Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Knopf (2010), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 320 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. HTML: Laurence Gonzales's electrifying adventure opens in the jungles of the Congo. Jenny Lowe, a primatologist studying chimpanzees--the bonobos--is running for her life. A civil war has exploded and Jenny is trapped in its crosshairs . . . She runs to the camp of a fellow primatologist. The rebels have already been there. Everyone is dead except a young girl, the daughter of Jenny's brutally murdered fellow scientist--and competitor. Jenny and the child flee, Jenny grabbing the notebooks of the primatologist who's been killed. She brings the girl to Chicago to await the discovery of her relatives. The girl is fifteen and lovely--her name is Lucy. Realizing that the child has no living relatives, Jenny begins to care for her as her own. When she reads the notebooks written by Lucy's father, she discovers that the adorable, lovely, magical Lucy is the result of an experiment. She is part human, part ape--a hybrid human being . . . Laurence Gonzales's novel grabs you from its opening pages and you stay with it, mesmerized by the shy but fierce, wonderfully winning Lucy. From the Hardcover edition..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
A brilliant work of SF doing exactly what SF should do: use what science has not yet done to hold up a mirror to the world that we live in. Furthermore, it paraphrases Steve Martin monologues from SNL in the 1970's and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. What's not to love?
LibraryThing member Cherylk
Jenny Lowe is deep in the jungle of Congo. She is studying the bonobos apes. Jenny is not the only one whom is studying the apes. Donald Stone, British researcher and his fifteen year old daughter, Lucy are also in Congo.
Jenny awakes to hear gun shots. She takes off running through the jungle
Lucy is the first novel I have read by this author. I can say without an absolute shadow of a doubt that I will be checking out more books by Mr. Gonzales. This book had elements of the movie, Congo. This book is something I could picture paying money to go see in the movie theaters. Mr. Gonzales really brings to life, Jenny and Lucy. Right from the beginning I was sucked into this book and found that I could literally not tear myself away from this book. I was in the zone and nothing could distract me. It was interesting to see everything from Lucy’s point of view. If you love sci fi novels or are just looking for something new and refreshing from vampires, werewolves and demons then you have to pick up a copy of Lucy. You won’t be sorry.
Jenny awakes to hear gun shots. She takes off running through the jungle
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towards Dr. Stone’s encampment. There Jenny finds Dr. Stone dead. Jenny rescues Lucy and takes her back to London. Jenny starts to notice something is slightly different about Lucy. It isn’t anything really big but just little things like the way Lucy eats her banana, doesn’t understand the concept of clothing, or how to communicate. Jenny learns the truth about Lucy. What Jenny does with this information can change the world and evolution. Lucy is the first novel I have read by this author. I can say without an absolute shadow of a doubt that I will be checking out more books by Mr. Gonzales. This book had elements of the movie, Congo. This book is something I could picture paying money to go see in the movie theaters. Mr. Gonzales really brings to life, Jenny and Lucy. Right from the beginning I was sucked into this book and found that I could literally not tear myself away from this book. I was in the zone and nothing could distract me. It was interesting to see everything from Lucy’s point of view. If you love sci fi novels or are just looking for something new and refreshing from vampires, werewolves and demons then you have to pick up a copy of Lucy. You won’t be sorry.
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LibraryThing member eejjennings
Although the characters aren't completely developed, this book raises some interesting issues about human and adolescent society from the POV of a newcomer. Could be good for an older teen. Doesn't have the ick factor I thought it might.
LibraryThing member Soniamarie
I took a chance on this one. My first thought upon finding this was "A half human, half ape girl? I don't know about this.." But my curiosity was picqued enough that when I found it at my local library, I decided... "What the heck.. it's here already and doesn't require an ILL request.."
It was
Jenny takes Lucy to home with her to Chicago but the secret eventually comes out. When Jenny discovers she is adopting an ape girl, she vows to protect Lucy at all costs. Don't make promises you cannot keep!! Due to medical issues, Lucy's secret is discovered.
Soon everyone wants Lucy. The religious fanatics want her. The US government wants her. Scientists want her. The Nazis even want her. And most of them want her dead. With her posting her entire life on Youtube and showing up on Oprah and Good Morning America, it's only a matter of time before Lucy is captured by one of those groups. Will she get away? There's bound to bloodshed, but whose? And when it comes down to it, is Lucy more human or more ape?
I laughed when Lucy tosses a boy across the wrestling mat and chuckled when she watches YouTube and thinks of how drunk girls act like bonobos. I found the book rather insightful as well. It's an interesting look at human behavior from a non human POV. Makes you think.
Four stars because I thought Lucy's friend, Amanda needed to get her own life. I found her constant involvement in everything weird.
