A review by mrs_eileen_dontreadlikethem
Willa and the Whale by Chad Morris, Shelly Brown

3.0

Healing can happen through many ways and sometimes it happens through talking to the ocean. Willa's love of ocean animals grounds her but also keeps her connected to her decreased mother. By the end of the book part of you feels like you read nonfiction with it's simple short facts about marine biology in the journal part of the book. The comparison between Willa's stepmother and a guppy due to their reproduction speed will have you guiltily laughing to yourself. That may have to do with being a mother. Would a child laugh? I don't know. This whole book reads like an adult talking through a child. As the book continues it eventually finds its flow. As an adult I enjoyed the commentary on technology through Willa's eyes as well as the class debate over video games. But again were they authentic children voices being shared? Willa's constant dialogue of doubt running through her mind hit home in the best way possible for me. Willa and the Whale feels like it is written for a specific kind of reader ( an old soul).