Reviews

Visit the locations in the book

This takes you back to the start, to a dark forest in the middle of the Congo, where an ape is captured and taken to Istanbul on a boat. Little do they know, it’s Sally Jones who they’re messing with…

From the Congo across the world’s oceans and via Borneo and even New York, this is a monkey sized adventure for all ages! The spirit of adventure, travel and and Around the World in 80 Days vibe, this is a BookTrail favourite already!

I’ve read both in Swedish and English now and they translate very well! Thanks to a great translator and a gripping story of adventure and more.

helluny's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

audrey042's review against another edition

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5.0

Sally Jones est une magnifique et poignante aventure pleine de rebondissements, d’injustice, mais aussi parsemée de beaux moments de complicité et d’amitié. Une histoire émouvante qui comblera les amoureux des animaux et tous ceux désirant découvrir le destin hors norme d’une femelle gorille courageuse et bien plus humaine que beaucoup d’êtres humains.

Chronique complète sur https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/sally-jones-la-grande-aventure-de-jakob-wegelius/

krisandthesea's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

librarianryan's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book is sad. It’s a wonderful story full of amazing illustrations, but it is still sad. Sally Jones is a gorilla who is stolen from her home in Africa and goes on an amazing journey of slavery and servitude. She finds love from a human, but it is still a life of service, be it stealing jewels, shoveling coal, or making sure a gorilla friend survives. It’s hard to say I liked this book, because I don’t like sad books, but it is an excellent book.

svftsapphic's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

“Sally Jones was suffering from a broken heart.”

I received a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really compelling commentary on the human treatment of wild animals. The whole story really broke my heart as every time I felt hope for Sally Jones it was ripped away by the next awful act. It shows how wild animals are villanised for “acting out” when they only do so because humans have pushed them to that point.

The art style was extremely unique, it had a vintage almost old fashioned type feel to it. Its unlike any other graphic novel i’ve read and on numerous occasions I had to stop and just appreciate it.

This is a really challenging read because of how real it is. It simply cant be called a work of fiction because it’s so honest to the real world. I think this story could honestly be engaging and impactful to any sort of reader. Even younger readers who may not understand every aspect could certainly take away lessons from this.

rowanhill's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This beautiful graphic novel about hardship and found family is definitely not for the faint of heart. The origin story of Sally Jones is filled with heartbreak and cruelty as she is sent from place to place and used by so many people. There are some moments where we see Sally Jones use the skills she is learning to try forging her own path, but she struggles through the majority of the story and it can feel pretty heavy overall. Though written like a picture would be, I would recommend this book for Middle Grade students or older due to its more mature themes.

From the time she was born, lowland gorilla Sally Jones knew she was destined for a life of hardship. Separated from her mother at a young age by poachers, Sally Jones was sent far from her home in the forests of Congo to Istanbul. That is where Sally Jones’s story truly begins. Sent from place to place as the humans around her saw fit, Sally Jones experiences life as a master thief, a zoo attraction, a magician’s assistant, a ship engineer and so much more. For every triumph, there is even greater hardship and Sally Jones longs for the day she will finally find somewhere she truly belongs.

This story is a prequel to The Murderer’s Ape but is a wonderful experience for both new and returning readers. However, unlike its predecessor, this book is a graphic novel and tells the story of Sally Jones’s early life from the third person perspective. Throughout her journey, Sally Jones experiences all types of animal cruelty and my heart breaks for her at every turn. Wegelius definitely does not pull any punches and I appreciate the direct honesty with which this story is told. Along with Sally Jones’s journey was also some fascinating information about various trade routes. There are some beautifully rendered maps that show the paths Sally Jones takes and provide some great learning opportunities.

Admittedly, this book left me a little conflicted. Even though I loved the illustrations, the storytelling style felt too young for the actual tale being told. I also think that the story could have been a little tighter as a whole in order to better draw out the intended themes. At times, it just feels like it bounces from one misery to another and loses some of its impact as a result. However, as previously stated, this is a brave book with some very challenging and moving moments and is well worth the read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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