Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 304 

Publisher: Delacorte 

Released: 5th of February 2019 

Twelve-year-old Iris has never let her deafness slow her down. A whiz at fixing electronics, she has always felt at home in the world of wires and vacuum tubes. 

School, on the other hand, isn't so simple. Iris is the only Deaf student in her classes, and she finds herself frustrated by the way people interact with her deafness, whether it's her teacher talking down to her or an overly helpful classmate signing childlike ASL in her face.

During science class, Iris learns about Blue 55, the loneliest whale in the world. Saddened by the animal's inability to speak to other whales, Iris uses her tech skills to come up with a plan to communicate with Blue 55. 

One small problem: the whale is swimming off the coast of Alaska, nearly three thousand miles from Iris's Texas home. But nothing will stop Iris, and with her Deaf grandmother by her side, she sets out on a trip to meet Blue 55 and make sure he's finally heard. 

What I Have to Say 

This book touched me so deeply. Iris' feelings of loneliness from being in a school where only her interpreter understood her, of being in a family where her dad hasn't even bothered to learn how to communicate with her? It was so, so sad. 

Her connection to Blue 55 was beautiful, both metaphorically and in the real sense of the journey she went on to find him. I loved how her interest in him and in whales in general brought her a real friend who put the effort in to learn from her in order to communicate properly and also how it led to her and her grandmother connecting more. The whale, so central to the plot, brought so many people together and it was just so perfect to the story. 

Iris was a lovely character as well. She was so well built and so determined. She felt so very real to me and I felt so much for her. I loved her determination, her tech skill and her sense of self. 

This book was just beautiful from cover to cover. 

My thanks go to Delacorte for providing me with this free cope to review.