hurtgohappy

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Hurt Go Happy

Ginny Rorby

Rorby, Ginny. Hurt Go Happy. Tom Doherty Publishers. New York, NY. 2006.

Hurt Go Happy is an environmental awareness novel written for youth by animal rights activist, Ginny Rorby. Though recognized by JGI, PETA, and WWF, Hurt Go Happy was not praised as highly by its readers.

Hurt Go Happy is about Ruby, a girl with a passion for monkeys. Her ninth-grade year she takes a job in the monkey division of the zoo, where she forms a bond with Leroy, the smallest chimpanzee. Ruby begins spending every second outside of school at the zoo. Her father, though supportive at first, grows disapproving of what he sees as an unhealthy obsession.

One day Ruby sees Leroy copying letters from a nearby sign onto a pad of drawing paper. Ruby is impressed, and continues to bring him paper and crayons every day. A couple weeks later, Leroy is playing on the jungle gym and trips, falling on the ground. He grabs the paper and crayons and before Ruby’s very eyes, the distraught chimp scrawls the word “HURT” crudely on the paper. Astounded, Ruby begins researching techniques to teach primates to read, and returns prepared. When Ruby arrives the next day, it is to see Leroy is in a cage, and the chimpanzee habitat swarming with zoo workers. She runs to her monkey and asks him what is happening, handing him a pencil and placing the paper in front of the cage. A hand extends through the bars, solemnly writes the word GO, then points to himself. Ruby finds out that Leroy is being transferred to a distant zoo, one notorious for mistreating its animals.

The first sign of action in a chronically dull book, Ruby makes plans to sneak across the country to free Leroy. However, readers were soon disappointed when her father finds out and the trip is canceled, bringing an abrupt halt to the only hint of interest seen in the book.

Instead of the thrilling adventure of a cross-country mission that could have been, Ruby’s father, glad that the monkey is gone but sad to see his daughter unhappy, helps her write a strongly worded letter to both zoos, and then wait for an answer. For weeks Ruby awaits a reply, until her father eventually convinces her to let Leroy go and move on; but Ruby never forgets her little monkey friend. Fifteen years later, Ruby returns to the zoo. As she walks through the monkey division reminiscing, she sees her father holding Leroy. In the touching conclusion to the book, her father reveals that he’s been working to get Leroy back all this time, and has finally succeeded. As Ruby embraces Leroy for the first time in years, he writes the word “HAPPY.”

Hurt Go Happy was literary Valium, and has only received its high ratings because animal lovers found it “endearing,” “adorable,” and “touching.” The brief promise of a climax was soon extinguished by the pacifist author’s attempts to convince readers that violence is never the answer. A dull book not quite redeemed by its happy ending, Hurt Go Happy is only tolerated by people who are willing to sacrifice a plot for cute stories about animals.

2.5 of 5 Stars

Contributed by A. Wikle

5/1/13