What do you think?
Rate this book
Dolphin Girl
Jane Wants The Life Of A Dolphin.
Wild. Graceful. Free.
But these days her life is nothing like that. Between her mother’s strict rules and the cliques at school, she feels strapped in a child-sized life vest. It’s not until Jane gets a tattoo and befriends popular Sam Rojas, a star on the school’s swim team, that her life feels freer. She begins to wonder: Is there a way to be myself and not be alone?
While she navigates these murky waters, a wave of events crash down on her, separating her from her family, her best friend Lexie and Sam, who Jane's fallen fin over tail for. Now she must figure out how to surf through rough seas without having everything she cares about pulled under.
DOLPHIN GIRL, author Shel Delisle’s first novel, is a story of family, friendship, first loves and most importantly – freedom.
Wild. Graceful. Free.
But these days her life is nothing like that. Between her mother’s strict rules and the cliques at school, she feels strapped in a child-sized life vest. It’s not until Jane gets a tattoo and befriends popular Sam Rojas, a star on the school’s swim team, that her life feels freer. She begins to wonder: Is there a way to be myself and not be alone?
While she navigates these murky waters, a wave of events crash down on her, separating her from her family, her best friend Lexie and Sam, who Jane's fallen fin over tail for. Now she must figure out how to surf through rough seas without having everything she cares about pulled under.
DOLPHIN GIRL, author Shel Delisle’s first novel, is a story of family, friendship, first loves and most importantly – freedom.
296 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2011
23 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Shel Delisle
21 books127 followersWant to know about new releases? Sign up for the newsletter! http://eepurl.com/j29Vv
Shel Delisle lives in the land of Florida Man stories. She loves spending time in the Keys with her family and friends, including the imaginary ones from her novels.
You can also visit her at http://sheldelisle.com.
Shel Delisle lives in the land of Florida Man stories. She loves spending time in the Keys with her family and friends, including the imaginary ones from her novels.
You can also visit her at http://sheldelisle.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 31, 2012
Stop what you’re doing and go jump in your time machine…set it to “High School” and gun it to 88! Dolphin Girl will make you remember exactly what it was like to be a teenager again and be completely relatable if you still are. I had originally saved this book to my Nook to take on a plane ride with me, and I’m glad I did because it was a delightfully fabulous read and helped past what would have been a very boring plane ride.
Jane is everything her mother is not: unorganized, artistic, young, free spirited. So needless to say this makes things hard when Jane wants to do something like get a Tattoo on her hip, paint a mural on her bedroom wall or do something really crazy…Like swim and talk with dolphins. Jane has known ever since she was a little girl that these magical creatures had a special connection with her. When she was a small child Jane fell out of a boat her and her parents were on. Jane was wearing a life jacket but hanging off the edge of the boat to see the beautiful dolphins they had spotted. Jane could hear them chanting to her…”C’mon in and play, the waters nice, “ so Jane jumped. Ever since that epic day, Jane has been fascinated by dolphins and moves to the beat of her own drum.
“I guess I should’ve been used to it. Most days I’m convinced God made a mistake when he put me in this family. It can happen, y’know-He makes mistakes. Just look at the duckbill platypus.”-Jane
Jane and her older brother have been sheltered and continually scrutinized by their mother, so when Jane’s brother brings home his pregnant girlfriend that is considerably older than him it shakes the family. Jane soon meets Sam Rojas, a very popular jock and they quickly become friends. He doesn’t seem to find Jane strange even though he is part of a clique that makes fun of her and her friends. Jane struggles with her and her mother’s relationship, staying true to herself, dealing with heartbreak, friends and making the right choices to make her happy. I loved watching Jane’s story unfold and smiled when she finally got to have what she’s wanted all along…To swim again with the dolphins and be free.
Jane was an incredibly endearing character. I’m an artist myself and related to her through every page. In between each chapter Delisle would include an excerpt from “The Magic and Mystery of Dolphins” that related to Jane’s life and may I add, very interesting! I had no clue how complex dolphins and their social structures were. You would be amazed how similar they are to humans :)
Passengers on the plane were probably staring at “The crazing laughing girl” because Jane has such a quirky and spunky personality that everything she said made me laugh out loud. Everyone, no matter the age, will love this book! Many things take place over the course of the story and although there is no epic battle or one main climax, it is true to life. Challenges happen in our life every day and we must meet them head on and stay true to our heart. I hope to see more from this author!
