176. Odder

Odder. Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. 2022. 288 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: not (exactly) guilty
In their defense,
sharks
do not (as a rule) eat
otters.
True, sharks sometimes
taste them
by mistake, leaving
frowning bites
or the jagged clue
of a tooth or two.
But then,
in fairness,
nobody's perfect.

Premise/plot: Katherine Applegate's newest novel is an animal fantasy novel written in verse. Odder is an otter who has twice been rescued by humans--first as a pup and then a second time three years later. She has spent some time in the wild, but, ultimately her home may not be in the wild. 

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I know my summary is on the weaker side. It is. I know it. You know it. But this one is SO GOOD. Trust me. Odder's voice is captured perfectly-perfectly. I loved her voice. The poems are so wonderful and compelling. I had all the feels for this one. I was definitely nervous in places--you may be too--but ultimately this is a grin from ear to ear read that is just incredibly satisfying. 

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers