Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Blood, Car accident, Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Violence
Minor: Body shaming
Tao Jones (yes, say it out loud!) is one of my favorite Crutcher characters. His sense of justice allows him to fight for others who are unable to fight for themselves...His efforts to secure a letter jacket for Chris, a mentally retarded student at school result in the funniest swim team I've ever read about.
Pardon me while I finish crying my eyes out. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this, but I really did. I kind of guessed the ending, but that didn't matter, it still hit me pretty hard.
I can't form thoughts on this book quite yet. I can only say that it was very good, both unexpected and expected. It was different than anything I've read recently and I think more books like this need to exist.
This is a well told story, but unfortunately it is not the author’s to tell. While I understand the author spent time as a social worker, his focus on a bi-racial foster child and his ragtag group of disabled (both mentally and physically) friends is an odd choice. Especially the overuse of the n-word by a white writer. This is my personal opinion, but I feel that “write what you know” would have been good advice for this book.
This is a heavy book. I found myself in tears multiple times throughout it. It is so well written and covers so many important issues without any of them seeming underexplored or underdeveloped. This would be a hard read for younger kids / teens, but it’s definitely worth getting to at some point.
2.75/5
The only part of the book I really cared for was the swimming aspect of it. The rest didn’t really catch my attention.
The only part of the book I really cared for was the swimming aspect of it. The rest didn’t really catch my attention.
What I was expecting was a cliche story about outcasts. I almost passed it up. Then I realized it was about sports and thought there was no way I would make it through half of the book.
I made it all the way through the book in just over 24 hours.
T.J. is a realistic, slightly damaged hero. His struggles are real and are expressed in a way that makes you feel like this could be reflections of someone's real life. It's powerful.
As an adult reader I don't often find life lessons in YA fiction that I haven't already figured out for myself, but Whale Talk gave an interesting perspective on tolerance and understanding.
I was extremely impressed by this book.
I made it all the way through the book in just over 24 hours.
T.J. is a realistic, slightly damaged hero. His struggles are real and are expressed in a way that makes you feel like this could be reflections of someone's real life. It's powerful.
As an adult reader I don't often find life lessons in YA fiction that I haven't already figured out for myself, but Whale Talk gave an interesting perspective on tolerance and understanding.
I was extremely impressed by this book.
Finished. Some language, lots of dialogue by the author that clearly belies that he's a therapist. In fact the whole story is mostly a tale of an abusive, racist man harassing his ex and her kids and the family that protects them against the backdrop of a sports story. The sports aspect of the story is fairly original. In order to help out a mentally challenged kid being bullied for wearing his dead brother's letter jacket, the protagonist, an athletic multiracial adopted boy (these details are important, as this part of American Northwest is described as teeming with neo-nazi types) helps start a school swimming team that is comprised of various misfits, including said kid, a rash, one legged swimmer, a geek, etc. The idea is that they will all letter, which will stick it to the haughty football players. Along the way, they end up sharing the bond many high school sports teams build. Both stories build up to a climax, one triumphant, one tragic.
The main weakness for me was that at times it felt too much like Crutcher was talking to me, not the characters. Make no mistake, this book is about as subtle as a sledgehammer most of the time. Also, if you've read previous Crutcher sports books, you'll likely recognize much of the formula, but if you liked his other books, that can be a positive. Liberal use of strong language and intense subjects like child abuse mean this is for mature teens.
The main weakness for me was that at times it felt too much like Crutcher was talking to me, not the characters. Make no mistake, this book is about as subtle as a sledgehammer most of the time. Also, if you've read previous Crutcher sports books, you'll likely recognize much of the formula, but if you liked his other books, that can be a positive. Liberal use of strong language and intense subjects like child abuse mean this is for mature teens.
I had put off reading any Chris Crutcher as I had been given the impression that he writes for boys who are into sports. True he is a good recommendation for "boys who are into sports", but he is such a strong writer who uses strong realistic characters, humor, irony, and symbolism to weave his tales that not encouraging others to read him is just plain shameful. (So o.k. I am not an expert on all his books as this is the first on that I have read, I just am a little excited about Crutcher, and can't wait to read more of his work.)
T.J. is high school senior of mixed race with adopted parents growing up in rural Washington. Athletically gifted he has never participated in any high school sports. When a favorite English teacher approaches him about starting up a school swim team, T.J. sees it as a means to irritate the male jocks in his school that he believes have way too much clout. He is able to get a “motley crew” of seven together, and the story is off.
Whale Talk is so much more than a sports story. There is humor, pain, healing, and loss, and it is filled with characters to root for, characters you come to love, and of course, bad guys. Rarely in youth fiction are there strong adult characters that are palatable, but Crutcher is magical in the way he brings them into the story in a believable way that they are strong role models without being saccharine.
What can I say, I am a bit crushed out on a writing style, especially one that continually gave me goose bumps, and left me with a good set.
T.J. is high school senior of mixed race with adopted parents growing up in rural Washington. Athletically gifted he has never participated in any high school sports. When a favorite English teacher approaches him about starting up a school swim team, T.J. sees it as a means to irritate the male jocks in his school that he believes have way too much clout. He is able to get a “motley crew” of seven together, and the story is off.
Whale Talk is so much more than a sports story. There is humor, pain, healing, and loss, and it is filled with characters to root for, characters you come to love, and of course, bad guys. Rarely in youth fiction are there strong adult characters that are palatable, but Crutcher is magical in the way he brings them into the story in a believable way that they are strong role models without being saccharine.
What can I say, I am a bit crushed out on a writing style, especially one that continually gave me goose bumps, and left me with a good set.