Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Story of a young girl abandoned on a small island by her family and her village, and of her fight for survival.

The incredible courage, determination and strength of this girl is showcased throughout as she learns to do the things that only the men of her tribe did before, and battles not only the hunters who frequent the island, but also her desperate loneliness as well...

Excellent read for kids 11 and older.

Island of Blue Dolphins was a short, fun time. While it starts off pretty serious with the instigating series of events, the majority of the read ends up being a pretty cosy, chill island survival.

It was just pretty pleasant to watch Karana’s transformation over the decades she was left behind from just “a village girl” to someone who’s mastered the elements and tamed most wildlife on the island.

The bonds Karana has with the wildlife especially was one of the highlights, Rontu and her together were super wholesome and connected with me in the most emotional moments.

The writing itself stays pretty basic throughout which makes sense as it IS at the end of the day a kids novel which does limit how much you can feel invested in the story being told but I did enjoy my time reading it by the end.

Caught me off guard at the end when i found out it was based on a true story though, Made me rethink how impressive the whole thing was.

3.5

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the relationship that she developed with her environment although the ending left me wanting more.

Read this to my 8 year old who loved it. I remember loving it as a kid but had completely forgotten the whole story so I enjoyed it with him. A white male author writing a fictional account of a real indigenous woman is cringe, of course.