I'm a well read grad student who's bluntly honest about all things, although I try to be most honest about myself.
Apes and humans are gearing up for another war, and it's interesting to see not only how the they interact, but how the apes holding the power exacerbates that tension. The splinter group between the apes - chimpanzees, orangoutangs, etc - also create some realistic tension between those in power. Prejudice and social castes are in place, and while the apes protest quite loudly that they're different - superior - to humans, they seem quite alike when put under the microscope.
Fascinating, psychologically deep, and surprisingly fun.