As a whole, I really really liked this book. There were a lot of parts I liked more than others and some parts that I just didn't really like.
I liked the book as a whole basically. It was really good and the characters were great because they weren't what you expected them to be and I liked that a lot. The plot was also different from what I expected it to be because I thought it was just going to be about this group of outcasts who formed a swim team together, but there were so many more themes and story lines that were sewn together throughout the story. Also, I liked the title of the book because the brief things we learned about whales through T.J.'s dad in the story were really interesting and actually made me interested in this creature that I never would have really thought about before.
I disliked all of the swearing in this book. It annoyed me that a lot of the characters swore for emphasis or just to swear or because they felt like it. I could've done without the swearing, especially since a lot of the characters did it, especially T.J. and Rich.
Another thing I really didn't like about this book, something I probably hated was that T.J's dad had to die!!!! For me, it was really unexpected and sad. Ugh! I hated it so so much. First, because Rich was the one who killed him and it was right after they had one the basketball game and then Rich has to try to kill Heidi but shoot the dad instead? I was SO mad! And then when T.J. described his dad going limp in his arms just like the deer had and that's how he knew that his dad was dead was so sad. Something though that I liked that came from this sad part in the book was how T.J. road his bike down to the cafe that he had heard his father talk about in that story so many times and he met his "brother." I liked the story of Kyle Couples and how T.J. and him seemed to click almost instantly on a certain level. I think that going to meet with Kyle was a sort of closure for T.J. after his dad's death. One thing I loved about it was that Kyle told T.J. about his love for whales and that he had no idea why he was so interested in them, but he just was, but T.J. knew it was because his dad had that strong love for them, too. That was a really interesting way to connect Kyle Couples to his birth father whom he had never met.
2 comments:
I agree with everythig you have said in this blog. When i first read the back of the book i thought it was going to be about a team of swimmers who are not liked by the other swimmers because of color and other reasons, but that wasnt even close.Also, swearing doesnt bother me all to much, but when Heidi swore like her daddy, that about killed me. The father should not have died. that was just not right. he isnt dead,actually. i refuse to believe that fictional character is dead. i believe he faked his death and is at the 7 11 with Elvis Presly, dead serious. Yes, the brother story was really quite emotional and unexpected. the fact that he liked whales and bikes was perfect. if there was a second book i would read it. A quick question about the swearing, and language. with out the N word and all the others, do you honestly think that the book would be as heart pulling?
HAH! First, I love your blog and your whole theory about Mr. Jones being at the 7 11 with Elvis. Hah, that's great! Honestly, I think the back of the book is misleading because the story was ENTIRELY different than the back of the book. The swearing wasn't THAT bad, but it was a little much for me. But, agreed. When Heidi swore like Rich swears at her...that was HORRIBLE! I. Hate. Rich. Marshall. I loved the whole thing with Kyle Couples and how he liked whales and bikes. I actually became really interested in like whale songs after reading this book. I found some online and it's such a haunting sound but it's so cool. And, to your question, i have to say no. If the N Word and all the other swear words weren't in the novel, then I don't think it would have been as real and emotional.
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