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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I remember one of my teachers reading this to the class in elementary school and I just loved it!
I loved O'Dell's books as a kid. this one sticks out and I still remember the main character's attempts to keep herself alive living off the land.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nostalgic book. It was fun to get back into reading, and some of the content brought back specfic memories. I remember how I envisioned the book the first time I read it.
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Nothing like reviewing a book two months after you have finished it! This novel is often assigned to middle grade readers given its short length and approachable writing style, but the subject matter is quite melancholy for kids to read. The main character is a child when the book begins, but I don't think that means this book is necessarily meant for younger readers. It touches on a lot of adult themes, including extreme loneliness, abandonment, survival, death, and more — not exactly cheerful stuff, and ideas that take a lot of maturity to process fully. Not saying that this book isn't well-written on a technical level, because it is, just that the younger readers it's usually assigned to might need someone to discuss with as they read. From a personal standpoint, I feel like I appreciated this book and understood it more as an adult than I did when I was a kid. Also, I just have to note that this book plays pretty fast and loose with the historical narrative and native culture it's based on, so bear that in mind.
Spoiler
(a girl/woman is stranded alone on an island for 18 years after her tribe leaves and brother dies)
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love this book so much it’s a childhood favorite that has refused to lose charm with time.
Such a sweet book. I read this for the first when I was in elementary school. The story always stuck with me, especially as a Southern California girl who loved being in the water and seeing first hand many of the animals mentioned in the book. Decided to go back and read it now during my quarantine. It was wondrous to be able to reconnect to my younger self in this way and getting to revisit this story after so much time has passed. Obviously it’s still a children’s book but it’s still a beautifully told story.
Plot moves fast enough. Not a must read, but entertaining. Liked it better than Hatchet.
