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    Whale Talk
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    Whale Talk
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    Whale Talk
    Audiobook6 hours

    Whale Talk

    Written by Chris Crutcher

    Narrated by Brian Corrigan

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    About this audiobook

    There's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don't have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant), the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to find their places in a school that has no place for them. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket-exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High-will also be an effective tool. He's right. He's also wrong. Still, it's always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets soon becomes the space where they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to grow. Together they'll fight for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment's inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 26, 2002
    ISBN9780807207109
    Author

    Chris Crutcher

    Chris Crutcher has written nine critically acclaimed novels, an autobiography, and two collections of short stories. Drawing on his experience as a family therapist and child protection specialist, Crutcher writes honestly about real issues facing teenagers today: making it through school, competing in sports, handling rejection and failure, and dealing with parents. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington.

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    Reviews for Whale Talk

    4/5

    340 ratings44 reviews

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    • 4/5
      TJ, an adopted multiracial teen, is athletic and smart. He avoids organized sports until he decides to form a swimming team made up of the school misfits.
    • 5/5
      At first it seems very boring, but stick with it and you'll see how amazing it actually is. I loved it, and now finishing it, I can say all of it. Truly a wonderful book and recommend to everyone.
    • 4/5
      Ostensibly about a kid challenging the ruling power of sports at his high school, this story also shows the power of being a part of something. This was a beautiful and difficult read. Difficult because the author shows you all the ways that people are cruel and abusive to other people. Beautiful because most of the characters learn and grow. Crutcher is also very good at writing smart (and smart-ass) teenagers that are entertaining and funny. But seriously, have some tissues handy as you're reading this heart-wrenching and yet hopeful book.
    • 1/5
      Apart from this book being a drawn-out macho after-school special, it wasn't the worst. It just wasn't for me.
    • 5/5
      This was a Christmas gift from my eighth-grade son. This fall, he read a book by [[Chris Crutcher]] in his English class called [Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes]. He liked it so much that he talked me into reading it, and I liked it too. So when we opened up our Christmas presents, we had each gotten each other a Chris Crutcher book - luckily, two different ones. I wasn't sure that [Whale Talk] was going to be quite as good as [Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes]. It started off a little slower. Crutcher introduces us to the main character, T. J. Jones, quickly. T. J. is adopted and of mixed heritage. That alone makes him different in the small town where he lives. Although he's a good athlete, he has avoided organized sports, until his English teacher tells him that he's starting a swimming team. T. J. sees this as an opportunity not just to excel at a sport he's good at, but also to build a team of kids who don't fit in anywhere else. In providing the backstories of the swim team members, of T. J.'s family, and of his nemeses from the football team, the story slows a bit. But as the swim team starts competing and becoming a cohesive team, the story picks up. By the end, I was rooting for these kids and was ready to accept what seemed like it might be a storybook ending. . . until Crutcher caught me unaware. I was willing to roll with a few plot twists. In the end, I appreciated an ending that might be called both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. Crutcher works as a child and family therapist, and it is clear that he understands the challenges that no child should have to face, but many do. This adds a level of realism to the story that makes this book stand out from other YA books of its type. Some of the characters are a bit unidimensional, but having good guys to root for and bad guys to root against was one of the elements that drives this book forward. My son finished his Crutcher book ([Period 8]) about the same time that I finished this one, so we both have another Crutcher book to look forward to soon.
    • 4/5
      TJ, an adopted multiracial teen, is athletic and smart. He avoids organized sports until he decides to form a swimming team made up of the school misfits.
    • 4/5
      Young adult novel about a senior who starts a high school swim team of "misfits." An excellent read that explores racism, prejudice, coming of age, and high school sports. A little darker in places than I was expecting, but very good. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      Love this book about bullying, where the underdogs make headway-at a cost.
    • 3/5
      While I could get behind the main character here, I just found this book a little hard to take. While I do think teen novels should deal with tough issues and not shy away from unpleasantness, this one seemed a bit extreme. The disturbing nature of the work was heightened by the fact that the author, Chris Crutcher, works as a child psychologist and doubtless based much of the book's shocking violence on situations he has actually encountered. What was harder to swallow for me was the sheer concentration of cruelty and depravity. Can one small town harbor such an overwhelming cross-section of violence and irresponsible adults? Why is this one teenager seemingly the only one responsible for trying to right wrongs here? Also, considering the book's subject matter, the packaging of both of the popular editions seems off. The back cover of the Harper Teen edition makes the book sound like something appropriate for middle schoolers--a fun sports story about a goofy swim team of misfits. The novel, of course, is something else entirely. Informed readers is what we're going for here, everyone. This novel does spark some great serious conversation, but be aware that the contents are not what they appear from the outset!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Read this in my undergrad YA lit course. Liked a lot, very moving boy centered story. Good for topics of bullying and standing up to adversity. But... I remember our class having a discussion about the MC's girlfriend how much of a flat 2D character she was and how it bugged us. Reading some of Crutcher's other work I've felt the same reaction at times.
    • 5/5
      This book was as funny as it was devastating. I've never read a book by Chris Crutcher and this was so very poignant and articulate in its message that I will be looking for more by Crutcher to read.

