[3] A plane to a research facility in Ecuador crashes in the ocean and the only survivors are three children: Semi Garson, the female narrator; Miranda, a brave girl; and a boy called Arnie.

The story ends with Semi's concerns that the transgenic DNA is still in their cells, and that they may have specific cues that will return them to being animals, and her dreams for a world that will allow her and Miranda to become the creatures they were on the island without barriers between them.

Debbie Carton of Booklist praised the novel for the moving narrative, which she said adeptly illustrated "the teens' concern with appearance and conformity" despite their quandary.

[4] Elizabeth Bush of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books noted that the novel "would be no more than a B-movie embarrassment" had Halam not skillfully "pull[ed] her plot together" at the end.

[6] Victoria Neumark of Times Educational Supplement noted that the story was viable because Halam based it on "an almost banal teen perspective".