Threatened by Eliot Schrefer

Xhaiden | High Technology High School, Grade 9

Rating: *****

The National Book Award finalist Threatened, by Eliot Schrefer, is the second book in his ape quartet. In this action-packed novel, a poor boy named Luc whose mother and sister died from AIDS and who is abandoned by his father has to fend for himself. Before long, an opportunity arises: a mysterious foreigner known as Prof comes along with a case full of money which Luc steals. When Prof realizes Luc has stolen his case, he doesn’t punish him. Instead, he pays Luc’s debts and takes him on a trip to the Inside: the jungles that are home to the ‘mock men’ that Luc’s mother told him to fear long ago. Prof who wants to record the behavior of these ‘mock men,’ or as he calls them, chimpanzees, needs an assistant. Living among vicious chimpanzees is not easy, but that is just what Luc has to do to survive in this strange land.

This book is filled with excitement and adventure. I would recommend this novel to teens and young adults, especially those who enjoy reading about animals and survival stories. Be warned: there are a couple of parts with violence or death that younger or sensitive readers would not be comfortable reading, but those parts are not unnecessarily graphic. Particularly heart-warming is Luc’s transition from someone who had an ingrained fear of chimpanzees to someone who could live among them. The way in which the author presents a lot of information about chimpanzees by explaining their actions and the problems they face throughout the story is definitely a treat to animal lovers. I found the plot of this book very engaging: the nail-biting suspense the author creates will keep readers engrossed. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Rescued.