Okay, so the world (both in the big and personal sense) has gone crazy. I transferred schools, switched majors (now I'm an Environmental and Sustainability Studies major in STEM), coronavirus, social distancing, my university closed and moved all classes to online learning platforms for the rest of the semester, my workplace closed and now I have to (temporarily) apply for unemployment, AND on top of it all - like icing on the catastrophic cake - my mom just got diagnosed with diabetes. But let's not focus on the negatives. Before we get to our book review, let's look at some of the positives of our (my) situation: 1. I'm a natural introvert, so asking me to stay indoors for two weeks is amazing. 2. (I haven't done it yet, but I plan to) Now is the perfect time to connect with friends that you haven't heard from in a while. 3. I stocked up on some of my favorite foods (right now I'm eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream). 4. Spending time with family (though they kinda drive me crazy) 5. Time to focus on things you like/catch up - Now is the perfect time to dust off some of those TBR books sitting on your night stand or bookshelf Anyways, without further ado, here is your book review: Basic Book Information: It was published earlier this month (3/3/20) Retail Price: $16.99 Page Count: 256 Middle Grade Fiction Publisher (also sponsor of this post): Shadow Mountain Publishing Synopsis: (this part is copied and pasted) After losing her mom, Willa is grieving and having a hard time living with her dad and his new family on an island off the coast of Washington State. Her dad tries to cheer her up by taking her whale watching, something Willa's mom used to do. While all the passengers are on one side of the boat, Willa encounters a humpback whale on the opposite side. Willa feels so lonely that she starts to talk to the whale-and the whale talks back! The whale, named Meg, quickly becomes a trusted friend and confidante Willa can speak to whenever she's by the ocean. Meg offers sound advice Willa needs about dealing with a nemesis at school and trying to figure out why her friend Marc is keeping secrets about his family life. Before the story ends, it will take all of Willa's courage and connections to tackle a problem that's as big as a blue whale! My Thoughts: (as you can see I'm ditching my normal format for what feels comfortable for me right now) Let me just say, I normally don't read in this genre....I don't necessarily like kids. Let me rephrase that, I selectively like kids. But when I was asked to review this book, I decided to go ahead and read it (mostly because I liked the cover and that it had whales in it - I'm a nerd). But I really liked it. So, first thing I noticed as I read this book is that Willa is a nerd child. Like super nerdy. She has an abnormal childhood because her mom is a marine biologist, so I get it. But the way that Willa relates to the world is by comparing things, situations, and people to marine life. You start noticing this because at the beginning of every chapter there's a journal entry. In the beginning, there's a lot of marine facts that I didn't really feel contributed a whole lot to the story initially. As you keep reading however, the journal entries start to make sense and give you more insight into Willa's mind. But the main point of this book, which I really appreciate, is childhood grief (and loneliness). Willa's entire world is uprooted and turned upside down (I can totally relate) when her mom dies. She moves across the world to live with her dad....who has married another woman. So now Willa has to navigate her grief from her mother's death, moving, an awkward dad, a stepmother, step-siblings, a new school, and old but broken relationships. That's a lot for an adult to handle, let alone a lot for a kid. That being said I really like how the authors showed Willa's grief and how she was able to work through it. Eventually her dad and stepmother encouraged Willa to get professional help to help her with her grief. Which was done in a masterfully beautiful way. Willa's dad reassured her that going to a therapist because you need help isn't shameful, it's like going to the dentist when your teeth hurt. As someone who is deeply aware of the stigma around mental health and seeking professional help (because I've had to go through that myself) I am very grateful at the way the authors portrayed that. Okay - quick side note - in the synopsis when it says "...trying to figure out why her friend Marc is keeping secrets about his family life," my only thought was a quote from Stranger Things "Friends don't lie." (I mean....am I wrong though?) Overall, the book was great. I really enjoyed reading outside of my normal genres (something that you will see I am doing a lot this year). And I definitely give Willa and the Whale a 4/5 star rating. Thank you so much for reading! If you haven't already, please go to the contact page and subscribe so you will know whenever a new book review is posted. And don't be shy! Feel free to drop a comment, a like, or (seriously please) share this to any of your social media pages! I would appreciate any of these actions so much and I will reply to all comments or emails (you can email me through the contact page). I love all of you guys so much! Stay tuned for my next book review (it's my first ever art book). Archives March 2020
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About the AuthorHi, I'm Rachel, and I'm here to share reviews of books with you so you can know what to read next! Archives
October 2021
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