A review by afterglobe
Willa and the Whale by Chad Morris, Shelly Brown
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.
2/5 - It was okay
The good - This book takes on a LOT and I am tempted to rate it higher based simply on how many difficult subjects it tackles with sensitivity and many fascinating marine facts. Willa is a young girl who is absolutely fascinated by marine life and is coping with the loss of her mother following her parents' divorce. She's an extremely believable protagonist with big feelings and the book handles these beautifully - everything from grief to pre-teen embarrassment over making and keeping friends to anger at being forced into a blended family. Some more surprising topics came up throughout the narrative, but I don't want to give anything away - suffice to say that I think the story integrates real life and how real children might deal with it very, very well.
The could-be-better - I personally did not find the writing style very engaging. A pet peeve of mine in YA and youth lit has always been overenthusiastic hashtagging. Yes, we did these kinds of things when we were younger. But it completely takes me out of any story that I'm reading. Overall, the writing felt a bit repetitive - the same conversation or theme would be played out over several pages until I found myself skimming to see if the topic had changed. This slowed down the pace of the story for me and broke my engagement. Of course, this book is geared to a younger audience but I still think it didn't have to be so repetitive. And most importantly, the title to me felt like a bit of a misnomer. Willa's friendship with Meg, the whale, is a part of the story but it certainly isn't THE story - in fact, Meg felt like a side character and I wanted more of her and more actual interactions between Willa and Meg.
Overall, I would still recommend this book to middle-school aged children, especially those with an interest in marine biology.
2/5 - It was okay
The good - This book takes on a LOT and I am tempted to rate it higher based simply on how many difficult subjects it tackles with sensitivity and many fascinating marine facts. Willa is a young girl who is absolutely fascinated by marine life and is coping with the loss of her mother following her parents' divorce. She's an extremely believable protagonist with big feelings and the book handles these beautifully - everything from grief to pre-teen embarrassment over making and keeping friends to anger at being forced into a blended family. Some more surprising topics came up throughout the narrative, but I don't want to give anything away - suffice to say that I think the story integrates real life and how real children might deal with it very, very well.
The could-be-better - I personally did not find the writing style very engaging. A pet peeve of mine in YA and youth lit has always been overenthusiastic hashtagging. Yes, we did these kinds of things when we were younger. But it completely takes me out of any story that I'm reading. Overall, the writing felt a bit repetitive - the same conversation or theme would be played out over several pages until I found myself skimming to see if the topic had changed. This slowed down the pace of the story for me and broke my engagement. Of course, this book is geared to a younger audience but I still think it didn't have to be so repetitive. And most importantly, the title to me felt like a bit of a misnomer. Willa's friendship with Meg, the whale, is a part of the story but it certainly isn't THE story - in fact, Meg felt like a side character and I wanted more of her and more actual interactions between Willa and Meg.
Overall, I would still recommend this book to middle-school aged children, especially those with an interest in marine biology.