Zoology

Destiny, do we have control or is it just by accident? High school graduation is supposed to open the road to new beginnings. That’s what Henry Elinsky thought, but his first year at college was a disaster. Now, back at his old high school and helping dad with music class, it’s definitely the pits. Life just doesn’t appear fair and understanding from others seems impossible! Family dynamics and hidden problems leave Henry wondering which way is up. Breaking into the adult world seems to present some real challenges, but this is just the beginning.

New York, New York, Glimmer and glitz, a place where starting over can take unexpected turns. Henry is invited to spend the summer with his brother David in the Big Apple and can’t wait show more for the adventure to begin. Dad thinks it is great, mom is afraid he’s avoiding college. Uncle Walter is just his emotional self. Once Henry’s settled in, next stop Central Park Zoo, and a job interview.

Nervous but determined, Henry nabs a job at the children’s zoo. There is nothing cool about shoveling animal dung and washing out cages but his responsibilities become enjoyable in a mindless sort of way. Sometimes Henry finds more comfort in talking to a hairy “friend”, than with unpredictable, closed minded, emotionally stressed humans! The Zoo becomes a refuge from the disappointments and trials that plague Henry’s struggle to reach his dreams.

Is love in the air? When Henry meets Margaret, matters of the heart take unpredictable turns and alter his thoughts for the future. Close encounters or just accidental meetings? It’s a summer romance, or is it?

Each day, Henry faces situations testing his ability to adjust, grow and learn from his choices. Accidents, family emergencies, and poor decisions may leave Henry up the creek with out a paddle.

Zoology is a small glimpse into the day to day events, thoughts, and dreams of a young man struggling to find meaning and purpose, in his upside down life. show less

Henry Elinsky has flunked out of college by Thanksgiving of his freshman year. His ever optimistic Father tells him to take his time finding his place and in the meantime to assist him in teaching music at Henry's Alma mater. His father has encouraged Henry to keep up with his saxophone and consider that as a possible future. After 6 months of little ambition and no decision-making Henry is invited to come to NYC and stay with his brother, David and David's girlfriend, Lucy. David knows of a job opening at the Central Park Zoo and gets Henry an interview. Henry makes the move and gets the job in the Children's Zoo. The story covers the summer in NYC; the job and his fellow workers and the animals in their care, particularly Newman, a show more Nubian long eared goat. It also entails his relationship with a girl visiting her relatives in the same apartment building. I can't say that I really liked Henry during much of this story. I couldn't connect with much of his thinking. I did like his interactions with the doorman, elevator operator and security staff at the apartment building and his interactions with the animals at the Zoo. His family is a misfit of characters that can't communicate; obviously helping to create Henry's inability to find himself. Not until Henry has to rely on his own abilities to solve a problem is he able to move forward. show less

Henry Elinsky, a college drop-out, moves to New York where he resides with his brother David and David's girlfriend Lucy. Lacking skills for a more prestigious job, Henry finds employment in Central Park Zoo. Henry's lackluster life takes a turn for the better, or so he thinks, when he finds a friend in Margaret, a young woman temporarily staying in his apartment building.

I admit that I chose to read this book because the author grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. I honestly don't know if I liked this book or not. What seemed to be lacking was my feeling connected to a person (or even an animal) in the story. I kept seeing glances of many characters but felt I never did truly know their stories. Later I was thinking that perhaps this show more *was* the purpose of the story. Simply put, at a very precarious time in the life of Henry Elinsky, he was not attached to anyone. He felt alienated from school, from friends, and even from family.

This book may actually be good reading for a young person who is in a state of "drift". Haven't we all had such a state as a young adult?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: There were puzzling things in the story - all of which made me crazy. Why was Margaret such a tease? Why had no positive things happened to Henry? How did he make the decision to go back to school? Why did Henry get such a weird last letter from Margaret? Why were Henry's parents' problems and Lucy's annoyance only alluded to and not explored more deeply? show less

I feel kinda bad only giving this two stars because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't great. The basic premise is about a young boy who goes to NY to stay with his brother the summer after he's graduated and his 'coming of age' so to speak and there is some merit in the story, just not enough to really capture you completely. There is some charm to Henry's story - his failed attempt at a music career, his work at the zoo, his friendship with his workmates, his refusal to believe his parents marriage is falling apart, his first love...

I think what lets the book down is that although it is realistic enough, there is a degree of hopelessness in the whole thing for large parts of the book. The girl he's in love with toys with him and although show more she is at least (mostly) honest with him from the outset, you can't help but feel frustrated on his behalf as she blows hot and cold while enjoying his advances. His parent's marriage does fall apart, his brother all but packs his bags for him...you almost want someone, anyone to just stop and cut him a break and then you remember that you are reading this from the perspective of a young guy who is a biased narrator so you're unsure how much of what we see is an emotional response from him.

Basically the whole book feels like being a teenager again where everything feels much bigger/more important than it is. This book is a bit like that - there is something there, something that could be great but something that hasn't quite found its way yet. I think I'd like to see Henry again with 10 years experience under his belt - he's a nice guy and a likeable protagonist and the scene at the end where he takes control - leaves NY, gets into college and finds something he loves was great to see. You want to see how it will shake out for him because this snap-shot, this summer where he was betwixt and between anything and everything wasn't a real representation of what he was going to be.

This is a quick read and it's good enough, I just think it could have been even better. I like that there wasn't a clichéd HEA and there were some real bright spots interwoven with everything else so it's worth a read if you have a few hours to kill. show less

A coming of age novel where the narrator is refreshingly not wise beyond his years, for a change.

If you don't think about it, the 'normal' route is for us to graduate high school, go to college, then get a job, but for some, that route isn't right, or the time frame isn't right, or maybe they're just not ready yet.

This is the story of a boy who went away to college after finishing high school, but he wasn't ready yet and he stalled out. He goes to NYC to spend the summer living with his brother, and he works at the zoo as a keeper. There, he goes through the necessary stages of becoming ready to live his life. He grows up - not all the way - but just enough, and he experiences just enough of life to be ready this time around, for the show more next stage of his life.

It is a nicely told book with good human (and animal) observations, very funny in parts. show less

Intersting coming-of-age story about a guy named Henry who "leaves" college after his freshman year and moves to New York to stay with his brother and work at the Children's Zoo. Some very fine charcterizations and situations that really ring true, But some of the writing is a little ragged, especially the way it changes from present to past tense.

Sort of a less interesting, less funny, and poorly executed version of "Catcher In The Rye." It's an erratic story full of hollow characters who don't seem to make a whole lot of sense or have very much interesting to say.

It's a good idea, but Dolnick doesn't pull it off.