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A Possibility of Whales
The story of a girl who—thanks to her friends, her famous single dad, and an unexpected encounter with a whale—learns the true meaning of family.
Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she’ll see whales on the beach near her new home, the possibility that the transgender boy she just met will become her new best friend, the possibility that the paparazzi hounding her celebrity father won’t force them to move again. Most of all, Nat dreams of the possibility that her faraway mother misses her, loves her, and is just waiting for Nat to find her.
But how can Nat find her mother if she doesn’t even know who she is? She abandoned Nat as a baby, and Nat’s dad refuses to talk about it. Nat knows she shouldn’t need a mom, but she still feels like something is missing, and her questions lead her on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.
Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she’ll see whales on the beach near her new home, the possibility that the transgender boy she just met will become her new best friend, the possibility that the paparazzi hounding her celebrity father won’t force them to move again. Most of all, Nat dreams of the possibility that her faraway mother misses her, loves her, and is just waiting for Nat to find her.
But how can Nat find her mother if she doesn’t even know who she is? She abandoned Nat as a baby, and Nat’s dad refuses to talk about it. Nat knows she shouldn’t need a mom, but she still feels like something is missing, and her questions lead her on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 13, 2018
20 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
About the author
Karen Rivers
28 books220 followersKaren Rivers is too thrown by the "Date of Death" drop down that has appeared below her name in the editing section of this page to actually write anything about her life. When she recovers, this box will be filled with imperative biographical information and may include SECRETS and probably also a few LIES. Now she is going to sit back and anxiously track that "Date of Death" box in case a date suddenly appears, foretelling her imminent doom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
March 19, 2018
I did not like this one. At all. The cute cover, a transgender character, and Bird were the lone highlights. Everything else had me skimming. And I really wanted to find out , especially since it seemed like kind of a Big Deal to the story, but it was never explained.
Seems that I'm in the minority here and that's okay.
Seems that I'm in the minority here and that's okay.
March 7, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Before reading The Possibility of Whales, I had just come off another Karen Rivers book, All That Was. ATW was written for an older audience, but the author’s ability to write winding, authentic inner monologues really shines through in both novels. Am I the only one who finds it much easier to relate to a character when it feels like they’re thinking real thoughts?
The Possibility of Whales is Oscar-movie poignant. From the moment Nat makes her very first phone call to the Bird, I knew I was in for some heart-squeezing:
“I get it,” said the Bird. “If you don’t know my name, I can be anyone. I think maybe that’s just fine. I like the idea of being anyone. I think a lot about being someone else, sometimes. I look at people and I think, Why am I me and why are you you? Do you ever do that?”
I really enjoyed the characters. Nat and Harry were both appropriately immature for their age and life experiences, and Nat’s father was charming and silly. Harry, though, was the better of the two perspectives, in my opinion:
Lists put things in order and made him feel like he had a handle on things, but he didn’t actually have a handle on anything at all except for pretty much every Mario game ever. Maybe he’d have a handle on everything else the next day. Maybe nothing would be itchy. Probably not, though.
The plot, like the inner monologue, winds. Somehow, Nat’s father takes her, Harry, and Harry’s parents to Mexico. I mean, I get it – he’s rich. But why did we need to go all the way from Canada to Mexico? {The answer is whales. Whales are present and a recurring metaphor.} But the funny thing is, I didn’t really mind it. It was worth it to have some light-hearted discussions about gender.
Because really, that’s why I picked up this book in the first place. I’m always looking for more middle grade novels that present a transgender protagonist. Harry is trying to assert his identity in a way that is so perfectly preteen, but also as a young transgender adult. He struggles with his parents who see this as a “phase” and insist on calling him “Harriet.” He struggles with his relationship with classmates and with Nat. Still, this isn’t presented in a super angsty way; instead, the narrative is squishy and charming. I strongly recommend this for your classroom library.
Before reading The Possibility of Whales, I had just come off another Karen Rivers book, All That Was. ATW was written for an older audience, but the author’s ability to write winding, authentic inner monologues really shines through in both novels. Am I the only one who finds it much easier to relate to a character when it feels like they’re thinking real thoughts?
The Possibility of Whales is Oscar-movie poignant. From the moment Nat makes her very first phone call to the Bird, I knew I was in for some heart-squeezing:
“I get it,” said the Bird. “If you don’t know my name, I can be anyone. I think maybe that’s just fine. I like the idea of being anyone. I think a lot about being someone else, sometimes. I look at people and I think, Why am I me and why are you you? Do you ever do that?”
I really enjoyed the characters. Nat and Harry were both appropriately immature for their age and life experiences, and Nat’s father was charming and silly. Harry, though, was the better of the two perspectives, in my opinion:
Lists put things in order and made him feel like he had a handle on things, but he didn’t actually have a handle on anything at all except for pretty much every Mario game ever. Maybe he’d have a handle on everything else the next day. Maybe nothing would be itchy. Probably not, though.
The plot, like the inner monologue, winds. Somehow, Nat’s father takes her, Harry, and Harry’s parents to Mexico. I mean, I get it – he’s rich. But why did we need to go all the way from Canada to Mexico? {The answer is whales. Whales are present and a recurring metaphor.} But the funny thing is, I didn’t really mind it. It was worth it to have some light-hearted discussions about gender.
Because really, that’s why I picked up this book in the first place. I’m always looking for more middle grade novels that present a transgender protagonist. Harry is trying to assert his identity in a way that is so perfectly preteen, but also as a young transgender adult. He struggles with his parents who see this as a “phase” and insist on calling him “Harriet.” He struggles with his relationship with classmates and with Nat. Still, this isn’t presented in a super angsty way; instead, the narrative is squishy and charming. I strongly recommend this for your classroom library.
May 29, 2018
I had such high hopes for this book, but in the end I could not justify anything more than one star. The book starts out with so much potential. Nat has been uprooted again. She is going to another new school in another new town. Her famous movie star father drives her in on the first day. He is driving a scooter so everyone gets a glimpse of him arriving, gets a glimpse of him waving, gets a glimpse of Nat getting off the back of the scooter.
Nat takes all of this in stride. All she really wants is to find that one person with best friend potential so she can have someone to spend time with and confide in until she moves from this town in search of another town.
Enter Harry. Harry is also new to town. In his last town Harry was known as Harriette. Now that he's moved, the one thing Harry wants is to be fully recognized. He also wants to become one of the boys. This means no friends that are girls. Unfortunately for Harry, things don't go well on the first day of school and the one person that accepts him is Nat. But...but Nat is a girl. Harry is done being friends with girls, right? Right.
So, here is the premise. It looks like a great set-up for a middle grade book. You've got unique characters struggling to understand themselves. You've got a perfect middle school dilemma of friendship gone awry. You've even got parents that embarrass and undermine their kids because the parents think they know what's best for their burgeoning tween.
