Hippie Chick (Hardcover)

by Joseph Monninger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—Fifteen-year-old Lolly Emmerson loves to spend time with her boyfriend, Nicky. Her other love is sailing in the Florida Keys. One evening, her Boston Whaler hits an underwater obstacle. Lolly is not concerned until the unsinkable boat overturns and she is dumped into the water. She tries to remain calm but is knocked unconscious by the mast. When she comes to, something thumps her. Shark or dolphin is the first thing that comes to mind; however, it is a giant manatee. A trio of manatees takes Lolly on their backs to an isolated island. When she begins to recover from her injuries, the manatees take her to open water where she is soon spotted and rescued, and one of the animals is severely injured by a propeller cut. While the story might stretch the imagination, it does show the teen's courage and determination to survive and the bond she forges with these gentle creatures. Lolly tells her story after her rescue, explaining how she felt at various stages of her ordeal, particularly when she was sure she was going to die. It's an affecting account, beautifully told. In an afterword, the author makes a plea for the safe treatment of the manatees.—Sharon Morrison, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, OK
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From Booklist
In this thoroughly introspective tale, a Florida teenager survives a nautical mishap by falling in with a passing trio of manatees. Lolly finds herself both physically and mentally adrift after a peaceful solo sail in a small boat turns suddenly disastrous, leaving her injured and in shock. Enter the manatees, one of whom allows her to take hold of an old propeller wound and tows her to an uninhabited mangrove cove. As hunger and dehydration drive her into a dreamlike state, wishes and fragments of her ordinary life drift through Lolly’s consciousness, and her inner narrative takes on a stream-of-consciousness quality: I began to cry from exhaustion and beauty and from not knowing the difference between the two. Monninger tucks in a metaphysical element toward the end (shades of Whale Rider), but the manatees never behave unnaturally. Their plight, highlighted in the author’s afterword, will make as deep an impression on readers as the protagonist’s own strong, distinctive voice. Grades 7-10. --John Peters

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: Front Street Press (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590785983
• ISBN-13: 978-1590785980
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #960,537 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, It's A Page Turner, April 8, 2009

By	Helen Folsom (The Northwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I sometimes had to put this book down, but I didn't want to. It kept calling to me. Saw a review by Amanda Lorenzo and that sold me on it[..]

Don't miss this one, great writing, superb treatment, a standout in the YA category.

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 30, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

If I heard someone else say this about a book, I would immediately roll my eyes and decide to skip reading it, but here goes ... HIPPIE CHICK is a beautiful book! Seriously, if you have a chance to read it, run, don't walk, and grab the chance.

Lolly Emmerson is an independent fifteen-year-old who sets out for an evening sail in the Florida Keys. She leaves a note for her mother as her neighbor suggests and heads out in the small boat she has handled by herself on countless sails. This time events conspire against her when the boat hits some underwater wreckage, causing it to overturn. Lolly is thrown overboard with only her life vest for support.

After hours of struggling and a bump against her leg that she is sure is a bull shark, Lolly manages to climb onto the floundering boat. Her fragile hold on the disabled craft doesn't last long, and she slips back into the water, and what she believes to be certain death.

As Lolly beautifully relates her story, she describes the arrival of three manatees. One of the huge, gentle creatures allows her to cling to him as they make their way to a feeding area in a tiny mangrove bay. Lolly credits the manatees with her eventual survival, but once rescued, she finds it difficult to relate her curious adventure to news reporters and interested friends.

Many authors of survivor tales focus on frightening, desperate attempts to beat nature and hang on until help arrives. Joseph Monninger tells this story in a different way. The focus is on the mysterious, sensitive side of nature. Lolly experiences a deep connection to her manatee rescuers that only she can understand. Monninger gives readers a wonderful peek into Lolly's emotional, life-changing experience.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"