It was
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surprisingly good and had me on the edge of my seat. (Obviously! I devoured it a day!) Lucy is the result of a scientist that has lived 25 years in the Congo jungle studying bonobos. The scientist artificially inseminated a female bonobo with faint human genes (also of his creation) with his own seed and raised Lucy as both human and bonobos for 14 years. Lucy and her father's peaceful if strange jungle existence comes to an abrupt halt when civil war breaks out tho. Her entire family is dead and a fellow scientist, Jenny rescues her with no knowledge of Lucy's unique DNA. Jenny takes Lucy to home with her to Chicago but the secret eventually comes out. When Jenny discovers she is adopting an ape girl, she vows to protect Lucy at all costs. Don't make promises you cannot keep!! Due to medical issues, Lucy's secret is discovered.
Soon everyone wants Lucy. The religious fanatics want her. The US government wants her. Scientists want her. The Nazis even want her. And most of them want her dead. With her posting her entire life on Youtube and showing up on Oprah and Good Morning America, it's only a matter of time before Lucy is captured by one of those groups. Will she get away? There's bound to bloodshed, but whose? And when it comes down to it, is Lucy more human or more ape?
I laughed when Lucy tosses a boy across the wrestling mat and chuckled when she watches YouTube and thinks of how drunk girls act like bonobos. I found the book rather insightful as well. It's an interesting look at human behavior from a non human POV. Makes you think.
Four stars because I thought Lucy's friend, Amanda needed to get her own life. I found her constant involvement in everything weird.
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LibraryThing member amanderson
Fourteen-year-old Lucy's father is a primatologist living in the Congo and her mother is a bonobo. When her parents are killed by guerrillas, she is found by Jenny, another primatologist, who takes her to safety in the U.S. and enrolls her in school. But once her origin as a genetically
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bioengineered hybrid is discovered, it remains to be seen how safe she really is. A decently written enjoyable suspense novel; has definite teen appeal because the point of view alternates back and forth from Lucy to Jenny, and depicts Lucy's adjustment to being an American teen in a typical high school. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephaniechase
Lucy is the story of a girl raised in the jungles of the Congo, who turns out to be far more complex than we -- or the public in the novel -- can imagine. Lucy is a wonderful, rich character, and the novel sheds light on many of our most troubling social and environmental issues -- both ones that
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exist, and ones on the horizon. For me, though, the level of the writing failed to live up to that complexity of the main character and the struggles of the issues, marring what could have been a phenomenal book with pedestrian dialogue and undergraduate writing workshop prose. Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
Lucy is a hybrid human - part human and part ape (bonobo). The story is an excellent one with a lot of believable happenings. It is at times heartwarming, and sometimes a little funny and sometimes quite scary. I found most of the characters to be richly developed and I came to care about them a
I'm glad I gave this book a chance and consider it an above average read. I think it might appeal mostly to late teens, but it covers issues of ethics and humanity that are relevant to readers of any age.
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lot during the reading of the story, none moreso than Lucy herself. Although the storytelling is mostly excellent, the writing itself is rather bland at times. I state this as an observation, not a criticism. The story is well told. I'd say the author does have a problem with teen dialogue, creating an odd mix of a 70's-80's-90's lingo. Tell me when was the last time you heard a teenager quote a line from a mid 70's Steve Martin skit for example. But still, the teen friendship central to part of the story felt honest and real. Other than Lucy's father, characters in the story are painted in black and white rather than shades of grey. That may bother some people. And if you are a fan of the Patriotic Act, you might want to avoid this one.I'm glad I gave this book a chance and consider it an above average read. I think it might appeal mostly to late teens, but it covers issues of ethics and humanity that are relevant to readers of any age.
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LibraryThing member spotteddog
This book was compelling at first, with a very interesting concept. It lost me when too much interpersonal conflict was added, such as Lucy's relationship with her first and only girlfriend. I did finish it, as I really needed to know how it ended. I am unsure who I would recommend this book to
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though. Show Less
LibraryThing member LynnSigman
Read the Advanced Reader's Edition. Interesting story, but kind of jumpy between events - author may spend a lot of time on one event and then the next paragraph would jump to the next week or month, etc. with no segue in between.
LibraryThing member suedutton
Interesting concept, but very disappointing execution.
LibraryThing member Kikoa
This is a very intriguing read. Subject matter is for some hard to wrap their mind around, making it my type of book. I will write more as soon as I finish.
LibraryThing member Katong
Didn't really do it for me...
LibraryThing member BaileysAndBooks
From the moment I heard about this book, I wanted to read it, and as I finally started reading it, I really wanted to like it. It started out so strong, but then it went off the rails. As I kept reading there would be sparks of the potential that this book had, but it ultimately left me
Even looking past some of the far-fetchness of the plot in places, I found some of the relationships and character traits very unrealistic, especially the inclusion of Lucy's friend Amanda. So much about her personalty did not ring true, even if she was the most sophisticated teenage ever.
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disappointed.Even looking past some of the far-fetchness of the plot in places, I found some of the relationships and character traits very unrealistic, especially the inclusion of Lucy's friend Amanda. So much about her personalty did not ring true, even if she was the most sophisticated teenage ever.
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LibraryThing member picardyrose
Couldn't get into it. I myself love the mall.
