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Cover of The Turtle-Girl from East Pukapuka

The Turtle-Girl from East Pukapuka

Cole Alpaugh (2012)

SubgenreHigh Fantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingPG-13
Pages (Standard (250-400))
Setting
CSM age16
Goodreads3.91

Content levels

ViolenceModerate
Sexual contentNone
LanguageMild

Heroine archetypes

Coming-of-Age Heroine

Protagonist archetypes

Multiple POVsEnsemble Cast

Synopsis

"The island of East Pukapuka lies in the path of a tsunami that will kill everyone but Butter, a little girl more worried about the lives of the injured animals she cares for than her own. Butter is rescued by a Loggerhead sea turtle who carries her away on his back. As she and her exhausted savior begin to sink, the girl is plucked out of the sea by Jesus Dobby, the boozy owner of a salvage boat who is thrilled, at first, to have found a genuine "turtle-girl" hybrid. Downhill racer Dante Wheeler "dies" in a terrible skiing accident and revives in a twilight state, having lost all memories of his former life. When he heals enough to leave the rehab facility, Dante heads to Polynesia, where he has found a home in his dreams. There he encounters Ophelia, a beautiful blond policewoman who reluctantly agrees to transport him to East Pukapuka. Jope and Ratu, a pair of bumbling pirates, steal a vessel laden with cocaine. They are hotly pursued by the drug-runners' hit man Albino Paul, the descendant of cannibals, whose goal is to reclaim his heritage."--Publisher's website.

Is The Turtle-Girl from East Pukapuka appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 16 and up.

This quirky literary fantasy involves a tsunami that kills an island's population except for one girl, drug-running pirates, a boozy salvage boat operator, and an amnesiac man seeking purpose. Violence includes natural disaster, drug trade threats, and cannibalism references. Some alcohol use.

What to know going in

This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include substance abuse, addiction, death, and mass death (see the full list above).

Who'll love this

Teens would appreciate the unusual premise of interconnected characters on a surreal journey through Polynesia with magical realism elements.

Tags

Magical RealismLiterary FantasyAdventurePolynesian Setting