Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

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 Daughter of the Deep, by Rick Riordan, is a novel based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Ana Dakkar, the main character, is 14 when the story starts. Her school, Harding-Pencroft Academy, is a school for smart kids who are interested in marine science, technology, and naval warfare. I would consider it similar to a Merchant Marine school, with similar rules and schedules. There are four houses based on the topics being studied: Dolphin, Shark, Cephalopod, and Orca. Ana Dakkar is a Dolphin, which means that she is studying communications, navigation, and exploration. The story opens with the academy sinking into the ocean due to torpedoes from the rival academy, Land Institute. Only the freshman class survives, meaning that they must go on a mission to figure out who attacked them and why.

I want to start by saying that I really enjoyed the plot of this book. Rick Riordan never fails to bring his audience an experience. I loved reading about a high school with such a rigorous curriculum. I loved reading about a girl who loved science and learning, as opposed to hating school. Honestly, I am a huge Rick Riordan fan, and this book furthered my belief in him.

Daughter of the Deep is the first full book Rick Riordan has written from the perspective of a girl. Unfortunately, I felt like this was not written about a 14-year-old girl. Rick Riordan made it feel like she was at least 17 and way too unrealistic. I feel like this is common in books where the author is a different gender from the character. It creates an unrealistic experience that is purely based on what is visible. For that reason, it’s easier to write what you know. Having read his other books, I know that he is an adept writer in both male and female perspectives. I just felt like this was way too unrealistic and didn’t make sense, seeing as Ana Dakkar is supposed to be a 14-year-old girl.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Percy Jackson, likes marine sciences and a snarky main character.


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