush hot life. I found myself swatting at imaginary bugs and feeling like things were crawling on me more than once. While not exactly pleasant, I am impressed by how immersed I was in every aspect of the book. This is a story of the relationship between man and his environment and the creatures who share that environment. Schrefer does an excellent job at highlighting the similarities between humans and chimpanzees and through this highlighting the dangers facing the chimpanzees in the wild. Never does the book take on a didactic or self-righteous tone though. All this is told through Luc and ultimately it is the story of him finding a family he loves and wants to protect. I think this is summed up perfectly in a quote spoken in the book by the Prof: "You know, when you think about it, all survival stories that end happily are also family stories."
I read an ARC received from the publisher, Scholastic, at ALA Midwinter. Threatened is on sale February 25.
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
If [b:Endangered|13591678|Endangered|Eliot Schrefer|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339453693s/13591678.jpg|19179750] had not been a National Book Award Finalist a couple years ago, I may have never discovered Eliot Schrefer and that would have been sad, because I love his writing. I just don't tend to gravitate toward books like Endangered and his latest, Threatened. As I said in my last review, I don't do survival stories, especially if they have anything to do with animals, so the fact that Schrefer is able to keep and hold my interest and, more importantly, make me care and feel every bit of these tense situations is a testament to the fine writing in these books.
In Endangered Schrefer took us out of our comfort zone and into war torn Congo. That book has a protagonist who grew up in the US giving readers at least some connection to the life she had. Seeing Africa through the eyes of someone with a similar paradigm made the story seem more comfortable, at least starting out. In Threatened Schrefer takes this last bit of comfortable connection to US readers away, and it works beautifully. Luc is an AIDs orphan working to pay off his dead mother's hospital debt to a moneylender. The story is told in first person from by him and a couple sentences was all it took for me to fall completely into the spell of his voice and story. I have no concept of Luc's reality. I've never seen most of the things he describes and I can not come close to imagining the life he lives, which is why I appreciate this book. It is a window into a world I will probably never in my comfortable life even glimpse. Luc is someone I felt like I knew even after a few brief pages though. His voice pulled me into his world and I felt as though I was right there with him. Schrefer has a real talent for making you feel a character's emotions and experiences. It isn't just Luc's world in Gabon that the reader is pulled into though, it is also the world of the chimpanzees in the jungle, or as Luc calls it "the Inside". And here is where the writing really impressed me because I never thought I could come to love a group of chimpanzees and see their individual personalities like I did the ones in this book. When I say I am not an animal person, I honestly mean I don't think about them unless they're right in front of me for some reason and then my attention is brief, so that I found my self growing attached to fictional apes is a testament to the skill of the author telling their story. From adorable baby Mango to her fierce older brother Drummer to the patron of the clan, I found myself by turns fascinated by, concerned for, and troubled with their lives. The man who brings Luc into the jungle goes by the name of Prof and he is also an intriguing character. The small details of his life that are revealed make him into a nuanced and deep character. His intentions are good, his methods are not always. Of course all of the information on the other characters is coming from Luc and his voice has so much power that he made me feel the doubts, hesitations, loyalties, and tenderness he was feeling towards all of them.
The jungle setting of the book is eerily beautiful. Schrefer's vivid imagery brings the place to lush hot life. I found myself swatting at imaginary bugs and feeling like things were crawling on me more than once. While not exactly pleasant, I am impressed by how immersed I was in every aspect of the book. This is a story of the relationship between man and his environment and the creatures who share that environment. Schrefer does an excellent job at highlighting the similarities between humans and chimpanzees and through this highlighting the dangers facing the chimpanzees in the wild. Never does the book take on a didactic or self-righteous tone though. All this is told through Luc and ultimately it is the story of him finding a family he loves and wants to protect. I think this is summed up perfectly in a quote spoken in the book by the Prof: "You know, when you think about it, all survival stories that end happily are also family stories."
I read an ARC received from the publisher, Scholastic, at ALA Midwinter. Threatened is on sale February 25.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
5.0
Schrefer is an incredibly talented writer; his settings feel authentic in that he makes far away places seem very close to home. I develop a strong kinship with his characters---animal or human.
I expected Threatened to be very similar to Endangered, but I was wrong. Endangered is about an American girl visiting her mother in a Congolese bonobo sanctuary when a civil war breaks out. Threatened, on the other hand, is about an orphan boy from Gabon who goes into the wild with a professor in order to learn more about chimpanzees. But these books are more than their settings and the animals. They teach us about what it means to be human. Threatened, in particular, made me think about humanity's evolution and the difficulties that come from living in the wild. I couldn't help but think about how far humanity has strayed from nature. Even when Luc feels that he wants for nothing, he is ashamed that he still holds material desires. This book makes readers think critically, and it would be a great book to use in the classroom.
