LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023
Charged by super plotting, the infectious passion of young eco-campaigners across three generations, and a powerful environmental call to action, Chris Vick’s The Last Whale is a rousing, enchanting triumph.
In the present-day, Abi’s passion for eco-activism has got her into trouble, but she remains set on gathering environmental intel using a sophisticated quantum AI computer designed to collect and analyse ecological data, a machine her little sister names Moonlight. During a family holiday to her grandmother’s remote Norwegian island, Abi discovers her great-grandfather’s connection to - and rejection of - the whaling industry. Through his recordings and diaries, and with the help of Moonlight, Abi realises that whale song is more than mere song - the songs are maps. But, with Moonlight’s owners on her trail, time is running out.
With Abi’s quest bound up in the interconnectedness of life on earth, and the urgent need to protect and restore the web of life, it has profound power that’s passed down the generations when we meet her thirty years later, along with her daughter Tonje.
In Tonje’s story, mother and daughter are searching for whales. Though the sea is silent and the world’s ecosystems are failing, hope comes and Tonje takes up the mantle of her mother’s work.
Packed with action and a marvellous coming together of nature, technology and the inspirational dedication of young eco-activists, this will have huge appeal for readers who love all-out, character-driven adventure stories, and those who are into environmental themes.
Joanne Owen
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About
The Last Whale Synopsis
From killers to conservationists, Carnegie-shortlisted Chris Vick tells the story of three generations of the Kristensen family, their history as whale hunters and later their mission to save the great whales and our planet.
Summer, the Present Fiery and fierce, computer geek and eco-activist, Abi is holidaying with her grandmother on an island off the Norwegian coast. Having developed and befriended an AI device, Moonlight, she hopes to organise a global protest. On the island, she learns her great-grandfather rejected the family's whaling livelihood, instead creating the first whale song recording. Inspired by him, Abi and Moonlight translate the whales' songs and discover their stories. Whales are under threat, their numbers rapidly dwindling. Abi is determined to help.
Autumn, 30 years later The world's ecosystems are collapsing. There is no sight or sound of whales. Abi, her daughter, Tonje, and a now almost conscious Moonlight live on an isolated island in the Atlantic. They search for any sign of whales, but so far there is only silence.
Winter, the Future Tonje's search was not in vain. Despite climate crisis and the threat of extinction, there is always hope for the future, as nature and technology combine in a captivating, action-packed adventure with a powerful environmental call to arms.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781803281629 |
| Publication date: |
8th June 2023 |
| Author: |
Chris Vick |
| Publisher: |
Head of Zeus |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
320 pages |
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Press Reviews
Chris Vick Press Reviews
A book about climate change that offers hope as well as despair, wrapped in an action-packed adventure. A powerful call to arms - Editor's Choice, The Bookseller
The Last Whale filled me with such powerful emotions - it is a poignant tale of our times told with deep respect and knowledge... Chris's writing shines like a beacon of hope -- Jasbinder Bilan, author of Aarti and the Blue Gods
A wonder of a book. Memorable characters exploring the mysteries of nature and what it is to be human, beautiful writing and a compelling exploration of the climate crisis. Hugely recommended -- Julian Sedgwick, author of Tsunami Girl
Charged by super plotting, the infectious passion of young eco-campaigners across three generations, and a powerful environmental call to action... A rousing, enchanting triumph - LoveReading4Kids
An ode to their immense beauty and power and also how one whale is worth thousands of trees in terms of carbon capture -- Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
Wonderful imagery... A thought-provoking piece of Young Adult fiction, with author Chris Vick drawing on his Norwegian heritage and his work with the charity Whale & Dolphin Conservation - Armadillo Magazine
Fascinating science underpins this tightly plotted and gripping adventure that reminds us how fragile the ecosystem is - Daily Mail
Vick's generation-spanning eco-thriller zooms around up-to-the-minute themes - Observer
Author
About Chris Vick
Chris Vick is a graduate of the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People. In between writing and teaching, Chris works for a whale and dolphin conservation charity and is a proud member of Authors4Oceans. He lives near Bath with his wife and daughter. Girl. Boy. Sea. was shortlisted for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal.
Follow Chris Vick on Instagram @chrisvick321
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