At the novel's opening, when Mila is with the dolphins and cannot speak English, the book is written in a different font and more complex writing.

Although the novel is fiction, it is based on real life experiences of people who have worked with feral children.

Mila, a girl raised by dolphins, is discovered and captured on a cay and taken to a scientific research facility.

As more time passes, Mila falls in love with music and a boy named Justin, and wonders why she progresses so quickly while Shay does not.

At one point, Mila learns that her real name could be Olivia, and that her father, who is Cuban, is alive.

She sometimes acts as a caregiver of Mila, who finds Sandy to be the most sympathetic and understanding person in the story.

He appears to be afraid of Mila, though he openly expresses concern for her well-being when she develops a high fever.

Her dolphin mother has a spotted tail or fluke, and wise eyes; she had lost her baby calf shortly before finding Mila.

Hesse incorporates different writing styles and fonts in each section of the book to help express Mila's thoughts as well as extra context.

At the beginning of the book, Hesse includes a newspaper article describing how the coast guard found Mila.

This allows the reader to understand the events leading up to the start of the book, such as how Mila ended up in the research facility.