Hurt Go Happy: A Novel

Ginny Rorby

Jun 2010 · Macmillan

About this ebook

Thirteen-year-old Joey Willis is used to being left out of conversations. Though she's been deaf since the age of six, Joey's mother has never allowed her to learn sign language. She strains to read the lips of those around her, but often fails.

Everything changes when Joey meets Dr. Charles Mansell and his baby chimpanzee, Sukari. Her new friends use sign language to communicate, and Joey secretly begins to learn to sign. Spending time with Charlie and Sukari, Joey has never been happier. She even starts making friends at school for the first time. But as Joey's world blooms with possibilities, Charlie's and Sukari's choices begin to narrow—until Sukari's very survival is in doubt.



At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

The book Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby is a very heart warming book. Ginny Rorby creates a world of happiness, disappointment, and contentment. She really makes you feel like you’re in the book with Joey and Sukari. This book kept me turning pages for hours on end. Ginny Rorby did an amazing job on the setting. She makes you feel like your in the book. Ginny is a master at creating a realistic world through words. You get the whole picture, even the feelings that go along with it. The storm had blown several trees down across the trail along the creek and it had become overgrown since the beginning of the rainy season in November. She climbed over and under, searching the duff cautiously for lumps that hinted at a fresh, new mushroom coming up. Ginny Rorby did a great job with characterization. Joey is a very dynamic character. She goes from thinking that she’ll be alone in her silent world forever to really connect with the rest of the world. For example she goes from this: The hardest part about being home-schooled had been not having friends, but when she got to school, she discovered that she was shy to the point of having sweaty palms. And she was too hard to talk to and written notes were to slow. For the first year and a half, she moved through the days alone, ticking of the classes in long, lead-filled minutes. and then: I’ve been invited to a friends house, she wrote back, stretching the truth a little since they’d set no specific date. He has a... Joey stopped and crossed the last part out. Now she’s being invited to friends houses and really connecting with everyone else in the world. When I first started reading this book I didn’t know if I would like it because I usually don’t pickup a realistic fiction book I more go for the fantasy and adventure. Once I read the first chapter I knew I was going to read this to the end. The message of this book really came across to me as being dreams can always come true, no matter how hard it is to reach them. I really hope that Ginny publishes a sequel because this was an amazing book. I would rate this book a 10 it was amazing. I think any reader who loves a heart warming book would enjoy it. Sincerely, M

Ginny Rorby Hurt Go Happy is one of the most saddest books I’ve ever read. It’s about a girl named Joey Willis who is deaf. She got deaf because her old dad hit her and now she’s 70% deaf. She can only hear really really REALLY loud sounds like a chainsaw or something else really loud. One day she meets a man named Charlie Mansell and his chimpanzee, Sukari. Ruth, Joey’s mom, doesn’t want Joey to learn sign language because she thinks people will think of her as an invalid so she makes Joey read lips so people will think she’s normal. But Charlie starts teaching Joey sign language in secret with Sukari. Then Joey’s whole family meets Charlie and Sukari and every one likes them. Except Ruth. Ruth really doesn’t like them because Charlie is teaching Joey sign language. She finally lets Joey learn ASL (American Sign Language), but tells her not to speak sign language in public. One time there is an earthquake and Sukari comes to Joey’s house alone. Joey knows something is wrong and goes to Charlie’s house right away. A couple minutes after she comes Charlie dies and gives Sukari to Joey. By the time Ruth is a little nicer to Charlie and Sukari, but she doesn’t think he really meant that Sukari is Joeys. Sukari goes to live with Dr.Lynn, Charlie’s niece, but then she has a baby and she can’t keep Sukari. Meanwhile, Joey’s mom finally decided to let Joey go to a school for deaf kids to learn to sign. Dr.Lynn sends Sukari to a research lab that tests pesticides on animals because there is no other choice. All the zoo’s and places where un-wanted chimps go are full and no one can take one more. When Joey finds out that Sukari is at a research lab, she is determined to get her out. With out her mother’s permission, she gets tickets for a train and plane and goes to the research lab. It’s the most saddest part of the book, I think. There are chimpanzees everywhere locked in tiny rooms with nothing but a concrete floor and walls, shelves to sleep on, and food and water. Some of the chimps got addicted to the tranquilizer they use! Joey finds Sukari sitting jammed into a corner. When she sees Joey and the lab worker she signs NO HURT. HUG. HUG. That is so sad! She’s only been there a month and she already knows the people hurt you. Then to Joey she signs HELP ME. That is so sad!!! Joey gets Sukari out of the horrible place and goes to a zoo and learns to get along with other chimps. It’s a really awesome book, but it’s really sad. I love this book.

i liked this book from the very start; thirteen year-old Joey Willis is deaf.She has been since she was six year-old.Ever since then most kids have been avoiding her and she does'nt have any friends-until she meets Dr.Charles Mansell and his chimpanzee Sukari who uses sign language to communicate.Joey wants to learn signing but her mother forbids her.Joey decide's to go against her mother's permission and starts to learn signing.She is much happier than she ever has been -she even has some friends at school- until a horrible tragedy occurs. Now it is up to Joey to see that the chimp's future will be happy for both her and Sukari... I loved this book because about how a deaf teenage girl feels and how she wants to protect an animal that shares 98% of our DNA.It also talks about how humans can be so cruel to their fellow beings. a great book for people who like dramatic,life-filled books yet also with a story that means loving and protecting is something that everyone-both human end animal-needs.

About the author

Ginny Rorby holds an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Miami and an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. Her young adult novel, Dolphin Sky, was nominated for the Keystone Reading Award. Ginny Rorby is also co-director of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference, now in its 15th year. She lives in Fort Bragg, California.