"The Secrets of Star Whales" by Rebecca Thorne is a captivating middle-grade sci-fi novel that seamlessly blends an imaginative space setting with an exploration of grief and loss. This heartfelt tale is perfectly suited for young readers, offering both an entertaining adventure and an emotional journey.

One of the standout elements of the book is the writing style, which caters to the middle-grade audience. Thorne's writing is a delightful mix of humor and emotion, making it easy for young readers to connect with the story. The protagonist, Max, is a relatable character who grapples with the loss of his father, and his character development is a highlight of the book.

The author beautifully handles the topic of grief, emphasizing its permanence and the importance of remembering loved ones. Max's journey to understand his own grief and how it shapes his actions is both poignant and relatable for young readers. Thorne's portrayal of Max's emotions and his struggle to come to terms with his father's death is authentic and touching.

The story excels in its world-building, presenting a vivid and imaginative space setting that includes elements like space stations and magical star creatures known as Star Whales. This world not only adds a layer of excitement and wonder to the story but also emphasizes the power of imagination and exploration. The unique setting sets the stage for a thrilling adventure that young readers will undoubtedly enjoy.

While the book is praiseworthy in many ways, there are moments where the characters are initially described using somewhat derogatory language, which may not sit well with some readers. The characterization of Max's classmates, who are presented with mean remarks and stereotypes, feels at odds with the overall message of kindness that children's books often convey. It is important to remember that literature for young readers plays a significant role in shaping their values, and a more considerate approach to character descriptions could have been beneficial.

In conclusion, "The Secrets of Star Whales" is a heartwarming middle-grade sci-fi novel that seamlessly combines themes of grief, friendship, adventure, trust, and imagination. It offers young readers an opportunity to explore a vividly crafted world and navigate the complexities of loss. Rebecca Thorne's thoughtful handling of the topic of grief and her imaginative world-building make this book an engaging and emotionally resonant read for middle-grade audiences.

Thank you to netgalley and @jollyfishpress who gave me a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Star Whales by Rebecca Thorne follows a class of 12 year old on a remote 12 year old. When a mysterious new teacher arrives Max is determined to find out what he really wants, and maybe find out more about his deceased father while he's at it.

This is a lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's the tale of a child struggling with the death if his father, but its also so much more than that. It tells a tale of friendship, adventure, and childlike wonder.
I was hooked from the moment I picked it up. It enchanted me and surprised me and made me wish I could see the star whales too!
Highly recommended, 5 stars

My Review: I originally picked up this book because of the beautiful cover but I got so much more than expected. As someone who has only just begun reading Science Fiction books, I wasn't sure what a Middle Grade would be like. It was actually pretty easy to get into and imagine through the descriptions Thorne gives, making it a vivid setting. I also enjoyed the undertones in this coming of age story of friendships growing and changing. We also get to see a variety of adult to kid interactions and some great lessons about whom to trust. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely not all emotion, there is some great action and awe inspiring moments. I was left really hoping there is such a thing as Star Whales out there in the universe.

My Rating: I was very pleasantly surprised with this book, Thorne did a fantastic job of intertwining real life situations young readers face with a out of this world setting so vivid you can picture it. I give this one a rating of Four Paws!

This was a heartwarming middle grade adventure. I loved Max's journey as he struggles with grief and loss. The writing was well paced and full of imagination, and the character development was fantastic.

4/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I absolutely adored this book. I enjoyed the characters, the creativity, the setting, everything was great! I loved that part of this book's message is that it's okay to be an adult but never lose your sense of wonder and adventure that you had when you were a kid. I think the age range that this is intended for will absolutely love this. I think the author did a fantastic job at not only writing the story but also making it easy to feel connected to the characters. Overall I highly recommend picking up this book.

The Secrets of Star Whales is an intriguing MG sci-fi book with fascinating world-building, a wondrous space setting, and moving depictions of grief, as well as the aftermath of losing a loved one.