Be sure to read after Dolphin Girl for extras included by the author! My favorite was the very funny and random 1st Annual WEHS Scavenger Hunt list!
http://shadowkissedcassie.blogspot.co...
Jane is everything her mother is not: unorganized, artistic, young, free spirited. So needless to say this makes things hard when Jane wants to do something like get a Tattoo on her hip, paint a mural on her bedroom wall or do something really crazy…Like swim and talk with dolphins. Jane has known ever since she was a little girl that these magical creatures had a special connection with her. When she was a small child Jane fell out of a boat her and her parents were on. Jane was wearing a life jacket but hanging off the edge of the boat to see the beautiful dolphins they had spotted. Jane could hear them chanting to her…”C’mon in and play, the waters nice, “ so Jane jumped. Ever since that epic day, Jane has been fascinated by dolphins and moves to the beat of her own drum.
“I guess I should’ve been used to it. Most days I’m convinced God made a mistake when he put me in this family. It can happen, y’know-He makes mistakes. Just look at the duckbill platypus.”-Jane
Jane and her older brother have been sheltered and continually scrutinized by their mother, so when Jane’s brother brings home his pregnant girlfriend that is considerably older than him it shakes the family. Jane soon meets Sam Rojas, a very popular jock and they quickly become friends. He doesn’t seem to find Jane strange even though he is part of a clique that makes fun of her and her friends. Jane struggles with her and her mother’s relationship, staying true to herself, dealing with heartbreak, friends and making the right choices to make her happy. I loved watching Jane’s story unfold and smiled when she finally got to have what she’s wanted all along…To swim again with the dolphins and be free.
Jane was an incredibly endearing character. I’m an artist myself and related to her through every page. In between each chapter Delisle would include an excerpt from “The Magic and Mystery of Dolphins” that related to Jane’s life and may I add, very interesting! I had no clue how complex dolphins and their social structures were. You would be amazed how similar they are to humans :)
Passengers on the plane were probably staring at “The crazing laughing girl” because Jane has such a quirky and spunky personality that everything she said made me laugh out loud. Everyone, no matter the age, will love this book! Many things take place over the course of the story and although there is no epic battle or one main climax, it is true to life. Challenges happen in our life every day and we must meet them head on and stay true to our heart. I hope to see more from this author!
Be sure to read after Dolphin Girl for extras included by the author! My favorite was the very funny and random 1st Annual WEHS Scavenger Hunt list!
http://shadowkissedcassie.blogspot.co...
July 24, 2018
oh my god I remember reading this in class in 2013 and I don’t know why but I loved it
November 15, 2011
Dolphin Girl by Shel Delisle is a wonderful modern coming of age story. We follow Jane navigating through life as a sixteen year old. Mom's rules, high school clicks, young love. Since Jane was five years old, she has loved dolphins and wanted to live life carefree. She befriends and falls in love with Sam Rojas who is from the trophy case click or pod as Jane calls them. She thinks that he is out of her league when he starts dating one of the popular girls. He befriends her anyway and calls her "Dolphin Girl." I really loved this story and the fact that it took place in Florida was even better. The part when Jane gets to finally swim with the dolphins was amazing. Highly recommended read.
November 11, 2011
What originally drew me to this book was the cover art featuring a girl with a dolphin tattoo. I was in serious need of a light hearted, feel good read and Dolphin Girl did not disappoint.
MC Jane was a breath of fresh air. She's quirky, artistic and obsessed with Dolphins, going as far as believing she was a dolphin in a past life. She's also part of the water fountain pod, one of the many cliques at her school. She doesn't mind being middle class of the social hierarchy that is high school, that is until she's mistakenly put in Freshman lunch period with popular, trophy case kid Sam. The flirting between these two was sweet and the misunderstandings and obstacles put in their way to a HEA was fun to read about, especially the scavenger hunt of sorts at the end.
Besides the social pressures at school, Jane is dealing with her controlling, organized mom at home. Grounded for getting a tattoo at 16 and forbidden to be friends with her BFF, Jane takes steps to take charge of her choices. I liked how Delisle handled the family issues and the resolution was paced perfectly in line with the story. Not rushed or forgotten as I've experienced from some books.
Janes friends were great and even the search for the perfect band name was funny. BTW I vote for Estrogen Ocean!
