Published: 20 September 2022
Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
Genre: Fiction
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars
Nobody has her moves.
She doesn’t just swim to the bottom,
she dive-bombs.
She doesn’t just somersault,
she triple-doughnuts.
She doesn’t just ride the waves,
she makes them.
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.
I only knew Applegate from her incredible Animorphs series so I was surprised when I came across this book. It is a beautifully told story. It looks like a big book but since it’s told in verse it’s a fairly quick read, but at the same time it is one you can easily take your time with.
It is amazing how Applegate can tell such a beautiful story of an otter’s life with so few words, but each one is important and captures the right mood and tone. The world under the waves, the actions, instincts, and dangers of an otter’s life are told beautifully. You don’t need paragraphs of descriptions about the ocean or what it feels like tow swim through the water, Applegate captures it with a few lines and you’re immediately there alongside Odder and her friends, experiencing the underwater world for the first time.
Verse reads completely different than poetry, and of course separate again from prose. The lyrical nature makes the words flow, and it feels melodic as you read. The short sentences and the limited words don’t hinder understanding at all and Applegate chooses the right words to capture mood, tone, and action perfectly.
There is heartbreak, love, and joy and I continued to be amazed how such a beautiful and complex story could be told in such an apparently simple style. You really don’t need it to be a novel though, free verse is lyrical, flowing and perfect to feel like you are riding the ocean waves, and swimming sleekly through water like an otter.
Applegate brings Odder to life so well as we experience her thoughts and her desires. Her curiosity at the world around her and her love for the ocean captivates you and you get to experience what life as an otter would be like. We understand other otters through her perspective and even understand the humans through Odder’s observations and experience.
Odder is a sea otter, I have only seen river otters in the zoo so I was picturing that the entire time, despite the adorable cover picture which gives you an indication of what Odder looks like. There is also a scattering of pencil illustrations throughout. Santoso’s illustrations are gorgeous and bring another level of beauty to this book and complement Applegate’s poetic words.
I was surprised to find myself becoming emotional towards the end. Seeing Odder grow up, see her life change as she lives in the sea, experiences danger and loss, as well as her time being cared for by humans. It’s a journey for her but also for the reader and those around her. After you’ve gone on this journey with her you feel proud of her resilience and achievements. And the fact she can still find hope after giving up was surprisingly impactful. Applegate pulls some incredible emotional punches through so few words. It truly is an art.
You can purchase Odder via the following
QBD | Booktopia | Blackwell’s
Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson
Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible
