Venus Among the Fishes [Hardcover]

Scott O'Dell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 1995

When killer whales invade Glacier Strait, Coral's herd is in deadly danger. Reluctantly, Coral's father and mother send her in search of safer waters. The journey is not easy, and Coral confronts hungry sharks, menacing killer whales, and hazardous fishing nets. Inevitably, she encounters the greatest danger of all -- humans.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Given an unfinished story about dolphins by the late author of Island of the Blue Dolphins as completed by that author's widow, the temptation to publish must have been strong-but it should have been resisted. A familiar adventure indeed seems to beckon as Coral, a girl dolphin, seeks her older brother to aid their pod against attacks by killer whales, or orcas. Her journey becomes a catalogue of human abuse of sea life (including drift nets, whaling and otter-hunting), and it culminates in Coral's capture for a Sea World-type exhibit. All seems to be lost but, far too coincidentally, her brother and the leader of the orcas have also been taken; Coral compassionately helps the orca gain his freedom, and he, whistling "salmon and seals. No dolphins," lets her know that he will not be feasting on her pod. Her brother in turn rescues Coral, in her case from fruitless love for one of her keepers, and eventually she, too, heads for home waters. Unchecked anthropomorphism, sentimental incidents of interspecies cooperation and other moralizing outweigh any interest generated by the action. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. O'Dell began this manuscript, and his wife finished it after he died. Coral, the narrator, is a young, female dolphin whose father sends her to find her brother and bring him home to help the pod, which is beset by orcas. On her journey, she meets humans, an enemy worse than the orcas, who seem determined to kill everything in the sea. Eventually, Coral is captured and set to work training rescue divers for the navy. She also falls in love, but Mark, a human, has too many limitations for underwater living. The dolphin characters are not interestingly developed, and Coral's crush on Mark seems silly. What redeems the book are its scientific underpinnings and its underwater perspective on dolphin hunting and shows, which readers will find more attractive than the anthropomorphic characters or the plot. Mary Harris Veeder

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 143 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (April 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395705614
• ISBN-13: 978-0395705612
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,200,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent shift in perspective., July 2, 1999

By 

Margaret Fiore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Venus Among the Fishes (Hardcover)

This tale of a dolphin adventure is beautifully done. The details are solidly based in fact, and presented without excessive scientific jargon. It gives the point-of-view of a dolphin with just enough anthropomorhising to allow the reader to identify with the animal. It also presents the plight of our sea mammals without being overly maudlin. A delicate touch.

I bought this book for my 8-year-old daughter, but both of us enjoyed it hugely.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book!!!!!!!!!!!, May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Venus Among the Fishes (Hardcover)

This book is really interesting. It shows how other animals might think when they are in a situation. This is well written. I couldn't put it down. I read it in 3 days. I recomend this to anyone who likes interesting books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book describes how dolphins might see the world., January 31, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Venus Among the Fishes (Hardcover)

I am a 3rd grader and I liked the book, Venus among the Fishes, very much because itis dramatic and action-filled. I liked the way the author described the world as a dolphin would see it. After reading this book, I am very interested in dolphins and want to read more about them.