Zoo (Patterson novel)

Zoo

Authors	James Patterson Michael Ledwidge
Language	English
Genres	Thriller Science fiction
Published	2012 (Century Publishing)
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	395 (1st edition, hardcover)
ISBN	1846058295 (1st edition, hardcover)
Website	Official website

Zoo is a stand-alone science fiction thriller novel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge published in September 2012 and appeared on the New York Times best seller list.

Plot

The novel centers on Jackson Oz, who is an outcast among professional and academic ecologists and biologists. Oz has tried for years to get these scientists to listen to the data he has been collecting on the increasing numbers of mammal attacks on humans. He becomes so obsessed with this goal that he quits graduate school and devotes himself to full-time data collection and arguing his case. Finally, on a trip to Botswana, he survives an attack by a large band of male lions in which about 100 people are killed over a large area. He saves the life of ecologist Chloe Tousignant. Upon returning to America he finds his girlfriend dead in his apartment, killed and partly eaten by his pet chimpanzee.

Five years later Oz has married Chloe and has a son with her. His theory becomes accepted as packs of animals are now entering densely populated cities and killing humans en masse. He is recruited by the US president to research the cause but before he and his team of scientists can find an answer the military launches strikes against affected cities which worsens the attacks. Continuing his research, he discovers that animal pheromones have changed due to the widespread use of radio communication (cellphones) and petroleum products (notably automobile exhaust) and these disrupted pheromones are causing the aggression. The United States president orders all electricity, cellphone and automobile usage banned for two weeks and animal attacks cease nearly immediately as the ban takes effect. But after one week people return to their previous habits and the attacks return with increased ferocity. Oz, some scientists and some political leaders escape to the Arctic Circle where research into how to reverse the changes will take place.

Reviews

Zoo has received mixed reviews. The Hutchinson Leader says "It's a page turner that's for sure. The ending is sort of lame, but overall I enjoyed it." A review of the audiobook by Publishers Weekly states: The Bookreporter.com website rates Zoo very positively, saying, "What is really chilling about Zoo is its plausibility. You may not agree with all of the points of view presented here, but at the very least it will keep you reading—and thinking—from first page to last."

Adaptation

In 2015, CBS adapted the novel as the television series Zoo.