Synopses & Reviews
The compelling tale of a girl who must save a group of bonobos--and herself--from a violent coup.
The Congo is a dangerous place, even for people who are trying to do good.
When one girl has to follow her mother to her sancuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. It's her mother's passion, and she'd rather have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to survive.
Eliot Schrefer asks readers what safety means, how one sacrifices to help others, and what it means to be human in this new compelling adventure.
Review
Praise for The Deadly Sister
* "Well-drawn characters, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful twists and turns add to the appeal. Teens crave mystery, and this book will suit them just fine." - SLJ, starred review
"The page-turning action and the potent relationship between the two sisters will keep teens attention right up to the final confession." - Booklist
Praise for The School for Dangerous Girls
"Teens might behave dangerously themselves to get their hands on this page-turner.” Booklist
Gripping, violent and terrifying.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
2012 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature Finalist
2013 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award for Children's Literature
"Schrefer (The Deadly Sister) shines a light on an oft-overlooked part of the world with this intense adventure set in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When Sophie, a half-American, half-Congolese 14-year-old, visits her mother at a bonobo sanctuary, her biracial origins make her feel out of place, but she finds purpose by bonding with and caring for Otto, an abused juvenile bonobo. Civil war breaks out while Sophie’s mother is away, and Sophie is inadvertently trapped in a country beset by starvation, roving bands of killers, and natural hazards. To stay alive, Sophie and Otto live off the land, travel in secret, and coexist with other bonobos, while seeking escape or refuge from the chaos. Schrefer spares no detail, fully exposing the horrors of war as he chronicles Sophie’s struggle for survival. This drama is clearly written from the heart, smoothly educating readers about the perilous dichotomy of the Congo and the heart-wrenching plight of the endangered bonobo, without sacrificing the intensity of the story. Sophie, meanwhile, demonstrates herself to be tenacious, resourceful, and strong, making decisions that, while not always smart, are driven by compassion. Ages 12–18. " - Publishers Weekly starred review
“[D]azzling, big-hearted…As riveting as the acting is, it’s the nuanced portraits of the characters, human and ape, that make the story so deeply affecting…Otto, however, becomes the story’s real protagonist. The descriptions of him are so visceral I sometimes felt I was holding a bonobo, not a book.” - New York Times Book Review
Praise for The Deadly Sister
* "Well-drawn characters, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful twists and turns add to the appeal. Teens crave mystery, and this book will suit them just fine." - SLJ, starred review
"The page-turning action and the potent relationship between the two sisters will keep teens’ attention right up to the final confession." - Booklist
Praise for The School for Dangerous Girls
"Teens might behave dangerously themselves to get their hands on this page-turner.” —Booklist
“Gripping, violent and terrifying.” —Kirkus Reviews
Review
Praise for ENDANGERED:
A 2012 National Book Award Finalist
Winner of the Green Earth Prize
An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults choice
“Dazzling, big-hearted . . . As riveting as the action is, it's the nuanced portraits of the characters, human and ape, that make the story so deeply affecting.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
* “Schrefer spares no detail . . . This drama is clearly written from the heart.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
“Taut, heart-wrenching.” – THE WASHINGTON POST
“A poignant and moving story.” – SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Praise for THE DEADLY SISTER:
* "Well-drawn characters, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful twists and turns add to the appeal. Teens crave mystery, and this book will suit them just fine." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review
"The page-turning action and the potent relationship between the two sisters will keep teens' attention right up to the final confession." -- BOOKLIST
Praise for THE SCHOOL FOR DANGEROUS GIRLS:
"Teens might behave dangerously themselves to get their hands on this page-turner.” -- BOOKLIST
“Gripping, violent and terrifying.” -- KIRKUS REVIEWS
Synopsis
Congo is a dangerous place, even for people who are trying to do good.
When Sophie has to visit her mother at her sanctuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. Then Otto, an infant bonobo, comes into her life, and for the first time she feels responsible for another creature.
But peace does not last long for Sophie and Otto. When an armed revolution breaks out in the country, the sanctuary is attacked, and the two of them must escape unprepared into the jungle. Caught in the crosshairs of a lethal conflict, they must struggle to keep safe, to eat, and to live.
In ENDANGERED, Eliot Schrefer plunges us into a heart-stopping exploration of the things we do to survive, the sacrifices we make to help others, and the tangled geography that ties us all, human and animal, together.
About the Author
Eliot Schrefer is the author of The Deadly Sister, The School for Dangerous Girls, Glamorous Disasters, and The New Kid. He lives in New York City, and has never discovered any bodies. Visit him online at www.eliotschrefer.com.