emilyusuallyreading's review
3.0
What I Liked
At first I greatly enjoyed the premise. I've been on a "feral children" novel kick, so I was searching for more books like it.
While I wasn't a great fan of the unrealistic idea of a child actually living long-term in the ocean, Hesse made it work, and I can certainly understand how this book has been the fantasy of so many children.
I also enjoyed the format. The book begins in giant words, short sentences - at first I thought I'd been conned into reading a book for small children. But as Mila learns language, the font size grows smaller and the depth of reading level increases.
Seeing Shay through Mila's eyes was also very interesting - and I thought a brilliant addition to this story. The harsh reality of a neglected, "feral" child, that they've been shut away past their time of connecting to people, to language.
What I Didn't Like
THE END.
At first I greatly enjoyed the premise. I've been on a "feral children" novel kick, so I was searching for more books like it.
While I wasn't a great fan of the unrealistic idea of a child actually living long-term in the ocean, Hesse made it work, and I can certainly understand how this book has been the fantasy of so many children.
I also enjoyed the format. The book begins in giant words, short sentences - at first I thought I'd been conned into reading a book for small children. But as Mila learns language, the font size grows smaller and the depth of reading level increases.
Seeing Shay through Mila's eyes was also very interesting - and I thought a brilliant addition to this story. The harsh reality of a neglected, "feral" child, that they've been shut away past their time of connecting to people, to language.
What I Didn't Like
THE END.
Spoiler
As bizarre and unrealistic as it sounds for there to be an oceanic feral child, it's MORE unrealistic - straight up impossible - for her psychiatrist and caseworker to think, "Well, it's a shame she's extremely depressed and not adjusting well to the human world. I suppose we'll throw this 13-year-old child back into the ocean and leave. I'm sure we'll have few repercussions." It's not humane, it's not realistic, it's not healthy... it's only this romantic notion that Mila would have been better off in the ocean.Spoiler
Also, the grandfather situation put me off a little too.prestonpre's review
4.0
If I remember correctly, this is one of those books that my (elementary) school had an excerpt of in one of our textbooks. I remember it catching my attention so much that I wrote down the title and made my mother purchase it for me at a Scholastic Book Fair (remember those?)
I won't "review" it outright, as it has been years since I read this book. I just remember this one being a book that I constantly returned to. I loved the descriptions of her life with the dolphins, I loved the isolation that she recalled living with them as a human among marine mammals, and I remember the fear in her heart when she was first 'rescued".
This is definitely one of the books that shaped my reading preferences as a child, though you would be hard pressed to find one of those books that didn't. I'm not quite sure how I lost track of this one, as I still own [b:Esperanza Rising|89763|Esperanza Rising|Pam Muñoz Ryan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328869043s/89763.jpg|1510338] which was from the same 'literary' age of my childhood. This is one that I want to seek out and read again, even if just to relive my childhood once more.
I won't "review" it outright, as it has been years since I read this book. I just remember this one being a book that I constantly returned to. I loved the descriptions of her life with the dolphins, I loved the isolation that she recalled living with them as a human among marine mammals, and I remember the fear in her heart when she was first 'rescued"
Spoiler
and the relief when she escaped. Although, I always read the end rather ambiguously and even my childhood brain filled in an ending where she died and reuniting with the dolphins was her heaven. I would have to read it again to find outThis is definitely one of the books that shaped my reading preferences as a child, though you would be hard pressed to find one of those books that didn't. I'm not quite sure how I lost track of this one, as I still own [b:Esperanza Rising|89763|Esperanza Rising|Pam Muñoz Ryan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328869043s/89763.jpg|1510338] which was from the same 'literary' age of my childhood. This is one that I want to seek out and read again, even if just to relive my childhood once more.
mrsbond's review
3.0
A pilot spots a girl on an uninhabited island and rescues her. Her caretakers soon learn that Mila has been living in the ocean with the dolphins. She wants to please her new family but desperately misses her dolphin family.
mjfmjfmjf's review
5.0
A re-read. I don't expect the science of this book to make all that much sense. But there is a certain amount of truth in this anyway. It's a guess at what it means to be human. And what it means to be dolphin. It didn't have to end the way it did, that was a choice. Or maybe that's the way the science looked when it was written. And apparently there are occasional orcas in the Caribbean.
devoneil's review
3.0
I read this for class in 3rd grade and my friends and still quote it all the time, 10 plus years later.
kairosdreaming's review
5.0
I've had this book for a very long time. And I've probably read it about once a year. Even though its a children's book, it is very thought provoking.
Mila is a young girl who, after her capture by humans, goes to live in a research house where they teach her language, music, and other necessary skills. You see, Mila had been living with dolphins for the greater portion of her life, surviving in the sea and knowing nothing else. Of course the change is a great shock to her but she gradually adapts even though she doesn't always know why the people around her do the things they do or want her to do certain things. But as time goes on, Mila feels more and more the call of the sea and her home with the dolphins.
Mila's a great character. Since you progress with her through the book it is very easy to tell her emotions and thoughts and line them up with everything that's happening to her. The other characters I wasn't quite as fond of, but then again we are seeing them through Mila's eyes so however she's feeling is how they are described. Sandy, out of all the other characters, was probably the most empathetic but Mila had a fondness for Justin too that shines through.
The was this book was written was very interesting actually. The language and text changes as Mila learns and it goes from very basic large text and words to more intricate as her vocabulary expands. When she's talking about her time with the dolphins and thinking its the most clear and poetic of all. I actually really liked the format and thought it interesting. This would be an easy book for kids to read as there's not a lot of unknown vocabulary or concepts, but it teaches them to empathize with other people.
Great children's novel and thought provoking book for any reader. I highly recommend it.
The Music of Dolphins
Copyright 1996
181 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Mila is a young girl who, after her capture by humans, goes to live in a research house where they teach her language, music, and other necessary skills. You see, Mila had been living with dolphins for the greater portion of her life, surviving in the sea and knowing nothing else. Of course the change is a great shock to her but she gradually adapts even though she doesn't always know why the people around her do the things they do or want her to do certain things. But as time goes on, Mila feels more and more the call of the sea and her home with the dolphins.
Mila's a great character. Since you progress with her through the book it is very easy to tell her emotions and thoughts and line them up with everything that's happening to her. The other characters I wasn't quite as fond of, but then again we are seeing them through Mila's eyes so however she's feeling is how they are described. Sandy, out of all the other characters, was probably the most empathetic but Mila had a fondness for Justin too that shines through.
The was this book was written was very interesting actually. The language and text changes as Mila learns and it goes from very basic large text and words to more intricate as her vocabulary expands. When she's talking about her time with the dolphins and thinking its the most clear and poetic of all. I actually really liked the format and thought it interesting. This would be an easy book for kids to read as there's not a lot of unknown vocabulary or concepts, but it teaches them to empathize with other people.
Great children's novel and thought provoking book for any reader. I highly recommend it.
The Music of Dolphins
Copyright 1996
181 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
librariann's review
4.0
I would have loved this book as a young teen. feral child! dolphins! still pretty good, in a flowers for Algernon kind of way.