But then what does Rivers do? She skips forward nine months, skips the entire school year and tells us in three sentences that Nat's famous movie star father befriended Harry's family so that Nat and Harry could be friends, which was why Nat's family and Harry's family are now vacationing together in Mexico. Now the only question I have is why? Why put the first part of the book in at all? There are already so many chapters filled with memories of previous places that it would not have been hard to weave in the story of how Harry and Nat met while starting the entire book with the vacation in Mexico.
I wanted to like this book. Rivers writes in a rounded and lyrical way. I enjoyed so many of her descriptions and her tidbits of characterization that I pushed myself to continue reading. Ultimately, though, I lost the will to invest in this one. I think it was sucked away by those missing nine months.
Nat takes all of this in stride. All she really wants is to find that one person with best friend potential so she can have someone to spend time with and confide in until she moves from this town in search of another town.
Enter Harry. Harry is also new to town. In his last town Harry was known as Harriette. Now that he's moved, the one thing Harry wants is to be fully recognized. He also wants to become one of the boys. This means no friends that are girls. Unfortunately for Harry, things don't go well on the first day of school and the one person that accepts him is Nat. But...but Nat is a girl. Harry is done being friends with girls, right? Right.
So, here is the premise. It looks like a great set-up for a middle grade book. You've got unique characters struggling to understand themselves. You've got a perfect middle school dilemma of friendship gone awry. You've even got parents that embarrass and undermine their kids because the parents think they know what's best for their burgeoning tween.
But then what does Rivers do? She skips forward nine months, skips the entire school year and tells us in three sentences that Nat's famous movie star father befriended Harry's family so that Nat and Harry could be friends, which was why Nat's family and Harry's family are now vacationing together in Mexico. Now the only question I have is why? Why put the first part of the book in at all? There are already so many chapters filled with memories of previous places that it would not have been hard to weave in the story of how Harry and Nat met while starting the entire book with the vacation in Mexico.
I wanted to like this book. Rivers writes in a rounded and lyrical way. I enjoyed so many of her descriptions and her tidbits of characterization that I pushed myself to continue reading. Ultimately, though, I lost the will to invest in this one. I think it was sucked away by those missing nine months.
July 13, 2018
A sometimes sweet, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, altogether lovely story.
Twelve year old Nat moves to Canada with her action-hero dad to escape the paparazzi, leaving behind a bruising friendship she’s still feeling sentimental pangs for and finding a reluctant/complicated new friend, all while she’s dealing with the changes that come with growing up and wondering about the mom she’s never known.
The foreign words with their special meanings, the way she’s sometimes overwhelmed by her emotions, the relationship with Bird and the scene in the Mexican grocery store where she desperately needed a mom and how it went from heartbreaking to healing, I just plain adored everything about the time I spent with Nat.
I loved her dad, too, a mix of Dwayne Johnson and Matthew McConaughey, he’s vividly cartoonish with his size and the “Yep, Yep,” and yet feels so grounded in his love for his little girl, I just thought they were one of the sweetest father-daughter combos I’ve ever read.
Harry, is Nat’s reluctant/complicated new friend. Reluctant because though Harry does like Nat, he’s a transgender boy and it’s important to him to hang out with boys like any other boy would do, to experience what it’s like to be one of the guys, not just be the guy with a girl for a friend. It’s complicated because in addition to wanting Harry for her friend, Nat feels a little spark of something else for him that she isn’t really ready to feel for anyone.
Due to my deep affection for Nat, I did not love Harry kind of pushing Nat away at times, but I very much understood why he did that and I did feel so much for Harry, and especially I loved how every so often the author handed a chapter over to his POV, as much as Nat’s really thoughtful and compassionate towards him, it felt right to spend some time in his head and his heart. Harry’s struggle to be accepted at school and at home is tough in some moments, though you’re left with a glimmer of hope about his situation as well.
The endings for both Harry and Nat aren’t neatly tied up in a bow, and while that may not work for some readers, I thought it worked so well for this particular story, the stuff with Nat’s mom, Harry being transgender, these are not things that are easily resolved in life, so I’m glad the book didn’t pretend to quickly solve everything, but it didn’t doom and gloom everything either, the ending felt like the right amount of reassurance, like a warm hug.
Twelve year old Nat moves to Canada with her action-hero dad to escape the paparazzi, leaving behind a bruising friendship she’s still feeling sentimental pangs for and finding a reluctant/complicated new friend, all while she’s dealing with the changes that come with growing up and wondering about the mom she’s never known.
The foreign words with their special meanings, the way she’s sometimes overwhelmed by her emotions, the relationship with Bird and the scene in the Mexican grocery store where she desperately needed a mom and how it went from heartbreaking to healing, I just plain adored everything about the time I spent with Nat.
I loved her dad, too, a mix of Dwayne Johnson and Matthew McConaughey, he’s vividly cartoonish with his size and the “Yep, Yep,” and yet feels so grounded in his love for his little girl, I just thought they were one of the sweetest father-daughter combos I’ve ever read.
Harry, is Nat’s reluctant/complicated new friend. Reluctant because though Harry does like Nat, he’s a transgender boy and it’s important to him to hang out with boys like any other boy would do, to experience what it’s like to be one of the guys, not just be the guy with a girl for a friend. It’s complicated because in addition to wanting Harry for her friend, Nat feels a little spark of something else for him that she isn’t really ready to feel for anyone.
Due to my deep affection for Nat, I did not love Harry kind of pushing Nat away at times, but I very much understood why he did that and I did feel so much for Harry, and especially I loved how every so often the author handed a chapter over to his POV, as much as Nat’s really thoughtful and compassionate towards him, it felt right to spend some time in his head and his heart. Harry’s struggle to be accepted at school and at home is tough in some moments, though you’re left with a glimmer of hope about his situation as well.
The endings for both Harry and Nat aren’t neatly tied up in a bow, and while that may not work for some readers, I thought it worked so well for this particular story, the stuff with Nat’s mom, Harry being transgender, these are not things that are easily resolved in life, so I’m glad the book didn’t pretend to quickly solve everything, but it didn’t doom and gloom everything either, the ending felt like the right amount of reassurance, like a warm hug.
June 16, 2020
[ARC] Really disjointed and choppy. Nat is dead-set on becoming bffs with Harry when they've only hung out like twice, and then after that he keeps being a jerk to her over and over again? And his whole family just up and comes on this random-ass trip to Mexico that came out of nowhere? And why does the teenage cashier at a tiny Mexican market speak perfect English for a situation that DOES NOT ARISE OFTEN (seriously, I'm fluent in German and still wouldn't know a lot of the phrases/vocab relating to getting your first period)? And the minute they walk into the store, they're greeted by her telling them "the air-conditioner is broken" (again in perfect English) but then Harry thinks she doesn't speak any English a minute later? And the helter-skelter narrative felt like it never knew where it was going.
I thought the cell phone was going to get her in trouble at some point, and kept waiting for it to show up in that sense and it never did. Also, who's paying for that phone? And the entire crux of the Solly problem was she peer-pressured Nat into smoking once? I thought she'd like, sold them out to the paps or something, or exploited their friendship. And the entire mom subplot that doesn't really get resolved at all??? (And honestly, HOW have they never once discussed her mom in 13 years, especially being in the public eye all the time??? That fully does not make sense.)