      At certain parts, I found T.J. a little arrogant for my liking, but he's a popular kid in high school, so I get it. There also were a lot of threads to follow, but it was handled so well by Crutcher that I didn't get too overly confused (some of the names did run together for me though)

      My favorite part of this book: a healthy teenage relationship shown as a background to the story. It would have been easy to make it a focus and bring it into the storyline better - but it would have lessened the quality of the book.
    • 4/5
      When TJ's teacher askes him to join a newly forming swim team, TJ's pretty sure it's not for him. Although a natural athlete, TJ's avoided organized sports for good reasons. But when he sees one of the high school jocks bullying a special needs student, he devises gets an idea. Crutcher writes realistic fiction, which is not my genre of first choice, but his characters & plots really grab you.
    • 4/5
      I'll admit, the only reasons I wanted to read this is because some parents want to ban this from a high school class. After reading this book and seeing some of their comments I can guarantee that not one of them read this book.

      Some of their gripes have to do with the profanity used. I'll admit, some of the profanity could have been held back. But most were essential to the telling of the story and more importantly to the telling of the characters.

      I think I read this through different eyes because of all of this. I tried to read this as an educator in order to see if I felt if there was any educational value to this. This book touched upon so many important and relevant topics. Bullying, racial tension, and mental and physical abuse to name some of the big ones. This is absolutely a book I would have any high school student read.P
    • 3/5
      I read this for Book Club. My rating is actually 3.5, but the stars don't let me do that half star thing. I started this book not liking it for about the first third of the book. The reason is that the protagonist is sooooo angry and really wants revenge against all kinds of people and society in general. I'm not real comfortable with anger and violent thoughts. However, I stuck with it because I knew I had to read the whole thing in order to be able to discuss it. Let's face it, if your name is The Tao you have every write to be angry for that alone. I'm really glad I did read the whole thing, because it's one of the books I think you can talk about for a long time.

      After the first third I started to empathize with The Tao and it helped that he was using his anger not in a violent way but in a somewhat productive get-back-at-the-establishment-by-outsmarting-them way. I really loved the themes regarding bullying, people who are different, the outsized relationship of sports in our society, and particularly high school. I liked that the protagonist found a way to stand up for himself and for the other "different" people at his high school. The intelligent twists The Tao uses to get back at the powers that be in high school were brilliantly manipulative.

      The father was wonderfully written and I'm so glad he wasn't perfect, though in many ways he was the best Dad possible. Also the English Teacher, Mr. Simet, who sponsored the swim team was a great example of the ways faculty find to help while still staying out of trouble with the administration.

