Although one family, the Dakkars, takes a central role in the plot of Daughter of the Deep, a more vital support system for Ana Dakkar is her found family at school. Ana has to rely on her friends more than she anticipated because her brother and only surviving family member, Dev, turns out to be a traitor. Thus, the core of Ana’s found family consists of her friends Ester and Nelinha, and later, their fellow student Gem. These four together represent each of the student houses at Harding-Pencroft Academy. Although students in each house have different specialties and sometimes there is inter-house conflict, these four work together throughout the novel, backing each other up and supporting each other like a family.

Ana, Ester, and Nelinha are close from the start. Before HP Academy is destroyed, the three are roommates. Even though the three are from different houses, Ana is glad they get to room together. She thinks, “thankfully, rooms aren’t assigned by house, or I would never feel like I could be off duty and relax with my besties” (12). Ana might get along well with the other members of her house, but if she can never truly relax with them, then they are not quite at the level of family.