I expected Threatened to be very similar to Endangered, but I was wrong. Endangered is about an American girl visiting her mother in a Congolese bonobo sanctuary when a civil war breaks out. Threatened, on the other hand, is about an orphan boy from Gabon who goes into the wild with a professor in order to learn more about chimpanzees. But these books are more than their settings and the animals. They teach us about what it means to be human. Threatened, in particular, made me think about humanity's evolution and the difficulties that come from living in the wild. I couldn't help but think about how far humanity has strayed from nature. Even when Luc feels that he wants for nothing, he is ashamed that he still holds material desires. This book makes readers think critically, and it would be a great book to use in the classroom.
readcover2cover's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars. Another surprisingly good book outside of my usual genres. I can't wait to hear from the author at the YSU English Festival!
elliebailey's review against another edition
3.0
I mean... It was good! But it was longer than it needed to be, and really slow at times. I loved Endangered. I really did, but this was not nearly as good. I liked Prof, but his character felt flat. Luc was also pretty flat. It was well written, but it had no plot to keep me going. All of the book was just a description of the jungle.
usbsticky's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up Ape Quartet #2 because I really liked book #1. First of all I was a bit disappointed that #2 wasn't a continuation of #1 but it doesn't matter because it seems like the subject matter would broadly be the same: YA book on primates in Africa.
Spoilers: The plot begins with an orphan boy in Gabon rescued by an academic researcher doing an article for National Geographic. They travel deep into the wild to research chimpanzees.
I have to say I didn't really like the book. The plot didn't seem to have any direction once the two got into the forest. The writing was uninteresting and seemed to go nowhere. I dnf'd at 41% basically because I lost interest in the book. There wasn't much explanation of the chimpanzees' behaviors nor of what was going on in the forest or with the characters. I will not be continuing with #3 or #4.
Spoilers: The plot begins with an orphan boy in Gabon rescued by an academic researcher doing an article for National Geographic. They travel deep into the wild to research chimpanzees.
I have to say I didn't really like the book. The plot didn't seem to have any direction once the two got into the forest. The writing was uninteresting and seemed to go nowhere. I dnf'd at 41% basically because I lost interest in the book. There wasn't much explanation of the chimpanzees' behaviors nor of what was going on in the forest or with the characters. I will not be continuing with #3 or #4.
liralen's review against another edition
4.0
Normally I say that YA is the candy of my reading, but if this is candy, it's very high-quality candy. Or maybe one of those 'secretly healthy' desserts? I'm not sure (and this is a lousy analogy).
Right. Well then. Here's some of what makes Threatened stand out:
-No romance. There's a hint of a past romance for one character, but that's it. I suspect that many YA readers find that sort of thing a disappointment, but I find it wonderfully refreshing. Would I still read Schrefer if he included romance in his plot? Of course -- because I know the romance wouldn't eclipse said plot, or characterisation, or other relationships. But I'm thrilled every time I find a YA novel where the author recognises that there are more interesting stories to be told than ones starring Cupid.
-The setting. The story opens in a Gabonese city, and but for subtle cues it could be any year, perhaps any century. Luc is a street kid, an orphan; although Gabon is relatively well off, Luc doesn't have access to fancy technology. Our first clues are in, for example, Prof's mention that Germany has a female chancellor. That's what I call effective, subtle scene-setting.
-The backstory is equally subtle. We know enough of Luc's history to understand where he's coming from; we know enough of Prof's background to suspect things Luc might not catch. We don't know their entire life histories, and that's okay.
-Luc is from Gabon, not Africa. It's a small moment in the book, near the end, but one that very nearly made me laugh out loud. Of course by being Gabonese Luc is African as well, but he's not stupid and Africa's not a country.
Very different book than [b:Endangered|13591678|Endangered|Eliot Schrefer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339453693s/13591678.jpg|19179750]. Equally compelling.
Right. Well then. Here's some of what makes Threatened stand out:
-No romance. There's a hint of a past romance for one character, but that's it. I suspect that many YA readers find that sort of thing a disappointment, but I find it wonderfully refreshing. Would I still read Schrefer if he included romance in his plot? Of course -- because I know the romance wouldn't eclipse said plot, or characterisation, or other relationships. But I'm thrilled every time I find a YA novel where the author recognises that there are more interesting stories to be told than ones starring Cupid.
-The setting. The story opens in a Gabonese city, and but for subtle cues it could be any year, perhaps any century. Luc is a street kid, an orphan; although Gabon is relatively well off, Luc doesn't have access to fancy technology. Our first clues are in, for example, Prof's mention that Germany has a female chancellor. That's what I call effective, subtle scene-setting.
-The backstory is equally subtle. We know enough of Luc's history to understand where he's coming from; we know enough of Prof's background to suspect things Luc might not catch. We don't know their entire life histories, and that's okay.
-Luc is from Gabon, not Africa. It's a small moment in the book, near the end, but one that very nearly made me laugh out loud. Of course by being Gabonese Luc is African as well, but he's not stupid and Africa's not a country.
