15. Theory of Bastards

By Audrey Schulman (397 pp)

This book is set in a vaguely futuristic setting where people rely on implants for information rather than smart phones -- but otherwise the world is one we recognize. The main character is Francine who vists an ape sanctuary to study bonobos to investigate her theories about reproduction. There is a lot going on in this story that I can't summarize in a couple of sentences. She makes connections with the staff and the bonobos and then something terrible happens and they have to try to survive. It's hard to categorize but if you like animal behavior with some dystopian tossed in with complex characters - this is for you. I will add that the book cover completely fails this book. Even the back copy and the summary on Goodreads do not capture how smart and captivating this story is.