Customer Reviews

Zia

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Sequels are almost always a let-down. I loved IotBD in grade school, and was thrilled to discover the sequel -- twenty-five years later, while in the library with kids of my own. I took it home and devoured it, but was left dissatisfied.

Not only does Zia's story pale in comparison to Karana's heroic survival, but several moments left me frowning with annoyance.

First of all, the plot inconsistencies drove me mad. Midway through the book, we are given to believe that all the young people at the mission have run away, leaving only Karana and some old Indians behind. (This is crucial to the plot, as she alone is blamed by the cruel captain as a suspected accomplice of the runaways.) But then we learn, out of the blue, that her brother has also remained behind -- but we're never told why. Later, when Karana comes to the mission and is given a bed in the girls' sleeping quarters, I thought this room would now be desolate -- but O'Dell tells us it's still crowded. With whom?

Sadly too, the character of Karana takes a beating in this book. In IotBD, she was a hero, larger than life. But seen through Zia's eyes, she is a mute and pitiable recluse lost in a foreign world, who takes childish delight in melons. This might be realistic, but it's a pathetic turn of events that I would rather not have read.

There is also a tragic irony that runs through the plot, to wit: Karana left her island to seek companionship at long last. But in the sequel, we learn that she ends up withdrawing to an isolated cave where she recreates a tinier, sadder version of her free life on the island, before finally dying of a broken heart. Zia, meanwhile, originally left her home village for the regimented life of the Mission solely in the hope of finding Karana -- but in the end, what she learns from Karana is that she'd be better off back home.

In other words, both characters would have been better off if Zia had never heard of Karana and Karana had died on her island. And I think I would have been better off had I not stumbled across this book.

Adventure! Excitement! This book has it all! I can tell you if you like these two things you have to read this book. This book is actually the sequel to the Island of the Blue Dolphins! And I know you're thinking "Is it about Karana? About her new life? Is she ok?" Well, if you really want to know it is about her niece named Zia. When the rest of Karana's tribe left, Karana's sister left too. Her sister got married and had a baby named Zia. Zia was raised hearing storys about Karana and Zia decided she wanted to find her. When Zia was fourteen she was sent to live in a mission, a place where Native Americans are sent to learn Christianity, and she realizes it is really close to the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Zia finds a boat and tries to find her long lost aunt. Will she succeed? Will she fail? You'll have to read the book for yourself. If you haven't already I suggest you read Island of the Blue Dolphins before you read Zia. Have fun reading!

A fourteen-year-old Indian girl named Zia lives in the Santa Barbara Mission with her brother Mando. They find a boat on the shore near the mission and decide to go on a trip to the Island of the Blue Dolphins to find their Aunt Karana. On their way, they see the ship the boat had originally belonged to, and they try to outrun it, but it captures them. They manage to escape from the ship, but do not find their aunt. After returning, Zia asks a sailor and a priest from the mission to go to the island and get their aunt. They say they will, but only if she makes them a sail for their ship, Zia makes it for them, and they leave. While they are gone, some of the people at the mission plan to escape because they hate it so much. They leave, but Zia gets blamed for their escape and has to go to jail since she helped them leave.

This is a good book for people who like historical fiction and strong, determined girls. It is very adventurous and suspenseful. I recommend this book to people of all ages.

Zia by Scott O' Dell is the sequel to Island of the Blue Dolphins, which was about a girl named Karana's adventures stranded on an island and trying to survive. Zia is a 14 year old girl who lives on an island off of California. She and her brother Mando find an abandoned boat. They fix it up and want to find their Aunt Karana on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. They set off in their little boat and try to find her. An unexpected adventure that occurs is that Mando and Zia are taken aboard a whaling ship. They are set to work like slaves and they don't know if they can get to their Aunt Karana or even survive. Do they find her? What happens on the adventure? Find out by reading Zia.
I like Zia because it has realistic events taking place. I also like it because most of the scenes have Zia in them and they are full of action. The descriptions in the book really make you feel like you are there on the adventures. I also like the adventurous storyline. The author really makes you ask yourself "what if" questions, so you want to read on. This book wasn't as good as the Island of the Blue Dolphins because some of the parts in Zia are kind of boring, and in the Island of the Blue Dolphins everything is exciting, but Zia is still a really good book.

The book Zia by Scott O'Dell is the secqual to another book that he wrotecalled The Island of The Blue Dolphins.It is a story about a girl named Zia and her brother named Mando that find a small boat and clame it for theirs.A few weeks later they decide to goto the island where Karan,Zia's aunt,is at. About half way to the island they run into some salors that take them hostage and make them slaves.On they get back to the mission,where they live,their boat is wrecked so they can't go out again.About a week later Zia went to visit a lockle boat captinto see when he is going out to the island next.He says that it might be a munth or two.When the time comes to go to the island he takes Father Merced because he has a kind face.When they get back they have Karan with them. Even though they can't speek the same language they still find A way to communacate.I liked this book because it was vary interesting and it was fast paced and adventurous.The onty thing that I didn't like was that it got a little confusing at times.

Zia is a great book to read. I haven't read Island of the Dolphins, but Scott O' Dell made it possible to still understand the plot of the previous story. The story moved a bit fast for me though, sometimes I got lost, and I was like, "Wow. Zia's already here? What happened to...?" But overall, the story had a very interesting plot. I found it sad that Karana dies just a while after she gets saved from the island. But I realize the Karana dying is very important since it makes Zia realize that Karana died for something. For her beliefs. And this causes Zia to look for what she believes in, where she belongs, what her identity is. I think Scott O' Dell did a good job at making a unique plot with a message that gets the reader to think.

Zia by Scott O Dell is a book about an islander who wishes to be reunited with her long lost aunt. Zia only has her little brother and the mission to take care of her. Zia 's brother is a determined character because he always tries to achive his goal. Whether it's catching the biggest fish in the sea, or paddling 60 miles on a canoe to find his aunt, Mando always tries his best to follow his dreams. My favorite part of this book is when Zia and Mando stock their canoe with rations and set out on the long and dangerous voyage to their aunt.

I liked "Zia" very much because it tells what happened to Karana, the Indian girl from the Island Of The Blue Dolphins. Scott O'Dell had so much detail that I thought that I was Zia. If you liked "Island of the Blue Dolphins" I gaurantee that you will like "Zia" too.

+Zia is such a awsome story! It is about a girl named Zia who is Karanas neice,she lives at the mission Santa Barbara with her little brother Mando.One day Mando and Zia find a old whale boat that drifted up onto shore and decide to use it to go and rescue Karana from the Island Of The Blue Dolphins. Im not gonna say any more about what happens because you will have to find out for your self.

A Review by Nena
This book is the sequel to Island of the Blue Dolphins. Zia, the nice of Karana, wants to find her aunt. She tries many possible ways to get to the island that her aunt is supposable on. Many other people came in to help her. Do you think they will ever find Karana?

Zia and, her brother, Mando are the main characters. Mando would be tribally annoying at times. For example, he had to go just about everywhere with Zia. It seemed as if he would never go away. Also, if you did not let him do what he wanted he would cry or make Zia feel like she has to go out of her way to make him happy. Threw out the book you would find Spanish words like; Mira, they would not tell you most of the meanings. That is what I did not like about the book. Mostly the book made it up with action that was taking place. The exciding parts don't last very long in the book. I think they should be longer. Most of the boring parts where long. There were some not very important things in the book but it as still good to read.

I would recommend this book to people who have already read Island of the Blue Dolphins. Also, I recommend this to people who like a great adventure. It is easy to read, but the Spanish words would be hard for people who don't know Spanish.