Very different book than [b:Endangered|13591678|Endangered|Eliot Schrefer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339453693s/13591678.jpg|19179750]. Equally compelling.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
After Luc's mother and baby sister die, he is taken in by Monsieur Tatagani and forced to work off his mother's debt. All of this changes when a stranger arrives in Franceville, Gabon. Professor Abdul Mohammad wants to be the African Jane Goodall. He is planning on studying the chimpanzees in Gabon and hires Luc to accompany him into the jungle. Luc had always feared the "mock men," but he has no other alternative. What they find inside the jungle is so much more than either of them expected. An amazing look at life inside a chimpanzee troop. Recommended for grades 7 & up.
julieannholland's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This is one of those books that I think are very important, but not necessarily a fun read. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it. But it was different reading a book like this compared to reading something like a YA Fantasy or a cute Romance or something. It isn't necessarily a book you read to sit down, fall in love with the characters and just adore the plot. It was a book you sit down to read and learn from. A book that grows you. And while I did thoroughly enjoy the characters and the setting, like I said, it was just a bit different than something you just sit down and read for funsies.
It covers lots of hard topics such as poverty, poaching, child abuse, discrimination, race, family dynamics, and honestly so much more. It was a great book and it discussed each of these topics with grace and beauty. That is why I was so close to giving this 4 stars instead of 3.5 but at the end of the day I went with 3.5 because it is not something I am likely to read again. I typically rate books 4 and up if I will be reading them again or if they are just perfection. While this book is nearly perfect, I just won't be reading it again because like I said it wasn't your typical fun read. It is a great book, an important book, and I think everyone should at least read it once. It is so heartfelt and offers many amazing perspectives that it is a book I will think about constantly. The author even uses a language that is dead and had to do SO much research in order to write this book and make it accurate. I respect that and respect the author so much for writing this book. So, while my rating isn't the highest, I do recommended this book as it has a lot to offer.
It covers lots of hard topics such as poverty, poaching, child abuse, discrimination, race, family dynamics, and honestly so much more. It was a great book and it discussed each of these topics with grace and beauty. That is why I was so close to giving this 4 stars instead of 3.5 but at the end of the day I went with 3.5 because it is not something I am likely to read again. I typically rate books 4 and up if I will be reading them again or if they are just perfection. While this book is nearly perfect, I just won't be reading it again because like I said it wasn't your typical fun read. It is a great book, an important book, and I think everyone should at least read it once. It is so heartfelt and offers many amazing perspectives that it is a book I will think about constantly. The author even uses a language that is dead and had to do SO much research in order to write this book and make it accurate. I respect that and respect the author so much for writing this book. So, while my rating isn't the highest, I do recommended this book as it has a lot to offer.
jshettel's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't love this as much as the first book, but still a good read and Schrefer clearly has a heart for these animals. Well researched.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Luc, a teenaged AIDS orphan in the African country of Gabon, is barely subsisting in his tiny village, living with other orphans under the harsh eye of the Fagin-like Monsieur Tatagani, who forces Luc to give him every penny he earns from carrying tourists' luggage (or from stealing). Luc has hopes of someday paying off his mother's hospital debt and leaving to find a better life. But when Luc steals a case from one of those tourists, an Arab professor, he gets more than he imagined when the professor pays off his debts and hires Luc to be his assistant. They are going "Inside", into the jungle wilderness, to study chimpanzees. Luc is up for anything that will get him away from the horrible Monsieur Tatagani, but he is not sure anywhere will be safe from the evil man once he discovers the Prof paid him with counterfeit money! But in the meantime, Luc will go along with the Prof in search of "mock men," whom Luc has never seen in person; he's only heard their cries and the legends told about them by villagers. And so begins Luc's transformation, as he comes to know a young pair of chimpanzee siblings he names Drummer and Mango, and learns how to survive among chimps in the wild. He goes through quite a lot; he is already familiar with the basics of jungle survival, but what he learns about chimps from the Prof he must then expand upon as his circumstances change and he is alone in the jungle. He braves the elements, the aggression of male chimps, and the attacks of hunters and other predatory animals. A fantastic story of survival and of nature. As with Schrefer's earlier novel [b:Endangered|13591678|Endangered|Eliot Schrefer|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339453693s/13591678.jpg|19179750], the author's research shows in his detailed, realistic depictions of the setting and the primate characters; you really get a sense of what life is like for wild chimpanzees. I thought this book was even more realistic than his first, because the first book's main character went through such an incredible cross-country ordeal that it really stretched credulity that she came out of all of that alive. Luc has a lot of similar trials, and also has to learn the ways of a primate (chimps instead of bonobos), but it didn't seem quite so extraordinary this time because it all took place in the same setting. Helpful author's note at the end lists many books and sources for learning more about the plight of chimpanzees and of AIDS orphans.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am writing this review based on that copy.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am writing this review based on that copy.