LibraryThing member theWallflower
Lucy is a transparent novel. You know just what it will be about looking at the cover. Some primatologist created a girl with human and monkey DNA (and somehow did this in current day with only one man). Said primatologist is dead and now the girl must integrate into the real world. Like Tarzan,
At first, I thought it was going to be a YA novel, and maybe it should have been. I would have been much happier reading the YA version of this -- where she struggles to reconcile her dual parentage, her "superpowers", and all the other problems teenagers have. But sadly, the novel only focuses a little on that.
Much too much of the book is spent on the characters discovering what the audience knew on page one. Then they spend a great deal of time on covering Lucy's "secret", which is rendered moot when they decide to "come out of the closet". There's an outpouring of support, which quickly gives away to not-support, as "they" need to decide if she's human or not. This prompts faceless g-men kidnap her and do experiments, since she has super-strength and naturewalk.
It's all very cliche, with a lot of plot holes and unimagined archetypes. Plus the characterization that goes nowhere. There's a romance between the foster mother and a doctor that goes nowhere. There's lesbian kissing between Lucy and her best friend that nothing comes of. There's a cute boy on the wrestling team with her that goes nowhere. There's impactful characterization that comes in the last five pages of the book, when it can no longer have relevance. And as you'd expect from something involving apes and the jungle, there's the heavy-handed message that we all need to get back in touch with nature, hug a tree, too much technology, embrace the earth, blah blah blah.
And deus ex is sprinkled liberally throughout. They miraculously are able to take a fourteen-year-old girl with no known parents and sketchy citizenship papers that are out of date out of the Congo and back to the U.S. The doctor friend miraculously destroys medical evidence -- which I believe is a felony -- with no consequence. They make friends with a woman who is miraculously rich and willing to give them all the money in the world they need. It's a rough novel, with many flaws. Entirely skippable.
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but more believable (and, at the same time, less). At first, I thought it was going to be a YA novel, and maybe it should have been. I would have been much happier reading the YA version of this -- where she struggles to reconcile her dual parentage, her "superpowers", and all the other problems teenagers have. But sadly, the novel only focuses a little on that.
Much too much of the book is spent on the characters discovering what the audience knew on page one. Then they spend a great deal of time on covering Lucy's "secret", which is rendered moot when they decide to "come out of the closet". There's an outpouring of support, which quickly gives away to not-support, as "they" need to decide if she's human or not. This prompts faceless g-men kidnap her and do experiments, since she has super-strength and naturewalk.
It's all very cliche, with a lot of plot holes and unimagined archetypes. Plus the characterization that goes nowhere. There's a romance between the foster mother and a doctor that goes nowhere. There's lesbian kissing between Lucy and her best friend that nothing comes of. There's a cute boy on the wrestling team with her that goes nowhere. There's impactful characterization that comes in the last five pages of the book, when it can no longer have relevance. And as you'd expect from something involving apes and the jungle, there's the heavy-handed message that we all need to get back in touch with nature, hug a tree, too much technology, embrace the earth, blah blah blah.
And deus ex is sprinkled liberally throughout. They miraculously are able to take a fourteen-year-old girl with no known parents and sketchy citizenship papers that are out of date out of the Congo and back to the U.S. The doctor friend miraculously destroys medical evidence -- which I believe is a felony -- with no consequence. They make friends with a woman who is miraculously rich and willing to give them all the money in the world they need. It's a rough novel, with many flaws. Entirely skippable.
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LibraryThing member stbomb
This book was simply a story, told in a fairly boring way, based on an interesting concept. Never has so little been made out of so much. Wouldn't recommend.
LibraryThing member viviennestrauss
Not a book I would typically pick up to read but it was one my mother read near the end of her life and it was an important one to her. My mom typically read biographies and non-fiction so for the first half of this book I was mildly amused at her reading what felt like a combination science
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fiction, thriller and young adult novel. Around the middle I saw what she liked so much about this book. The first half of the book feels like mild entertainment, the second half an emotional rollercoaster - anxiety, anger, despair and finally some enlightenment at the end. Overall though, a reminder of why I prefer animals over humans. Show Less
LibraryThing member MartinBodek
I had heard that Gonzales was the next Crichton, so I had to see for myself. He certainly lives up to the hype with this one. This book's plot premise is slightly apart from reality, but once I bought in to the concept, I bought into all of it, as the narration is strong. The book keeps things
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moving and unfolds at a nice pace. Towards the end, it really picks up and becomes unputdownable. A very, very good read. I think I'll try some of his other work. Show Less
LibraryThing member mirrani
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,
Naturally there are a lot of questions raised by the story,
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member ken1952
Fascinating story of the first bonobo/human offspring is at once warm and heartbreaking. Lucy is a character that you won't forget. Her determination to fit into life as a "normal" teenager living in Chicago is filled with joy and frustration. And when her secret comes out she becomes the target
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and the hunted. This would make a wonderful film in the right hands. Although it's not being marketed as a teen book, it shouldn't be overlooked by that group. Show Less
LibraryThing member mimo
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
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.
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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.
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Original publication date
2010-07-13
Physical description
320 p.; 5.95 inches
ISBN
0307272605 / 9780307272607