Odder

Discuss Applegate’s decision to open the novel from the shark’s perspective. How does the author characterize him—what are his motivations? How do the poems from his perspective impact how readers perceive the shark attack and the shark’s culpability in it?

Analyze the novel’s structure. How has the author chosen to arrange the poems and flow of events? What bearing does this have on how readers understand Odder’s emotional landscape and the real-life ecological context of the story?

How does Applegate use the experiences of a fictionalized otter to draw attention to the plights of real-life otters? What literary techniques or devices does the author use to provoke readers’ empathy for Odder?

Consider the different parents and teachers in the novel, surrogate and otherwise. Who fulfills these roles? How do they contribute to healing and recovery for Odder and others in the novel? What is the significance of Odder’s choosing to accept a surrogate mother/teacher role at the novel’s end? Connect your analysis to one of the novel’s themes.

Analyze and discuss the different conventions of poetry in the novel, like figurative language, imagery, and line breaks. How does the free-verse poetry form enhance readers’ connection to the narrative? Why did the author choose this form to communicate Odder’s story?

Many novels in verse use first-person narration to create a more immediate connection between reader and characters. Why did Applegate choose a different point of view for this novel? How does narrating the story from a third-person omniscient perspective help the author communicate key themes?

Why did the author choose to cast some poems from a human perspective? What effect does this have on her delivery of the novel’s central themes?

A typical animal fantasy novel anthropomorphizes (gives human characteristics to) animal characters. This approach allows an author to craft an allegorical tale that helps readers understand complex themes. What conventional elements of animal fantasy are present in Odder? Which conventions of the genre does the author deviate from, and to what effect?