A 52-Hertz Whale

Reviewed by: Karen Sandlin Silverman - Scarborough High School / Scarborough Middle School, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 11, 2016

Review

A delightful epistolary novel told entirely through email correspondence, mostly between James, a high-school student obsessed with whales, and Darren, a recent college grad trying to make it as a documentary filmmaker in Hollywood. James is upset when a whale he follows online separates from his pod so he tries contacting scientists at a marine conservancy. After receiving no response, he emails Darren, who had volunteered in James' middle school resource room. With his girlfriend having recently dumped him, James has time to reply. As readers will easily predict, not only does Darren help James -- advising him on navigating high school, romance, and changing friendships -- James ends up helping Darren just as much, even providing inspiration for a documentary film.

Overall Book Score: excellent