The novel’s protagonist, Odder was orphaned as a pup but was rescued by the aquarists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (“Highwater”), where they reared her before reintegrating her in Elkhorn Slough. After a shark attack leaves her with near-fatal injuries, the aquarists again take Odder to Highwater to live out her life as a permanent resident there, an event that alters her perspective and catalyzes her major transformation in the novel. Odder must resolve persistent feelings of guilt, regret, and doubt, as well as past feelings of abandonment, before she can accept her new life and move forward. Her arc in the novel reinforces the theme of Bravery and Healing After Trauma.

Odder’s most significant character traits are curiosity and playfulness. They set her apart from other characters; thanks to her acrobatic moves, she’s known as “the queen of play” (23). In introducing Odder, the novel emphasizes her curiosity: “Her mother called her ‘Odder’ / from the moment / she was born. / Something about the way / the little pup never settled, / something about the way / her eyes were always / full of questions” (13). However, after the shark attack, Odder grapples with guilt and regret at the loss of her freedom and retreats into listlessness: “She’s slowly healing, but she simply / can’t move the way she used to.