Pages [375p.] [$19.99] ISBN [1441871497]
From Goodreads: "For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan ? an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize. It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more than just an experiment. His father disagrees. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true ? between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate. Half Brother isn't just a story about a boy and a chimp. It's about the way families are made, the way humanity is judged, the way easy choices become hard ones, and how you can't always do right by the people and animals you love. In the hands of master storyteller Kenneth Oppel, it's a novel you won't soon forget."
Kenneth Oppel is a highly celebrated Canadian children's and young adult author- his most famous series include his The Silverwing Saga series (Silverwing, Sunwing, Firewing, and Darkwing) and his Airborn series (Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber). Half Brother is his a standalone written in 2010 featuring Ben Tomlin and his science-experiment-turned-little-brother Zan, the chimp.
While I cannot confirm as to whether or not the period in which this book is set in, the 1970's, is effectively reproduced, being quite unfamiliar with the decade, I can confirm that the narrative is overall quite interesting (in fact, this subject matter holds a very special place in my heart as during my undergrad, a B.A. in bioarchaeological anthropology, I specialized in primatology and had quite seriously considered attending graduate school for it- though for lemurs rather than chimpanzees).
From Goodreads: "For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan ? an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize. It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more than just an experiment. His father disagrees. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true ? between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate. Half Brother isn't just a story about a boy and a chimp. It's about the way families are made, the way humanity is judged, the way easy choices become hard ones, and how you can't always do right by the people and animals you love. In the hands of master storyteller Kenneth Oppel, it's a novel you won't soon forget."
Kenneth Oppel is a highly celebrated Canadian children's and young adult author- his most famous series include his The Silverwing Saga series (Silverwing, Sunwing, Firewing, and Darkwing) and his Airborn series (Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber). Half Brother is his a standalone written in 2010 featuring Ben Tomlin and his science-experiment-turned-little-brother Zan, the chimp.
While I cannot confirm as to whether or not the period in which this book is set in, the 1970's, is effectively reproduced, being quite unfamiliar with the decade, I can confirm that the narrative is overall quite interesting (in fact, this subject matter holds a very special place in my heart as during my undergrad, a B.A. in bioarchaeological anthropology, I specialized in primatology and had quite seriously considered attending graduate school for it- though for lemurs rather than chimpanzees).
I wouldn't necessarily say that treatment of the narrative is imaginative, I think that if anything it is extremely true to real life- the situations, the emotions, the dialogue, and whatnot. Therefore, while at times it was extremely engaging, at others it did border on being dull (during those dull moments I couldn't help but groan at the length of it- I think that shaving 100 pages off of it would only strengthen it). I do not believe that the theme is artificially imposed upon the plot, I think that it and the moral/ commentary are extremely natural- seamlessly being interwoven into one another.
I think that telling this book in first person was the best choice as it really allowed the reader to develop an understanding and connection with Ben that they might not otherwise have been able to had it been told in third person. I think that both the mood is sustained and that the narrative flows easily- the deeper into the story you read the more you fall for Zan and the more you care about his future, not unlike if he was your own half-brother, human or primate.
Curiously, my library system's copy of this book was shelved in the juvenile section, while the London Public Library system has it shelved in the young adult section. I personally feel that it is best shelved in the juvenile section as I found that it read like a middle grade book (Ben, the main character, is 13 years old). I think that those in their middle grade years/ lower end of the YA spectrum (13-14 years old) will get more enjoyment from it more than those in the higher end of the YA spectrum (18-24 years old).
That being said, I do believe that this book does have a wide appeal- that male readers and female readers will like it equally. Additionally, I appreciate the fact that it is fairly educational without feeling so.
Overall I did enjoy it, however I will not be rereading it (strange for me, as I almost reread every book multiple times).
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