Shel Delisle has written a solid YA story, and I def recommend Dolphin Girl to anyone looking for a sweet coming of age read.
MC Jane was a breath of fresh air. She's quirky, artistic and obsessed with Dolphins, going as far as believing she was a dolphin in a past life. She's also part of the water fountain pod, one of the many cliques at her school. She doesn't mind being middle class of the social hierarchy that is high school, that is until she's mistakenly put in Freshman lunch period with popular, trophy case kid Sam. The flirting between these two was sweet and the misunderstandings and obstacles put in their way to a HEA was fun to read about, especially the scavenger hunt of sorts at the end.
Besides the social pressures at school, Jane is dealing with her controlling, organized mom at home. Grounded for getting a tattoo at 16 and forbidden to be friends with her BFF, Jane takes steps to take charge of her choices. I liked how Delisle handled the family issues and the resolution was paced perfectly in line with the story. Not rushed or forgotten as I've experienced from some books.
Janes friends were great and even the search for the perfect band name was funny. BTW I vote for Estrogen Ocean!
Shel Delisle has written a solid YA story, and I def recommend Dolphin Girl to anyone looking for a sweet coming of age read.
February 18, 2013
I won this book in a giveaway, so I’ve had it on my TBR list for quite some time. It took me a few days to finish, but I really enjoyed it. It doesn’t follow the usual YA formula where girl instantly falls in love with boy and the rest of the book they try to get ino each other’s pants. No, this was, thank goodness, very different. Also, I’m not very big on teenage angst and drama, but the author wrote these two elements into the story really well without it making me feel like pulling out my hair.
Jane’s life is not perfect. In fact, her family gives new dimension to the term “dysfunctional”. She is also not accepted by the in-crowd at school and neither is she the ever popular YA protagonist who knows she’s beautiful, but is oblivious to boys falling over their feet to get to her. It was easy to relate to her because Jane was really…plain, and without pretense. For a change it was so good to read about the girl in the unpopular crowd falling in love with the guy in the popular crowd, instead of the other way around. I liked her friends, I liked the guy she falls in love with, and believe it or not, I even sort of liked her mom. OK, maybe “like” is too strong a word, but I guess I kind of understood her mom’s point of view. I myself am not a paranoid parent, but I do understand how unreasonably overprotective we feel about our kids sometimes. But, I also have to say that I wish Jane stood up to her mother on the issue of her choice of dress she wanted to wear to the Snow Ball. I don’t know any teenager who would’ve left this point uncontested. Anyway, their ups and downs actually added a lot of depth to the story and I appreciate the effort put into the story by bringing in the constant conflicts between Jane and her mom, and Jane and her ex best friend.
So by now, everyone knows I’m not a fan of romance. Dolphin Girl is a good example of the romance I do like to read. The first half of the book is spent on Jane and Sam becoming friends and then later on how their friendship turned into something deeper and more intimate. The author didn’t throw them at each other and then force the romance in the reader’s face. Their love and them realizing they’re falling in love with each other, happened gradually and realistically. Their attraction to each other wasn’t based on their “hotness” or good looks, but rather on their average looks and their phenomenal personalities – flaws and all. It was clear to me the author was in touch with her characters and their emotions and she skillfully translated this to the reader. The main storyline may be about Jane wanting to have the same freedom as dolphins, but it is a multi-layered story which not only deals with her teenage angst, but also with how much rope any parent is willing to give their child at the expense of their future.
The only down points for me in this book were the constant “dolphin girl” references and obsession with this dolphin girl costume which I simply didn’t get. Somehow I couldn’t put two and two together on how she’ll be able to hear dolphin voices in her head, and I couldn’t understand why someone – anyone, really – would want to dress up like a dolphin and go to a school dance dressed as a dolphin. On the positive side, this is a really terrific story and what made it even better were the interesting tidbits about dolphins at the start of every chapter as well as the to-do list, reasons-her-life-sucks list, and the scavenger hunt list at the end of the book.
Dolphin Girl is a good, clean, effortless read for a rainy day when you need a book that will touch your heart in all the right places. I’ll definitely read more books by this author and I commend her for splendid characterization which allowed me to connect with her characters with ease.
