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.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I was not able to get into this due to the subject matter being a bit too dark and sad for me at the time. That being said, we purchased copies and this book seems well-loved by many patrons.

This is a awesome book as all of the Morris/Brown books. It is a great book for helping to cope with loss and will be a nice additions to our collection.

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.

This little girl's grief as she stumbles along in her new life in the US with her dad after her mom passes away will tug at all the feels. She worries about living in this new life and restarting friendships she'd had in the past and gets some very sage advice and friendship from a whale while on a whale watching tour.

The best parts of this book are all the ways Willa is relatable. She is discovering a way to keep her memory of her mother alive while also navigating the world without her mother. There is so much to unpack in this story, and it is handled beautifully by authors who have the exact right kind of compassion to help readers heal from troubles bigger than an ocean.

Willa's parents got divorced.
Willa moved to Japan with her mom, a well-known marine biologist.
Willa's mom died.
Now Willa lives in Washington state again with her dad and his 'new' family. Willa is trying to navigate all these changes and doesn't know how to do it. She and her dad go on a whale watching tour and she sees a humpback whale do some amazing tricks. She is able to capture them on video and feels that this is the world's way of letting her grieve her mom. Willa is able to figure out how to be a better friend, daughter, sister, and a better version of herself. She realizes that it is okay to be sad and grieve. She realizes how much she needs a friend. She discovers new interests and learns that she's not that different from someone that really used to bother her.
Willa is passionate and determined. But she's also a little girl having to figure out some big issues.
Chad Morris and Shelly Brown do an amazing job writing stories that kids can relate too. This story can help kids understand their own feelings, but also how to be more empathetic and understanding of others. This would be a great book to read with your child or in a class or therapy setting.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

Willa is a twelve-year old girl who loses her mother and she copes by befriending and talking to a humpback whale.

This story is a story of love, loss, determination and perseverance. I absolutely loved how Willa describes and compares everything in her life to types of marine life.

I would 100% recommend this book.

Whales, sharks and dolphins are becoming popular themes in children’s literature right now and it’s a good thing. I get a lot of requests for it by kids interested in marine biology and marine life (even though we live in the Midwest). I’m glad I will be able to add this book to that list. Willa has all the angst of a middle schooler who has to attend a new school. It was appropriate and not wrought with too much drama. I’m glad Marc and Willa could be friends and there wasn’t romantic tension or teasing. And although I saw Marc and his family as an intricate part of the story, I thought the circumstances of his sister were unnecessary; it felt forced. I felt the same way about Mrs. Lambert. When she was introduced I thought she was going to play the role of the wise sage but she never speaks again in the story and only appears at the city council meeting. I thought it was odd. She could have never even been mentioned and the story would have gone on unchanged. I enjoyed the use of the journals as providing both hindsight and insight. And I learned about a lot of sea creatures. I’m not going to speculate on Meg but I do look forward to speaking with kids who read the book about what they think about her. “You, my little human, are my favorite pleasant surprise”.

This book is so amazing on so many levels. It is a completely fun story and much more. I loved how Willa had friends who could help her in ways that she needed. We all need friends like that. I also loved how the book related to things that people are struggling with and how one girl handled her struggles. Willa can be a great example to all who read this book. I am really impressed with the journal entries found at the beginning of each chapter. I am learning how healing a journal can be. I also loved that in the end, Willa turned to her family. Family is so important. I highly recommend this book! Perfect for the whole family!

Anyone that believes animals can show compassion will love this middle grade story! I cannot wait to get this in the hands of my Mock Newbery club in 2020! Willa and Meg, the whale, share a connection deeper than some humans share. A story of loss, grief, and connection, this is a great addition to any middle grade library.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Willa and the Whale is a tender and poignant story about Willa, a twelve-year-old girl who has lost her marine biologist mother and is now living with her father and stepmother. She's trying to deal with the ocean of grief she's swimming in, but is struggling, until she meets Meg, a whale who can talk to her. (I loved Meg! So fun.)

I really enjoyed Willa's voice in this story. It's so authentic! The authors have done a magnificent job of really portraying the life of a young girl dealing with grief and family and school issues. I loved all the symbolism with the ocean, the secondary characters, especially Willa's friend Marc. Chad Morris and Shelly Brown just have such a way of touching a reader's heart.

I loved Willa's journal entries and how she begins to learn to cope with her grief with the help of Meg. The authors address difficult topics in such a sensitive way and combine it with just enough lightheartedness that it doesn't feel heavy. I think this is the perfect book to read with tweens and teens, not only for the entertainment value (who hasn't wanted to talk to a whale!) but it is sure to spark some good conversations about how to deal with grief and loss and that there is always hope, no matter what.

