Deep in the Congo, a renegade scientist alters the genetic makeup of a bonobo ape, with whom he then (artifically, I hope) inseminated with his own reproductive cells, to create Lucy. Jenny, who is also a scientist that studies bonobo, finds Lucy alone in the jungle; her mother and father have been shot by guerrilla warriors. Lucy looks human. She has faculty of her thumbs, language, and morality. But she also has strong nature intuitions and is physically super-strong; she later becomes a regional high-school wrestling champ. At first Jenny and Lucy try to keep Lucy's heritage a secret. But then of course they fail. People hate, fear, and chase Lucy.

Both Lucy and Jenny are written as extremely soulful and likeable characters. Even their respective best friends are cut of the same kindred cloth. So really, it's a book about how the rest of the world is all fucked up.

I recently learned of Nancy Pearl's four "Doors". There are four: Story, Character, Setting, and Language. This one is definitely a wide Story door. ( )

After having read ".. Benjamin Butler", this book paled in comparison. The potential to up the ante on the story existed here and I felt it could have been better. That said, the narrative style is well done and it reads well. Not sure I'd recommend it to others that appreciate great writing and storytelling though. ( )

This is not your typical novel about a teenage girl who is an outsider. True, Lucy grew up in another culture and has trouble fitting into the modern American high school. She struggles to make friends, embarrasses herself in front of the popular crowd, doesn’t understand the latest slang, and is behind on technology. But there is also something uniquely foreign about Lucy. She is part ape.

Dr. Jenny Lowe is a scientist who has spent many years in Africa studying primates in an increasingly dangerous region; when the violence finally reaches her camp, she flees to the camp of a rival scientist, only to find that the terrorists have already destroyed it and killed everyone there — except for a young teenage girl who Jenny believes is the daughter of the lead scientist. Jenny and the girl, who is named Lucy, find their way to safety, and with the help of the American embassy and some diplomats, arrive in Chicago not long after. There Lucy must learn to live in a culture and society completely foreign to her. Jenny stands in as her adoptive mother, and although together they have decided that Lucy’s parentage must be kept secret, it is not long before the truth begins to reveal itself.

With the current rate of advance in genetics and technology, it makes you wonder how long until aspects of this particular novel become truth. Although it seems far-fetched now, the struggle that Lucy has between her humanity and her ape self brings light to the question, what is it to be human? How much should we meddle with the DNA of our own selves? The actions and reactions of the characters in this book have a reality about them — from the careless comments of the teenagers to the mob mentality of the American society. Although this is usually shelved in adult fiction, it would have appeal to teen fans of sci-fi and futuristic fiction. ( )

When I read the description on this book I wasn't at all sure that I would be able to enjoy it. A man genetically engineers an ape so that she can give birth to a half human child? How good can that be? Actually it was very well done.

Naturally there are a lot of questions raised by the story, mainly what is “human” and what is “animal.” It wasn't thrust on the reader in an unnatural way either. Sure there are some logistical parts where I thought it was obviously just easier to throw something down to hurry up the story than to work around the problem of a half-chimp not having a passport and other issues of the sort, but on the whole, it went very well story-wise. I enjoyed the flow and the look into society. I actually recommend this one. Don't be fooled by the sound of the summary, it's quite good. ( )

Jenny Lowe is in the Congo studying bonobos when civil war breaks out. She rescues a nearby scientists daughter, Lucy and ends up adopting her. It turns out there is a big secret regarding Lucy's parentage. An interesting read though I wish it had spent more time exploring Lucy's background. ( )