Rescued

Ape Quartet #3

by Eliot Schrefer

From two-time National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer comes an unbelievable story of survival. Raja has been raised in captivity. Not behind the bars of a zoo, but within the confines of an American home. He was stolen when he was young to be someone's pet. Now he's grown up . . . and is about to be sent away again, to a place from which there will be no return. John grew up with Raja. The orangutan was his friend, his brother -- never his pet. But when John's parents split up and he moved across the country, he left Raja behind. Now Raja is suffering.There's one last chance to save Raja -- a chance that will force John to confront his fractured family and the captivity he's imposed on himself all of these years.Eliot Schrefer's last two novels, Endangered and Threatened , were both finalists for the National Book Award. With Rescued , he brings his remarkable storytelling to the American landscape, giving us a boy who must redefine his own humanity and an orangutan who will need his help in order to return home.

Genres: Young Adult, Animals, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Contemporary

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2016

About the author

ELIOT SCHREFER is a New York Times-bestselling author, and has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award. In naming him an Editor’s Choice, the New York Times has called his work “dazzling… big-hearted.” He is also the author of two novels for adults and four other novels for children and young adults. His books have been named to the NPR “best of the year” list, the ALA best fiction list for young adults, and the Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best.” His work has also been selected to the Amelia Bloomer List, recognizing best feminist books for young readers, and he has been a finalist for the Walden Award and won the Green Earth Book Award and Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. He lives in New York City, where he reviews books for USAToday.



Also: I love marshmallows and early twentieth century fiction. And apes.

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every child wants a pet at some time or another. A dog, kitten, pony or orangutan. Maybe orangutan isn’t typical, but if you grew up watching BJ and the Bear or Every Which Way But Loose, you may see the simian sway. Whatever the animal, it is almost always up to parents to make the decision. Children don’t always know what is best.

When John casually notes the potential appeal of ape ownership while watching an old movie, he was not actually asking for a pet. His dad could dig the draw when he recognized the leading “man” as an orangutan because sometimes the adorable orange creatures would wander around his company’s plant in Indonesia.

In fact, he returned from a business trip bearing a baby-orangutan-in-a-barrel. John was beside himself with wonder and joy. His mother was also struck with wonder; but hers was the “in doubt” version, much different than the “filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel” version that burst from her son. John’s wonder won and Raja became the newest member of the family for four rambunctious years. Until divorce divided them.

The two year separation of John and Raja was torture; for both boy and beast; but paled in comparison to their last days together leading up to their final farewell. This relationship is written so well, it is as if I actually witnessed it. The fondness, understanding, patience, support and tolerance between the “brothers” is palpable. The range of emotions that rocket through John as he blindly battles the hardest decision of his entire life build the ultimate reader’s rollercoaster and recalling that this is a sixteen-year-old-boy, ties a knot and truly tugs the heart-strings.

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every bit of this tiny tome and would be remiss if I did not highly recommend RESCUED to those searching for Summer Reads. While the book may technically tip into the Middle-Grade category (for the 12-year-old and older readers), I have no doubt that there are many Teen-Aged, Young-Adult and Not-So-Young-Adult readers that will love Raja’s story as intensely as I do, and I’m confident that I’m not the only reader to learn a lot from it.

This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.

[Tammi Drevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Raja the orangutan is such a lovable character, he has such an amazing personality. Each book by Schrefer makes me love the great apes even more. I especially loved this book because it gave me a better insight into my father's homeland of Indonesia.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as strong as the other first two novels in the cycle but still quite engrossing and compassionate.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For his third book in the Ape Quartet, Two time National Book Award Finalist, Eliot Schrefer, takes on the horrors of the exotic pet trade. Protagonist John, when a young child, once mentioned that he would love to have an orangutan, so his too eager to please father brings home a baby one from Sumatra. John and his ape are inseparable, but as the ape grows up and becomes stronger and harder to control, the desperate family must keep it locked in a trailer. When his father gives the orangutan to a circus with an atrocious reputation for animal abuse, John steals Raja, runs away and sets out to find a rescue group to help him save his best friend. Schrefer builds the suspense and the heartbreak while poignantly describing why apes are not pets and belong only in their natural habitat. He also powerfully illustrates, through the events, why orangutans are so critically endangered and what part corporate agribusiness greed is playing in the imminent extinction of orangutans. Tweens and young teens will empathize with John's guilt and moral dilemma. They will also get a sound education on the fragility of our ecosystems and the doomed efforts of the brave people who are devoting their lives to save them.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review with teaching tools: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=9969

I think out of the three Ape Quartet books published so far, this is the one that is going to hit closest to home for many. It will make many readers uncomfortable and want to make a change. First, it takes place in the United States unlike Africa like the first two. Second, it really digs into an issue that is still very much prominent here–animal injustice.