      The reason my rating isn't higher than 3.5 is that there were too many times I had to suspend disbelief during the story. I know why the author inserted these incidents or situations, but I thought they could have been better or made a little more realistic. In spite of that, I still recommend the book to anyone who has been bullied or is raising sons who don't fit the high school jock mold and feel left out.
    • 5/5
      Though Chris Crutcher is the master of extremes, this book is a must-read. I have read this book multiple times, and I am always enthralled by the characters, backstories and all. As a high school reading teacher, I latch onto any book that my struggling readers are willing to delve into and Whale Talk is one of them.
    • 4/5
      T J, whose full name is The Toa Jones (there’s a joke there if you pronounce it correctly), relates the story of his eighteenth year, the year he graduates. He has been asked by his English teacher to form a college swimming team, but there is no pool, and it seems T J is the only swimmer.T J gives a frank account of events of that year, not omitting his own short-comings. Raised by adoptive parents, he being the biological son of a European mother and Japanese/black American father, in a predominantly white small town outside Washington, he struggles to keep his temper in check in the face of the many injustices resulting from the racism and bigotry of small-minded jocks.Accepting the challenge of forming a swim team he assembles a curios bunch of misfits and the downtrodden and champions their cause as he strives to attain a coveted varsity Letter-Jacket, normally the preserve of high achievers in the accepted sports, for each member of his team. It is a heart-warming tale as the team unite in their cause despite the fact they seemed doomed to failure from the start. At the same time likeable T J has his own problems to deal with, but here his stable family upbringing helps him to maintain balance despite himself.At times funny, at times moving, with a tense and gripping finale, it makes for an involving story. It does get a little preachy at times, but it is a good cause, showing up racisms and family abuse for what it is; written by someone who clearly has some experience in such matters.
    • 4/5
      There were plenty of places where I had to wipe away a tear after reading sections of this book, particularly in the strength and kindness characters' showed each other after facing cruelty at the hands of other characters and life. The story centers around TJ, a gifted athlete who doesn't buy into the school caste system which places varsity athletes at the center of the universe regardless of the content of their characters. TJ puts together a swim team of those who don't quite fit. Although he does it initially as a way to stick it to the jocks, it turns out that this group forms meaningful bonds. TJ's own family is pretty amazing, his adopted parents open their home to an abused girl just as they did for TJ when he was a toddler. TJ's parents, coaches, and counselor, are pretty amazing role models. Over and over again the adults remind TJ that when people behave badly, even evilly, it points to a cycle of abuse. Crutcher's work as a child and family therapist is a clear influence throughout the book. It's a layered narrative that woven together makes a complex, emotional story.
    • 4/5
      Overall this is a good book. It starts off fairly slow but eventually picks up. I loved the character TJ and how he did his best to help everyone. His parents sound like great parents too. Not a big fan of the ending but understand why it ended the way it did.
    • 3/5
      Although Chris Crutcher does not speak in the current idiom of boys, he still speaks to boys in this story about a multicultural kid living in a small town in rural Washington state. T.J., a multicultural kid who's blessed with intelligence and athletic ability is nevertheless a victim of racism. He decides to start a swim team for kids who are misfits in one way or another, after seeing a disabled kid bullied out of wearing his dead brother's varsity letter jacket because the boy is not himself an athlete. T.J.'s main conflict is between him and the small-town, white-supremacist types who rule the sports' world in town. There are both triumphs and tragedies in this story. Strangely, when the tragedy finally occurs, T.J.'s response to it is understated, after he has spent the whole book in barely restrained anger against the bullies.
    • 4/5
      Good book dealing with racism, outcasts and swimming.T.J (The Tao) Jones is part black, Japanese and white, which makes him stand out in his suburban Washington town. Naturally athletic, the coaches at his high school constantly try to get T.J. to try out for sports, to no avail. That is, until, T.J.'s favorite English teacher convinces him to start a swim team to save his job.T.J. recruits a motley group of fellow students including one without a leg and one who is very overweight. Their stories intertwine and make for an interesting read.My one complaint about the story was how stereotypical the bullies were. I felt they were one-note and not as fully developed as the other characters. However, it doesn't take away from the story as may be expected.Highly recommended to those who like to fight for the underdog.
    • 4/5
      A very powerful book about racism, stereotyping, and aggression. The book's metaphor about whales was perfect and how we should be helping one another and looking out for our own kind--humans--all humans--despite their backgrounds, color, age, etc.
    • 5/5
      whale talk was an awesomely funny book, and yet it contained some serious thought-provoking issues that made me sick to my stomach to think that there are still people out there that judge by skin color, mental abilities, gender, age, etc. and use it as fuel to harass others. I loved T.J.'s personality - he was just so full of life that I couldn't help but smile most of the time. Plus his swimmates were also very funny. Sometimes it was hard to keep them straight, but their personalities were so very different but very hilarious. And I have to give total kudos to his parents, especially his father, because they were awesome individuals and totally had his back when T.J. decided to take a stand for what he believed in.The ending - oh, the ending! It totally made me cry! I wish I could say more, but I can't. Just that you should have a tissue handy when you get there, if you're the sort of person who cries during books and movies.whale talk would be perfect if you are feeling down and need a good laugh. But don't expect all laughs - there are some serious issues going on that will get your heart all twisted.
