APA Citation: Oppel, K. (2010). Half brother. Toronto, ON: HarperCollins Canada.
Plot summary: Ben Tomlin gets a huge shock after moving to Vancouver with his parents for his father’s new job at the university. For his father’s new research project, the Tomlin family is introducing a new member into their midst: a chimpanzee called Zan. Ben isn’t too fond of Zan at first, but is soon charmed by the baby chimp, and the two form an unbreakable bond. When the project is considered a failure, however, Zan is to be moved elsewhere, and Ben realizes that family goes beyond species.
Relation to other works: This book features a lot of information about chimpanzees and language, and older readers interested in the subject matter might look to Andrew Westoll’s The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary.
Appeal: Any animal lover will be completely charmed by Zan’s personality and hilarious antics. The book poses a number of interesting questions about wildlife, research ethics, and even what makes a person, a person.
Audience or readership: Ages 12 and up.
Limitations or weaknesses: Unfortunately, Ben is never developed as a character, and seems to be used as a mouthpiece for the ethical questions raised in the book. As a result, I found myself skimming the sections without Zan and the rest of the Tomlin family.
Overall assessment: Half Brother is an interesting novel. The subjects of ethics and humanity are certainly not easy ones to approach, and Oppel does this and presents the information in a manner suitable for younger audiences. Despite this achievement, I didn’t connect with any of the characters (excluding Zan!), and some of the subplots seemed to be mostly filler. Grade: B-
KIDS LIT FTW! 