Jane’s life is not perfect. In fact, her family gives new dimension to the term “dysfunctional”. She is also not accepted by the in-crowd at school and neither is she the ever popular YA protagonist who knows she’s beautiful, but is oblivious to boys falling over their feet to get to her. It was easy to relate to her because Jane was really…plain, and without pretense. For a change it was so good to read about the girl in the unpopular crowd falling in love with the guy in the popular crowd, instead of the other way around. I liked her friends, I liked the guy she falls in love with, and believe it or not, I even sort of liked her mom. OK, maybe “like” is too strong a word, but I guess I kind of understood her mom’s point of view. I myself am not a paranoid parent, but I do understand how unreasonably overprotective we feel about our kids sometimes. But, I also have to say that I wish Jane stood up to her mother on the issue of her choice of dress she wanted to wear to the Snow Ball. I don’t know any teenager who would’ve left this point uncontested. Anyway, their ups and downs actually added a lot of depth to the story and I appreciate the effort put into the story by bringing in the constant conflicts between Jane and her mom, and Jane and her ex best friend.
So by now, everyone knows I’m not a fan of romance. Dolphin Girl is a good example of the romance I do like to read. The first half of the book is spent on Jane and Sam becoming friends and then later on how their friendship turned into something deeper and more intimate. The author didn’t throw them at each other and then force the romance in the reader’s face. Their love and them realizing they’re falling in love with each other, happened gradually and realistically. Their attraction to each other wasn’t based on their “hotness” or good looks, but rather on their average looks and their phenomenal personalities – flaws and all. It was clear to me the author was in touch with her characters and their emotions and she skillfully translated this to the reader. The main storyline may be about Jane wanting to have the same freedom as dolphins, but it is a multi-layered story which not only deals with her teenage angst, but also with how much rope any parent is willing to give their child at the expense of their future.
The only down points for me in this book were the constant “dolphin girl” references and obsession with this dolphin girl costume which I simply didn’t get. Somehow I couldn’t put two and two together on how she’ll be able to hear dolphin voices in her head, and I couldn’t understand why someone – anyone, really – would want to dress up like a dolphin and go to a school dance dressed as a dolphin. On the positive side, this is a really terrific story and what made it even better were the interesting tidbits about dolphins at the start of every chapter as well as the to-do list, reasons-her-life-sucks list, and the scavenger hunt list at the end of the book.
Dolphin Girl is a good, clean, effortless read for a rainy day when you need a book that will touch your heart in all the right places. I’ll definitely read more books by this author and I commend her for splendid characterization which allowed me to connect with her characters with ease.
November 15, 2012
My rating: 3.5
The book was not bad. It was a cute story about a girl named Jane who is obsessed with Dolphins...I would say that she was waaay too obsessed though or maybe the author wanted to prove this point by mentioning like a thousand times that she was "Dolphin girl" or the whole "pod" thing...honestly it became a little annoying after a while...I was like ok I get it you like dolphins...
The other thing that bothered me was the fact that Jane could not stand up to her mom! She always did what her mom told her to do...at times I wanted to shake Jane and be like react!!! Do something say noooo! Not trying to say that kids should rebel against parents but there comes a time in a teenagers life where parents have to start letting go. Also why couldn't she slap Alana in the face?? I hated the fact that she hoped for them to become sorta kinda friends again but come on Alana was huge bitch and deserved a punch or a good diss...just something really good to shut her up....
Other than that I liked that the book was slow paced...there are other books where it feels like the romance is forced and happens too fast...not here which is good because I was able to enjoy it as the two of them got to know each other and fell in love.
The whole dolphin scene was kind of crazy, weird I don't know maybe it was too much for me...like I said before the dolphin thing was way too overbearing but it kept me wondering if there really are people with that kind of connection?
Anyways the book wasn't bad. It contains a lot of drama, love, friendship, family problems...I feel like the life of Jane was very relatable in that sense. Also the story did not get boring and kept me wanting to read more to find out what would happen which is also good!
I liked the extras part a lot because I was able to read The lists and the hunt list which I thought was a pretty good and fun idea.
Good book, worth reading.
The book was not bad. It was a cute story about a girl named Jane who is obsessed with Dolphins...I would say that she was waaay too obsessed though or maybe the author wanted to prove this point by mentioning like a thousand times that she was "Dolphin girl" or the whole "pod" thing...honestly it became a little annoying after a while...I was like ok I get it you like dolphins...
