Here's a link to my review of Smithy on Amazon. I'll post the text here as well, in case the link doesn't work.
https://www.amazon.com/Smithy-Amanda-Desiree/dp/1950301214/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=smithy&qid=1627216560&sr=8-1 The Doctor and K9
5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling and Compelling Page Turner!
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
This novel is fascinating because of the meticulous research that was put into the subject of the study of language acquisition in apes. I've read extensively about this subject, focusing on the chimp Washoe and the gorilla Koko. Ms. Desiree has her facts down cold, grounding the novel in a bedrock of gritty realism that pulls the reader relentlessly in. There are never any moments of skepticism that thrust the reader out of the world she's created. The chimp, Webster, or Smithy to his friends, is lovable and draws the reader into his world.
As a bonus, Ms. Desiree has faithfully recreated my hometown, Newport RI. The characters exist in the place where I grew up. Her research was impeccable. She stated that Labor Day, 1975 was rainy. I looked it up. There was indeed a half an inch of rain on that day. I would not have called her out on it, had she used dramatic license, but I was impressed that her book concurred with what actually happened. I suppose this could have been a lucky guess on her part. Either way, her research into the history of the town was spot on. Her descriptions of the settings were immediately recognizable to me as places I've visited since I was a child.
The story is character based, and the plot is laid on layer by layer. The tension builds gradually as we see it grow through the eyes of the various students conducting the research. It's an epistolary novel reminiscent of Dracula. Both set up realistic worlds in which sane and reliable narrators report fantastic events in credible manners. We buy into the story because we believe and trust them.
The novel is both creepy and thought provoking. It's one of the best novels I've read in a long time.