Review: Half-Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Half-Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Ben has just had to move from Toronto to Victoria, and leave his entire life behind. The reason behind the move? His dad switched jobs so that their family could participate in an experiment. An experiment that involves raising a baby chimp as a human. Ben is thrown into a life where he needs to treat Zan, the chimp, as his baby brother. They dress him up in clothes, give him toys, and even teach him sign language. Eventually, Ben grows to love Zan as a member of their family. However, baby chimps soon become adult chimps, and it becomes impossible to keep Zan in their house. Ben has to fight to prevent Zan from being locked up in a zoo, or worse, sent to a lab for animal testing. Will Ben be able to save his little brother?

I picked up Half Brother because it was by Kenneth Oppel, who wrote the Silverwing books, which I loved. This is very different, because it is realistic instead of fantasy, but I still enjoyed it. The story is told from Ben’s point of view, and it is interesting to see how his thoughts about Zan change throughout the story. I especially liked how, in the end, Ben went to great lengths to save Zan from a horrible life. It really emphasized the brotherly bond that grew between them. I would recommend this to all Kenneth Oppel fans, all animal lovers, and anyone who just wants a good story.

~ Kristen