Rebecca Thorne's writing style is perfect for this age group—at times funny, at times emotional— and it’s one of the things I enjoyed from the start. I was easily pulled into Max’s story, his ongoing struggle with the loss of his father, as well as his different friendships, and his love for music. Max’s character arc as a whole was something I really enjoyed, too. How it took him a while to come to terms with what he felt—especially in regards to his grief—how he sometimes made mistakes, how he was sad and angry and confused. He reminded me a bit of Connor from Patrick Ness’s A Monster Talks, which is one of my favourite books about grief & losing a loved one.

In general I really loved the discussions surrounding grief—especially after the loss of a parent—and they were one of the things I appreciated the most about The Secrets of Star Whales. How grief is a thing that will always be a part of you, from the moment you lose someone; how trying to just forget the person you lost can leave you feeling hollow and sad and angry, all at once. We need to be able to remember the people we loved and lost—even if the memories make us sad, sometimes. Max’s anger was one of the rawest things about this book; how he held the memories of his father so close to his heart, while simultaneously trying to forget him—how that dissonance made the grief even more pronounced, and how he needed to learn to accept his sadness as part of the love he still felt for his father.

Other things I truly appreciated about The Secrets of Star Whales was the world-building—space stations and starships and enormous whales, swimming through space!—and the celebration of childlike wonder and imagination.

But there's also something that didn't sit entirely right with me: the sometimes derogatory language. It's something I continuously noticed in the way Max described his classmates (from a quiet girl, to a driven class president, and many others), at least in the beginning, how they were characterised by mean remarks and stereotypes. I get that this is a Middle Grade novel and there are lots of characters to keep track of—why not use quick descriptions to make them stand out, maybe even get a laugh out of younger readers—but something about that leaves me with a bad feeling. I feel like we should teach our kids to be kinder, and not make every person appear to be defined by one of their character traits. And even though this played into Max's overall character arc, I feel like children’s books, especially, should treat their young characters kindly; how else are they supposed to learn that it's not okay to treat others like that?

Overall, The Secrets of Star Whales is an imaginative MG sci-fi debut and I enjoyed it a lot. A fascinating space setting—feat. a space station and star ships and even magical star creatures—made for a captivating start, but what really stood out to me was how carefully the topic of loss and grief was handled. I also enjoyed the emphasis on imagination, on exploration just for the sake of it—I think it’s a beautiful message to children everywhere: the wonder and curiosity with which you see the world is something precious & so worth to hold onto.

It would be so cool if there were Star Whales with solar fins sailing in space. This is a great sci-fi novel that also deals with loss of a parent, friendships, music, and Star Whales. Great job.

I was very excited when I heard about this book. I love to read middle grade in between chunky fantasies and sci-fi books. There aren't very many middle grade books that are sci-fi, so this was a treat.

This follows Max on his small space station called Azura. Max loves music and engineering. Max also loves Azura. He can't imagine living anywhere else. Azura is like a small town, they don't get many visitors. There is no tourist industry. So when a man named Mr. Hames shows up in his fancy spaceship, Max feels his protective instincts kick in. There is more to Mr. Hames than he's letting on. Max intends to find out what he's hiding.

This is a short book, but it's full of action and messages. It covers grief, poaching, and endangered species. I loved it!!

The Secrets of Star Whales was heartwarming middle grade sci-fi that revolved around Max struggling with grief and loss and mystery of Star Whales. It was about getting over loss and grief, friendship, adventure, trust, secrets, loneliness, and believing in yourself.

Writing was lucid, vivid, fast paced and filled with imagination and emotions. It was first person narrative from Max’s POV. His voice was both entertaining and heartfelt. Setting of Azura Space station and its close-knit community added its own charm to story.