    • 4/5
      This book is an interesting story with ever changing moods that keep you going. One minute reading this book you'll be laughing at something that's happened, the next you'll be on the verge of tears. It truly is a touching story and I strongly recommend anyone to experience it.
    • 2/5
      When I first saw the cover of the book I knew right then and there that I wasn’t going to be very interested in this book. I know that they say never judge a book by its cover, but that saying does not included me in it. Every time that I am handed a book or looking at a book I always judge it; you may say because I had already had a set opinion in mind that I was going to let it affect me through out the book, but I didn’t. To me the setting and mood of the whole novel wasn’t very interesting and there wasn’t a lot of conflict in this story either and I like alot of conflict in my stories to be really interested in it. Yes, their may have been problem within the story, but to me some of those problems could have been solved a long time ago. Overall the novel wasn’t all so bad so don’t let my opinion effect your decision on reading this novel; remember everyone has a different opinion in every type of situation.
    • 2/5
      I found that this book left little to be desired. It was well written, and very witty, but little stale if that makes sence. It didn't really go anywhere and was a slow read. The characters were interesting and the idea different but it's plot was for the most part is open. The main character or protagonist would be T.J Jones. He is a senior year and he wants to help out these kids who are constantly being harassed. His teacher wants him to be on the swim team he is coatching so T.J tells him that he wants these cetain people on the team and he will be on it as well. The book goes on about this teams differences and similaritys. overall i thought the book was okay.
    • 5/5
      i've read this book twice now and i'm still not bored of it. The book had me going untill the last page. It revolves around the captain of cutter highschool's swim team, T.J jones. At his highschool the letterman jacket is the ultimate symbol for athletics, and anyone who wears it, therefore it's almost unattainable. When mike bourbor, one of the antagonists of the story, sees chris coughlin wearing his dead brothers letter jacket he starts to bully and threaten him. Thats when T.J. jones plots for a way chris, and others like him, can get a letter of their own. Then his journalism teacher, simet, proposes the idea of cutters first swim team. Along the way they make a team, bond with eachother, and battle racism and football players. I'd recommend this to anyone.
    • 4/5
      Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher was a good all around book. It deals with many big problems in society that most people dont want to talk about, he directly addresses it. This book might not interest every reader though. I believe this is more of guy's book because it has a lot to do with sports and male testosterone. One of the most appealing parts of this story was the part where the main character stands up and trys to help all those that have been bullied and is trying to help them take revenge on the jocks who have terrorized there lives. It is a strong book in the sence that it deals with so many big problems in just one book such as raceism and abuse and those are only a select few. it was a good book.
    • 3/5
      All T.J. Jones wanted was revenge from the jocks who thought they were so superior to everyone else. He wanted to show the jocks, the coach, and the entire school that even an outsider or someone that wasn't in major sports can earn the honor of wearing a letter jacket. However, T.J. could care less about the "pride" a letter jacket gives to a someone in Cutter High. He wants people like Chris Coughlin to have the opportunity to be a part of something. Pretty soon the swim team is born with a bright future and possibilities which include more than just trophies. Friendships are formed that will last longer than the season.
    • 4/5
      This a pretty good book. I mean, it’s not my favorite, but I think the different development in the characters and theme of it is extremely interesting. It’s about a multiracial senior in high school, TJ, who is extremely athletically capable, but because he doesn’t like the way his school conducts sports he chooses not to join them. Well, he feels that way until he decides he’s going to stay a swim team for the school to help the outcasts of the school to wear the blue and gold jackets, that are so prestigious at Cutter high school. It deals with problems such as child abuse, spousal abuse, racism, and the effect of bullying. I definitely recommend this book. I even tried to get my mom to read it, but she was too busy at work; oh well, her loss.
    • 5/5
      I don't know what it is about Crutcher's writing that draws me in so. A lot of the stories are very similar, the adults tend to have no sense of humor, they are also very one dimensional in that they are either good or stupid, very little gray area. The heroes tend to be great at everything, even recovering from traumatic head injuries, knifings, or traumatic childhoods. And I know that I disagree with a lot of his politics. I wince reading some stuff and think of it as propaganda for his political point of view directed toward impressionable youth, which enrages me somewhat. And yet. And yet, I keep reading his stuff. I like his characters. I like the way he writes. He tells a good story. And this one was no exception. TJ is a mixed race kid adopted by a biker dad and lawyer mom, atheletic to the nth degree but won't participate in school sports, which drives his sports-centric school authorities to insanity. His favorite teacher, in an effort to avoid having to coach another team, starts a swim team. TJ gathers together the school's disenfranchised, the ones who aren't allowed to wear the coveted letter jacket, and creates an amazing team. They don't win, but they try and they keep trying and that is really their success. There are also topics of prejudice and racial stuff, but that took a back seat for me to the team. I loved how these disseparate boys came together as loners and made themselves into a team. And I loved the sportmanship of the other schools portrayed in this book. Although the "Cutter All Night Wolverines" are the slowest swimmers, the other schools' atheletes finish long before them, however they don't get out of the water until the slowest guy finishes. I wish high school boys could really behave this way.