Reviews

Zoology by Ben Dolnick

devonforest's review against another edition

3.0

I was really hoping for a lot more about the Central Park Zoo aspect of the story.

chloewood's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

jenmooremo's review against another edition

4.0

This is a coming of age story about Henry who has flunked out of college and is trying to find his way in the world and somehow ends up as a keeper in the Central Park Children's Zoo. As the narrator of the story, Henry introduces us to his past, his family and his impressions of New York, love, and friendship with those he lives and works with as well as a goat named Newman.

Good solid writing from a first time young author...I'd like to read more from him.

el_viral's review against another edition

3.0

Really more of a 2.5. I drifted through this book the way the protagonist and, it seems, almost everyone around him drift through their lives. To me, it says a lot that he recounts a couple if memories near-identical to ones that are very painful for me, but that the scenes don't elicit an emotional response. Solidly written, but certainly not 'beautiful and haunting' as the cover copy would have you think.

lorbach's review against another edition

3.0

Mildly entertaining. I think Dolnick did a good job in the writing piece however, the end fell a little flat. I found no relevance to it and the rest of the story. I did however find myself rooting for Henry and hoping he would find his way. Though I was a little disappointed I do think that the writing flowed well throughout the book

kateea7536's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Some of the writing in this book was beautiful, especially the descriptions of Henry’s love. However, I didn’t feel like much happened or perhaps more that there was a lack of direction/point to the book, and there were a lot of threads to the story that didn’t feel necessary. I didn’t enjoy the end section because it was just sad, but maybe the point was that things don’t work out… didn’t understand the dog rescuing bit at the end either but maybe I just missed the point. 

alps's review against another edition

2.0

I liked this book in a three-star sort of way until the last 60 pages or so. Basically, the main character, Henry, is an idiot. He completely tricks himself into thinking that a girl who has a boyfriend may react positively when he tells her how much he's in love with her. It seems like something I would've done in middle school, not something a 19 year old should be doing. Of course, she doesn't react well when he spills his guts, and in order to alleviate his poor little teen heart he decides to go walk around New York City with a goat he freed from the zoo he works at. Is this a good idea? What do you think will happen next? If you answered "The goat will run away" then you're 100% right! How predictable is that. Then, rather than own up to his mistakes to his boss, he tries to cover it up before eventually coming clean, making his entire situation worse. Basically, this book would've been okay if the main character wasn't incredibly immature and stupid.

dannireadsallthetime's review against another edition

2.0

This has been sitting on my book shelf for ages and I have only just managed to get round to it. Reading the blurb I thought this was going to be something a bit different to read, so I was excited.
Reading this book, personally, was painful. All the way through I kept starting a paragraph and then I'd realised I started day dreaming about other things, this book just couldn't hold my interest.
Its about a boy called Henry who goes to stay with his brother in New York for the summer and gets a job at the zoo.
Henry falls in love with a girl and in those moments that the author describes how Henry feels about her, is if I'm honest, immense, its described perfectly of how you are falling in love with someone and it can be painful, those parts I enjoyed
Towards the end everything goes wrong for poor Henry and I just feel really miserable, he just ends up worse off than he did to begin with.
I also thought the story at the end about Newman was stupid, don't understand the point of it. Maybe there is a deep meaningful point to this book that I just wasn't picking up on? Maybe?
I wouldn't read this again and I wouldn't recommend it. Very disappointing.

beabates's review against another edition

2.0

I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I felt ambivilant. The character I liked most was a goat. Is that a good thing?

giantarms's review against another edition

3.0

It was a book with a goat in it. I think I am no longer able to appreciate these kinds of books. That is, books full of confused people with no actual problems.

Anyway, what do I expect from a book I just happened to notice on the shelf when I was looking for something else?

An enjoyable lunchtime read.