The book's shocking climax will force readers to re-examine their own values and may cause them to alter their perception of individuals pegged as 'losers. 'Crutcher offers an unusual yet resonant mixture of black comedy and tragedy that lays bare the superficiality of the high-school scene. For fans of Andrew Smith and Marieke Nijkamp. This book is banned in many schools for its use of language and expression of racism, it is one of the most real books I have read. As the unlikely athletes move closer to their goal, these new friends might learn that the journey is worth more than the reward. They may not have very much talent, but the All-Night Mermen prove to be way more than T.J. He recruits some of the biggest misfits at Cutter High to form a swim team.

When he sees a member of the wrestling team threatening an underclassman, T.J. Jones hates the blatant preferential treatment jocks receive at his high school, and the reverence paid to the varsity lettermen. The thread of truth in his fiction reminds us that heroes can come in any shape, color, ability or size, and friendship can bridge nearly any divide.”- Washington Post Whale Talk, a young adult novel by Chris Crutcher, is the story of events in the senior year of The Dao (T.J.) Jones, the adopted, multiracial son of white parents who live in the small town of Cutter, Washington. Chris crutcher, the author of this book, is a special writer. With a little courage, and an oddball group of kids on a swim team, they learn that if you keep on going, you can and will succeed. 'Crutcher's superior gifts as a storyteller and his background as a working therapist combine to make magic in Whale Talk. Whale talk, a book about a teen named tj, who struggled with family values and friends. Bestselling author Chris Crutcher’s controversial and acclaimed novel follows a group of outcasts as they take on inequality and injustice in their high school. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. The bad news is that they don't have a pool. He goes to a school where doing well in sports is a top priority and getting letter. There's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. In the book Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher,T.J. “A truly exceptional book.” -Washington Post

Book whale talk