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nick_00's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
beckykreads's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gamboadeb's review
3.0
I enjoyed the book although it wad pretty predictable. All in all I would recommend it.
graciesmom's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little disappointed in this book, having read it after "Water for Elephants".
book_concierge's review
2.0
Audio book read by Paul Boehmer
Isabel Duncan and her fiancé Peter Benton head a university research facility studying language in great apes. The specific apes they are studying are bonobos, and Isabel, in particular, has developed a very close personal relationship with the family of apes. The day after journalist John Thigpen comes for an interview, the center is bombed by an animal rights activist group, and Isabel is seriously injured. To avoid any additional public outcry, the university sells the apes to a private concern. Barely recovering from her injuries, Isabel is horrified to discover that the apes are now starring in a reality TV show called The Ape House.
If all this sounds somewhat farfetched … well, it does come off like a soap opera. I wondered at times if she was trying to emulate Carl Hiaasen for colorful characters and unusual situations; if she was, she failed miserably. The final confrontation is a little too neatly tied up for my taste, and several subplots seem to go nowhere.
I was invested in the bonobo family from the beginning and wanted to know what would happen to them. It was the humans in the book that I never really got to know. The most interesting characters are the minor ones (even as stereotypical as they are). As written, Isabel is a flat character whose emotional range is stunted; no wonder she prefers the apes to humans. John Thigpen is confused about his career and possibly about his marriage, though I’m not even sure about that; again his story isn’t fleshed out. Basically the humans in this book irritated me more frequently than not.
Paul Boehmer does a good job of performing the work. He’s especially effective voicing John Thigpen. The audio book held my attention, and for that I give 2 stars.
Isabel Duncan and her fiancé Peter Benton head a university research facility studying language in great apes. The specific apes they are studying are bonobos, and Isabel, in particular, has developed a very close personal relationship with the family of apes. The day after journalist John Thigpen comes for an interview, the center is bombed by an animal rights activist group, and Isabel is seriously injured. To avoid any additional public outcry, the university sells the apes to a private concern. Barely recovering from her injuries, Isabel is horrified to discover that the apes are now starring in a reality TV show called The Ape House.
If all this sounds somewhat farfetched … well, it does come off like a soap opera. I wondered at times if she was trying to emulate Carl Hiaasen for colorful characters and unusual situations; if she was, she failed miserably. The final confrontation is a little too neatly tied up for my taste, and several subplots seem to go nowhere.
I was invested in the bonobo family from the beginning and wanted to know what would happen to them. It was the humans in the book that I never really got to know. The most interesting characters are the minor ones (even as stereotypical as they are). As written, Isabel is a flat character whose emotional range is stunted; no wonder she prefers the apes to humans. John Thigpen is confused about his career and possibly about his marriage, though I’m not even sure about that; again his story isn’t fleshed out. Basically the humans in this book irritated me more frequently than not.
Paul Boehmer does a good job of performing the work. He’s especially effective voicing John Thigpen. The audio book held my attention, and for that I give 2 stars.
alidottie's review
3.0
Sara Gruen did a lot of research about the bonobo apes and was able to write some passages based on her own firsthand experiences with them. Unfortunately, there is just not enough about the apes and too much story that wasn't developed enough. I felt like I knew more about John and Amanda's story but Isabel who is the scientist who worked with the bonobos most and her life and backstory were just a bit of frosting thrown in without depth. Then the myriad of other characters who had the potential to be interesting were not developed at all really. Could have been a lot better. Interesting ideas--just not developed.
ovenbird_reads's review
3.0
A quick, easy, enjoyable read--though perhaps too transparent in its criticism of reality TV. Although it does call on us to look at our behaviour and see just how ridiculous we are in our quest for fame.
booksconnectus's review
3.0
I had heard nothing about this book before reading it-other than it was by the same author as Water for Elephants....which I had not read yet......I enjoyed it.....kept me interested.....learned a little bit about the ape world.....made me laugh and cry...and made me think some too and relate....so although it wasn't an earth-shatteringly amazing book it was enjoyable. I would reccomend it.