The other thing that bothered me was the fact that Jane could not stand up to her mom! She always did what her mom told her to do...at times I wanted to shake Jane and be like react!!! Do something say noooo! Not trying to say that kids should rebel against parents but there comes a time in a teenagers life where parents have to start letting go. Also why couldn't she slap Alana in the face?? I hated the fact that she hoped for them to become sorta kinda friends again but come on Alana was huge bitch and deserved a punch or a good diss...just something really good to shut her up....
Other than that I liked that the book was slow paced...there are other books where it feels like the romance is forced and happens too fast...not here which is good because I was able to enjoy it as the two of them got to know each other and fell in love.
The whole dolphin scene was kind of crazy, weird I don't know maybe it was too much for me...like I said before the dolphin thing was way too overbearing but it kept me wondering if there really are people with that kind of connection?
Anyways the book wasn't bad. It contains a lot of drama, love, friendship, family problems...I feel like the life of Jane was very relatable in that sense. Also the story did not get boring and kept me wanting to read more to find out what would happen which is also good!
I liked the extras part a lot because I was able to read The lists and the hunt list which I thought was a pretty good and fun idea.
Good book, worth reading.
December 21, 2012
The book Dolphin Girl by Shel Delisle about how Jane has passion for dolphin. She one of her crazy thing she want to do. She show it of at the school hunt that made her team won the the hunt. She has problems with her mom because Jane personality is different and her mom doesn't like. The book move slowly because some scene part took for very to finish a detail. Some things I don't like is Alana turn her back on Jane when their were good friends. What was interesting is her brother always was there for Jane and proctect her from her mother.
The important characters are Jane and Sam. Jane meet Sam at freshmen period lunch but both are juniors put with freshman. Jane is a girl not like others she is in a different. She has a group that does't hang out with popular group. Sam hang out with popular group, and everyone know who he because he on the swimming team. Sam is like my bestfriend because he gentleman and don't want to hurt anyone fellings. Jane is like me has weird friends and focus what people of her.
The book is about love, hate, revenge, friendship and anger. Jane anger with her mom because she got ground for thing is not important for Jane. Her friendship with her friend lexi is good because she help through the problem for Sam. She has hate at Sam because he is going out some girl. Sam does a revenge on Jane of kissing Travis. The love of Jane's brother and his girlfriend.
I recommend this to terns girls and boys. The book is most of love of this two people but the end that when it get together. The book has many twist and turn on two people. I like how the author made a big scene to have a great ending. I will give it a five star because how just turn to love connection between the both people. How revenge of Alana to Jane get her back but she didn't do nothing.
The important characters are Jane and Sam. Jane meet Sam at freshmen period lunch but both are juniors put with freshman. Jane is a girl not like others she is in a different. She has a group that does't hang out with popular group. Sam hang out with popular group, and everyone know who he because he on the swimming team. Sam is like my bestfriend because he gentleman and don't want to hurt anyone fellings. Jane is like me has weird friends and focus what people of her.
The book is about love, hate, revenge, friendship and anger. Jane anger with her mom because she got ground for thing is not important for Jane. Her friendship with her friend lexi is good because she help through the problem for Sam. She has hate at Sam because he is going out some girl. Sam does a revenge on Jane of kissing Travis. The love of Jane's brother and his girlfriend.
I recommend this to terns girls and boys. The book is most of love of this two people but the end that when it get together. The book has many twist and turn on two people. I like how the author made a big scene to have a great ending. I will give it a five star because how just turn to love connection between the both people. How revenge of Alana to Jane get her back but she didn't do nothing.
Read
December 14, 2011Honestly I'm not sure I would read this book again. There were some very funny moments. There were some very relatable moments that made me laugh out loud. The bad: the dolphin thing was just WAY too overbearing, by the end of this book you will never want to hear the word pod AGAIN. Eventually with the dolphins and Jane’s lack of a backbone when it comes to going for the things she wants you just want to bang your head against a wall. Her relationship with her overbearing mother was frustrating because when the mother explains why she is the way she is, she just goes you know about my past experience and then that’s it. Even if Jane knew why her mother was the way she was the readers don't get to hear or understand this character. Oh and Jane’s connection to dolphins was never explained in any way. All the way through the book she says she thinks that she was either a dolphin in a past life or would be one in a future one. I’m sorry but that was ridiculous you can’t have a character with this unique ability and just not explain why she has it. I was glad when I finished this book.