This is another one for our keeper shelf!

I may not read a lot of books targeting a younger audience, but I do try and pick up the ones I feel interested in. I recently really enjoyed one but did not gel entirely with it. We have a precocious main character who is well versed in Marine Biology because of her mother. The grief she is coping with, and her bonds with all the people around her seem authentic, but it was the narrative voice that did not seem to suit in the sense that it felt a little stilted.

Willa has lost her mother and had to move in with her step-family and is finding it hard to get her rhythm. A whale then speaks to her and continues communication, talking her through making new relationships and seeing things around her differently. There are a lot of marine facts thrown into the mix, and that will interest those kids who seek general knowledge. Will has a perfect growth arc, and she learns that she isn't always right in her assumptions of those around her, something that even adults need reminding of.

I am sure it will interest children of a certain age, it has all the right pieces of a story.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based only on my own reading experience.

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).

I really loved this book. It's a wonderful of grief, friendship and family. I love how it featured women in STEM and how well versed in marine biology Willa is. Very inspiring.

This is the second book in a row that I've read that has required tissues. So, fair warning to you, have tissues nearby when reading this.

It's so good though. Like, bedtime was an hour ago, but I can't bring myself to stop kind of good. When I first started reading the story, it seemed a bit juvenile to me (um yes, because that's who it's aimed it) but it didn't take long at all for me to become engrossed in the story.

I am determined to add "blubberless rectangle watchers" to my vocabulary, because I think it's the most hilarious phrase ever invented. I even dog-eared the page where that was mentioned so I could go back and re-read it. One other part that stuck out to me enough to make me dog-ear the page was when Meg was telling Willa a story and she said "...he couldn't stop asking himself what would happen...if he didn't get involved." That really resonated with me. Instead of not acting out of a fear of what might happen to us, why don't we think more about what might happen (to someone else, or even us) if we DON'T get involved. Definitely a good lesson that we can all learn from.

I'm really looking forward to passing this book on to my kids. I hope they will enjoy it as much as I have.

Ever since her parent's divorce Willa has been living with her mom in Japan. But when her mother dies Willa moves back to the US and her dad's new family. But things are different now, her friends aren't the same, she misses her mom, and her new family is so different. But when Willa sees and then actually starts communicating with a humpback whale things start to change. Meg, the whale listens, understands, and gives her advice and gradually Willa learns how to navigate her new life.
I am never quite sure what to do with magical realism. The story wasn't bad although it took awhile to get going. I felt some things could have been fleshed out more - especially with her friend and his sister. It was a good read all in all and I can see students enjoying it.

#WillaAndThe Whale

Willa moves from Japan, after her mom passes away. Willa has a hard time living with her dad and her step mom and four children., Willa isn't used to all the noise, that comes from living in a big family. Willa finds comfort in her grief , by talking to Meg, a whale, who helps her with the changes in her life. Willa finds friends and help in her grief. A story that will help children, through the grief process, learn about journal keeping and the importance of family and friends.

I loved this book! Such a fun read by Shelly and Chad, their writing has always been fantastic. I would highly recommend this book to anybody.

For 3 years after her parents' divorce, Willa and her mother have been living in Japan. When Willa's mother suddenly passes away, she finds herself back in Tupkuk with her father and his new wife and their 4 children. Clearly depressed and grieving deeply, Willa tries to reassimilate to her old life. Her father takes her on a whale watch and she realizes that one of the whales that put on a show of breaching and splashing has swum up to the side of the boat that only Willa is on. Unbelievably, she and the whale (Meg) begin to communicate. Meg tells Willa how to call out to her and their friendship grows as Willa makes frequent trips to the beach and tide pools near her home. As she tries to rebuild her friendship with Marc, best friend from 4th grade, deal with Lizzy, the classroom "snob," and her household made noisy by 4 children under 7, Willa gets advice and comfort from Meg. This is a beautiful story of a child processing grief told through her love for ocean life and observing the natural world around her. The authors wisely don't provide pat answers or give us a "happily ever after" ending but Willa and Meg will stick with readers long after the last page.

This book was a great pick! Strong female characters throughout and what kid wouldn’t want to talk to a whale? I loved the breakthrough moments and the friendships Willa was able to make. Plus Blue and Meg we’re both heartbreaking in their own ways. I thought this book tackles death and mental health in great ways and hopefully kids going through anything similar will be able to relate and use the lessons that Willa has to learn.