Point of View

The novel is narrated by an omniscient narrator who flips through time and space with ease. The tense changes from past to present in different sections. And, occasionally, the narrator lapses into second-person imperative in order to directly address the reader and tell them, for example, how to say goodbye to an otter, or how to rescue an otter if one is found stranded on the beach.

The omniscient narrator’s main function is to tell the story of Odder and her life, but the narrator is also deeply invested in documenting scientific facts about otters and the ocean. Because the novel is designed for young readers, it is intended to teach them about the ocean just as much as it is intended to entertain them with a heartwarming story.

The narrator’s omniscience allows the novel to create tension. When the book begins, the...