Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan Review

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan Review

A year, one of the longest years, to wait for a new Rick Riordan book release. After a year of political uproar, sickness, and the possibility of never returning to normal, Uncle Rick published Daughter of the Deep, bringing back a sense of normalcy to our world. Reading about a group of sarcastic teenagers who have to overcome obstacles is refreshing and easy to relate to.

Like all of Rick Riordan’s books, there is a great introduction which explains the story of Captain Nemo and his crew, so you understand the basics of the story. I had no idea that Riordan was a fan of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Which I learned from the author that 20,000 leagues was not down, but the full length that Captain Nemo sailed under the sea before he died). I must say that after reading Daughter of the Deep, I have the urge to read the mysterious book listed above. It was cool to read about his excitement for the tale of Captain Nemo and what the potential was if one of his heirs was alive. Well, guess what, two heirs of Captain Nemo are currently attending a school on the coast of California without knowing their lineage.

Daughter of the Deep is about, a student at Harding-Pencroft Academy, Ana Dakkar, who is studying to be a new military based marine biologist. Along with her brother and friends from her house, the students study to pass their end of year exams and move up in school years. If you think this book’s set up sounds like Harry Potter, you would be correct. "We're divided into four houses, based on the results of our aptitude tests. We calll the academy HP for short. And, yes, we've heard all the Harry Potter Jokes" (Riordan 12). The four houses are Dolphin (communications), Shark (command), Cephalopod (engineering), and Orca (medicine). Riordan jumps right of the deep end with the reference to Harry Potter, which makes this book relatable to those who read that series, and it produces the start of the well-described character of Ana.

A few freshmen from each of the houses listed above, creating a group of about 20, stand in shock as they watch their beloved school fall into the ocean. The day this disaster happened was supposed to focus on not failing exams but turned into one of the most depressed for the students who lost family and friends at the destroyed school. Ana has to believe that she no longer has any family left since her parents were lost at sea and it is very likely that her brother did not survive the attack on the school.

I know what it is like to lose people. A few years ago, I lost one of my grandpas, and last year, 2021, we lost someone in our family from Covid complications even though he was healthy. It was tragic to hear that he went from completely heathy to just gone in a few days. I have felt my stomach drop when hearing the news that a loved one or a celebrity has passed. The students from the school experienced the feelings of grief in a matter of minutes.

As the reader, I was also shocked that within a few chapters the circumstances of the story were turned upside down, so quickly. From this point on, Ana Dakkar and the other freshman are thrust into a battle they didn’t know was on the horizon for over two years. Ana takes control of her crew, learns about her leadership skills, and overcomes the odds when every opposition is thrown against her team.

Speaking of Ana’s team, there are a few creatures of the deep that have joined her to defeat HP's enemies. I love that Riordan gives these sea creatures personalities of their own that makes the reading experience of Daughter of the Deep more enjoyable. I don’t think a Rick Riordan book would be a Rick Riordan book if there wasn’t at least one animal or character with attitude, and this book has plenty of them. One of these creatures happens to be an emotional support dog for one of Ana's roommates who is also of European decent. It's great to see disorders like anxiety and autism represented in middle grade stories, especially through people of color. It also stands that Riordan always represents minority groups in all of his books, which again, makes his writings relatable.

I am not going to spoil any of the major twists and turns, but I do want to tell you that even if you don’t like marine biology or haven’t read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or The Mysterious Islands, you will still love this book. The setup of the stories plot, the characters’ quirky personality and growth, and the intertwined story of Captain Nemo and his Nautilus in Daughter of the Deep, is a great book to read when you need a new adventure or maybe a little espionage! Whatever reason you have for reading this book, make sure you have plenty of time, because you will not want to put it down.

Happy reading and happy sailing everybody!

Victoria Ward

Work Cited:

Riordan, Rick. Daughter of the Deep. Disney Hyperion. 2021.

Here is another essay that I wrote that is about an environment on land instead of at sea. Enjoy another author's perspective of the beauty of our world and its biomes.

https://vocal.media/earth/tennessee-william-s-red-passion-and-patience-in-the-desert