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amygo 's review for:
Whale Talk
by Chris Crutcher
This book is a beast! Why has it taken me this long to read anything by Chris Crutcher?!
First off, the title of the book has a lot to do with one of its huge themes: We understand what it means to be human through the stories we tell each other.
The title makes me think of the phrase, "real talk." Example: "I'm done with facebook. All it does is cause drama-real talk." Ever notice that when someone ends what they are saying with "real talk", they are are trying to emphasize a life lesson? The notion of whale talk being used as a metaphor for trying to understand humanity is gorgeous.
Though Crutcher does try to balance the violence with humor, your heart will break over and over again. Thankfully, the protagonist, The Tao Jones, is a force to be reckoned with.
I would recommend this book to mature middle school readers and up. It could also be used to hook boys who identify themselves as non readers (especially if they seem themselves as athletic too), but I would have them read it along with one other person for support.
First off, the title of the book has a lot to do with one of its huge themes: We understand what it means to be human through the stories we tell each other.
The title makes me think of the phrase, "real talk." Example: "I'm done with facebook. All it does is cause drama-real talk." Ever notice that when someone ends what they are saying with "real talk", they are are trying to emphasize a life lesson? The notion of whale talk being used as a metaphor for trying to understand humanity is gorgeous.
Though Crutcher does try to balance the violence with humor, your heart will break over and over again. Thankfully, the protagonist, The Tao Jones, is a force to be reckoned with.
I would recommend this book to mature middle school readers and up. It could also be used to hook boys who identify themselves as non readers (especially if they seem themselves as athletic too), but I would have them read it along with one other person for support.