Great story about a girl coming to terms with her mother's mysterious trip away/ possible abandonment; set in Dyes Inlet, when the Orcas come to explore and get trapped. A good balance of the internal struggles/worries of the character and the all consuming fascination with whales. Lots and lots about Orca culture and communication, respectful depiction of the Suquamish Nation, and a moving portrait of the environmental impact of modern life on the world around us.

Things that were not quite on point: Marisa is supposed to be 12, but reads as an older character -- at one point, I was trying to figure out if she was 16-18. She has a lot of leeway when it comes to water time -- often taking boats out with her friends, once even kayaking solo and getting caught in fog on the inlet -- while in general that seems like an idyllic way to grow up, I feel like 12 seems awfully young for that level of independence. That said, I didn't grow up near water, so I really have no idea what it's like or when kids start being ok on their own. Some of the things feel like a bit of stretch -- why is her mother so secretive about her past? Does Marisa really have to be the central agent in every scenario that happens in the book? Would the school really let all the kids out for the afternoons in order to spend time on whale conservation? Why does she only have 1 class on Fridays -- that seems like a college schedule.

However, I really, really appreciated the hyper-local (to me) setting, and in general, I think that it was an excellent book. ( )