The only thing I liked was Nat's interest in foreign languages and interesting words, and the trans representation (even though it wasn't very fully fleshed-out). Beyond that, this book felt incredibly fragmented and distracted.
After rehashing all that, I'm downgrading it from 2 stars to 1 star.
I thought the cell phone was going to get her in trouble at some point, and kept waiting for it to show up in that sense and it never did. Also, who's paying for that phone? And the entire crux of the Solly problem was she peer-pressured Nat into smoking once? I thought she'd like, sold them out to the paps or something, or exploited their friendship. And the entire mom subplot that doesn't really get resolved at all??? (And honestly, HOW have they never once discussed her mom in 13 years, especially being in the public eye all the time??? That fully does not make sense.)
The only thing I liked was Nat's interest in foreign languages and interesting words, and the trans representation (even though it wasn't very fully fleshed-out). Beyond that, this book felt incredibly fragmented and distracted.
After rehashing all that, I'm downgrading it from 2 stars to 1 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2023
Around 2.75.
To rate this book, I think we need to separate the book into each of its two sections because I have a very different opinion on each of them.
Canada
The first few chapters were only the introduction of the main character, Nat, then her dad XAN GALLAGHER and friend Solly. In this section, Nat sounded so much like a little girl, I mean younger than her official age of 12. It cringes me a little bit on how come a 12 year old girl still talk like this. On the other hand, her friend sounded just right, like an annoying pre-teen. But nevermind, anyone is different. Her initial conversation with Bird just proves this point even more on how childlike Nat is. Then, we got to her dad's introduction who was also silly. Yes, her dad was silly and I thought this was probably why she sounded so weird too.
There are many novels which are very descriptive on one of the characters thought or on the scene/circumstance surrouding a certain event, and not all of them are cup of tea. Unfortunately, this book fell on that very category. Yes, it was somehow lyrical like how some other readers pointed out, but I couldn't like it because it was just too much.
Later, Nat talked to Bird again but this time I loved their exchange. Bird seemed to be a very sweet and caring woman for still wanting to talk to this random girl.
Next, we were introduced to this character Harry who was a struggling transgender kid. His family wasn't really supportive with his choice and to me it's because they were still confused with the concept. As much as I understand of his upbringing, I couldn't like his personality. At all. Okay, he's still a kid, but he really irritated me especially on how he treated Nat who was clearly interesting to have a friendship (or more) with him.
After a quarter part of the book, finally I could see a problem building up. I can't include Harry's problem as the problem of the whole plot because his arc was just simply an introduction to his character and Nat was the main character. So, Nat began to have her own insecurity which is very normal when someone's about to leave their childhood era to go to the next chapter like being a teenager. I almost can say that she started to sound like me when I was around her age.
This is the end of the Canada section. There was not much going on and I almost dnfed it. I couldn't connect with these characters (except the very last part of it as I mentioned earlier), I couldn't picture where this book would end. I didn't know and it was frustrating.
Mexico
I was mad when this section came, I even cursed. Let me remind you again, Nat was the main character, right? Then why the hell did we only got anything where there was Harry in it? What was even the point on making the first section because it had no solid correlation to this section?! It was stated that Harry and Nat hadn't talked for months because he ventured out to befriend the boys. What made me mad was that Nat had conversation with some other students and I found it to be quite interesting. It could be a very good chance to develop her character even more through some other people since Harry was a total jerk. However, I felt very grateful because this section was better than I initially thought.
Anyway, the initial part of this section was still full of Harry being an a-hole. Ironically, he said, "Are we fighting? This feels like we're fighting . I don't like fighting. Like, I really don't." Oh, do shut up! Then, we had a conversation of Nat and her father and I couldn't fathom anything they were talking about. Again, I couldn't picture myself in their box, I was a total outsider banging on their windows asking for explanation.
As much as I hated Harry, he (thank god) got a little better and it happened on around 100 page before this book ended. Probably, he never disliked Nat since their first encounter and he was really focused on shaping and validating his identity. He needed to push Nat away but then I guess he realized that it wouldn't solve his problem anyway and he did need someone. I really loved Nat and Harry's exchange in this very chapter. They started to bond and it was a bit wholesome.
Then, we had a breakdown from one of the characters and I really LOVED this part. Nat sounded a lot more mature here, like a lot she didn't even sound like her former self. From this point on, I enjoyed the book till the end. Most of the characters were developing, especially Nat. There were many beautiful metaphors. There is one that I really like, it was when Nat, Harry and Hugh was practically in danger. The whales, the event surrounding these whales, the moment where Nat was drowned and she decided to "break loose" from her own jeans and shoes, and then the whales somehow saved them. That was really, really good! That was the climax of this book, that was when Nat was finally able to let go of things. Oh! Maybe it wasn't really the climax but my excitement was peaked right there and then. The next part was very heartbroken because there were more shocking things happening to Nat. Then, Nat was a totally new person and she embraced herself better than ever before. But still with some mysteries.......
***
I didn't start reading this book with much expectation because the ratings were quite varied and many books with beautiful covers were disappointing me. This book is not bad, I have nuances and the development of the story is executed quite well. I decided to gave it two, or maybe one star, after the first part because it didn't get me anywhere. It was a bit boring and couldn't understand anyone's way of thinking.
The second part was so much better, I almost gave it a 4 star. But why didn't I? It was emphasized since the very first chapter of this book on how Nat never knew and didn't bother to look for her own mother. She only imagined her while she had the source to actually finding out. And until I closed the back cover of this book, I never found out anything about her mom. I thought she was very important and again it can be a very good opportunity to improve Nat's arc. It is just a pity, since I was very curious. Oh, I was also curious about Bird but letting her identity to be fully hidden was actually a very good decision. However, the Bird part wasn't so much of a big impact to Nat's story. It's just a tiny subplot to embellish thing rather than adding super important essence to the story.
The book is an open ending and there are so many problems unresolved, so many connections between subplots need to be made.
That's all.
To rate this book, I think we need to separate the book into each of its two sections because I have a very different opinion on each of them.
Canada
The first few chapters were only the introduction of the main character, Nat, then her dad XAN GALLAGHER and friend Solly. In this section, Nat sounded so much like a little girl, I mean younger than her official age of 12. It cringes me a little bit on how come a 12 year old girl still talk like this. On the other hand, her friend sounded just right, like an annoying pre-teen. But nevermind, anyone is different. Her initial conversation with Bird just proves this point even more on how childlike Nat is. Then, we got to her dad's introduction who was also silly. Yes, her dad was silly and I thought this was probably why she sounded so weird too.
There are many novels which are very descriptive on one of the characters thought or on the scene/circumstance surrouding a certain event, and not all of them are cup of tea. Unfortunately, this book fell on that very category. Yes, it was somehow lyrical like how some other readers pointed out, but I couldn't like it because it was just too much.
