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Summary
Summary
When killer whales invade Glacier Strait, Coral's herd is in deadly danger. Reluctantly, Coral's father and mother send her in search of safer waters. The journey is not easy, and Coral confronts hungry sharks, menacing killer whales, and hazardous fishing nets. Inevitably, she encounters the greatest danger of all -- humans.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7Completing a novel that her husband, Scott O'Dell, could not finish before he died, Hall tells the story of Coral, a young dolphin who, in the company of her brother Snapper, sets off to find their sibling Silver, who had gone looking for adventure more than three years before. Because their pod is being terrorized by orcas, the dolphins need more strong males like Silver to help defend the pregnant females from the killer whales. During their trip, Coral and Snapper observe or experience many dangers that humans have created for sea creatures: whaling, drift-netting, and otter-hunting. Coral is captured and, in an unbelievable coincidence, taken to the same tourist attraction where Silver is being trained to perform. That White Fang, the killer whale that led many of the attacks against their pod, is also there for training is yet another astounding coincidence. Eventually, the dolphins are prepared to work in the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, and then, after Coral displays an out-of-control love for one of her keepers, is set free to return home. The book has just too many contrivances to recommend it without reservation. Madeleine L'Engle's A Ring of Endless Light (Dell, 1981) weaves reliable information about dolphins into a more compelling and engaging, albeit longer and more complex, novel.Ellen Fader, Oregon State Library, Salem (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This story about dolphins was begun by the late author of Island of the Blue Dolphins and completed by his widow, but "unchecked anthropomorphism" and "sentimental incidents" sink the enterprise, said PW. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Sent to find her missing brother, young dolphin Coral -- who narrates the story -- is captured and taught to perform at an amusement park, then trained to assist in naval research. The science appears sound; the emotions and communication methods of the dolphins seem believable. Some loose ends and a truncated conclusion don't dampen the power of the thought-provoking story. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4-6. O'Dell began this manuscript, and his wife finished it after he died. Coral, the narrator, is a young, female dolphin whose father sends her to find her brother and bring him home to help the pod, which is beset by orcas. On her journey, she meets humans, an enemy worse than the orcas, who seem determined to kill everything in the sea. Eventually, Coral is captured and set to work training rescue divers for the navy. She also falls in love, but Mark, a human, has too many limitations for underwater living. The dolphin characters are not interestingly developed, and Coral's crush on Mark seems silly. What redeems the book are its scientific underpinnings and its underwater perspective on dolphin hunting and shows, which readers will find more attractive than the anthropomorphic characters or the plot. --Mary Harris Veeder
