Endangered (Ape Quartet, #1)

by Eliot Schrefer

[rakesandrogues]

I first heard about ENDANGERED by Eliot Schrefer at BEA. I wanted to get my hands on it, but the fates just didn’t work out and I let it slip through my fingers. Months later, I hear that it had been nominated as a finalist for the National Book Award. We made our bets at work and discussed the likelihood of each book winning. I had my hopes up for ENDANGERED by Eliot Schrefer. While it did not end up winning after all (that prize went to Goblin Secrets, by the way), I can see why ENDANGERED by Eliot Screfer had been nominated. It’s a heart-warming book that brings to light the political and environmental issues in a different part of the world.

Sophie, the protagonist of ENDANGERED by Eliot Schrefer, is such an inspiring character. There were many times that I forgot that she is only fourteen years old because of her maturity and ability to stay collected during such a stressful time. I love that she was able to persevere despite the hardships in the jungle of Congo. She doesn’t have the best survival skills, but she learns to adapt to her new environment. Her love for Otto is so heart-warming. Eliot Schrefer creates such a beautiful bond between Sophie and Otto.

ENDANGERED by Eliot Schrefer is quite educational without being too didactic. Besides teaching us about bonobos, Schrefer ties in different aspects about the Democratic Republic of Congo from the political climate of the country to diseases that affect that country’s citizens. Readers will definitely get a glimpse of what it is like at a different part of the world. Schrefer did his research well.

Unfortunately, ENDANGERED by Eliot Schrefer was not mind-blowingly, tear-jerking awesome. It was a great read that captivated me from beginning to end, but I was hoping for just a little something extra in the writing to forever cement the book in my memory. ENDANGERED by Eliot Schrefer definitely deserved the nomination, but now that I’ve read it, I don’t know that if it deserved the win. (Not saying that I think Goblin Secrets deserved it either, but that’s a different post…)