Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam

Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam is about Semi, Miranda, and Arnie, the sole survivors of a plane crash. The three teens were part of an environmental group that was traveling to South America. When the plane crashed, Semi, Miranda, and Arnie were able to swim to a nearby island just as the remains of the plane exploded. They spent many days on the island, thinking it was deserted and working out ways to survive on their own. One day, Arnie disappeared while Semi and Miranda were out exploring. The girls thought he had gone off on the raft he made, until they found his machete abandoned in a strange place. While exploring, they girls came across a huge rock formation that hid an entrance to a secret scientific compound. The girls were kidnapped by Dr. Franklin's orderlies and operated on. They found out later that Dr. Franklin was a geneticist interested in coupling human DNA with that of animals. Semi was infused with the DNA of a manta ray while Miranda was infused with bird DNA.

This was a very interesting novel. It was survival, science fiction, and adventure all rolled together. I thought it was pretty realistic until the girls actually "morphed" into new creatures. That just sounds too far-fetched to me. The action was great, though, and I liked the way the three survivors continued to survive - all the way to their escape at the end.