SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

October 3, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Book Review: Endangered by Eliot Schrefer

October 3, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS   9 comments

The Congo is a dangerous place, even for those that are trying to do good.

I learned about Endangered by Eliot Schrefer on Saturday at the Austin Teen Book Festival (it’s good, you should go).  He was part of a panel of authors talking about thrillers, which Endangered definitely is.  But it is also a story with tremendous heart.

Sophie visits her mother every summer at the Bonoba sanctuary.  Here, her mother’s dedicated her life to rescuing Bonobos, a type of monkey/ape that is remarkably similar to humans in its DNA.  When Sophie sees a street peddler trying to sell a clearly abused Bonobo, she knows that she must rescue it.  She soon finds herself playing surrogate mother to Otto.  The first part of Endangered tells the story of how Sophie and Otto bond as she slowly nurtures him from the brink of death.  However, soon the barely surviving country of Congo breaks out into a full blown revolution and everyone’s life is at risk as the quest to survive becomes full throttle.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

There are several main characters in this book, but one of the most interesting is the Congo itself.  Part of the power and glory of well written literature is that it can help those of us who never step outside of US borders examine life in other countries:

” . . . I began to hate the Democratic Republic of Congo.  For starters, it majorly failed to live up to is name.  It was, in fact, the least democratic place on Earth.  For fifty years the country had been headed by dictators and warlords, guys who led the country into civil wars and then barricaded themselves into their estates while they waited for dinner to be flown in from Europe” (p. 28).

Life in the Congo, the absolute danger and uncertainty of it, is depicted with a stark and chilling realism: Schefer stresses time and time again that wherever you are when the sun goes down, you find a place to go inside and lock the doors until the sun goes up.

“I had to cancel my eighth birthday party because of le pillage, and spent it on the floor of my bedroom with Mom and Dad, our lights out so as not to attract attention, singing ‘Happy Birthday” in hushed voices, the birthday candles the only illumination in the room.  Not that I’m complaining about a ruined birthday party – I was lucky to be fed and alive.  The ruling forces of Congo had been fighting wars for years.” – p. 29

In contrast, we see this beautiful relationship emerging between Sophie and Otto; they lay in the grass and feel the warmth of the sun on their skin, they play their own version of Scrabble, they truly bond.

“I had no idea where to go next, and had equally no idea whether anyone had managed to follow me.  I spent the afternoon in the same spot, alert to every noise, every possible threat.  Staying still felt as exhausting as moving.” – p. 91

Sophie herself is an interesting character.  She grew up for parts of her life in the Congo, but since her parents divorce she lives with her obviously loving and nurturing father and visits her sometimes distracted but dedicated mother in the Congo.  Sophie literally lives with her feet in two different worlds and there area variety of intense emotions and keen insight that come from this life.  In the chapters that follow, fleeing and trying to survive, Sophie demonstrates a strength and resolve that is laudable.

“Avoid everyone” – p. 178

Endangered is intense but grounded in a very stark reality.  The truth is, there are people living lives like this in this very moment and Schrefer gives a thrilling, realistic but compassionate look into a world all too real.  Our teens will probably never have to survive the Hunger Games, but there are teens trying to survive country revolutions right this very moment.  The power of great fiction is too teach us things and make us think while simultaneously entertaining us and without a doubt, Endangered has its edge of your seat thriller moments.  But like I said, it also has heart.

“Revolution.  A momentous new word for all of this.” – p. 140

Endangered is a must read, informative (politics, Bonobo facts, life outside the U.S), thrilling and full of characters you care about.  Pair it with The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (another look at primate life) for a great animal unit with insight into love, family, and the value of life.  4 out of 5 stars (I sometimes found the sentence structure and voice stilting, but not enough to diminish the impact of the story.)  This is a good, old fashioned adventure story.  There will be tears people.  There will be nailbiting.  There will be gasps.

Endangered by Eliot Schrefer is released October 2nd, 2012 by Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0-545-16576-1.  BBC Bonobo facts. The World Factbook information on the Democratic Replubic of Congo.

Filed under: Book Reviews, Eliot Schrefer, Endangered

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

Book Review: Play the Game by Charlene Allen

by Karen Jensen, MLS

January 2023

Book Review: The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

by Karen Jensen, MLS

January 2023

Post-It Note Reviews: A mayor dog, a bunch of Big Bads, a mobster, and more!

by Karen Jensen, MLS

January 2023

Book Review: The Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer

by Karen Jensen, MLS

January 2023

Book Review: Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

The Best Tweets from the 2023 Youth Media Awards!

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Celebrate Lantern Festival by Making Your Own Magic, a guest post by Gloria Chao

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Debut Authors Counter Harmful Narratives with Kid Lit | A Guest Essay by Susan Azim Boyer

Tonya Bolden: Capturing History’s Rhymes

Laurie Halse Anderson Won’t Be Silent

Diverse Mentorship: Angeline Boulley and Diana Ma in Conversation

Teen Screams: YA Horror for Every Kind of Reader

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Annette says

    October 3, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    Oh, and how about with Half Brother by Oppel. Great review. Thanks.

  2. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    October 3, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    Don't tell anyone, but I still need to read Half Brother. But thank you for the reminder that this title also fits in. My TBR list grows longer.

  3. Anonymous says

    March 25, 2013 at 1:51 am

    This book was gggrrreat!!!!

  4. Anonymous says

    May 26, 2013 at 7:08 pm

    AMAZING!!!!!!! one of the best books I've ever read!!!!!

  5. Anonymous says

    September 12, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    Our library system is using this as ou Teen Read Week/ On the Same Page title. there are so many levels for discussion in this book. Also– why not read about Africa?

  6. Anonymous says

    November 25, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    We are reading this book together as a class in school, but I still have a lot of questions!? Like, why do people disguise themselves as fake police and why did Sophie have such a close bond with Otto? But I have to admit…
    this is an amazing book. Also, you should read the book Divergent if you haven't already. I am overly obsessed with it!

  7. Samantha says

    December 20, 2013 at 10:18 pm

    I saw a book trailer for this book and it helped me understand the book before I started reading it for my English class; here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVXL6oMNeE&list=PLmh1ZyvjS_eqFnCE4CGjLgUUOSF8pbY67

  8. Anonymous says

    August 4, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    it was good but confusing

  9. chains64 says

    October 26, 2015 at 9:15 am

    i only got to read half the book but it still good

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023