Daughter of the Deep

There was a moment when I really felt I had arrived as a book blogger and got a copy of a Riordan book BEFORE the publication date, but that only happened once. I love Riordan's work so much that I even considered buying a copy of this, but I couldn't get to the store. The only advance copy available was an audiobook, so I thought "Sure. How painful could it be?"

I hate, hate, hate being read to. It's so slow (even on 1.5 speed), and my comprehension while listening is absymal. I can't remember names, and had a lot of trouble with some of the unfamiliar words and phrases. The name of the Harding-Pencroft ship was the Butternut-- that was all I could discern. Pretty sure I'm wrong. I didn't take notes because I couldn't listen and write at the same time.

Language arts teachers and librarians love read alouds, but remember that there will always be students who, like me, are not fans. I have vivid memories of sitting in class wanting to scream and run out the door in the middle of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe being read by Miss Maruskin. 

So, here ya go. What happens when I try to review a book WHICH I ENJOYED when I have listened to it. 

Riordan, Rick. Daughter of the Deep

October 26th 2021 by Disney-Hyperion

Audiobook from Netgalley Shelf
 

Ana Dakkar and her older brother Dev are students at the Harding-Pencroft academy situated on the coast of California. They like to hang out and dive together early in the mornings, meeting a dolphin the call Socrates occasionally. They only have each other, since their scientist parents where killed in an accident. There's something off on one particular morning, but Ana ignores the warning signs. When she and her freshman class are boarding the bus with an older, out of shape teacher as their chaperone, they see something in the water, and see the entire school collapse into the ocean. They are all stunned and shocked, but their teacher lets them know that a competing school, the Land Institute, has been plotting against them for years. It's all connected to Captain Nemo, aka Prince Dakkar, who is a distant ancestor of Ana's. Her brother was meant to take his place and secure their legacy, but now it falls to Ana. Along with her classmates, they head toward Lincoln Base, where they find that the Nautilus still exists. Nemo died in the submarine and sat underwater for 150 years, so there has been a LOT of renovation that has needed to occur. The ship is in surprisingly good condition, and is somewhat sentient. Ana must work with the ship, the people who man the base, and her classmates to fend off attacks by the Land Institute, solve the mysteries of Nemo and her parents, and figure out a way to proceeed after such a terrible tragedy. While I watched an interview with Riordan that indicated this would be a stand alone, it definitely seems like the first book in a series. 

Strengths: Ana is of Indian descent, and is shown communicating in an Indian language. Her classmates span a wide variety of ethnicities and abilities, with her roomate being depicted as being on the Autism Spectrum with an assistance dog to help with her anxiety. One character is Church of the Latter Day Saints. One of the adults on the base is Italian. There is even an orangutan who communicates with sign language and is shown realistically; he doesn't speak, but does have an affinity for the Great British Baking Show. The students learn lots of different languages. There is a ton of action and adventure, and a really well developed back story and connection to Verne's characters. I liked that there wasn't quite as much traveling around and meeting other characters as there is in most of Riordan's other books. 
Weaknesses: While the diversity was nice, it slowed down the story quite a bit, and felt a tiny bit forced. 
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and it was interesting to see Riordan vary from his standard Percy Jackson style formula. Could have used a little more of his trademark humor, but I get why that would be hard after Ana has suffered such a tremendous loss. 

Just read the fabulous Fashionopolis (2/15/22) by Dana Thomas. Longtime readers know I love thrifting and rarely buy new clothes; this book made me feel very good about my choices, considering how wasteful the fashion industry is. 

Realized that I have had this jacket since at least 2006, since I remember wearing it to my older daughter's cross country meet. It's my school colors, so I probably wear it at least 8-10 times a year. It probably cost $2, and I've never had it dry cleaned. 

This gave me pause, but I always sponge and brush my clothes, and wear washable layers underneath jackets, skirts, and sweaters. A lint shaver helps keep things looking crisp. My rule of thumb is always "If I saw this at the thrift store, would I buy it?" I think this has held up pretty well.