Lucy by Laurence Gonzales

Summary:
Primatologist Jenny Lowe is studying bonobo chimpanzees deep in the Congo when she is caught in a deadly civil war that leaves a fellow researcher dead and his daughter, Lucy, orphaned. Realizing that the child has no living relatives, Jenny begins to care for Lucy as her own. But as she reads the late scientist’s notebooks, she discovers that Lucy is the result of a shocking experiment, and that the adorable, magical, wonderful girl she has come to love is an entirely new hybrid species—half human, half bonobo. (from GoodReads)

Review:I've had this book on my shelf for several years now and I finally got around to reading it. Luckily for me it was pretty entertaining novel.

Before reading Lucy, I was expecting something along the lines of the movie Splice where Lucy was more bonobo than human. However, to the naked eye it's almost impossible to tell that this teenage girl isn't fully human. She acts a little odd sometimes, but that can be easily explained away by the fact that she spent her whole life living in the African jungle. However, Lucy did have the super strength, speed, and senses of a bonobo, making her different from the people around her.

Lucy was a pretty easy read and I was able to speed through the pages. The book wasn't exactly thrilling, but the author still kept me engaged because I wanted to know what would happen to Lucy. As you can probably tell, other people do discover her secret and I thought Gonzales did a good job of describing the different reactions. Though it may be cynical, I do think there would be individuals and groups protesting her as an abomination, making it dangerous for her to live.

The book is written in third person and as the reader I felt a little detached from the emotional component. There are some sad parts and I wish the author delved further into those feelings. Lucy does end on a cliffhanger and I would love to know what happens next. I don't know if the author plans on continuing the story but I think I would read the next book if there is one.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: received from publisher.

2010/Vintage/320 pages.