Sharyl reviewed Ape house by Sara Gruen
Review of 'Ape house' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Sara Gruen's second novel centers around Isabel Duncan, a young woman scientist, and the Bonobos who are participating in her language project. They--Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena--are all living happily with each other until one horrible evening when their building is bombed. Who would do such a thing, and why? Enter John Thigpen, a struggling reporter, who will eventually solve this mystery.
This story gets moving quickly, and though we're presented with a dire situation in the beginning, there are comic moments that succeed in making this a lighter read than I'd expected.
My one criticism of the plot has to do with Isabel's fiance, Peter Benton: he doesn't seem to be developed enough to be such an important character. Most of what he does takes place off stage, and I still don't understand his motives. We are not shown why Isabel has fallen in love with him, …
Sara Gruen's second novel centers around Isabel Duncan, a young woman scientist, and the Bonobos who are participating in her language project. They--Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena--are all living happily with each other until one horrible evening when their building is bombed. Who would do such a thing, and why? Enter John Thigpen, a struggling reporter, who will eventually solve this mystery.
This story gets moving quickly, and though we're presented with a dire situation in the beginning, there are comic moments that succeed in making this a lighter read than I'd expected.
My one criticism of the plot has to do with Isabel's fiance, Peter Benton: he doesn't seem to be developed enough to be such an important character. Most of what he does takes place off stage, and I still don't understand his motives. We are not shown why Isabel has fallen in love with him, nor do we see any heartache, later on.
Overall, though, this was a very enjoyable read, with a cast of intriguing characters.
