The Human Zoo Book Review
"Out of the mass of people, a little boy appears and steps up to the glass. He has brown hair and bright blue eyes that stand out against his skin. His lips curl down into a frown. I watch as he raises his hand and places it against the glass, five fingers spread wide. Reaching my hand out, I copy him. He smiles at me and I stare at him until the Guardian takes me through another door. Then he's gone, and I am lost." ~ Kasey Rocazella, The Human Zoo
(Photo from Kacey's Instagram)
Official Synopsis:
The Human Zoo is a dual point of view story that follows Priya and Jax. As an inmate inside this human zoo, Priya is obstinate, intelligent, and desperately is looking for a way out. That is until Jax, the zoo owner's son enters her enclosure. She discovers his secret, and he vows to help her escape. Will he make it in time?
A new exhibit, The Petting Zoo, is set to open, and Priya is the main attraction. First, though, she has to make it through Rehabilitation, a behavioral facility designed to break animals into submission.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to start by saying this story totally blew me out of the water. I wasn’t fully sure what to expect with this (especially since it was my first ever beta read) but I am so happy that Kasey contacted me. The story of Priya and Jax is so rich and the whole book just takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions. The Human Zoo couldn’t be releasing at a better time with all that is going on in the world. I think this story really opens your eyes to not only your own life but the life of others.
The Human Zoo isn’t something I probably would have EVER picked up on my own, but I will forever be grateful to have read. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is taught in a class in school in the future. We follow Priya and Jax who come from two very different worlds. Priya is a survivor who has never had anything easy while Jax has lived a more lavish life. He is a reporter that decides to visit the zoo, but it isn’t animals in cages, it’s people who are not genetically modified and therefore not “perfect.” To complete his article, Jax lives among the “animals” in the zoo and learns quite a few lessons during his stay. He makes friends with Priya and her group of friends while learning that maybe the ones that are caged aren’t so different from the ones who caged them. The whole story takes you through so many lessons and teaches you so much while you laugh, cry, and feel with these characters. There were times when I felt like things were going slow and I lost a bit of attention but never enough to stop reading. The whole time I wanted to know the conclusion of Jax and Priya. This story was such a refreshing change from my typical reads and I cannot recommend this enough, if only to open your eyes about the world a little bit more.
Kasey has done a wonderful job with her debut novel and I cannot congratulate her enough on The Human Zoo. I can’t wait for my own physical copy and to show it off to the world.
Make sure you follow Kasey for more updates on release dates, order links, and follow her on her blog for more of her writing! You can follow her Instagram, visit her website, and even read her information about her book here.
Don’t miss The Human Zoo releasing May 4th, 2021!!