Odder

I saw Katherine Applegate had written a new book called Odder about a sea otter, so I got it from the library. Here's the book description: "Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself―and about the humans who hope to save her. Inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, this poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved and charming animals."

This was a nice read. Even though it was a little slow for me at first, by the end I was definitely engaged and anxious to see what would happen with Odder. I thought it was a sweet book, and the author's note at the end motivated me to pick up from the library a nonfiction book about otters (Return of the Sea Otter: The Story of the Animal That Evaded Extinction on the Pacific Coast by Todd McLeish), so I have that in my to-read pile now.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)