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just_tosh's review
4.0
I thought that this was going to be a happy go lucky book about a family training a chimp to communicate with sign language and making Charlie a part of the family and everyone lives happily ever after with the whole world falls in love with. How wrong I was.
Everyone in this book is dysfunctional. The Freeman's start off normal but it turns into one big mess in the end. The chaos is what kept me reading to the point where I didn't want to put the book down - I wanted to see this train wreck through to the end.
WLYCF touches on family, sexual and racial identity. It wasn't an easy read. This book definitely made me uncomfortable because it does bring the stereotypes and beliefs of Black people and our genetics to the forefront. You don't want to consider that people thought this way but they do, even in this day and age.
Another debut novel that gets a thumb up from me. I'll read her next novel without hesitation.
Favorite quote:
As I understand it, You, African Americans, are very much concerned with history. With Your past. From what I gather, You claim to be nameless. You claim that Your history has been taken from you and what is left is a vacuous hole where the words should be.
Everyone in this book is dysfunctional. The Freeman's start off normal but it turns into one big mess in the end. The chaos is what kept me reading to the point where I didn't want to put the book down - I wanted to see this train wreck through to the end.
WLYCF touches on family, sexual and racial identity. It wasn't an easy read. This book definitely made me uncomfortable because it does bring the stereotypes and beliefs of Black people and our genetics to the forefront. You don't want to consider that people thought this way but they do, even in this day and age.
Another debut novel that gets a thumb up from me. I'll read her next novel without hesitation.
Favorite quote:
As I understand it, You, African Americans, are very much concerned with history. With Your past. From what I gather, You claim to be nameless. You claim that Your history has been taken from you and what is left is a vacuous hole where the words should be.
mhall's review
3.0
3.5. Not a big fan of chimps in fiction, but this was compelling, had interesting themes, was easy to read if slightly ominous in tone, and had a great ending I did not expect. I enjoyed it more than the recent novel by Karen Joy Fowler.
klasticdayz's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
eemolu's review
1.0
this book was not for me. redeeming factors: queer representation and nuanced portraits of family.
i picked it up out of a donation bin because it was free and now i'm going to put it back!! might be for other people but was definitively Not For Me.
i picked it up out of a donation bin because it was free and now i'm going to put it back!! might be for other people but was definitively Not For Me.
shereadersbookclub's review
5.0
This was not at all what I expected. Interesting story with lots of good discussion points. Want to join the conversation? www.shereaders.com
betiana's review
5.0
Wonderful structure, enticing prose, lyrical approach to race and history and the history of race and racism and racial relations in the US.
heykellyjensen's review
This is a hard read, but it's rewarding: it's a story about race, history, racism, whiteness, blackness, science, family, and so much more. The Freeman family is invited to move to a premier research facility to help teach an ape, Charlie, sign language. He'll be part of their family. But as the story progresses, we learn the history of the facility, the racial tensions that exist, and in a lot of ways, this is incredibly uncomfortable to read (and I think that discomfort is precisely why Greenidge's book is so successful).
It's told through multiple POVs and multiple timelines, but I found Charlotte's voice -- she's the teenager here and speaks in first person -- to be so well done, so thoughtful, and would make this book especially appealing to YA readers and teenagers who want to read adult books.
There are unexpected twists and turns, and Charlotte's sexuality is open and accepted as part of who she is. It's not a story line, but it is part of her story. My one tiny quibble would be how Callie is rendered in her fatness, but I think it's okay on account that we're only ever shown it from Charlotte's POV, and Charlotte has resentment toward Callie that would lead to her feelings and comments. In other words, I buy it's character talking here, not judgment on a grander scale.
It's told through multiple POVs and multiple timelines, but I found Charlotte's voice -- she's the teenager here and speaks in first person -- to be so well done, so thoughtful, and would make this book especially appealing to YA readers and teenagers who want to read adult books.
There are unexpected twists and turns, and Charlotte's sexuality is open and accepted as part of who she is. It's not a story line, but it is part of her story. My one tiny quibble would be how Callie is rendered in her fatness, but I think it's okay on account that we're only ever shown it from Charlotte's POV, and Charlotte has resentment toward Callie that would lead to her feelings and comments. In other words, I buy it's character talking here, not judgment on a grander scale.
ofmuses's review
2.0
i’ve had this book on my shelf for a while, and i know the reason it piqued my interest then was because there aren’t enough books about sign language, and there definitely isn’t one where a chimpanzee was in the middle of it. there’s so much to explore in a book with this premise, and as i started reading it, theres a surprising plot with more important topics that were being unraveled.
the first 2/3rd of the book i thought that i was going to end up absolutely loving it, seeing the perspective of Black people, the family dynamics, the disturbing history of white people dehumanizing Black people, the ethics in animal science, the characters, and even sexuality.
it left me wanting for more, but then i finished the book-
and i still felt the same, like i wanted more and could’ve gotten more.
the build up on the first half was absolutely amazing, but the end felt too abrupt. there could’ve been so much more with such an amazing, promising start in the plot. even now i still find myself wondering- what could’ve happened instead.
although, there were still some beautiful parts and amazing lesson that came from this book that i will keep, i am saddened to say that i didn’t care enough for it and don’t feel much of a connection to the characters and the story in the end.
2.5 stars
the first 2/3rd of the book i thought that i was going to end up absolutely loving it, seeing the perspective of Black people, the family dynamics, the disturbing history of white people dehumanizing Black people, the ethics in animal science, the characters, and even sexuality.
it left me wanting for more, but then i finished the book-
and i still felt the same, like i wanted more and could’ve gotten more.
the build up on the first half was absolutely amazing, but the end felt too abrupt. there could’ve been so much more with such an amazing, promising start in the plot. even now i still find myself wondering- what could’ve happened instead.
although, there were still some beautiful parts and amazing lesson that came from this book that i will keep, i am saddened to say that i didn’t care enough for it and don’t feel much of a connection to the characters and the story in the end.
2.5 stars
siixteen's review
3.0
A lot of really good foreboding language/foreshadowing, but then I was disappointed when the book seemed to be working up to a horrifying climax but didn't really. Some of the characters apologized or disappeared and it never really seemed to come to a head.