November 16, 2011
Cute and quirky. I loved it.
January 10, 2012
Review to come
February 12, 2012
Ever since a childhood experience Jane has loved dolphins. She understands them. Jane longs to be free, like dolphins.
Jane's life was a fascinating tale. Her mother was a very controlling person, to an OCD point, I thought. Her father seemed indifferent to what was going on with his family. Her brother, John, was moving on with his life with Desiree.
In school, everyone stayed grouped together in pods. They socialized within their pods, stayed in one location during free time, and there wasn't intermingling between pods to a great extent.
Suddenly Jane finds herself becoming friends with someone from a different pod. A boy named Sam that she finds attractive. They spend lunch together, and began to enjoy each others' company. Jane starts to fall in love.
Things don't go easily for Jane. Being grounded, a horrible date, losing Sam to her ex-best friend, dealing with her mother's constant controlling, and running away from home.
This book was a beautiful story of a girl trying to find herself in the world. A story about falling in love, being hurt, learning to forgive others. A story of family overcoming obstacles and hopefully coming out better in the end.
I loved this book. It was very well written and I found myself unable to put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone over 14 who is looking for a great young adult romance with a lot of meaning.
Jane's life was a fascinating tale. Her mother was a very controlling person, to an OCD point, I thought. Her father seemed indifferent to what was going on with his family. Her brother, John, was moving on with his life with Desiree.
In school, everyone stayed grouped together in pods. They socialized within their pods, stayed in one location during free time, and there wasn't intermingling between pods to a great extent.
Suddenly Jane finds herself becoming friends with someone from a different pod. A boy named Sam that she finds attractive. They spend lunch together, and began to enjoy each others' company. Jane starts to fall in love.
Things don't go easily for Jane. Being grounded, a horrible date, losing Sam to her ex-best friend, dealing with her mother's constant controlling, and running away from home.
This book was a beautiful story of a girl trying to find herself in the world. A story about falling in love, being hurt, learning to forgive others. A story of family overcoming obstacles and hopefully coming out better in the end.
I loved this book. It was very well written and I found myself unable to put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone over 14 who is looking for a great young adult romance with a lot of meaning.
October 7, 2011
I cannot gush about this book enough. Dolphin Girl, A.K.A. Jane, is a main character most of us can relate to. It totally stinks that the cliques in HS are so confining, right? Feeling trapped by the pods at school and her mother’s rules at home, Jane longs for freedom. So, when hottie Sam Rojas who, despite being in the trophy case crowd, takes an interest in Jane, a member of the water fountain clan, she starts thinking maybe things can change. And that royally peeves ex-BFF/now trophy caser/I-want-Sam-all-to-myself Alana.
The daisy (he loves me, he loves me not) romance of Sam and Jane had my heart all aflutter during their lunches. And I was totally crushed right along with Jane at the Snow Ball when things went south. Pile on Mom’s pressure at home and Jane is truly suffocating under the surface of deceptively calm ocean.
With the help of a hilarious inter-pod scavenger hunt, a few burned casseroles, and a new arrival in the family, Jane finally breaks through the surface and finds the freedom she longed for.
Author Shel Delisle will have you cracking up while you watch Jane navigate the rapid currents of being a high school teenager. Warning: reading this book might make you crave Tuna sandwiches for a whole week. At least it did for me.
The daisy (he loves me, he loves me not) romance of Sam and Jane had my heart all aflutter during their lunches. And I was totally crushed right along with Jane at the Snow Ball when things went south. Pile on Mom’s pressure at home and Jane is truly suffocating under the surface of deceptively calm ocean.
With the help of a hilarious inter-pod scavenger hunt, a few burned casseroles, and a new arrival in the family, Jane finally breaks through the surface and finds the freedom she longed for.
Author Shel Delisle will have you cracking up while you watch Jane navigate the rapid currents of being a high school teenager. Warning: reading this book might make you crave Tuna sandwiches for a whole week. At least it did for me.
November 14, 2014
Dolphin Girl by Shel Delisle has probably got to be one of my favorites. Jane, your average high school student lives her life like any other. Between school, her strict mother, and her band, there’s always that one thing she will never be too busy for. Dolphins. Ever since she was a child, she’s always felt a connections towards dolphins. Not like an obsession, but an emotional connection.