Later, Nat talked to Bird again but this time I loved their exchange. Bird seemed to be a very sweet and caring woman for still wanting to talk to this random girl.
Next, we were introduced to this character Harry who was a struggling transgender kid. His family wasn't really supportive with his choice and to me it's because they were still confused with the concept. As much as I understand of his upbringing, I couldn't like his personality. At all. Okay, he's still a kid, but he really irritated me especially on how he treated Nat who was clearly interesting to have a friendship (or more) with him.
After a quarter part of the book, finally I could see a problem building up. I can't include Harry's problem as the problem of the whole plot because his arc was just simply an introduction to his character and Nat was the main character. So, Nat began to have her own insecurity which is very normal when someone's about to leave their childhood era to go to the next chapter like being a teenager. I almost can say that she started to sound like me when I was around her age.
This is the end of the Canada section. There was not much going on and I almost dnfed it. I couldn't connect with these characters (except the very last part of it as I mentioned earlier), I couldn't picture where this book would end. I didn't know and it was frustrating.
Mexico
I was mad when this section came, I even cursed. Let me remind you again, Nat was the main character, right? Then why the hell did we only got anything where there was Harry in it? What was even the point on making the first section because it had no solid correlation to this section?! It was stated that Harry and Nat hadn't talked for months because he ventured out to befriend the boys. What made me mad was that Nat had conversation with some other students and I found it to be quite interesting. It could be a very good chance to develop her character even more through some other people since Harry was a total jerk. However, I felt very grateful because this section was better than I initially thought.
Anyway, the initial part of this section was still full of Harry being an a-hole. Ironically, he said, "Are we fighting? This feels like we're fighting . I don't like fighting. Like, I really don't." Oh, do shut up! Then, we had a conversation of Nat and her father and I couldn't fathom anything they were talking about. Again, I couldn't picture myself in their box, I was a total outsider banging on their windows asking for explanation.
As much as I hated Harry, he (thank god) got a little better and it happened on around 100 page before this book ended. Probably, he never disliked Nat since their first encounter and he was really focused on shaping and validating his identity. He needed to push Nat away but then I guess he realized that it wouldn't solve his problem anyway and he did need someone. I really loved Nat and Harry's exchange in this very chapter. They started to bond and it was a bit wholesome.
Then, we had a breakdown from one of the characters and I really LOVED this part. Nat sounded a lot more mature here, like a lot she didn't even sound like her former self. From this point on, I enjoyed the book till the end. Most of the characters were developing, especially Nat. There were many beautiful metaphors. There is one that I really like, it was when Nat, Harry and Hugh was practically in danger. The whales, the event surrounding these whales, the moment where Nat was drowned and she decided to "break loose" from her own jeans and shoes, and then the whales somehow saved them. That was really, really good! That was the climax of this book, that was when Nat was finally able to let go of things. Oh! Maybe it wasn't really the climax but my excitement was peaked right there and then. The next part was very heartbroken because there were more shocking things happening to Nat. Then, Nat was a totally new person and she embraced herself better than ever before. But still with some mysteries.......
***
I didn't start reading this book with much expectation because the ratings were quite varied and many books with beautiful covers were disappointing me. This book is not bad, I have nuances and the development of the story is executed quite well. I decided to gave it two, or maybe one star, after the first part because it didn't get me anywhere. It was a bit boring and couldn't understand anyone's way of thinking.
The second part was so much better, I almost gave it a 4 star. But why didn't I? It was emphasized since the very first chapter of this book on how Nat never knew and didn't bother to look for her own mother. She only imagined her while she had the source to actually finding out. And until I closed the back cover of this book, I never found out anything about her mom. I thought she was very important and again it can be a very good opportunity to improve Nat's arc. It is just a pity, since I was very curious. Oh, I was also curious about Bird but letting her identity to be fully hidden was actually a very good decision. However, the Bird part wasn't so much of a big impact to Nat's story. It's just a tiny subplot to embellish thing rather than adding super important essence to the story.
The book is an open ending and there are so many problems unresolved, so many connections between subplots need to be made.
That's all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2019
While this was an easy read, I found the multiple story lines (daughter of a famous star, no mother, mysterious person on the end of the other line, girl wanting to transition to boy, whales, friend betrayal) meant that not all of them were satisfactorily resolved. Several seemed to have no real purpose in furthering the story, so I was not sure why they were there. And the referring to things and people from the past (like the Lion) further confused me.
November 23, 2018
I love the cover. I really wanted to love this, but it just doesn't really go anywhere. The mystery in the story never unfolds. It's a very unsatisfying open ending. It's too much telling instead of showing. Most of the time it felt like a book where a grownup was trying very hard to talk like a 12-year-old.
February 23, 2018
Very cute read!
Catch my review and Blog Tour Post March 13th!
Catch my review and Blog Tour Post March 13th!
May 29, 2018
Karen Rivers explores the complexities of life in her latest emotionally charged novel, A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES. Rivers has previously written books like LOVE, ISH, which received praise as a heartbreaking novel about family. Similarly, A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES explores identity, what it means to be a family and coming of age.
Nat is searching for many things: a new best friend, a whale and though she will not say it aloud, her mother. She desperately wants to return to being a child, when she was able to imagine who her “perfect” mother could be, and her father was simply her dad, and not XAN GALLAGHER, the actor whose loud and boisterous personality draws attention --- and the paparazzi--- wherever he goes.
In their new, quiet home in Canada, Nat hopes to find a kindred spirit in Harry. Harry, named Harriet at birth, cannot get his father to accept that he is transgender. However, Harry has a strict list and plan for a good year; and Nat does not fit in it. But Nat knows she is not completely alone; she has her secret friend, an almost surrogate mother whom she calls “the Bird.”
The Bird offers Nat an experience that was denied to her when he mother left. But can Nat continue to live in limbo, not knowing who her mother is, trying not to grow up? From Nat’s search for a friend to complete her, to her yearning for her mother, Karen Rivers’s story explores the complexities of human relationships as seen through the eyes of pre-teen. Using words from different languages to describe her complicated feelings, Nat searches for stability in her life, whether it is from others or from within herself. To gain that, though, Nat must reconcile with her past, accept her present problems and be ready to move on to the future.
Told primarily through the eyes of 12-year old Nat, the narration of A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES follows a smooth, train-of-thought style that allows the reader to understand what Nat is thinking and feeling, without giving everything away right from the beginning. While this point-of-view may be confusing sometimes, it allows the characters to seem more real, and heightens tensions as past ghosts are revealed. Nat’s perspective is consistent with that of a child going through adolescence. While the story plot may be slightly unbelievable, and transitions slightly abrupt, Rivers includes true-to-life subjects and themes that do not gloss over any of the awkward questions that preteens face. In this way, the novel is written for younger readers, but has content that may be better suited for an older audience.