I find Schrefer’s writing to be so beautiful yet so easy to read. He can pull you into his stories and makes you feel for not only his human characters but also his animal characters. He does such a tremendous amount of research for all of his books and with this one it brings the injustice of Raja alive.

I am a sucker for ape books. I find apes to be the most fascinating animals, and orangutans may be my favorite because they have these amazing eyes that just show me that they are so intelligent and deep thinkers. They are also introverts; I think I just relate to them in that way. This book brings orangutans to life through Raja.

[Mindy Mejia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid entry in Schrefer’s ape quartet as we wait for the final book and think about the gorillas to come. For my full review, visit Ecolitbooks.com.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! This is the third of four books by Eliot Schrefer that centers on primates.

Rescued features an orangutan named Raja raised by a family with a young boy, John. They in essence become brothers until they are separated when the parents divorce and John's finger gets bitten off by Raja in a scene that made me gasp out loud. I did not see that coming, at all.

The bond between boy and orangutan is somehow put into words and feelings that leap from the page and tug at your heart strings. So far, all three books tell of plights that are heartbreaking and that need to be heard by the world at large. Rescued, then picks up years later with John's father finding a "zoo" to send Raja to as the house was foreclosed. John returns to say goodbye not knowing if Raja will even remember him. Raja escapes, but is eventually found and taken to the zoo, which is despicable at best. What follows next is John and Raja on the lam, finally connecting with a vet that thinks she can help get Raja home to Sumatra. The story and Schrefer's words made me cry more than once.

Excellent and I cannot for the fourth book in the quartet!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raja is a cute orangutan, but I think that what a lot of people miss is that they are not humans! Nor are they domesticated like a dog or cat, so you can't just take them into your home and expect them to behave without their wild nature side. Eventually the babies will grow up.
It was kinda sad because this book did deal with the topic of animal abuse (Raja being trapped in an old camper because he was too big and nobody knew what to do with him, and the time he was sent to the "zoo" because they certainly weren't taking care of him.) But I did laugh at some of Raja's funny antics.
The ending was a bit slower than I liked but it was good, ending with hope which is what we need after this entire book. :) This is the third book in the Ape Quartet but I feel like they can be read in any order.

Content:
Language--**ll, taking God's name in vain once or twice
Sexy Stuff/Romance--John's parents divorce and his dad has a girlfriend for a short while
Violence--mentions of animal abuse, guns being fired and a character being injured, someone's finger is bitten off.

[Julia (Pages for Thoughts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The connection between Raja and John is one of a kind. John considers him his brother. Raja clings to John and loves him. They even have their own language. The only thing that I did not like was that John seemed too mature to be 16, and that his parents did not seem to be assertive and were too carefree. John had a lot of self-conflict. He loves Raja, but deep down he knew that he was not his to keep. I like that he fought for animal rights. This book is inspirational in showing how animals deserve rights, and that they do not deserve to be abused or taken advantage of. Rescued also shows the importance of protecting animal habitats and that animals have feelings, too. Read more of my review at http://pagesforthoughts.blogspot.com/...

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the Ape Quartet series! I love how Eliot Schrefer portrays Raja as deeply human, yet having antics that are so unique to orangutans. Schrefer does an excellent job in painting Raja as a character – one who sometimes flips out at the wrong time but somehow knows what is right and ultimately trusts the right people to get him to safety. And John has grown so much over the years – from a naive young boy who played with his pet orangutan without question to Raja's rescuer who pays the price against the law to return Raja to the wild. I love this book and strongly recommend this series!

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of the #yearofya twitter chat featuring middle school books taking place Tues 10/9 at 8PM EST. I have read Schrefer's previous two books in this compelling heartbreaking series and this book was so sad as it covers the loneliness of a child/teen and his pet/brother, orangutan Raja which his father brings back to the US as a pet for his young son, John. Both John and Raja are very sympathetic characters as life (his parents' divorce) and the horrors of endangered animals become the driving force as teen John breaks out of his shell to rescue and try to give Raja his life back in the rain forest.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, kinda hard to read at the beginning - just because you felt so bad for both the human and the ape. The 16 year old kid was doing the best he could, but he's just a kid and so many bad decisions were made, mostly out of his control. And what is the right decision for a full grown orangutan that you can't keep anymore?