I basically fell in love with this book. It was one of those “I can’t put it down until I pass out from exhaustion” books. I got so emotionally invested in the characters, and felt whatever they felt. This book was recommended to me because I too take interest in the ocean and what inhabits it. I loved reading about what Jane had to say about her needs for the ocean, and dolphins.
I one-hundred percent recommend this book. If you love to read about the seas, and marine life, as well with a little bit of high school drama, this book is for you. Once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. I guarantee you will love this book!
I basically fell in love with this book. It was one of those “I can’t put it down until I pass out from exhaustion” books. I got so emotionally invested in the characters, and felt whatever they felt. This book was recommended to me because I too take interest in the ocean and what inhabits it. I loved reading about what Jane had to say about her needs for the ocean, and dolphins.
I one-hundred percent recommend this book. If you love to read about the seas, and marine life, as well with a little bit of high school drama, this book is for you. Once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. I guarantee you will love this book!
February 21, 2016
This is a contemporary story, of a girl year in school. Nothing much happens while many things happen and lives change but it is all interesting and detailed, the people, the interactions. It's a coming of age with her first kiss, her first boyfriend, a mess with friends... Also, she loves dolphins, to an insane degree. The story is parallelized with excerpts of a book about dolphins, and uses terminology like pods to talk about group dynamics at school. The boys are shown to be real jerks, but I guess that's how we appear to women. The girl is sarcastic and active, and is very interesting.
The recording has a hint of noise, but otherwise is crystal clear. The narrator delivers it perfectly, with some parts where she adds funny interpretations that made me laugh.
I totally recommend this, it's a great read!
Was given a free copy for an honest review.
The recording has a hint of noise, but otherwise is crystal clear. The narrator delivers it perfectly, with some parts where she adds funny interpretations that made me laugh.
I totally recommend this, it's a great read!
Was given a free copy for an honest review.
December 29, 2011
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I was excited to read the book. The cover art wasn't cheesy (yes, I often do judge a book by its cover although I'm willing to give all books a chance, even if the cover art is horrible.) I was in need of a light, fun read and this book definitely delivered. I finished it in a day and a half and have already passed it on to my teenaged sister to read.
The main character, Jane, was a character I could relate to. I remember high school and all of the different cliques (or in Jane's world, pods). Her frustrations were normal frustrations and I feel she dealt with them in normal ways.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.
The main character, Jane, was a character I could relate to. I remember high school and all of the different cliques (or in Jane's world, pods). Her frustrations were normal frustrations and I feel she dealt with them in normal ways.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.
May 21, 2015
In the book Dolphin Girl written by Shel Delisle is about a girl who is in a group at school and everyone is in their own group. Then theirs the popular group that hang out with only popular people. When she’s not at school and at her house she battles with her mother who is strict and very organized. Jane and her mother never see eye to eye. Jane wants freedom of choice and independence. When her mother stays strictly to the rules. Jane never feels free at school or house but when she’s near the ocean where the dolphins are she feels like herself. I recommend this book to girls who just want to be their selves and have a choice in life. My favorite character is Jane who is a little bit like me wants to explore the world and live her life with choices.
August 9, 2016
Jane is artsy and free-spirited, trapped in a stifling home life. Things aren't much better for her at school where she feels confined by cliques and social mores. A kindred spirit of dolphins, Jane longs for open waters. When she falls for Sam, a sweet guy who's "off limits" because he's from a different "pod," Jane seeks the courage to remove the constraints in her life that hold her back.
The characters are true to life and richly drawn. I especially loved the interwoven story of Jane's brother John and his wife Desiree, which shows how life can get messy and still be good.
Dolphin Girl is a tale of freedom, family, friendship, and love. A thoroughly enjoyable read!
The characters are true to life and richly drawn. I especially loved the interwoven story of Jane's brother John and his wife Desiree, which shows how life can get messy and still be good.
Dolphin Girl is a tale of freedom, family, friendship, and love. A thoroughly enjoyable read!
August 16, 2013
I really liked this book!
At first I was kind of freaked out cause she had a tattoo, but she was a really cool character! Her drawings sounded really pretty, especially the one on her bedroom wall! And when Sam got mad, I. freaked. Out. I didn't want him to be mad, and was so glad that they made up in the end!
I also loved the fact that she was really into dolphins. And she was a little different, and her Halloween costume sounded cute, I would have liked to see her dressed up in it. Same with her dress, glad she changed!