Rivers focuses the plot around Nat; other characters and antagonists chiefly exist for Nat to compare her beliefs to others and determine what she wants most out of her life. While most relationships in the story are explored and grown, the promising relationship between Harry and Nat remained relatively the same until the end. However, the sweet moments between Nat and the Bird are wonderful highlights in the novel and strengthen the growth of Nat overall.
With a dominate theme about the importance of relationships, especially between children and parents, A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES is a reminder of the integral fabric that supports individuals, especially children. The emotional tone reminiscent of every coming-of-age story makes A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES good for older preteens or younger teens. As it is a fast read, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a relaxing read.
Reviewed by Lauren C., Teen Board Member
Nat is searching for many things: a new best friend, a whale and though she will not say it aloud, her mother. She desperately wants to return to being a child, when she was able to imagine who her “perfect” mother could be, and her father was simply her dad, and not XAN GALLAGHER, the actor whose loud and boisterous personality draws attention --- and the paparazzi--- wherever he goes.
In their new, quiet home in Canada, Nat hopes to find a kindred spirit in Harry. Harry, named Harriet at birth, cannot get his father to accept that he is transgender. However, Harry has a strict list and plan for a good year; and Nat does not fit in it. But Nat knows she is not completely alone; she has her secret friend, an almost surrogate mother whom she calls “the Bird.”
The Bird offers Nat an experience that was denied to her when he mother left. But can Nat continue to live in limbo, not knowing who her mother is, trying not to grow up? From Nat’s search for a friend to complete her, to her yearning for her mother, Karen Rivers’s story explores the complexities of human relationships as seen through the eyes of pre-teen. Using words from different languages to describe her complicated feelings, Nat searches for stability in her life, whether it is from others or from within herself. To gain that, though, Nat must reconcile with her past, accept her present problems and be ready to move on to the future.
Told primarily through the eyes of 12-year old Nat, the narration of A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES follows a smooth, train-of-thought style that allows the reader to understand what Nat is thinking and feeling, without giving everything away right from the beginning. While this point-of-view may be confusing sometimes, it allows the characters to seem more real, and heightens tensions as past ghosts are revealed. Nat’s perspective is consistent with that of a child going through adolescence. While the story plot may be slightly unbelievable, and transitions slightly abrupt, Rivers includes true-to-life subjects and themes that do not gloss over any of the awkward questions that preteens face. In this way, the novel is written for younger readers, but has content that may be better suited for an older audience.
Rivers focuses the plot around Nat; other characters and antagonists chiefly exist for Nat to compare her beliefs to others and determine what she wants most out of her life. While most relationships in the story are explored and grown, the promising relationship between Harry and Nat remained relatively the same until the end. However, the sweet moments between Nat and the Bird are wonderful highlights in the novel and strengthen the growth of Nat overall.
With a dominate theme about the importance of relationships, especially between children and parents, A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES is a reminder of the integral fabric that supports individuals, especially children. The emotional tone reminiscent of every coming-of-age story makes A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES good for older preteens or younger teens. As it is a fast read, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a relaxing read.
Reviewed by Lauren C., Teen Board Member
February 12, 2018
I loved the characters in this book. Their story seemed real. And who can fault a book that includes a love of whales.
March 23, 2018
This book is precious. Delightful. Other positive words.
It's a heartwarming, life-affirming story about a kid, her dad, her missing mom, whales, that kind of thing.
As a dad who has a daughter, this one nearly wrecked me emotionally at least twice. I mean that as a compliment.
Even if you're not a dad or a daughter, you'll really like this story.
It's a heartwarming, life-affirming story about a kid, her dad, her missing mom, whales, that kind of thing.
As a dad who has a daughter, this one nearly wrecked me emotionally at least twice. I mean that as a compliment.
Even if you're not a dad or a daughter, you'll really like this story.
October 8, 2018
Was definitely an interesting story, but the ending didn't seem to wrap up the loose ends that were created throughout the text.
February 7, 2018
This is an absolutely lovely story. Filled with quirky side characters, the main character is in a really unique and tough situation. Excellent handling of a girl's first period and the awkwardness of not having a mom around. Also good handling of realizing when a friendship maybe just needs to be over because the other person was never that good a friend.
March 4, 2018
An adorable, diverse read. It’s also the best example I’ve seen of explaining the thoughts of a transgender kid perfectly. It all just makes sense when you read it.
February 4, 2018
A Possibility of Whales tells the story of two teen friends with troubled lives. Natalia is the daughter of a celebrity who is constantly moving to escape the paparazzi while Harry is dealing with all the issues of being transgender. I loved how this book really brought out the idea of how you never truly know what someone is going through, and sometimes just being someone's friend can make a world of a difference.
This book definitely helped me better understand the feelings of people who are transgender, which is something I definitely enjoyed, but overall I wasn't a huge fan.
This book definitely helped me better understand the feelings of people who are transgender, which is something I definitely enjoyed, but overall I wasn't a huge fan.
January 1, 2018
Note: I received an eARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review.
A sweet and quirky coming-of-age novel with diverse and eccentric characters. Nat and her famous father move to a new town, where Nat longs for a good friend. She befriends a transgendered boy, Harry, and is on her own path of self-discovery, including her quest for information about her mother.
The novel made me chuckle out loud a few times, but it also took a few unbelievable turns that pushed me out of being fully immersed in the story.
Aside from the prominent coming of age theme, there are strong themes of acceptance, family, friendship, and privacy. However, due to the storyline and content, this novel is best read privately, as opposed to a shared experience like a read aloud.
The target audience is a bit harder to pinpoint on this novel. I guesstimate the reading level at a middle grade level, but the coming-of-age themes put it more at an appropriate book for tweens. The main characters are 12, which targets readers slightly younger than that. All in all, likely a book best suited to a grade 5 or 6 classroom library or personal collection.
A sweet and quirky coming-of-age novel with diverse and eccentric characters. Nat and her famous father move to a new town, where Nat longs for a good friend. She befriends a transgendered boy, Harry, and is on her own path of self-discovery, including her quest for information about her mother.
The novel made me chuckle out loud a few times, but it also took a few unbelievable turns that pushed me out of being fully immersed in the story.
Aside from the prominent coming of age theme, there are strong themes of acceptance, family, friendship, and privacy. However, due to the storyline and content, this novel is best read privately, as opposed to a shared experience like a read aloud.
The target audience is a bit harder to pinpoint on this novel. I guesstimate the reading level at a middle grade level, but the coming-of-age themes put it more at an appropriate book for tweens. The main characters are 12, which targets readers slightly younger than that. All in all, likely a book best suited to a grade 5 or 6 classroom library or personal collection.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 28, 2018
Nat's dad is famous. Super famous. Because of this, they move around to avoid the paparazzi and live in a tiny trailer where she can see orcas every day. She doesn't know her mom, but she meets a boy at her new school in Canada and they form a somewhat friendship.
