Fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood, a talented artist, survives a shark attack, but loses her right arm. Jane struggles with the overwhelming outpouring of sympathy from friends, family, and complete strangers. She once craved attention for her art, but now scorns the extra attention. A small boy she befriends at the hospital helps her realize that losing an arm doesn’t mean that she must only define herself by the event. The book is written in an alternative format, relying on letters, phone conversations, poems, and newspaper clippings instead of traditional prose, and I think this is what really makes the book work. The starkness of the text illustrates the fear, hopelessness, hope, and growth of the character without being overly wordy, flowery, or sentimental. I really think this book was well written.
I loved this book. I would recommend it, no question.
If you want to read a nonfiction story about a girl who survives a shark attack, check out Soul surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton.
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