It started with Max introducing his life simple life on Azura, his family, people around him, and his classmates, how he filled the void of loss of his father with pranks and gossips with his best friend- India- and how everything changed on arrival of an outsider- Mr Hames- a substitute teacher who brought with him adventure and change he wasn’t ready for. At the same time, it gave him hope to find a connection with his dad again that can fill the void the loss had left behind. What he didn’t expect was making mistakes that caused lot of trouble not just for him but his home and beautiful mysterious creature of galaxy, Star Whales. It was interesting to read mystery of Star Whales, intentions of Mr Hames, seeing how Max would get out the huge mess he created, and how the adventure of Star Whales was going to change his life and perspective.

Meet interesting crew of Calypso – Mr Hames– quirky teacher and captain of Calypso. Tarynn– First officer, bossy and uptight and most mature of all. Rhett– designed clothes for crew. Arsenio– Medic of the spaceship. Nashira– communicator and queen of gossips who knew a lot about botanarium and microptera. Loisa– Nashira’s shy twin sister and brilliant hacker. India– Navigator and Max’s best friend and partner in crime. Max– Engineer, most important person of crew who also could play decivox- a guitar like instrument.

Max was smart, fun, relatable, and realistic character who struggled with grief of losing his dad two years ago in mine ship accident. His emotions were at the centre of the story. His behaviour and actions were unlikable and he came out as bad person because of it. But we could see and understand the reason behind it. His only crime was looking for a connection with his father, a way to fill the gaping void in his heart. Not talking about his feelings with anyone made him even more lost, lonely, angry, and confusing. I could see myself making even worse mistakes being an adult in his situation while he was just 12 years old. I was surprised no adults talked to him about sharing his feeling that it’s okay to cry and let out his emotions until near the end of the book. His guilt, regrets and being on the receiving end of anger and hate of his classmate because of his mistakes was heartfelt. I loved how he developed and tried to make things right at the end.

All secondary characters were interesting. It was interesting read about their skills, quirks and how they too developed along with Max. I also enjoyed reading about their parents and how they too had role to play in story.

Best part of the book was world. It was interesting to read about Azura spaces station, its close-knit community, how Azurans loved and thrived on gossips, what made their space station unique, and its uniqueness. All the descriptions of technology, spaceships, creatures and imaginative places of galaxy was amazing to read. Story of Star Whales and their description was marvellous. I loved all chapters including those mesmerising, intelligent behemoth creatures. There weren’t any unnecessary details and was easy to understand by young and middle grade readers.

I liked the layers and message about grief, greed, self-reflection, ecosystem of galaxy, importance of imagination and creativity. I could see twist and turns coming. Climax was tense and filled with adventure. I loved how Max got of huge trouble using his skills and apologised for his behaviour. End was perfectly feel-good and uplifting.

Overall, The Secrets of Star Whales was lovely, heartfelt, well written middle grade sic-fi set in amazing world with quirky and delightful characters.

Thanks to JollyFish Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5/5
This book was absolutely fantastic! A quick, fun, wondrous middle grade story that balanced grief, wonder, space, and a little bit of science.
The story follows Max, our narrator, who is 12 and lives on Azura which is a space station. Max has lived on Azura his whole life, and he doesn’t want to leave. Azura itself seems like a pretty traditional place, and Max and his classmates begin to learn that it’s okay to want to explore more than the space station they know. Max deals with a lot of grief in this book. His father passed away in an accident 2 years ago, and Max has a lot of anger, bitterness, and grief that he hasn’t worked through. I really liked the way that the author tackled these themes, and while there were times when I was frustrated with Max and I just wanted him to talk to someone, in the end he showed a lot of growth as a character. The best part about the way that the author depicted Max’s struggles with grief and anger was that it was realistic.
One of my favourite parts of this book were the Star Whales. I love the idea of them, and I think the author did a brilliant job of communicating the sense of wonder and awe associated with seeing them. I was feeling all of the emotions that the kids were feeling in those moments.
There was a really good cast of characters in this story, and although Max was our main focus, we still got to see glimpses of the other kids lives as well as their relationships with Max and each other.
I appreciated how Max was interested in engineering and also music, and I love that they were things that connected him to his dad. I thought the space and science elements were brought in in a way that was really easy to understand and follow. Max’s narration style was funny and relatable, and I thought the pacing was really good.
Overall I think this is an incredible read that will appeal to readers of all ages! If you like books set in space with wonder and some adventure that also tackle deeper themes, definitely check this one out.

Maxion learned everything about music and engineering from his father. Every time he picks up an instrument, it reminds him of the fact his father died two years ago. At least making small engineering repairs doesn't hurt as much, and such work is needed on the space station Azura where Maxion lives. Not many visitors come by the insignificant space station, so when Mr. Hames drops in raving about far-out singing whales somewhere in space, that catches Maxion's attention. Better yet, Mr. Hames is now Maxion's teacher, and he's enlisted the entire class as his crew to go out there to discover more about the exotic space whales. It isn't long before they realize others are seeking the space whales, and not just to hear their singing. Maxion learns his father also took an interest in the space whales, and must decide how much he wants to learn about his father's past, and come to grips with the kind of person he wants to be.

This was a fun and interesting science fiction middle grade book, but it also had some heavy moments that help to bring some gravitas to the fore. Maxion has to deal with grief, loss, and upon learning more about his father, other emotions come to the surface. Additionally, the class of Mr. Hames has to deal with real-life space poachers, which was somewhat unexpected. I wonder why it is that one of humanity's first instincts upon discovering a beautiful creature is how it can best be exploited? I like to think that youth who read this story will also have similar thoughts. The class is full of a wide range of personalities, making it easy to identify with at least some of them, and Mr. Hames is almost kooky enough to need a magic space bus. The Secrets of Star Whales is a delightful, yet serious, story about a boy coming to terms with grief, and coming of age by trying to forge a path forward for himself, and for the musically-inclined creatures he's just getting to know. Ardently recommended for middle grade youth, and for the young at heart who like to imagine that the stars hold secrets we have not yet discovered, and may yet marvel at.

This was such a cute read. I was interested in it when I read the summary, but I feel like it was so much more than just a middle grade sci-fi story. This book dealt with some pretty heavy topics, especially grief, and I really could feel the emotions that Max was feeling as I was reading. There was also a strong emphasis on friendship, which is one of my favorite things to read about, and I really loved seeing how things played out. As someone not in the target demographic for this novel, there were some things that I found predictable, but I am sure that this will be a very enjoyable book for people of all ages. It was fun, it was heart warming, there is action and drama, and I really enjoyed reading it. I also think that it was pretty well developed, especially since it's not a long book, and I think that can be harder to do in shorter books, but it worked so well here, and I truly cared about the characters (especially Max) and what was going to happen.

Bringing music, grief, community, animal conservation, and more together in one action-packed middle-grade sci-fi story, The Secrets of Star Whales by Rebecca Thorne is unique, innovative, and heartfelt. On small space station Azura, the secrets of star whales are set to spiral into something bigger than even the universe’s biggest mystery.

Sci-fi stories always rely on attention to worldbuilding detail, so author Rebecca Thorne’s clever descriptions and creative ideas play an important role in making this book a great one. While Azura maintains the staples of sci-fi literature—a focus on science and technology, an advanced space station setting, and a confidence with galactic travel—it also features new and innovative concepts that help set The Secrets of Star Whales apart. Star whales themselves are a fascinating invention, cultivating a collision of two of science’s most interesting settings: outer space and the deep sea.

Though The Secrets of Star Whales is a sci-fi book with a heavy focus on setting and plot, it maintains many character-driven elements, including main character Max’s navigation of grief, friendship, and expectation. As Max, his peers, and temporary substitute teacher Mr. Hames journey into space as part of a makeshift starship crew, they learn to utilise their unique skills and talents as part of a team (in a way, this component of the book’s plot reminded me of School of Rock!). Max learns to be a better friend, discovers how his engineering and musical talents can work together, and develops stronger coping strategies to deal with his grief in the wake of his father’s death.