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel hopeless, then hopeful, then hopeless again, and finally, hopeful.
I was inspired to keep reading about Orangutans after finishing this book. Which is what I so love about fiction, it sparks a fire in the heart to learn more about a particular subject.
I will also be more mindful about my consumption of palm oil. I had no idea.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful characters and the relationship between John and Raja is very moving. I really enjoy how Schrefer brings to life the humanity of the characters and sheds light on the darker issues and challenges these animals face.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An explanation of why no one should own an exotic pet. Also asks the questions, should apes have the same rights as humans? A great, thought-provoking middle-reader book. Perfect for a teen environmental club.

[Kathy Heare Watts]

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.

[Ethan Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very touching book about friendship. There was a lot of good character development as well as a great theme.

[Serine Majid · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so sad but I love it :D

[Amy Fessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Left me wanting a sequel!! ♥️

[Isabella Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because of this boy and ape that doesn't want to be split apart from each other because the boy is sick. This book got really sad. Shout out to the author of this book.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished reading this book but so far i love it!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guilt can be a powerful motivator, but in some cases, guilt compounded by compassion, can lead someone to take action. In this book, the third in the Ape Quartet, sixteen-year-old John comes face to face with his own culpability for the fate of Raja, an orangutan who lived with the family in Georgia. John's father worked overseas, and when his ten-year-old son expressed interest in orangutans, he brought home one of the orphaned animals for him. Raja and John bond, of course, and live like brothers, but Raja grows larger as the days pass. When John's parents can no longer live together, his mother takes John and moves to Oregon, leaving Raja behind with his father. After his father loses his job and the house, he arranges for Raja to be moved to a West Virginia zoo with the ironic name of Friendlyland. Although John returns home to say goodbye to his friend, he ends up doing much more than that. Horrified by the conditions under which Raja has been living--almost forgotten and locked in a smelly trailer--he has second thoughts about where his friend is being taken, and heads to the zoo. After Raja and John make a daring escape, they spend days on the run, hiding in a motel and driving along the highway, until Dr. Jackson, the veterinarian at the zoo, helps him make arrangements to do the right thing and return Raja to Indonesia. John's supportive mother and Dr. Jackson pull strings, make the right contacts, and Raja, John, and his mother fly overseas. But even when they arrive, John comes to learn that things won't be easy for Raja, and he must make a choice between having his friend live in a sanctuary for the rest of his life or be placed in the jungle where he may face an uncertain future. Clearly, as readers will realize, nothing about this situation is easy, and the more they read, the more uncomfortable they may start to feel about their own actions or the impulsive actions that led to Raja's being brought home to John. The descriptions of fields being burned to make room for palm oil plantations and those of the animals that have suffered from human cruelty, selfishness, and neglect will tear at readers' hearts. And yet, as one of the characters reminds John, it's easy to blame the citizens of these countries for destroying the habitat while forgetting that those of us who live in the United States did the very same thing to the lands we cultivated. Because of the complexity of the issues raised here, readers will be touched on many different levels. There is no doubt that many of them will look for ways to take action, and the author provides some possible ways to do so. Fans of Endangered, Threatened, and The One and Only Ivan are sure to be moved by this book. Through the eyes of a naïve but compassionate teen boy with a conscience and a need to atone for his own mistakes, readers will be thrust into an emotional rollercoaster ride while wondering what they might have done had they been in John's shoes or those of his mother. The book broke my heart in many ways, but it also contained passages that made me smile and those that made me wince in guilt. As I read, I found myself wondering why it is that so many of us are touched by animals that seem more humanlike than others and why the very fact that a creature is able to feel emotions isn't enough for us to acknowledge that he/she is worth saving. Even our reliance on fast food venues and the consumption of animals as part of our diet are called into question here, making this book rife with discussion possibilities. Even as Raja himself is rescued from his lonely plight, perhaps the book's readers are rescued from their own thoughtless daily actions--or if not that, they are compelled to reconsider them. I savored every word of this moving story.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the heart-warming story of a boy and his pet orangutan. Yes, you read that right. John has a pet orangutan, Raja, who he's lived with for his entire life. But after John's parents split and his father begins to have financial troubles, Raja's fate becomes a whole lot more complicated. I loved how likable and somehow relatable the characters are in this story, even though the main characters consist of an orangutan and the teenage boy who takes care of him. Not to mention how Eliot Schrefer gets across big themes about friend and family bonds, making the right choice even when it's hard, and the controversial nature of animal captivity. Because of this, there is no doubt that this is a solid elementary/middle-grades book and pleasant read.

