The Legend of Sally Jones

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.

“Sally Jones was suffering from a broken heart.”

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.

On a moonless, starless, stormy night one hundred years ago, a baby gorilla was born in the African rainforest. As prophesized by the elders, the gorilla's life would be wrought with misfortunate struggles. It started with the poachers. An illegal hunting expedition by Belgian officers sent the young caged gorilla, by riverboat, to be sold.

How did Sally Jones acquire her name? Sally was purchased by a Turkish merchant as an engagement present. The present was unwelcomed. She was then smuggled into Europe. In an attempt to avoid costly custom charges, a false passport was issued in the name "Sally Jones". She was swaddled as a human baby and tucked into a pram. Sally's ordeal continued. With each new heartbreaking change to her circumstances, however, she accumulated knowledge that would be useful in the future. She learnt "everything about finding hidden bananas, she learnt how to seek...precious stones and jewellery in locked dressing tables or shares and bonds kept in safes with burglar alarms."

Conjuring up images of happier times, she dreamt of Frau Schultz's leafy garden paradise. Having been taught to read, she cultivated a special interest in books about the jungles of Borneo. She lovingly remembered her special friendship with an orangutan named Baba who occupied a nearby cage at the zoo.

Such sadness and mistreatment framed Sally Jones' life as she was forced to endure time as a jewel thief, a magician's assistant and a circus attraction, among other cruelties that rained down on her. "The sound of a gorilla weeping is really dreadful."

In this prequel to "The Murder's Ape" by author and illustrator Jakob Wegelius, the backstory of Sally Jones' childhood and young adulthood is shared with the reader through the medium of the graphic novel. The panels, one per page, in beautiful and intricate detail, express more emotion, heartbreak and the meted out mistreatment, then does the text. Although Sally's encounters with humans are often fraught with brutality, she makes one true friend who treats her with respect and compassion. He is a Finish engineer name Koskela aka "Chief". This reader hopes that Koskela will figure into Sally's world in "The Murder's Ape". A highly recommended read suitable for middle grade students and older based upon the mistreatment of animals.

Thank you Pushkin Children's Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the one hand, I was pleased to reunite with the utterly wonderful Sally Jones. On the other, though beautifully illustrated, the author shows us so much misery that Sally experiences: taken forcibly from her mother (and though it’s not stated, I suspect the poachers killed her mother), then treated as nothing more than a bizarre monster/commodity for successive ruthless and unscrupulous people to exploit for profit. (Which pretty much explains much of history, such as imperialism, colonialism, slavery….. I wondered as I read book one and this prequel whether the stories’ younger audiences will be transported by the romance of the time period and locations, conveyed by the detailed illustrations, and ever stop to wonder about the European characters’ presence in Africa and Asia.)

Sally is a wonderful creation, and terribly sad though her years are prior to her adopting Chief as her one safe person, she’s got tremendous initiative, kindness, cleverness and strength, making her a terrific protagonist.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Pushkin Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Sally Jones is a gorilla. She has many adventures as she's sold to different owners.
Pushkin Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Sally fell in love with an orangutan but he finds his tribe and she's alone again.

She spends time in cages, gets beaten, but always manages to eventually get free.

She travels around the world on boats, becomes friends with some of her captors, and enjoys her life when she can.

Her story is an unusual one...

This is a graphic novel about a gorilla destined to have an unfortunate life, according to a prophecy told before she was born. Those misfortunes lead Sally on several adventures, including being kidnapped, trained to be a jewel thief, and much more as she travels the world.

The story involves a lot of emotion. Many of the characters are only interested in using Sally for their own purposes, leaving her with suffering and many emotional moments. She wants love and acceptance, but she has a difficult time trying to get it. Every time the reader has hope for Sally, it tends to be ripped away and followed by another sad adventure. It is a relief when she finally finds a happy situation that won't be immediately lost.

The illustrations give off a vintage vibe. They do a great job of showing Sally's emotions.

It's a strange book but simple enough for a lot of young readers who won't be too affected by the many emotionally difficult stories.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- LOVE the cover on this one!

The graphics in this book were just beautiful. It was such a joy to review it! The story itself was also good. However, it was also very...I dunno, dark and heavy for a book aimed at children, in my opinion. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I would still recommend it, but for an older children. I'll definitely be picking up <b>The Murderer's Ape</b> to carry on reading about Sally and her adventures!

**ARC Via NetGalley**