I'm...not really certain what to make of this book. The story is heartwarming, about a young girl dealing with some pretty emotional coming of age things (coupled with the whole, being famous because of her famous dad thing), and it has great LGBT rep with Harry, her best friend (woohoo, a trans boy!), but I just felt...underwhelmed. Nat is an incredibly introspective child, and it shows in the stream of consciousness narration. The writing is all over the place (much like a 12-year-old's mind would be) and the plot seems to meander. It's not plot-driven, but it also isn't what I would call character driven.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
I'm...not really certain what to make of this book. The story is heartwarming, about a young girl dealing with some pretty emotional coming of age things (coupled with the whole, being famous because of her famous dad thing), and it has great LGBT rep with Harry, her best friend (woohoo, a trans boy!), but I just felt...underwhelmed. Nat is an incredibly introspective child, and it shows in the stream of consciousness narration. The writing is all over the place (much like a 12-year-old's mind would be) and the plot seems to meander. It's not plot-driven, but it also isn't what I would call character driven.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
December 24, 2017
A beautiful and gut-wrenching read that explores that tenuous boundary between childhood and adolescence in all its splendor and misery
January 11, 2021
I couldn’t connect to the characters although I am sure others will enjoy.
March 10, 2019
As seen on my blog:
The author of this novel is Canadian. This novel is SET in Canada. I'm not sure if you get where I'm going with this but my heart was already spilling over with giddy anticipation when I found out those two facts, and I hadn't even read the synopsis yet. A Possibility of Whales promised heartwarming moments of family, friendship and large marine mammals, and it delivered on all fronts.
Natalia Rose has moved, yet again, and this time to the land of polite and excessive "sorrys," and into an Airstream home that can barely fit one, let alone Natalia and her (literally) larger than life father and actor XAN GALLAGHER. But she knows the drill, and she is more than willing to start at her new school, and scope out prospects for a new BFF. All the while, Natalia's absent mother sits in her mind like a superglued daydream. Where is this mysterious woman who birthed her and abandoned her? How does she get closer to finding out who she really is...and when she does, will she be ready for the answer?
A Possibility of Whales was the stream-of-conscious narrative of a not-so-typical 12-year-old girl, coping as best she can in a world that many may envy, but very little know the struggles of. Karen Rivers dug deep into her own mind, or researched quite well, the seemingly thousands of crises a tween might face on a daily basis. Her writing was fluid and beautiful, and went places that I wasn't expecting but found to be both hilarious and entertaining. For example, Natalia is obsessed with foreign words, words that mean whole THOUGHTS in other languages, like the Hindi word " viraag ", which means " the pain you feel when you are separated from someone you love ". Natalia randomly throws out these words and their meanings thorughout the book, and I thought it was a spectaculary clever addition to the plot. And even MORE spectacular was the arrival of an LGBT character. I cannot even express how important it is, and will continue to be, to have this representation in a middle grade novel, and I want to meet Karen myself to shake her hand and thank her for giving us Harry.
At times Natalia lost me, at times I wish the storyline would stay more grounded and linear, but that would have taken away from the chaotic beauty that the author so clearly wanted to impose on her readers. I finished this novel feeling a little less confined to one place. I took Natalia's hand and I let her show me the worlds she's traveled, the emotional strain on her young heart, and the conclusion to a story, her story, that began with a whale, and ended just as big.
Read if you liked:
Better Nate than Never by Tim Federle, or any middle grade fiction by Holly Black
Key themes:
family love, friendship, loss, acceptance, coming-of-age
The author of this novel is Canadian. This novel is SET in Canada. I'm not sure if you get where I'm going with this but my heart was already spilling over with giddy anticipation when I found out those two facts, and I hadn't even read the synopsis yet. A Possibility of Whales promised heartwarming moments of family, friendship and large marine mammals, and it delivered on all fronts.
Natalia Rose has moved, yet again, and this time to the land of polite and excessive "sorrys," and into an Airstream home that can barely fit one, let alone Natalia and her (literally) larger than life father and actor XAN GALLAGHER. But she knows the drill, and she is more than willing to start at her new school, and scope out prospects for a new BFF. All the while, Natalia's absent mother sits in her mind like a superglued daydream. Where is this mysterious woman who birthed her and abandoned her? How does she get closer to finding out who she really is...and when she does, will she be ready for the answer?
A Possibility of Whales was the stream-of-conscious narrative of a not-so-typical 12-year-old girl, coping as best she can in a world that many may envy, but very little know the struggles of. Karen Rivers dug deep into her own mind, or researched quite well, the seemingly thousands of crises a tween might face on a daily basis. Her writing was fluid and beautiful, and went places that I wasn't expecting but found to be both hilarious and entertaining. For example, Natalia is obsessed with foreign words, words that mean whole THOUGHTS in other languages, like the Hindi word " viraag ", which means " the pain you feel when you are separated from someone you love ". Natalia randomly throws out these words and their meanings thorughout the book, and I thought it was a spectaculary clever addition to the plot. And even MORE spectacular was the arrival of an LGBT character. I cannot even express how important it is, and will continue to be, to have this representation in a middle grade novel, and I want to meet Karen myself to shake her hand and thank her for giving us Harry.
At times Natalia lost me, at times I wish the storyline would stay more grounded and linear, but that would have taken away from the chaotic beauty that the author so clearly wanted to impose on her readers. I finished this novel feeling a little less confined to one place. I took Natalia's hand and I let her show me the worlds she's traveled, the emotional strain on her young heart, and the conclusion to a story, her story, that began with a whale, and ended just as big.
Read if you liked:
Better Nate than Never by Tim Federle, or any middle grade fiction by Holly Black
Key themes:
family love, friendship, loss, acceptance, coming-of-age
June 17, 2019
See my full review here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...
THE POSSIBILITY OF WHALES is a middle grade contemporary story that deals with a lot. Natalia Rose (Nat) is almost thirteen years old. She is semi-famous for the fact that her father is XAN GALLAGHER, a wrestler/actor kind of like the Rock, who has a larger than life personality. Nat has never known who her mother is but in a way, she likes the mystery rather than knowing more about the woman who left her behind.
Nat and her father move about every year, when the paparazzi become too much, and this year, they moved after AN INCIDENT which is described later and involves Nat’s best friend at the time, Solly. At the new school, Nat finds herself drawn to Harry, a trans-boy who is not accepted by his parents and who thinks life would be easier if he could be friends with the other boys. There is some push-pull with their relationship as a result.
On the cusp of puberty, Nat is not sure how she feels about getting breasts or the possibility of a period, and the lack of a mother has brought even more complicated feelings to her developing body. The only mother-type figure she has is Bird, a woman whose name she doesn’t know that she dialed and pretended was her mother once and now whom she calls to talk about things to.
What I loved: I really liked the focus on complicated feelings about a developing body/puberty. This is something preteens can often relate to, and an important topic to discuss. On top of that, there are some great gems about anger/forgiveness. The strongest part of the book was Harry, and his perspectives are too few and far between- I would have liked to experience more from his point-of-view and I think his experiences coming out as transgender were really important for young readers to learn about.
