When I realized the plot of this book, I realized there was only one way it could really end.

The gorilla had to die

. Don't ask me how I knew this. Maybe it comes from thirty years of being an avid reader, but I knew about halfway through the book. 

That aside, I still really enjoyed this. Did it get a bit flakey at the end? Sure? Did aspects of the ending feel rushed in regards to certain character growth? Most certainly. But I found myself enjoying this book right up to that point. It was an interesting premise. I would recommend it.