Whale Song
by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

    WHALE SONG by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  4/1/07
    Publisher:  Kunati Inc.
    Reviewed by:  Breanna F.
    Rating:  5 Stars


    11-year-old Sarah and her parents, Daniella (an artist), and Jack (a marine biologist), move to Canada from the
    States. Sarah is not happy about the move but she starts warming up to the idea when she sees their beautiful new
    house located right along the beach that has an amazing view. She's even more happy when she meets Goldie. The
    two quickly become best friends. Sarah loves Goldie's family, especially her grandmother who they call Nana most
    of the time. Goldie is of Indian descent (along with most of the other people in the town where Sarah is living), so
    Sarah learns new traditions and tales from the past.

    Sarah develops a crush on a boy in her class, Adam. She also gets bullied by a girl named Annie. But for the most
    part she likes her new home. She especially loves going out on the schooner with her parents and listening to the
    whales, which are Sarah and her mother's new love.

    Not long after being in their new home, Sarah's mom starts having fainting spells. It is discovered that she has a
    rare condition that is slowly wasting her away. When Sarah finds this out she's devastated. Unfortunately, there's
    nothing anyone can do for her mother. Her doctors only give her about two to three more years to live, max.

    When Daniella eventually ends up in a coma, something happens and she dies. Jack (Sarah's father) is arrested for
    pulling the plug on the machines that were keeping his wife alive. Sadly, after his long-awaited court date, the jury
    finds him guilty and he's sentenced to ten years in prison.

    Sarah has to go back to the U.S. with her grandparents and leave everything behind once again. She tries to block
    out all that has happened to her back in Canada, even the good things. But when she's older (in her 20's),
    someone comes along and opens her floodgates (so to speak), and she once again remembers everything,
    including how her mother died.

    This was an incredibly hard book to write a summary of. So much happens in WHALE SONG that it's hard to
    cover the basic things in a short summary. Just go read the book and you'll find out how wonderful it is! It's
    completely heart wrenching because you know all along that Daniella is dying. But the whole book is just amazing.

    I seriously never wanted to put it down. Ms. Tardif's use of words is incredible, like when she's talking about the
    killer whales or describing scenery. They just flow so easily across every page. My heartstrings were being pulled
    the entire time and I absolutely loved it. If you like these type of books, I seriously recommend getting yourself a
    copy. You seriously won't be disappointed. And yes, I know I just overused the word seriously -- sorry!