What left me wanting more: The book felt a little scattered, like it was trying to tackle too many things at once, and I would have liked a little more focus on key topics. I also felt like the ending was a little abrupt and would have liked a little more to bring it all together.
Final verdict: Overall, this is an engaging YA contemporary which handles puberty with some comedy as well as some other key topics- transgender, trouble with being famous, handling a missing parent, etc. I would recommend to older middle grade readers who will empathize with Nat and the changes she is experiencing.
THE POSSIBILITY OF WHALES is a middle grade contemporary story that deals with a lot. Natalia Rose (Nat) is almost thirteen years old. She is semi-famous for the fact that her father is XAN GALLAGHER, a wrestler/actor kind of like the Rock, who has a larger than life personality. Nat has never known who her mother is but in a way, she likes the mystery rather than knowing more about the woman who left her behind.
Nat and her father move about every year, when the paparazzi become too much, and this year, they moved after AN INCIDENT which is described later and involves Nat’s best friend at the time, Solly. At the new school, Nat finds herself drawn to Harry, a trans-boy who is not accepted by his parents and who thinks life would be easier if he could be friends with the other boys. There is some push-pull with their relationship as a result.
On the cusp of puberty, Nat is not sure how she feels about getting breasts or the possibility of a period, and the lack of a mother has brought even more complicated feelings to her developing body. The only mother-type figure she has is Bird, a woman whose name she doesn’t know that she dialed and pretended was her mother once and now whom she calls to talk about things to.
What I loved: I really liked the focus on complicated feelings about a developing body/puberty. This is something preteens can often relate to, and an important topic to discuss. On top of that, there are some great gems about anger/forgiveness. The strongest part of the book was Harry, and his perspectives are too few and far between- I would have liked to experience more from his point-of-view and I think his experiences coming out as transgender were really important for young readers to learn about.
What left me wanting more: The book felt a little scattered, like it was trying to tackle too many things at once, and I would have liked a little more focus on key topics. I also felt like the ending was a little abrupt and would have liked a little more to bring it all together.
Final verdict: Overall, this is an engaging YA contemporary which handles puberty with some comedy as well as some other key topics- transgender, trouble with being famous, handling a missing parent, etc. I would recommend to older middle grade readers who will empathize with Nat and the changes she is experiencing.
November 26, 2019
Natalia is the daughter of a famous actor and this is her story of some important moments in her life - she makes true friends, she goes through puberty, she learns about her mother, and she grows in her desire for forgiveness.
I thought her relationship with The Bird was precious and a nice addition to the story.
Some of my favorite quotes
“Everyone isn’t ever all one thing...” p 276
“You love your father. I loved my father, too.... I said I would tell you which situation I thought was worse, yours or mine, and then I realized that both of them were the same and neither of them were terrible. They just shine a light on love for us. They made us look for it more and better than we would have if it had just been handed to us.” P247
Maybe 3.5 stars, but I think there are several great comments for young readers about friendships and life, that I am giving it 4 stars. There are a few parts of the story - how she gets the phone, the interaction with the whale, that just don’t work that great for me, but I am going to put it in my library and recommend it . I got this copy sent to me from an instagram contest, which I wanted because the cover is gorgeous.
I wanted to read it before I put it in my library, because I was curious how it handled GLBT issues. Natalia has a friend who is a transgender boy, Harry and his parents still call him Harriet. It doesn’t go very deep into his feelings about it, other than that he has always identified as a boy. Natalia appreciates him for who he is as a person and doesn’t obsess over his sexuality, it wasn’t a big issue in the book. I think my students would be accepting of their friendship. In fact, it might let them know that it is ok to have a friend who is struggling with identity.
I thought her relationship with The Bird was precious and a nice addition to the story.
Some of my favorite quotes
“Everyone isn’t ever all one thing...” p 276
“You love your father. I loved my father, too.... I said I would tell you which situation I thought was worse, yours or mine, and then I realized that both of them were the same and neither of them were terrible. They just shine a light on love for us. They made us look for it more and better than we would have if it had just been handed to us.” P247
Maybe 3.5 stars, but I think there are several great comments for young readers about friendships and life, that I am giving it 4 stars. There are a few parts of the story - how she gets the phone, the interaction with the whale, that just don’t work that great for me, but I am going to put it in my library and recommend it . I got this copy sent to me from an instagram contest, which I wanted because the cover is gorgeous.
I wanted to read it before I put it in my library, because I was curious how it handled GLBT issues. Natalia has a friend who is a transgender boy, Harry and his parents still call him Harriet. It doesn’t go very deep into his feelings about it, other than that he has always identified as a boy. Natalia appreciates him for who he is as a person and doesn’t obsess over his sexuality, it wasn’t a big issue in the book. I think my students would be accepting of their friendship. In fact, it might let them know that it is ok to have a friend who is struggling with identity.
March 7, 2018
Another great middle-grade novel. As Nat often says, life is complicated. A Possibility of Whales is about two soon-to-be teens growing up with their own unique problems, as well as the ones everyone must learn to deal with. Nat, the daughter of a famous actor father and a non-existent mom, must navigate the world while she continuously moves and deals with the paparazzi following her and her father. Harry is a transgender boy whose family isn't the most accepting. The two form a pretty quick bond of being different and a love of whales.
This was such a nice book. While Nat's inner voice seems a bit grown for a person her age, overall I thought the characters were very realistic for children their age. Other young middle schoolers will be able to relate to the struggles of being different, even if their situations are not those of Nat and Harry. There are a few moments towards the end of the book that made me go, "is this really happening?" but it didn't negatively impact my view of the story. Nat and the reader both have many questions about her life. Not all of them get answered with a neat, tied-with-a-bow ending and I think it really added something here. After all, this is just a snippet of a young girl's life. She won't have all the answers at this age, probably not ever, so following along her journey feels genuine. Thanks to NetGalley for the eArc.
This was such a nice book. While Nat's inner voice seems a bit grown for a person her age, overall I thought the characters were very realistic for children their age. Other young middle schoolers will be able to relate to the struggles of being different, even if their situations are not those of Nat and Harry. There are a few moments towards the end of the book that made me go, "is this really happening?" but it didn't negatively impact my view of the story. Nat and the reader both have many questions about her life. Not all of them get answered with a neat, tied-with-a-bow ending and I think it really added something here. After all, this is just a snippet of a young girl's life. She won't have all the answers at this age, probably not ever, so following along her journey feels genuine. Thanks to NetGalley for the eArc.
March 11, 2018
For me, this book was really about people attempting to define their changing, complicated worlds. The main character, Natalia, or Nat, is trying to figure out what it means to be a daughter to a famous Dad (a character that is, I believe, hilariously modeled after Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and then developed into a caricature - which was good comic relief for a story that is somewhat serious), what it means to not know your mother, and what it means to have a mother-like figure.
Other characters struggle with gender identity, and their family members struggle with that as well. How does one deal with having a transgendered child? These characters are far from perfect and make many mistakes in how they try to construct their world and this is part of the story as well.