And I liked how in the end it worked out for her.
Travis creeped me out :)
At first I was kind of freaked out cause she had a tattoo, but she was a really cool character! Her drawings sounded really pretty, especially the one on her bedroom wall! And when Sam got mad, I. freaked. Out. I didn't want him to be mad, and was so glad that they made up in the end!
I also loved the fact that she was really into dolphins. And she was a little different, and her Halloween costume sounded cute, I would have liked to see her dressed up in it. Same with her dress, glad she changed!
And I liked how in the end it worked out for her.
Travis creeped me out :)
February 19, 2012
Jane Wants The Life Of A Dolphin.
Wild. Graceful. Free.
But these days her life is nothing like that. Between her mother’s strict rules and the cliques at school, she feels strapped in a child-sized life vest. It’s not until Jane gets a tattoo and befriends popular Sam Rojas, a star on the school’s swim team, that her life feels freer.
I read this Book with my Grand daughter, we both liked it a lot.
Wild. Graceful. Free.
But these days her life is nothing like that. Between her mother’s strict rules and the cliques at school, she feels strapped in a child-sized life vest. It’s not until Jane gets a tattoo and befriends popular Sam Rojas, a star on the school’s swim team, that her life feels freer.
I read this Book with my Grand daughter, we both liked it a lot.
September 19, 2012
Yuo can't really trust this review because i'm a dolphin girl too, i have posters of dolphins on my bedroom walls, i wanna have a dolphin tatoo and i'd really really love to swim with dolphins; so i couldn't give less than five stars to this book. Anyway the story is nice, nothing new, just a teen drama well written, i liked a lot the pod thing,it expains really well how things go on high school. You can find freedom everywhere and this book is one of this places.
November 4, 2012
This is kind of hard for me to rate. On one hand, it had me really curious about what was going to happen and kept me reading, which I like. On the other hand, it is most definitely for YA and oh, it makes me cringe at the thought of my girls ever becoming teenagers. There were things I didn't agree with and I don't think I could even recommend the book to anyone. But- occasionally it's just kind of fun to read some fluff that requires no thought whatsoever. This book was definitely that!
February 16, 2016
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
This book is "High School" all the way. Clichs, Mom Rules, teen romance or not. What a great plot, girls, guys, dolphins, and drama! Listening as Jane grows and matures reminded me of my past, not that I wanted to swim with dolphins but other things that were me.
The narration was about as perfect as you can get.
This book is "High School" all the way. Clichs, Mom Rules, teen romance or not. What a great plot, girls, guys, dolphins, and drama! Listening as Jane grows and matures reminded me of my past, not that I wanted to swim with dolphins but other things that were me.
The narration was about as perfect as you can get.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2012
This book, while embarrassingly engaging, focused on the junior year of a character who whined about everything. The majority of the story was in fact her complaining with increasing intensity until a rather sudden and cliche reconciliation between many of the characters. I would not read it again, nor would I recommend it.
February 8, 2013
This book was a little out there. Jane is a bit of a fanatic when it comes to dolphins. She's definitely different, and Sam is a good compliment to her. It was a great, light read. I had read some dark books before this and it was a refreshing change. Lighthearted. All teenagers would love this book.
May 27, 2014
"Dolphin Girl" isn't a particularly profound, life-changing novel, but it's enjoyable nevertheless! It's definitely a quick, but good, summer read. One of my few criticisms is that the narrative time jumps are rather abrupt and choppy. Obviously you can't squeeze an entire school year in a short novel, but a little more fluidity would have been appreciated.
November 30, 2011
This was a fun read, especially given my affinity for dolphins. I empathized a lot with Jane's frustrations with her mother and the pods (as she called cliques) at school. Well paced and written in a style that younger young adults will enjoy but us older adults can appreciate.
February 24, 2012
It was very immature, the only thing I liked about it was the hunt and the antidote to freedom. The antidote I think is just common sense to begin with therefore doesn't really help my lifestyle but who knows others might find this book helpful and goofy.
February 20, 2014
It was a cute read, but nothing too spectacular. I borrowed it free through Amazon Prime's lending library. I probably would have like it less had I actually paid it read it :) but all in all the characters were compelling, the story line was fairly typical, but cute, if not totally believable.
September 19, 2012
This book was enjoyable. It didn't flow very well.
March 31, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, i thought it was great, one of my favorites! :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews