Hello lovelies! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for Willa and the Whale by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown published by Shadow Mountain Publishing. This book is a must-read for all ages and I think it’s absolutely a wonderful and heartwarming story.

I don’t think I have enough words to express how much I loved reading this story. Willa and the Whale is one of my favorite pleasant surprise reads this year and has a special place in my heart. I can’t wait for you to fall in love with Willa and Meg.

Can a whale talk to a human? Willa thinks so…

Published: March 3, 2020

Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing

ISBN: 9781629727318

Retail Price: $16.99  Page Count: Hardcover, 256

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Contemporary

Book Design: © Shadow Mountain

Cover Illustration: © Iconic Bestiary/Shutterstock.com

Art Direction: Richard Erickson Design: Emily Remington

 

 

AMAZON – BARNES & NOBLE –  BOOK DEPOSITORY 

 

“Moving and buoyant, an insightful tale of grief, loss, and resilience.”

–Kirkus

“A moving story that presents raw grief and the hope born of healing in a sensitive, realistic manner.”

–Booklist

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!

Deeply moving, Heartfelt, and Sweet in all the best ways

My heart feels so happy and filled with warmth and so much love! Willa and the Whale is a unique and beautiful story about grief, sadness and learning how to move on. It’s deeply moving, heartfelt, and sweet in all the best ways.

Chad Morris and Shelly Brown created an amazingly wonderful and poignant story that absolutely touched my heart. I think the authors’ writing style is captivating and had me hooked from the start. I really like how they managed to address sensitive issues in a lighthearted, but meaningful and believable way. The characters are just so delightful and loveable. Willa stole a piece of my heart and I adore her completely. I enjoyed her conversations with Meg, her sense of adventure, her love for the ocean and its creatures, and her spunk. The side characters are pretty interesting too and I didn’t really dislike anyone. The story moves along quite nicely and there’s enough intrigue, drama, and excitement that kept me turning the pages.

I honestly loved so many things about this book. I loved Meg, her humor and her stories. The friendship between Willa and Marc was so endearing and watching them both finally open up to each other was heartwarming. I also loved reading the journal entries before each chapter. I loved exploring the tide pools and learning new facts about ocean life. I loved how everyone came together to solve a problem and I absolutely loved the ENDING!! It was just perfect and my favorite pleasant surprise from this lovely tale. And while some parts of this story are indeed sad and made me tear up a few times, there’s also so much joy, wonder, hope and love.

Willa and the Whale by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown is an unforgettable and affecting story about death, sadness, friendship, family, and acceptance. It’s well-written and such an enjoyable read. But more than anything, I love that it teaches, heals, and reminds us that sometimes letting go doesn’t mean we forget. Everyone and everything that touches us will always be a part of us. And it’s okay to be sad. We all feel it, experience it, and deal with it in our own ways, and whichever way that is, it’s going to be okay.

I honestly can’t recommend this enough and I’m sure plenty of readers would love this too… not just middle grade or young adults. I think this book is perfect for all ages.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

SHELLY BROWN was born in the Northwest and grew up near the ocean. It’s a part of her. She can surf and point out all sorts of sea creatures and plants (though not necessarily at the same time.) Now that she lives in the mountains, she has saved money, planned, and taken Chad and their five kids to both coasts to swim, surf, search tide pools, snorkel, and watch sea lions, seals, turtles, whales, and more. Her soul speaks ocean.

Growing up, CHAD MORRIS was fascinated by blue whales. He read books about the world’s largest creature and did grade school reports on them. He drew pictures of them and taped them to his wall (the pictures, not whales—that would be impossible). He would love to see a blue whale in real life, but he’d rather not meet a Bobbitt or zombie worm. Seriously, he’d prefer his bones not become jelly.

CHAD MORRIS

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SHELLY BROWN

 

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