Whether it was the sweet, and funny relationship between Nat and her father, or the contrariness of Nat's friend Harry's relationship with his Dad, a book that examines today's changing nature of the friendship and family could be an important read for the young person that needs it. This book tackles some serious subjects, but also has some comic relief. The plot and characters are not always tidy and it won't be a super comfortable read for many young people. Personally, I like that kind of book, but, of course, not everyone does.
While this book could be used in elementary schools, it does have some content that suits mature readers.
Other characters struggle with gender identity, and their family members struggle with that as well. How does one deal with having a transgendered child? These characters are far from perfect and make many mistakes in how they try to construct their world and this is part of the story as well.
Whether it was the sweet, and funny relationship between Nat and her father, or the contrariness of Nat's friend Harry's relationship with his Dad, a book that examines today's changing nature of the friendship and family could be an important read for the young person that needs it. This book tackles some serious subjects, but also has some comic relief. The plot and characters are not always tidy and it won't be a super comfortable read for many young people. Personally, I like that kind of book, but, of course, not everyone does.
While this book could be used in elementary schools, it does have some content that suits mature readers.
July 8, 2025
Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.
I was liking this and thought it was cute until it showed Harry, who is a trans boy, binding his chest with Ace bandages, and then just went along like that was completely fine and not dangerous. I am honestly shocked that the author chose to include that and didn’t realize how dangerous that could be both to Harry and to young trans readers who may emulate him.
Also I found it distracting how much Nat’s father is just the Rock. The author mentions it in the acknowledgement that her dad is heavily based on the Rock, even, but it was like. Just odd to me.
I could say more about this, but honestly the fact that I simply can’t recommend this book for safety reasons makes it rather pointless.
Representation: Nat and her dad are of Polynesian descent (BECAUSE HE'S THE ROCK), I believe, but it’s not talked about a lot. She only mentions it in the context of people assuming she can speak Spanish. Her friend Harry who has POV chapters is a trans boy
Content notes: Harry deals with transphobia and misgendering. There’s also a brief mention of death.
I was liking this and thought it was cute until it showed Harry, who is a trans boy, binding his chest with Ace bandages, and then just went along like that was completely fine and not dangerous. I am honestly shocked that the author chose to include that and didn’t realize how dangerous that could be both to Harry and to young trans readers who may emulate him.
Also I found it distracting how much Nat’s father is just the Rock. The author mentions it in the acknowledgement that her dad is heavily based on the Rock, even, but it was like. Just odd to me.
I could say more about this, but honestly the fact that I simply can’t recommend this book for safety reasons makes it rather pointless.
Representation: Nat and her dad are of Polynesian descent (BECAUSE HE'S THE ROCK), I believe, but it’s not talked about a lot. She only mentions it in the context of people assuming she can speak Spanish. Her friend Harry who has POV chapters is a trans boy
Content notes: Harry deals with transphobia and misgendering. There’s also a brief mention of death.
January 21, 2019
This got a little crazy at the end. The whale baby was quite a stretch, and we never find out why Nat's mom took off. I also think that there should have either been more chapters from Harry's POV or none. The ones we have seemed very random.
So the plot was not perfect, but there are some good lines:
p. 29 - "That was how her dad's friendships worked: They were super intense and then they just faded away into nothing, like an Etch A Sketch that was shaken clear, leaving only a faint trace of what had been there, a memory of a friend."
p. 64 - "His face finally settled on white: the color of a piece of paper. A piece of paper that wanted to be folded into the shape of a crane so it could fly directly out the window and disappear into the foggy sky."
p. 216 - "It made Nat want to blow really hard so that the clouds would part and let the blue out."
And, of course, some good words:
saudade: Portuguese - a yearning for something you can never have again, like your childhood
myotahapea: Finnish - sympathetic embarrassment
greng-jai: Thai - the feeling you got when you were putting someone out
depit: French - an itching irritation, like rage simmering just under the skin
tante: Chinese - when you are super anxious and can hear your own pulse
So the plot was not perfect, but there are some good lines:
p. 29 - "That was how her dad's friendships worked: They were super intense and then they just faded away into nothing, like an Etch A Sketch that was shaken clear, leaving only a faint trace of what had been there, a memory of a friend."
p. 64 - "His face finally settled on white: the color of a piece of paper. A piece of paper that wanted to be folded into the shape of a crane so it could fly directly out the window and disappear into the foggy sky."
p. 216 - "It made Nat want to blow really hard so that the clouds would part and let the blue out."
And, of course, some good words:
saudade: Portuguese - a yearning for something you can never have again, like your childhood
myotahapea: Finnish - sympathetic embarrassment
greng-jai: Thai - the feeling you got when you were putting someone out
depit: French - an itching irritation, like rage simmering just under the skin
tante: Chinese - when you are super anxious and can hear your own pulse
July 6, 2021
I always find it very refreshing to read novels from the perspective of a child. All of the little details are included within their thought patterns and the way their brain works. It brings me back to when I was a child. Reading this book from Nat's perspective made me realize how similar I was to her character at her age. There were so many conflicts and elements to the book, regarding The Bird, a dad who is a celebrity, puberty, an FTM friend, a missing mother, and so on... I found how many of the points were not resolved in a "perfect" or "satisfactory" way, which made it even more relatable. Not many things in life come to a clean resolution without challenges. I found the way Nat dealt with the conflicts around her the ideal ways a child of her age would react. Children are full of innocence and confusion; not knowing the world fully around them. Reading about her fascination with the whales and who The Bird were just brought me into such a trance. I picked this book up at the clearance section of a bookstore not expecting much but was surprised with how much I actually enjoyed it. Another element to the book which I found surprising was the location in Canada, being Sooke on Vancouver Island. The author lives down there and I found it very enthralling to read about an area that I am familiar with, being a Vancouver Island resident. Overall, I really was shocked with this read and it kicked off my summer TBR list on a high note!
November 18, 2020
This book really surprised me. I know I read the synopsis over a year ago when I was researching books for this challenge, but I’d basically forgotten what it was about. It was much better than I went in expecting and it’s the first book by a cis author - at the middle grade level definitely - where it felt like the author avoided some of the issues I often find. The pronoun use was excellent, there’s only a few times Harry’s given name is mentioned and it’s made clear that it’s a negative thing, and Harry’s narrative isn’t at all tragic or depressing. His parents are supportive, his peers aren’t all initially welcoming and he struggles with enjoying being friends with Nat and wanting to establish his gender by having friends who are boys.
Nat’s storyline is definitely fun, if a bit wild at times. I like the way her relationship with her father is portrayed as messy - he’s a good dad but he doesn’t always do things that are best for Nat in spite of that. Though her situation is unrealistic, it felt like her relationships really reflect truth.
Nat’s storyline is definitely fun, if a bit wild at times. I like the way her relationship with her father is portrayed as messy - he’s a good dad but he doesn’t always do things that are best for Nat in spite of that. Though her situation is unrealistic, it felt like her relationships really reflect truth.
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