It wasn't the best book I have read this year, but the plot was interesting and the big themes were relevant, so I am giving it a good 3 stars. It's not that I didn't like it, it's just it didn't particularly stand out to me as one of my favorite recent reads. But if you're a young teenager looking for a book to read to pass the time, I would not hesitate to pick this up.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ll ever go to our zoo and observe the orangutans the same way again. Once again Eliot Schrefer has written a story that brings poignancy to the causes of primates world wide. He began with Bonobos in Endangered, following with the book Endangered about chimpanzees. This third book in the trilogy moves to Indonesia, and the loss of habitat of orangutans.
Smuggled into the U.S. for his son John, young Raja soon becomes close as a brother. And sadly, he also becomes imprisoned. John’s parents have divorced, John and his mother have moved far away, needing to leave Raja behind under the care of his father. In two years, the father has lost his lucrative job with a company that has been destroying jungle habitat in Indonesia (the habitat of orangutans) in order to plant palm trees to produce palm oil. He has lost his home. A place must be found for Raja, and the only place that agrees to take him is a roadside zoo.
John travels to say goodbye, but when he discovers the horrible conditions of that zoo, he kidnaps Raja. This book, like the others, keeps tension high, and from this time on, it becomes higher. How John with the help of a caring vet works out Raja’s plight is a story that seems a bit unbelievable. Everything works out, although including more than one harrowing moment. The overreaching theme is consideration of wild animals’ needs, and the fact that people rarely care about them when it includes profit. The book is divided into five parts, each with an appropriate quote about animal lives, and a brief introduction before the story begins again. The introduction follows an orangutan baby’s thoughts and parallels their plight even as we read the fictional story of John and Raja. It’s a thoughtful book, one that will connect with kids perhaps even more than the others because it’s set in the U.S.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity is a real sludge pile sometimes. We have moments of brilliance and compassion, but we also tend to think only of ourselves (and not just ourselves, human beings, but ourselves, me personally). All of that comes together in Rescued, which might be my favorite Eliot Schrefer book so far. The entire book is set in motion by the awful and selfish whims of humanity, from the corporations who destroy the jungle for palm oil plantations, to the people like us who ignorantly buy it, to the people who illegally transport great apes because they're cute, to the people who mistreat animals because it's cheap, easy, or makes them feel powerful. But there are also the people like John and his mother, Dr. Jackson, and Diah, who go to extraordinary lengths to make things better for great apes. I've never been too invested in the lives of orangutans before (I've been a gorilla person for years, and I became a staunch supporter of bonobos after reading Endangered, also by Eliot Schrefer), but that has changed now. If you read one of these great apes books and don't have a desire to help the apes, I think you probably weren't paying attention. The book uses this quote from Jeremy Bentham: "The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being?...The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything that breathes." I hope with all my heart that it's true. The world would become infinitely better if we would treat all fellow creature, both human beings and others, with love and respect.

By the way, in case this review makes you think that this is just a super earnest book written by hippies, it's also a fantastic adventure story. I'm just a super earnest hippie when it comes to great apes.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

John seldom gets much attention from his corporate businessman father, so when Dad promises to bring him something back a gift from his next trip to Indonesia, John doesn’t expect much. Without consulting his wife or the animal authorities, John’s father thoughtlessly brings back a baby orangutan to be John’s new friend and “brother.” After a tragic accident and a divorce, John and the now much larger and primate named Raja are separated. Once John’s father loses his job and home, there is no choice but to place the loveable Raja in a seedy roadside zoo. Ravaged by guilt, John takes it upon himself to rescue his “brother” from a life imprisoned in a tiny cage and escapes in his dad’s stolen car. With the support from a sympathetic vet and his long suffering mom, John is able to find a legal loophole as well as a program in Sumatra that agrees to replace Raja back in his natural habitat. Although the holes in the plot are large enough to drive through (how does an average citizen smuggle a valuable animal into the states and keep it with no legal issues, let alone go on the lam with a creature that some mistake for Sasquatch then find a program to adopt him, arrange for travel and get a new passport all within a matter of a few days?) students may appreciate the lovable Raja’s sad story enough to want to read more about the primates as well as the devastation of the ecosystem that is going on in that area of the world. It is clear that the author has done his homework and is well versed on the many problems facing these amazing animals. Easy to read and quickly paced, it is a book that will appeal to many middle and high school readers.

