I know this book is a classic and an award winner but in all honesty, it would have upset me as a kid. I was never into realisti3.5 stars rounded up.
I know this book is a classic and an award winner but in all honesty, it would have upset me as a kid. I was never into realistic survivalist books, preferring fantasy instead. So Karana's abandonment, a few deaths in her community and family, and some animal deaths would have wrecked me.
As an adult, I can step away from that a bit. The book is loosely based on the real life story of the . I learned about her when my husband and I visited Channel Islands National Park back in very early 2020 and was curious to read more about her.
Her story is so sad to me. As an introvert, I joke about never wanting to see people again but I can't imagine actually experiencing it.
O'Dell gives us a taste of what her life might have been like, but he chose to write her story as if she were a young teen when she was forgotten (In reality, she was an adult). Her fear and loneliness, her sorrow when her people left. I felt as if I were on that beautiful, isolated island with her, sharing in her small victories and worrying over her setbacks.
I have to admit that a part of me questions if it was appropriate for a white man to write about a Native American woman and her belief system and way of life. I don't know the answer to that, though I feel that he approached his subject with empathy and compassion. Mostly I'm glad history hasn't forgotten her the way she was forgotten in real life, even if she primarily lives on in the pages of a historical fiction book written for children.
Island of the Blue Dolphins isn't going to be a suitable choice for every reader (see my first paragraph) but I still recommend it to those who find the synopsis interesting. ...more
I dinged book two of this series for being a little too reminiscent of Harry Potter. I still see direct parallels between a lot of the plot points in I dinged book two of this series for being a little too reminiscent of Harry Potter. I still see direct parallels between a lot of the plot points in this book and The Wizarding World but I must not have cared as much this time around.
It's been two years since I listened to Amari and the Great Game and I've forgotten a lot of what happened. There weren't a lot of clues to remind me. That can be both good and bad. Too much synopsis in a series book feels like a book report but not enough leaves readers who don't want to re-read the previous books a little lost. That's kind of where I was but I just rolled with it.
Amari and her friends are a great group to spend time with. They have enough disagreements to feel real but you can also tell that they genuinely care about each other.
The ending wrapped up so neatly that I wasn't sure if it was the end of the series. It looks like at least two more books are in the works though.
Imani Parks does a good job with the narration in this series but she reads too slow even for me, and I say that I speak slow and hear even slower with my Southern accent. I sped up the playback a bit, which I almost never do.
I highly recommend this fun, diverse series....more
JG (Introverted Reader)
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Books:
middle_grade
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