Over the course of the book, Martha grows up more during her summer than she has almost any summer previously. Martha is made more responsible for looking after her younger sister. A boy kisses for the first time. But it is nothing like the first kiss of her dreams. After Martha makes friends with Manning boys, Jimmy, Tate, Todd, Luke and Leo, she feels as if she has passed her childhood on, as the boys only used to hang out with her brother, Vince. They are interested in films and making movies. But then, Jimmy pretends to like her simply so she will kiss him on camera, and makes her kiss him to win a bet with his brothers. Olive's Ocean is a book that treats the concerns of young people with a great deal of respect. Children as young as twelve, like Olive and Martha must deal with death and rejection, just like adults. Almost everyone has lost someone in their life, like...

Because the book begins with a death, the reader cannot help but wonder if Martha will die, or at least become injured. Although Martha is a strong swimmer, she panics and swallows water. This shows how anyone can be touched by death, however young. It also shows the power of words as Olive's influence lives on, long after her death, as Martha continues to think about Olive, and will remember Olive because of her journal entry for the rest of Martha's life.
Works Cited

Henkes, Kevin. Olives' Ocean. New York: Puffin Books, 2005.