Reviews for Hector Saves the Moon, Vol. 2

The average rating for Hector Saves the Moon, Vol. 2 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-05-17 00:00:00 Lucas Duebendorfer The classic feral child story with a twist, an enfant sauvage not only raised by beasts, but genetically one of them. While fleeing an uprising in the Congo, primatologist Jenny Lowe rescues Lucy, the 14 year old daughter of fellow researcher David Stone. Although she senses there is something odd about the girl, it is not until after their return to the United States that Jenny realizes the truth: Lucy is a human/ape hybrid, produced by Dr Stone in a desperate attempt to preserve the best of humanity and his beloved bonobo apes. Determined to protect the girl, Jenny adopts her and tries to give her a "normal" suburban American life, but of course darker forces prevail. I had a few quibbles with this book. Lucy is almost too good to be true: brilliant and beautiful, she warbles Italian opera while butterflies light on her hand; spontaneously recites Kipling and Shakespeare; even cleans the kitchen without being asked! The villains on the other hand are all the usual suspects: religious wackos, faceless government bureaucrats, and pontificating politicos. Yet the core relationships, between Jenny and Lucy and their fiercely loyal extended family, are deeply moving. Gonzales deftly portrays Jenny's growing maternal attachment for Lucy, a love that transcends genetic barriers. Jenny never questions her commitment to Lucy, despite enormous pressure and danger. Gonzales also offers a wondrous window into Lucy's mind: notably her awareness of "the Stream", the ceaseless flow of nonverbal information through which all animals (except adult humans) communicate. One of the funniest, yet most moving passages describes Lucy's first day at an American high school, as she drinks in the potent adolescent "Stream" she sadly notes that becoming a human adult will mean losing this gift. Startlingly original and beautiful.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-08-23 00:00:00 Barry Young Lucy began as her father's experiment. He raised her in the jungle while giving her a strong British education. She was also raised by her mother who gave her an introduction to life as a bonobo. The rest of the story is about what happens after her parents are killed and she is rescued and taken to the U.S. by Jenny. First of all you must suspend reality to enjoy this book. Clearly I loved this book. It is a good story, well written and just plain fun. From the beginning I knew everything was not going to turn out okay so I prepared myself for tragedy but it came in a different way than I expected. The way Jenny learns to love Lucy and becomes a mother to her is lovely to read. Lucy's friendship with Amanda gives me hope that there are good people out there who really care about something other than themselves. The same can be said for the Randalls who rescue the damsels in distress more than once.  I liked the sense of place wherever the story takes us. I so enjoyed seeing the world through Lucy's eyes as she tries to become an American teenager.  This book should be popular with teens and adults alike. It is light reading and goes fast. I was sorry when it was over, as I wanted to know much more. I hope it gets made into a movie. I am so sick of vampire movies, I think this would be far more heartfelt.