If you read Shark Girl and want and wondered what happens next this book shows you how Jane adjusted to life. Shows the struggles of what she feels she "should" do vs what she loves doing. Jane has to struggle with a more of the media. ( )

This is my review of the audibook version as it appeared in the November, 2013, edition of School Library Journal.

Gr 6–10— It's been a year since the shark attack that cost Jane Arrowood her right arm. Now, as she returns to school with her new prosthesis, she adds the more mundane problems of a high school senior to her recovery regimen. While suffering frequent and debilitating nerve pain, she must find a date for the prom, boost her grades, and struggle with the fact that her mother may be secretly dating. Her biggest dilemma is choosing a school. She had always planned to go to art school, but her drawing hand was lost in the shark attack, and her artistic endeavors with her left hand have not measured up. The alternative is to enroll in nursing school to learn a profession for which she has a great deal of admiration since her accident. A new boyfriend adds another wrinkle to an increasingly complicated life, as does the possibility of another surgery. Like Shark Girl (2007), this sequel (2013, both Candlewick) is told in present tense verse, though listeners will not likely notice the pattern of poetry. Instead, they will hear the poems as very short, titled chapters. Kate Reinders turns in an excellent characterization of Jane, using inflection to highlight the difference between Jane's utterances and her frequent unspoken thoughts. Her youthful voice is well-suited for the part. Listeners who made a connection with Jane in Shark Girl will enjoy the sequel, but it lacks the raw simplicity and emotional punch of the first book.

Copyright © 2013 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

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Inspiring, hope, amazing is all of the words I think of when I hear the book Formerly Shark Girl. Jane, an 18 year old went through a lot when a shark took her arm and everything she took for granted. It was hard but she made it through and is ready to start her life, even if it’s only with one arm. Jane faces hard challenges, like what profession and what guy is right for her, and it took me on an intense roller coaster ride.
I could never put this book down, and that’s probably why I finished it only in a couple of days. The way the author wrote it made it fun to read because it wasn’t long huge paragraphs; it was short, sweet, and to the point. It started out slow in the beginning, but you shouldn’t stop reading it because the middle and end are a must read. I loved how this book gave such a strong message. This book taught me to never give up on what I love, even if there are obstacles in your way, and this message carries throughout the whole entire book. As you read this book you see the main character develop and grow into a strong brave person,its defiantly a book for teenagers. Formerly Shark Girl is such an amazing sequel to Shark girl and its so gripping, poetic and honestly real. I would recommend this book all the way. ( )