Audiobook Review: The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

Author: Katherine Applegate
Narrator: Adam Grupper
Duration: 3 hrs, 46 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Source: Publisher for review

Description from Goodreads:
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home--and his own art--through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

Review:

You know what's awesome? Short audiobooks. They make me feel like I am getting SO MUCH DONE. Illusion of productivity for the win.

Why Did I Read This Book?
Actually, I wasn't planning to read this book in print or audio, despite the accolades, because, even though this would have been my childhood self's thing, my adult self wasn't all that interested. However, an unsolicited audiobook showed up, and, even though I know I don't HAVE to do anything with unsolicited titles, I feel like I should try. Plus, I'd heard the book was good and it was three hours, so why the hell not?

What's the Story Here?
Ivan is a gorilla, a great and mighty silverback, and he lives in this totally sketchy little "domain" in a mall. Straight up, I was shocked when at the end I learned Applegate based this on a true story, because how is that shiz even legal? Ivan and an elephant, Stella, are in these tiny cages at a crappy little strip mall, and perform shows and just what? This seems so unhealthy for the animals, and I just do not get how this was happening. Anyway, the mall circus/zoo thing isn't doing well, so the guy running it, Mac, purchases a baby elephant, Ruby. Her arrival sets in motion events that make Ivan realize how unhappy he is in his tiny domain.

How Are the Characters?
Hmm, well, I can't say I really connected with them particularly. There's an odd mixture of anthropomorphism and trying to retain their animal selves that I could not get used to. I'm all for anthropomorphism in general, but I don't know. There were just moments where I was left going chicka-what? Bob was totally my favorite, the little dog that would sleep on Ivan's chest. He was funny how he would always tell it like it is.

Did It Make Me Weep?
Nope. However, I do think this is one of those books that was written to make little children shed buckets of tears, like The Red Fern Grows, though this one at least ends happily. But, seriously, there is animal death up in here and, if I'd been more connected to the characters, gah. Also, some of the deaths are brutal, as in ending in dismemberment, which I was so not expecting from a kids' book. That would have haunted my childhood self something fierce.

What Am I Left Thinking About?
So in The One and Only Ivan, there's sort of this theme about how great zoos are, and I thought that was slightly strange. I mean, I get that from Ivan's perspective, a zoo is totally sweet digs. At the same time, though, I know that zoos are still animal abuse in a sense, and so the fact that they're almost idolized here was puzzling. I'm not completely anti-zoo or anything, but I just expected it to come down against caging other animals at all, and less how zoos are humans being awesome. Really don't know how I feel about this, so I'll probably continue to cogitate on it.

How Was the Narration?
First off, I have to say that I think Grupper did a pretty good job with the narration. He does voices and has a rumbly enough voice to make a good gorilla. Still, his voice just didn't have much appeal to me personally. It wasn't one where I was like "Yes, please tell me a story forever," you know? There are some narrators I could listen to read anything forever, but Grupper just isn't one of those. While objectively I think he did a great job, I suspect I would have liked the print a bit more on this one, but it's so hard to accurately make that call without actually reading the book to compare.

Sum It Up with a GIF:

Totally sums up Ivan's feels.

Rating: 3/5