This is a very beautiful and powerfully written coming of age story. At times I forgot I was reading about a chimpanzee and not a teenage girl. The emotions evoked through the writing left me speechless and wanting more.
The fact that we are seeing everything through the eyes of young Rachel; as she experiences the consciousness of a teenage girl in her chimp body; then the death of her creator father, who has raised her, we watch as she experiences first love and has to find her way through all the changes thrust upon her; gives the story the unique perspective that it needs to draw you and keep you in Rachel's world.
This is an amazing story that in a way reminded me of a very soft, feminine and, of course, chimp-view version of Micheal Crichton's "Next".
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A very poignant story that tugs gently but persistently at your heartstrings. I was completely in love with Rachel, the innocent, intelligent young chimp with the imprint of a human girl's mind, trying to balance her two sets of memories and experiences in a world that starts out cold.

Perhaps the way she transcends her human/animal challenges come from the evolutionary relationship between the two species, but perhaps it's also due to a capacity for curiosity and compassion inherent in humans/animals in general... and maybe the line between the two was not all that clear anyway to begin with, and both deserve the same kindness and respect. Thankfully, despite the callous scientists who keep Rachel under lock and key for most of the story, there is enough kindness in the world that she finally regains her freedom while finding her identity along the way. I love how unique yet universal this story is in its themes - it will have an enduring place in my heart. ( )