[Shoshana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those, "Oh no, this book is making me cry on public transit" books.

What an astounding story, hitting real, hard issues through the perspective of a realistically written teenaged, American boy.

When John's father comes home with a baby orangutan, ten year-old John gets not only a friend and companion but a brother. John and Raja grow up together, crafting a unique understanding and sign language between them - until a vicious accident pulls them apart. Years later, John must travel back to his father's house to say goodbye, as Raja is being sent to a zoo. But things unravel quickly as John learns more about the zoo, the conditions animals must endure in many institutions, and many other truths about animal trafficking. Now, John must figure out what the best steps are to do right by Raja.

What I loved in this book - well, okay, I loved a lot of things. But I loved the realism of John's emotions, and the complexity there. So much of his actions are driven by guilt, rather than say, altruism. He DIDN'T handle everything well, and he even knew it - he was being driven by blind emotions, and even when I didn't agree with him, wow could I empathize with him.

And of course, Schrefer managed to pack in a ton of crazy important, crazy upsetting information in a very accessible, absorbable way. If anything, my only problem with this book was that it was TOO upsetting/tough sometimes and I had to keep putting it down for a breather. At least, until the last third/forth which I inhaled, tears pouring down my face. Yeah.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the age of the musical Hamilton, where people are learning about history and being entertained at the same time, a book comes along that will also educate, but on a national global issue and it does as well entertain the reader. This is the story of a boy living in Atlanta, who is given an orangutan by his father. They live fairly peaceably for years, it's not an easy situation, but they manage. Until one day Raja, that's orangutan's name, in a fit of anger bites off John's finger. Things do not change automatically, but eventually John's parents divorce and John and his mom move to Oregon, leaving the dad and Raja in Atlanta. After a some time passes John's father calls to say he is having financial difficulty and he's selling the house and giving Raja to a zoo. John feels the need to say goodbye to Raja, but when he returns to his old home things seem to have gone terribly wrong and John feels an overwhelming need to make things right. It seems there are many instances where people have taken these creatures from their homes thinking they would make good pets, but unfortunately they do not. It's unfortunate for the people, but it's a shamefully horrible situation for the animal. This is not light summer reading, but don't be put off by that, because it's an important issue, right now, today. Elliot Schrefer does such fabulous research and entwines that with relatable characters. That combination along with a meaningful and poignant story are what makes this a must read.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rescued is the third book in Schrefer's "ape quartet" and my first book by him. (BTW, these books are "stand alones" - you need not read the other two first!) It is the story of an orangutan baby named Raja who is brought home by a father as a gift to his young son without consultation with mom nor thought about the orangutan's ultimate well being or future. Raja is a great source of joy for John, the young boy, until the life of the family - all four of them, mom, dad, John, and Raja - is ripped apart by sickness, an incident, a divorce, and a move. A couple of years later, the boy is a young man and Raja is no longer a baby and circumstances are completely different. But it turns out that, despite an initially shaky reunion, the foundation of the relationship between John and Raja is still solid. And then things really take off from there.

Rescued is a powerful, eye opening book. It is a book of compassion and empathy, especially seen in the person of the main human character, John, but also significant in several other characters as well. It is a book that can't help but increase the reader's appreciation of Nature with a capital "N" and nature, as in one's true nature, whether human or otherwise. On display in Rescued is the best and worst that humankind can be and the importance in the decisions we make to the beautiful beings we share the planet with, human and otherwise. I hated to put this book down until I had finished it and highly recommend it!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schrefer, Eliot Rescued, 272 pages. Scholastic Press, 2016. $19. Language: PG (5 swears, 0 ‘f’).

When John was in the 5th grade, his father brings him back a baby orangutan from one of his business trips to Indonesia for a pet. When John is 12, the orangutan, Raja, bites off one of his fingers. When he is 14, his parents divorce and John leaves Raja behind with his father when he moves across the country with his mother. Now 16, John finds out that his Dad is losing the family home and he is selling Raja to a roadside zoo. When John comes to say goodbye to Raja, he finds that he just can’t leave him in the dinky, rundown place and so he steals Raja away, not having any idea how he is going to proceed to save the life of a wild animal that has been raised on video games and junk food.

I thought the other two books made me mad – those feelings were nothing compared to the feelings of anger I had while reading this one. Be ready to be disgusted by this rare, but still occurring travesty. And things don’t really get better when the action moves to Indonesia. Ugh! Schrefer knows how to pull on the heart strings.

EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...