The Secrets of Star Whales doesn’t shy away from big topics like grief, loss, friendship, or animal poaching. Instead, it places heavy emphasis on these topics in an easy-to-read middle-grade-accessible way. From start to finish, you’ll be asking questions and wondering what’s waiting in the chapters still to come.

If you enjoyed Indigo Owl by Charlie Archbold or are looking for a middle-grade introduction to the sci-fi genre, The Secrets of Star Whales might be the book for you!

Fantasic characters. Interesting plot. The story will keep you engaged the whole time. I loved it from the first sentence.

Thank you so much to Jolly Fish Press for the earc to read and review through netgalley.

I will start by saying I personally am not a big fan of space or stories set in space, they don’t generally interest me. This story wasn’t just about space though it was about friendship, overcoming grief and learning about themselves. It was deep and had lots of heart to it.

We had an array of characters all written realistically, from tech kids, to engineers, adventurers, leaders, medically minded etc, everyone had flaws and insecurities; but also everyone had a talent that was incredibly useful in helping fix a ship and to find a Star Whale, a rare hardly ever seen being.

The story has a lot of different storylines going on in one story from Max’s grief, to his classmates, his music interest, the star whale, the ship, the whalers, his mom, the new teacher and a few more too. There was always so much happening throughout the story.

I loved the element of the Star Whale and honestly they were my favourite chapters. It sounded so magical and wondrous, I loved that magical element of the story. There were definitely some sections and storylines that were predictable and that was okay, didn’t take away from some of the really fun parts or the magical parts.

Overall the story was interesting, very different to what I would usually read but I still enjoyed reading this and learning something new. Reading a story set in space was different for me but it was good for my mind to try and visualise something like that. I loved the growth of the characters, the connections they all made, the mistakes that they had to learn from. This story may be about space but it had so much heart to it, you couldn’t not connect with the characters.

Middle-Grade Science Fiction for the win! I loved everything about this story- the characters, plot, and especially the elaborate world-building. It was all spot on. I know lots of kids who are going to gobble this up.

Man, this book was just what I needed after back-to-back fairly serious and weighty reads and I'm glad for it because this School of Rock meets Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe sci-fi is pure joy.

The Secrets of Star Whales by Rebecca Thorne is a heartwarming book full of MG adventure that definitely toils in friendship, creativity, and love. It’s certainly got that social commentary that we expect nowadays, but its not even close to being preachy as the underpinnings of the story stick close to home.

But what I liked most was it doesn’t shy away from the tough subjects either, taking a good look at trauma and loss, and not only through the eyes of children either. Yes, the adults get to explore the space just as much as the kids do and that balance is what makes this book work very well.

Reading the way too long summary will get you off to a good start but there’s definitely that “nothing exciting ever happens here” trope hard at work. The conflict, until there’s actual conflict, consists mostly of the inner workings of pre-teens trying to figure out who they are, and what they want to be. So, in that respect, it’s no different than any other story, this one just happens to take place on a space station in the middle of a mining colony.

Max and his classmates/friends are each unique in both design and function and the idea is that you should find at least one to relate to. This socially democratic society means there isn’t much competition, even the bullies aren’t really that bad, in fact, the most unlikable character is Max, but there are reasons and you’ll come around.

Anyways, again, it’s MG so it’s a quick read that while predictable, still has a few surprises up its sleeve.

The Secret of Star Whales is an absolutely delightful book. I enjoyed every minute of this adventure. It's got space ships, music, pranks, star whales, friendship, family, adventure, and more. The characters are a unique and heart-warming bunch that remind me of the groups of friends I used to watch on shows like The Magic School Bus and Recess. They are quirky and lovable but also deep and real. Every kid will find at least one character to relate to, and their adventure in space is magically wonderful. I can't wait to read it again.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An enchanting sci fi story for MG level. I found it well pitched with plenty of world building without making it overly complicated. The characters were sweet and relatable.
A good read.

A fantastic sci-fi MG read with a powerful and emotional story! Loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Jolly Fish Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.