Based on a true story, Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell, focuses on the main character Karana who enjoys life on an island with her tribe in the middle of a sea of dolphins. One day, Russians unexpectedly raid her island and attempt to make a deal to share the supply of fish equally with the islanders. Surprisingly, Chief Chowig, the main chief of the island, agrees, and after working together for some months, the Russians abruptly decide to take the entire island’s population back to Russia. However, they accidentally leave Karana’s brother, Ramo, behind. Realizing his dire situation, Karana dives off the ship into the ocean and joins her brother for their ultimate survival alone on the island, but Ramo, attacked by wild dogs, passes away. Now, Karana, with little knowledge of survival, somehow endures a number of obstacles.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It allowed me to really dive into the text, as I felt anger towards the Russians. My only complaint is that some parts of the book seemed slow, but they quickly became interesting. I loved the cover of the book because I think it captured the beauty of the sea and Karana’s culture. Overall I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.