Our group learned about the bonogos and the way they are exploited. The story was a bit confusing at the beginning but don't let that stop you. Continue reading and you will enjoy the characters and the way their lives become entwined and the final outcome is rather sweet.

It's difficult to walk in the shadow of Water for Elephants. This doesn't quite measure up, but it's a good read.

I was fascinated by this book from the very beginning. There is such a love between the bonobo's and Isabel that I wanted to be able to just be in their presence.

I love apes (bonobos) and I loved Water for Elephants by this author, but was a little disappointed in this book. It was interesting, but I would have liked more information about the apes and their relationships.

For such a fascinating topic, this novel didn't deliver. We were very disappointed to see such poor character development, the near-satirical treatment of media and pornography, the haphazard inclusion of research studies for shock value...in short, many missed opportunities to make a thoughtful commentary on modern life.

We suspected just hearing her talk about her experiences researching the book might be more interesting than reading the novel.

Nothing to say about it..

our group had a good discussion about this book.

Sara Gruen's 'Water for Elephants" was such a superior novel. The characters in 'Ape House' aren't particularly ones the reader can relate to. The plot seems disjointed and one can't help but wonder exactly what the author's intentions were.

I liked Gruen's attempt, it just seemed like it could have been more. It was a quick and entertaining read.

This book was just "OK". It was light reading and not at all believable. I have read all of Sara Gruen's other books, and had been eagerly awaiting this newest one, but it was disappointing. It didn't begin to compare to her previous works.

I didn't enjoy this one at all, I found it to be rediculous and unlikely. I didn't care about or connect to any of the characters. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Total fluff. Boring...

When we decided to read this book, my thought were I know I am
not going to like this book. Much to my amazement I was very
thrilled to conclude this book. A must for anyone who loves
animals.

This was a good read, not the best book I've ever read, but was worth the time. The apes were adorable and the animal facts were educational. I thought the references to the apes having sex so much were overdone. The writer did not have to include what seemed like 10,000 references to ape sex. That was a bit offensive and I almost stopped reading after the 15th mention.

The human story was so so. There were some funny parts. I thought the writer's wife was entertaining.

2.5** for the audio book read by Paul Boehmer.

Isabel Duncan head a university research facility studying language in great apes, specifically bonobos. The day after journalist John Thigpen visits, the center is bombed. Barely recovering from her injuries, Isabel is horrified to discover that the apes are now starring in a reality TV show called The Ape House.

I wondered at times if Gruen was trying to emulate Carl Hiaasen for colorful characters and unusual plot turns. The final confrontation is a little too neatly tied up for my taste, and several subplots seem to go nowhere. I was invested in the bonobo family from the beginning and wanted to know what would happen to them. It was the humans in the book that I never really got to know. The most interesting characters are the minor ones; Isabel and John are somewhat flat, and irritated me more frequently than not.

Paul Boehmer does a good job of performing the work. He’s especially effective voicing John Thigpen. The audio book held my attention, and for that I give 2.5* but I don't think there's enough meat here for a meaningful discussion.

Loved the story. Didn't quite get why they had to throw in the - is that kid my father part. But overall a good story.